Physiological neutral pH drives a gradual lamellar-to-reverse cubic-to-reverse hexagonal phase transition in phytantriol-based nanoparticles.

•DBC was added to phytantriol-based dispersions to generate phase transitions.•DBC causes disordering of the cubic phase, leading to the formation of niosomes.•The formulations responded only to neutral and alkaline environments.•pH-triggered lamellar-to-reverse cubic-to–reverse hexagonal phase transitions occurred.•Potential pH-triggered mucoadhesivity and drug release could be obtained.