Herbal Based Nano-Drug Delivery System for Various Clinical and Therapeutic Applications: Current Status and Future Prospects

Abstract

Herbal medicines have been used for centuries in the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases due to their therapeutic efficacy, safety, and affordability. However, many phytoconstituents suffer from poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, instability, rapid metabolism, and limited target specificity, which restrict their clinical applications. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these limitations through the development of herbal nano-drug delivery systems. Nano formulations such as liposomes, phytosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, Nano emulsions, dendrimers, and nanomicelles enhance the therapeutic performance of herbal compounds by improving their solubility, stability, controlled release, and targeted delivery. Herbal nano-drug delivery systems have demonstrated significant potential in cancer therapy, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, infectious diseases, wound healing, and inflammatory conditions. Recent advancements in nanocarrier design have further facilitated site-specific drug delivery and improved patient compliance. Despite these achievements, challenges related to toxicity, regulatory approval, standardization, large-scale manufacturing, and clinical translation remain significant. This review discusses the principles, types, therapeutic applications, current status, challenges, and future prospects of herbal nano-drug delivery systems, highlighting their role in modern healthcare and personalized medicine. Recent evidence indicates that nanocarriers improve the bioavailability, stability, and therapeutic efficacy of phytoconstituents while enabling targeted and controlled drug delivery.

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