Introduction
Liposomes are a very versatile drug delivery system which have been proven to increase the bioavailability of its active ingredient. Liposomes can be used either intravenously or orally. The intravenous route of drug delivery has the great advantage that it ensures that the liposomes reach the blood stream directly and the liposomes may fuse with target cells really fast. This route may be very suitable for cancer therapies. But for food supplements and regular drugs, intravenous administration of liposome encapsulated molecules is much too invasive. A much more user-friendly way of drug administration is the oral delivery route. However, some people are sceptic about the feasibility of liposomes surviving the gastro intestinal tract. However, enough evidence of the results of oral liposomal drug delivery has been presented over the years. (Amselem et al., n.d.; Degim et al., 2006; Jorge et al., 2008; Kraft, Freeling, Wang, & Ho, 2014; Li & Chen, 2015; Spangler, 1990; Zülli et al., 2006) It may be that the liposomes undergo some lysis due to lipase and other surfactants in the intestinal fluid. However, the phosphatidylcholine in the liposomes can reform into micelles and they will act as an absorbance enhancer ensuring the uptake of the lipophilic molecules by the epithelial cells of the intestines.
