IJRAP International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy 2277-4343 Moksha Publishing House DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.1106198 A REVIEW ON PRONIOSOMES: A PRO-COLLOIDAL PARTICULATE DRUG CARRIER P. V. Swamy * Ch. Sucharitha and G. Surendra Babu 11 -0001 119 130 Abstract Colloidal particulate carrier systems are the systems which carry particulates in a nanometre size. These systems are substantially effective for transportation and distribution of variety of loaded drugs to desired site and increase efficacy and decrease toxicity, to provide therapeutic activity in a controlled manner for a prolonged period of time. One such new emerging colloidal systems is proniosomes which has capacity to improve the bioavailability and also permeation of drugs across the stratum corneum to provide a controlled release action and reduce toxic effects associated with drugs. These are the dry formulations of water-soluble non-ionic surfactant coated carrier systems which immediately on hydration form niosomes. They have the capacity to overcome the various problems associated with niosomes and liposomes, like instability, transportation, distribution, storage and dosing. They offer versatile drug delivery concept for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. They have the capacity to deliver drugs effectively through different routes at specific site to achieve controlled release action. This review concentrates on preparation, characterization, components, structure, types, evaluation parameters, proniosomes in drug delivery and targeting, toxicities associated with proniosomes, proniosomes versus niosomes, clinical applications, mechanism of vesicle formation in proniosomes and future trends associated with it. Also, drug delivery via different routes, such as oral, parenteral, topical and transdermal, ocular, vaginal, mucosal, pulmonary and intranasal were discussed. Keywords Nonionic vesicles targeted drug action proniosomes skin permeation surfactants transdermal References