Status of novel drug delivery technology for phytotherapeutics

Abstract

Herbal medicines have been widely used all over the world since ancient times and have been recognized by physicians and patients for their better therapeutic value as they have fewer adverse effects as compared with modern medicines. However, phytotherapeutics needs a scientific approach to deliver the components in a sustained manner to increase patient compliance and avoid repeated administration. This can be achieved by designing novel drug delivery systems for herbal constituents. Novel drug delivery systems not only reduce the repeated administration to overcome non-compliance, but also help to increase the therapeutic value by reducing toxicity and increasing the bioavailability, and so on. Recently, pharmaceutical scientists have shifted their focus to designing a drug delivery system for herbal medicines using a scientific approach. For a long time herbal medicines were not considered for development as novel formulations owing to lack of scientific justification and processing difficulties, such as standardization, extraction and identification of individual drug components in complex polyherbal systems. However, modern phytopharmaceutical research solves the scientific needs for herbal medicines as in modern medicine, which gives way for developing novel formulations such as nanoparticles, microemulsions, matrix systems, solid dispersions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and so on. This article summarizes various drug delivery technologies for herbal actives, which are gaining more attention for better therapeutic response.

[Retracted] Essential Oils Loaded in Nanosystems: A Developing Strategy for a Successful Therapeutic Approach

“…Liposomes are one of the most studied colloidal delivery systems; in fact, they were first developed for drug delivery purposes as early as 1970s [47, 48]. …”

“…The size of these structures can be rather small (in the range of 20 nm) or rather large (exceeding 1  μ m). Owing to the presence of the hydrophilic compartment and lipophilic palisade, they can be used as carriers for both lipophilic and hydrophilic molecules [48]. …”

“…Bioactive compounds compartmentalised in liposomes can be protected against degradation and in case of lipophilic compounds, liposomal encapsulation can also lead to increased solubilisation [48]. …”

Association colloids as delivery systems: principles and applications in the food and nutraceutical industries

“…Changes in temperature, concentration, pH, and the presence of surfactants or other lipids in solution can destroy the lipid bilayer or increase the permeability of the membrane (Ramon and Danino, 2008 ). Proliposomes are dry dispersions that spontaneously form liposomes when suspended in water (Musthaba et al ., 2009 ;Payne et al ., 1986 ). Proliposomes are dry dispersions that spontaneously form liposomes when suspended in water (Musthaba et al ., 2009 ;Payne et al ., 1986 ).…”

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“…However, standardization and their quality assurance have been the major problem faced with herbal products. Herbal medicines were not considered for development of novel formulations for a long time as due to processing difficulties, such as standardization, extraction and identification of individual drug components in complex polyherbal systems and due to lack of scientific justification 33 . Batch-to-batch variations in efficacies of the herbal formulations which may result from natural and genetic alterations, seasonal changes, differences in soil and climatic conditions, and nutritional status of the medicinal plant have also been cause of concern as this may lead to issues regarding quality and purity of these formulations 34 .…”