Abstract
The efficacy of drugs and vaccines depends on their stability and ability to interact with their targets in vivo. Many drugs benefit from encapsulation, which protects them from harsh conditions and allows targeted delivery and controlled release. Although many encapsulation methods are inexpensive, such as the formulation of tablets for oral delivery, others require complex procedures that add significantly to production costs and require low-temperature transport and storage, making them inaccessible in developing countries. In this review we consider the benefits of encapsulation technologies based on plants. Plant-derived biopolymers such as starch and the maize storage protein zein are already used as protective coatings, but plant cells used as production host provide natural in vivo bioencapsulation that survives passage through the stomach and releases drugs in the intestine, due to the presence of microbes that can digest the cell wall. Proteins can also be encapsulated in subcellular compartments such as protein bodies, which ensure stability and activity while often conferring additional immunomodulatory effects. Finally, we consider the incorporation of drugs and vaccines into plant-derived nanoparticles assembled from the components of viruses. These are extremely versatile, allowing the display of epitopes and targeting peptides as well as carrying cargoes of drugs and imaging molecules.
Highlights
The ability of drugs to interact with specific targets is facilitated by the use of appropriate carriers, known as drug delivery vehicles (DDVs)
This review review focuses on the bioencapsulation of protein drugs in plant cells focuses on the bioencapsulation of protein drugs in and plantspecifically cells and considers considers the utilization of plant organelles and assemblies such as virus-like particles the utilization of plant organelles and assemblies such as virus-like particles (VLPs) for the (VLPs) for the development of innovative development of innovative
Plant-based expression platforms allow the direct bioencapsulation of recombinant proteins during the manufacturing process, which could facilitate the development of new DDVs
Summary
The ability of drugs to interact with specific targets is facilitated by the use of appropriate carriers, known as drug delivery vehicles (DDVs). Oral delivery places additional demands on the drug, such as oral bioavailability, ability to withstand stomach acid, and resistance to digestive enzymes If these hurdles cannot be overcome, a different administration route is necessary [2]. Syringe-assisted administration requires trained staff, high standards of hygiene, and typically a cold chain for drug transport and storage, all of which are expensive and place a disproportionate burden on developing countries with incomplete healthcare infrastructure. This has prompted research into new DDVs that facilitate mucosal delivery, typically via the oral and nasal routes.
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