Phototoxic Antibiotics and Aspects of their Liposomal Encapsulation: A Mini-Review

The liposomal encapsulation of antibiotics offers advantages from the aspect of bioavailabilty and therapeutical efficacy. As among antibiotics many possess phototoxic properties, and during preparation (e.g. sterilization), storage or in case of topical application ultraviolet light exposure can be present, photodegradation of liposomal antibiotics should be taken into consideration. Thus, the examination of lipid-phototoxic drug interactions in the presence of ultraviolet light is of great importance. In some cases liposomal encapsulation can alter the ways and rates of photodegradation, leading to the formation of more or less (photo)toxic compounds. Through the examples of selected phototoxic antibiotics (nalidixic acid and lomefloxacin) we highlight the role of liposomal composition in altering the photodegradation process of drug molecules,- leading to possible changes either in the ways or in the rates of their photodegradation.