Abstract
Cancer is one of the foremost causes of death globally and also the major stumbling block of increasing life expectancy. Although the primary treatment of surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have greatly reduced the mortality of cancer, the survival rate is still low because of the metastasis of tumor, a range of adverse drug reactions, and drug resistance. For all this, it is relevant to mention that a growing amount of research has shown the anticarcinogenic effect of phytochemicals which can modulate the molecular pathways and cellular events include apoptosis, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, their pharmacological potential is hindered by their low water solubility, low stability, poor absorption, and rapid metabolism. In this scenario, the development of nanotechnology has created novel formulations to maximize the potential use of phytochemicals in anticancer treatment. Nanocarriers can enhance the solubility and stability of phytochemicals, prolong their half-life in blood and even achieve site-targeting delivery. This review summarizes the advances in utilizing nanoparticles in cancer therapy. In particular, we introduce several applications of nanoparticles combined with apigenin, resveratrol, curcumin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, 6-gingerol, and quercetin in cancer treatment.
Highlights
Cancer is nowadays the second leading cause of death, following heart diseases and affecting people of all ages
One advantage of this nanotechnology is that drugs encapsulated in nanoparticles can be protected from destructive action of external media [6]
AuNPs were always synthesized by utilizing chemicals and solvents, which has a negative effect on environment and human health [15]
Summary
Cancer is nowadays the second leading cause of death, following heart diseases and affecting people of all ages. Prior studies on nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems used for delivering natural agents have suggested to us that this technology may have considerable advantages over conventional therapies for cancer. One advantage of this nanotechnology is that drugs encapsulated in nanoparticles can be protected from destructive action of external media [6]. The nanoparticles’ (NPs) design parameters can be optimized to maximize their performances by modifying their composition, particle size, morphology, and surface properties, to increase the efficacy of treatment, reduce side effects, and overcome drug resistance In this scenario, the development of nanoparticulate-based drug delivery systems holds promise for cancer therapy, because natural compounds fabricated at the nanometer scale exhibit drastically altered bioactivities and toxicity. We summarize several updates on preparation methods of NPs
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