Title:Emerging Nanoparticle-Based Herbal Drug Delivery Systems for Colon Targeting Therapy
Volume: 3
Author(s): Dipthi Shree*, Chinam Niranjan Patra and Biswa Mohan Sahoo
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Roland Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Berhampur,760010, Odisha, India
Keywords:
Phytoconstituents, colon targeting, colorectal disorders, therapeutic efficacy, herbal medicine, nanocarriers.
Abstract: Herbal medications hold a dominant position in the pharmaceutical sector due to
their well-established therapeutic effects and extremely low negative effects. Besides, herbal
remedies are easily available and highly economical. However, to circumvent the issue of
poor bioavailability, the combinatorial strategy of incorporating herbal medicines and nanotechnology
is useful. The phytoconstituents molded in novel nanocarriers such as polymeric
nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid
carriers, nanoemulsions, gold nanoparticles, etc., have been extensively investigated as they
are the most promising approach for colon-targeting drug delivery systems. Although plantbased
medicines have been developed for decades, there is enormous research interest in the
development of an effective plant-derived delivery system for the incorporation of phytoconstituents
into various nanomaterials to overcome potential challenges related to solubility,
bioavailability, and stability issues. The encapsulation of phytoconstituents in a novel
nanocarrier is a promising approach to improving the bioavailability, stability, and therapeutic
efficacy of herbal medicines. The herbal nanomedicines are used as a promising tool for targeted
delivery to the colon, with potentially effective outcomes for the treatment of colonic
diseases, viz., ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, shigellosis, constipation, colonic
polyps, colon cancer, etc. This article presents a comprehensive survey of recent findings
and patents by innovators working exclusively on nanoparticles for the delivery of phytomedicines
for colon targeting.
