Abstract

NOVEL HERBAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM - AN OVERVIEW

Aravinda Nalla* and Krishna Mohan Chinnala

ABSTRACT

Plants are nature’s remedies and have been used by human beings on earth since ancient times for food and medicine. Today there are global movements towards finding of herbal medicaments in plants to bring them in market via a suitable drug delivery system for mankind. Novel drug delivery system is a novel approach to drug delivery that addresses the limitations of the traditional drug delivery systems. Novel technologies have been developed recently for drug delivery systems. The use of herbal formulations for novel drug delivery systems is more advantageous and has more benefits compared to others. The use of liposome, ethosome, phytosomes, emulsion, microsphere, solid lipid nanoparticles of herbal formulation has enhanced the therapeutic effects of plant extracts. With the use of all these, targeted delivery of the formulation is achieved, due to which the formulation demonstrates effect on the site and the bioavailability of the formulation is also increased. The great advancement has been made for the technologies increasing the commercial potential of the herbal formulations by increasing the patient compliance and avoiding repeated administration of the formulation. With the use of these advance techniques it gives us protection from toxicity, enhancement in stability, improved bioavailability of herbal formulations. Protection from physical and chemical degradation can be achieved. Many herbal compounds including quercetin, genistein, naringin, sinomenine, piperine, glycyrrhizin and nitrile glycoside have demonstrated capability to enhance the bioavailability.

Keywords: Herbal drug delivery system, Liposome, Ethosome, Phytosome, Solid Lipid Nanoparticles, Microspheres.