Phyto-nanoformulations for the Treatment of Clinical Diseases

Abstract

<div>Plant-derived drugs or formulations have always been explored because of</div><div>their lesser side effects and toxicities compared to synthetic drugs and they have been</div><div>widely used as traditional and complementary medicines for the management of many</div><div>diseases including cancer. The major challenges faced were the absorption of the plantderived</div><div>drugs, their stability, bioavailability, and transport to the intended sites inside</div><div>the body. Recent progress in nanotechnology has helped to minimize these limitations</div><div>and hence phyto-nanoformulations are slowly growing in preclinical trials as well as</div><div>clinical use. The use of various nanostructures such as nano-micelles, lipid</div><div>nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, polymer nanoparticles, and nanoliposomes and</div><div>various types of drug delivery vehicles such as polybutylcyanoacrylate, polylactic-c-</div><div>-glycolic acid, and lactoferrin has immensely helped in increasing the effectiveness of</div><div>phytochemical drugs by increasing their stability, better pharmacokinetics and reducing</div><div>the toxicity and side effects. Phyto-nanoformulations having natural product</div><div>components such as curcumin, piperine, quercetin, berberine, scutellarin, baicalin,</div><div>stevioside, silybin, gymnemic acid, naringenin, capsicum oleoresin, emodin, and</div><div>resveratrol have been shown to improve the condition of patients diagnosed with</div><div>diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, infections, and cancer. Phyto</div><div>nanoformulations can also be used to treat disorders of the brain where the blood-brain</div><div>barrier is impervious to the drugs. These phyto-nanoformulations have been shown to</div><div>target several molecular cell-signaling and metabolic pathways. This chapter covers the</div><div>compositions of phyto-nanoformulations and how they have been used to control</div><div>several diseases.</div>