Nano-Based Drug Delivery of Polyphenolic Compounds for Cancer Treatment: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges

Abstract

Polyphenols and their derivates, a kind of natural product distributed in herb plants, vegetables, and fruits, are the most abundant antioxidants in the human diet and have been found to display cancer-preventative effects in several epidemiological studies. The scientific community has also validated the anti-cancer bioactivities and low toxicities of polyphenolic compounds, including flavones, tannins, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins, through in vitro and in vivo studies. However, the low stability, weak targeting ability, poor solubility, and low bioavailability of pure polyphenolic agents have significantly impaired their treatment efficacy. Nowadays, nano-based technology has been applied to surmount these restrictions and maximize the treatment efficacy of polyphenols. In this review, we summarize the advantages and related mechanisms of polyphenols in cancer treatment. Moreover, aiming at the poor solubility and low bioavailability of pure polyphenols in vivo, the advantages of nano-based delivery systems and recent research developments are highlighted. Herein, particular emphasis is mainly placed on the most widely used nanomaterials in the delivery of natural products, including liposomes, micelles, and nanogels. Finally, we present an overview and the challenges of future implementations of nano-based delivery systems of polyphenolic compounds in the cancer therapeutic field.

Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Gut Dysbiosis: What Can Polyphenols Do in Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

“…Due to their versatility, polyphenols are increasingly used in bioimaging, therapeutic delivery, and other biomedical applications [ 167 , 168 ]. This is because polyphenols possess a number of desirable characteristics, including inherent biocompatibility, bioadhesion, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity [ 167 ].…”

Cytotoxic, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Activities of the Leaf Extract of Sinningia bullata

“…Plant-derived natural products, whether as pure compounds or standardized extracts, have received attention due to their many health benefits and offer countless prospects for new drug discovery [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Natural products possess structural complexity, diversity, and chirality with attractive functions and biological activities that have significantly impacted drug development initiatives [ 34 ].…”

Natural products applied in acute kidney injury treatment: polymer matters

“…To resolve the problems above, natural drugs are usually administered with polymers to form designed prodrugs or nanocarriers with improved performance. 29–31…”

“…To resolve the problems above, natural drugs are usually administered with polymers to form designed prodrugs or nanocarriers with improved performance. [29][30][31] Focusing on the extraordinary affinity between natural products and polymers, we reviewed recent reports on AKI treatment that applied natural polymers directly as carriers, or that delivered natural products via polymer-based structures and tried to draw out a reference for future design and application of natural products in AKI-related realms, considering the essential roles of natural products in AKI and the importance of rational design of delivery systems of them.…”