Title:Different Types of Naturally based Drug Delivery Carriers: An Explanation
and Expression of Some Anti-cancer Effects
Volume: 29
Issue: 15
Author(s): Salar Masoomzadeh, Tooba Gholikhani, Ashkan Barfar, Solmaz Asnaashari and Yousef Javadzadeh*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy,
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran;
Keywords:
Cancer, carriers, natural-based carriers, natural polymers, phytosomes, targeted delivery.
Abstract: Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide and a major impediment to increasing
life expectancy. However, survival rates with average standard cancer treatment strategies have not significantly
improved in recent decades, with tumor metastasis, adverse drug reactions, and drug resistance still posing
major challenges. Replacement therapies are essential for treating this terrible disease. Recently, there has been
a dramatic increase in the use of phytochemical-derived conjugated chemotherapeutic agents due to their biocompatibility,
low cytotoxicity, low resistance, and dynamic physiochemical properties that distinguish normal
cells in treating various types of cancer. The use of plant-based carriers has many advantages, such as the availability
of raw materials, lower cost, lower toxicity in most cases, and greater compatibility with the body's structure
compared to chemical and mineral types of carriers. Unfortunately, several challenges complicate the efficient
administration of herbal medicines, including physicochemical disadvantages such as poor solubility and
instability, and pharmacokinetic challenges such as poor absorption and low bioavailability that can cause
problems in clinical trials. Novel delivery systems such as liposomes, phytosomes, nanoparticles, and nanocapsules
are more suitable as delivery systems for phytomedicinal components compared to conventional systems.
The use of these delivery systems can improve bioavailability, pharmacological activity, prolonged delivery,
and provide physical and chemical stability that increases half-life. This article discusses different types of phytocompounds
used in cancer treatment.
