Plants produce biologically active metabolites that have been utilised to cure a variety of severe and persistent illnesses. There is a possibility that understanding how these bioactive molecules work would allow researchers to come up with better treatments for diseases including malignancy, cardiac disease and neurological disorders. A triterpene called ursolic acid (UA) is a pentacyclic prevalent triterpenoid found in fruits, leaves, herbs and blooms. The biological and chemical aspects of UA, as well as their presence, plant sources and biosynthesis, and traditional and newer technologies of extraction, are discussed in this review. Because of its biological function in the creation of new therapeutic techniques, UA is a feasible option for the evolution and medical management of a wide range of medical conditions, including cancer and other life threatening diseases. Despite this, the substance's poor solubility in aquatic environments makes it unsuitable for medicinal purposes. This hurdle was resolved in many different ways. The inclusion of UA into various pharmaceutical delivery approaches was found to be quite effective in this respect. This review also describes the properties of UA and its pharmacokinetics, as well as therapeutic applications of UA for cancer, inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to its anti‐diabetic, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and anti‐microbial properties. Some of the recent findings related to novel nano‐sized carriers as a delivery system for UA and the patents related to the applications of UA and its various derivatives are covered in this review. The analytical study of UA, oleanolic acid and other phytoconstituents by UV, HPLC, high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography and gas chromatography is also discussed. In the future, UA could be explored in vivo using various animal models and, in addition, the regulatory status regarding UA needs to be explored. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Drug targeting specific cells/tissues of the body without their becoming a part of the systemic circulation is a prominent area of research in drug delivery, with the main emphasis on improvement in formulation and development. Drug-targeting can improve the viability, lower/minimize the adverse/side effects, and can become cost-effective. Certain limitations like short circulating half-life, bioavailability issues, rapid metabolism and degradation, poor tissue distribution and penetration in the blood-brain barrier, intestinal absorption barriers, etc., are associated with the delivery of various therapeutic agents. Nanocarriers have arisen in the field of drug targeting with valuable delivery of drugs to site-specific/desired areas which is a significant therapeutic advantage since it keeps drugs from being conveyed to some unacceptable spots. Nanocarriers prevent the obstacles in clinical utilization of the therapeutic agents as they decrease the serious and critical side/adverse effects by targeted drug delivery and provide slow and sustained drug release. Nanocarriers bring new trust to drug targeting by upgrading the efficacy, defeating resistance, and minimizing toxicity. This chapter mainly focuses on the role and benefits of nanocarriers in drug-targeting and nanocarriers as prominent systems for targeting and delivering drugs to achieve maximum effects with improved therapeutic response.
The delivery system plays a vital role in managing the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a drug. The size of the carrier system contributes to its pharmacological action. Lipid-based carriers refer to the formulations containing a dissolved or suspended drug in lipidic excipients. Lipoidal systems as carriers are achieving heights due to their significant lipid nature and the size of particles in the delivery system. The micro/nano-sized lipid-based carriers possess versatility in improving the physic-chemical properties of drugs. Also, they are biocompatible and can be administered through all possible routes. Lipid-based drug delivery carrier systems of new and existing formulations can be commercialized to achieve the desired range of product specifications. Solubility of the drug in various lipids is a key factor in the development of the delivery system. Lipids as functional excipients are compatible with solid, liquid, and semi-solid dosage forms. Besides improving/enhancing the solubility and bioavailability, lipids provide multiple broad-based applications in the pharmaceutical delivery system.
Delivering drugs through various delivery systems into the body for successful treatment of diseases is most entrancing deeds for the pharmaceutical analyst. Conventional drug delivery systems have various hindrances like loss of medication and poor bioavailability of drugs. Polymer-based nanocarriers such as polymeric nanoparticles upgrade bioavailability of drug, delivery of drug to specific site and improve solubility of drugs. They are widely explored as controlled, precise, sustained and continuous release systems for drug delivery and are easily incorporated and appropriate for practically all parts of nanomedicines and bring new trust in field of drug conveyance by redesigning drug viability and diminishing drug toxicity. This chapter mainly focuses on polymers and techniques engaged with advancement of polymer-based nanoparticles and their applications in therapeutic intervention.
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