Revolutionizing Drug Delivery: Harnessing Terpenes in Lipid Vesicles to Overcome Drug Permeability Challenges

: Paracellular transport is the movement of pharmaceuticals across biological membranes, which acts as a major barrier to drug delivery and sometimes limits the efficacy of therapeutic agents. Liposomes and other lipid vesicles have emerged as one of the most promising pharmaceutical carriers because of their inherent biocompatibility and ability to trap both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. Drug release and, hence, permeation through the target membranes for drug delivery is often blocked by the steadily impermeable nature of the lipid bilayers. This work aims to increase the permeability of membranes by using terpenes, an extensive and diverse class of natural compounds, as additives in lipid vesicles. Moreover, it is believed that terpenes can disrupt the lipid bilayer structure, thereby enhancing drug release and increasing the transport of drugs across biological barriers. In this review, we examine how terpenes can enhance the permeability of lipid vesicles and their implications for drug delivery. There are various mechanisms through which terpenes interact with lipid bilayers, including factors that can affect the efficacy of terpenes. : Additionally, we explore the diverse array of terpenes studied for this purpose. We will discuss recent advances in terpene-modified lipid vesicles in relation to the delivery of different drugs, especially anticancer drugs, peptides, and proteins. The review will highlight some of the challenges and possible future directions for that most exciting epiphany.