Improving on Nature: The Role of Nanomedicine in the Development of Clinical Natural Drugs

Abstract

Natural products have been used as a major source of drugs for millennia, and about half of the pharmaceuticals in use today are derived from natural products. However, their efficacy can be limited because of their low hydrophilicity and intrinsic dissolution rate(s), or physical/chemical instability. In addition, they can present scarce absorption, poor pharmacokinetics and bioavailability, scarce biodistribution, first-pass metabolism, trivial penetration and accumulation in the organs of the body, or low targeting efficacy. Novel nanoformulations based on drug delivery systems, namely nanoparticles, micelles, and vesicles, offer significant promise in overcoming these limitations. Nowadays, nanomedicine is crucial in developing appropriate therapeutic treatments of essential drugs, specifically antitumor and antiparasistic agents (i.e., Taxol, vincristine, camptothecin, doxorubicin, artemisinin) and other emerging molecules with pleiotropic functions (i.e., resveratrol, curcumin, salvianolic acid B, honokiol). Additionally, the number of nanoformulations developed with flavonoids, in particular rutin, quercetin, silymarin, and green tea catechins, is constantly increasing, and a significant number of publications have appeared in the last decade pertaining to nanoformulations based on extracts and essential oils. Most of these studies report very promising nanoformulations with sustained release and improved bioavailability at much lower doses than conventional preparations, and in many cases, also a better safety profile.

Dehydroleucodine inhibits mitotic clonal expansion during adipogenesis through cell cycle arrest

“…Approximately 50% of modern pharmaceuticals derived from traditional plant compounds (Bilia et al, ). A deeper understanding of the antiadipogenic mechanism of action of the sesquiterpene lactone DhL, derived from A .…”

“…Approximately 50% of modern pharmaceuticals derived from traditional plant compounds (Bilia et al, 2017). A deeper understanding of the antiadipogenic mechanism of action of the sesquiterpene lactone DhL, derived from A. douglasiana, may thus have pharmacological importance in the continuing search for therapeutic modalities to ameliorate the effects of the global obesity epidemic.…”

Curcumin nanoparticles potentiate therapeutic effectiveness of acitrein in moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients and control serum cholesterol levels

“…Curcumin (dihydroferuloyl‐methane) is the main active constituent of the rhizome of turmeric ( Curcuma longa L), having a plethora of biological activities, principally antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects . Due to the numerous molecular targets interacting with the main pathogenic pathways of the disease, namely T cell‐mediated inflammation via the inhibition of and angiogenesis, keratinocyte proliferation, nuclear factor kappa B, phosphorylase kinase, curcumin is a promising molecule for the treatment of psoriasis …”

“…[3,4] Curcumin (dihydroferuloyl-methane) is the main active constituent of the rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa L), having a plethora of biological activities, principally antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects. [5] Due to the numerous molecular targets interacting with the main pathogenic pathways of the disease, namely T cell-mediated inflammation via the inhibition of and angiogenesis, keratinocyte proliferation, nuclear factor kappa B, phosphorylase kinase, curcumin is a promising molecule for the treatment of psoriasis. [6][7][8] In the present study, we investigated the activity of curcumin nanoparticles orally administered in patients having moderate-to-severe psoriasis and treated with acitretin, a second-generation retinoid used as an oral systemic therapy for patients with too extensive and/or severe psoriasis which cannot be treated with topical treatment.…”

Preparation and characterization of magnetic theranostic nanoparticles for curcumin delivery and evaluation as MRI contrast agent

“…In human history, treatments derived from plants and natural products have played a serious role in the health care . At this time, over 100 new natural molecules are in clinical assessment, mainly for their anticancer effects . Curcuma longa L. is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae family, originating from southeast India.…”