No abstract

Herbal remedies have been extensively used since times immemorial throughout the world. These have wide acceptability due to their time-tested therapeutic values and minimal side effects in contrast to modern allopathic medicines. Commonly, the herbal medicines are available in the form of crude extracts prepared in different solvent systems which might not only need large dose administration but also could be less effective in the form of conventional formulations. Moreover, available phytoformulations do not have the ability for specific tissue target delivery in case of different chronic diseases. Oral administration of these herbal formulations is subjected to adverse pH, enzymatic degradation and ultimately poor gut absorption and bioavailability. With the advancements in biotechnology, genomics, and combinatorial chemistry, new, more potent and specific drug delivery systems have been envisaged during the last few decades. Constraints associated with conventional phytopharmaceuticals have been improved by designing and using -Nano Delivery Systems‖ (NDS). The foremost aim of NDS is to provide sustained drug release, site-specific action, and improved patient's compliance. Nano herbal medicines can be used to target them to the specific site in the body which improves their selectivity, solubility, delivery, safety, effectiveness and thus reduces the need for

No abstract

Herbal drugs have been used since ancient times in various parts of the world. These have wide acceptability due to their time-tested therapeutic values and minimal side effects in contrast to modern allopathic medicines. Mostly, the herbal drugs are either in dried powder form or in crude extract form prepared in different solvent systems. These preparations generally need large dose administration and also could be less effective in the form of conventional formulations. Moreover, these herbal formulations cannot be targeted to specific tissue in case of different chronic diseases. Oral consumed herbal formulations display reduced bioavailability as these are subjected to adverse pH, enzymatic degradation and ultimately poor gut absorption. Constraints associated with conventional phytopharmaceuticals have been improved by designing and using “Nano Delivery Systems” (NDS). The foremost aim of NDS is to provide sustained drug release, site-specific action, and improved patient’s compliance. Nanometal based herbal drugs can be used for targeted drug delivery in the body which improves their safety, effectiveness and reduces need of frequent large doses. Metal Nanocarriers loaded with herbal drugs can carry the optimal amount of the drug to their site of action avoiding different obstructions such as low pH in the stomach, metabolism by liver so that the drug can circulate into the blood for a longer period of time. Herbal drugs with NDS thus would be helpful in enhancing their efficacy.