NIOSOMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ORAL DISEASES: RECENT ADVANCES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Oral diseases such as periodontitis, oral candidiasis, oral inflammatory conditions, and oral cancer remain significant global health challenges due to complex pathophysiology, microbial involvement, and limitations associated with conventional drug delivery systems. Poor drug retention, low bioavailability, frequent dosing, and systemic side effects often compromise therapeutic outcomes in oral therapy. In recent years, niosomal drug delivery systems have emerged as promising nanocarriers capable of overcoming these limitations by providing targeted, controlled, and localized drug delivery to oral tissues. Niosomes are non-ionic surfactant-based vesicles that offer advantages such as enhanced drug stability, improved mucosal penetration, prolonged residence time, and reduced toxicity. This review comprehensively discusses the fundamentals of niosomal drug delivery systems, including composition, preparation methods, and characterization parameters. The pathophysiology of major oral diseases is briefly outlined to highlight the rationale for niosomal applications. Special emphasis is placed on recent advances (2020–2025) in niosome-based formulations for oral diseases, including periodontal therapy, antifungal treatment for oral candidiasis, anticancer drug delivery for oral cancer, and buccal drug delivery using mucoadhesive gels and films. Furthermore, current challenges, scale-up considerations, and regulatory aspects associated with niosomal formulations are critically analyzed. The review concludes by highlighting future perspectives and research directions necessary to translate niosomal drug delivery systems from laboratory studies to clinical applications in oral healthcare.