Absorption of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin when administered as niosome-encapsulated inclusion complexes.

An attempt has been made to design suitable niosome-encapsulated drug delivery system for ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. Encapsulation of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin in niosomes was investigated and the nasal and intestinal absorption of the products studied. More than 80% of the drugs were successfully encapsulated to give products with sustained release characteristics. Encapsulation in niosomes also improved the stability of the antibacterial compounds. Although the systemic availability of these niosome-encapsulated antibacterial compounds was not increased after nasal administration, intestinal absorption was significantly higher in comparison with that of plain inclusion complexes.