Microemulsions: Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems With Enhanced Bioavailability

Microemulsions are preferred because of its advantages like low cost of preparation and enhanced bioavailability due to increased absorption of drug through skin which is achieved by adding penetration enhancers. Most frequently used permeation enhancers are saturated and unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid . Microemulsions are the systems which can be used as a carrier to enhance the solubility of the drug and they protect the drug from oxidation, degradation and hydrolysis. As this system is directly applied on the skin, there is lesser risk of side effects like toxicity. Thus, microemulsions can be used as safe and effective dosage form to enhance the bioavailability of drugs in the transdermal drug delivery system. This article summarizes the structure of microemulsions, its components, merits and demerits of microemulsion system. Keywords: Microemulsion, transdermal drug delivery, bioavailability