Aquasomes: A promising carrier for peptides and protein delivery

Aquasomes are one of the most recently developed delivery systems that are making a niche as the peptide/protein carriers. These are nanoparticulate carrier systems with three layered self-assembled structures. They comprise the central solid nanocrystalline core coated with polyhydroxy oligomers onto which biochemically active molecules are adsorbed. The solid core provides the structural stability. The carbohydrate coating acts as dehydroprotectant and stabilizes the biochemically active molecules. Due to this property of maintaining the conformational integrity of bioactive molecules, aquasomes are being proposed as a carrier system for delivery of peptide based pharmaceuticals. The delivery system has been successfully utilized for the delivery of insulin, hemoglobin and various antigens. Oral delivery of enzymes like serratiopeptidase has also been achieved. This article discusses the problems faced in the delivery of clinically important peptides and presents aquasomes as a reliable approach to troubleshoot them.