e-ISSN: 2321-6182 p-ISSN: 2347-2332
Nishita R. Mehta*
Department of Pharmaceutics and Herbal Drug Delivery, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, India
Received: 05-Mar-2025, Manuscript No. jprpc-25-169379; Editor assigned: 7-Mar-2025, Pre-QC No. jprpc-25-169379 (PQ); Reviewed: 18-Mar-2025, QC No jprpc-25-169379; Revised: 25-Mar- 2025, Manuscript No. jprpc-25-169379 (R); Published: 30-Mar-2025, DOI: 10.4172/2347-1234.13.010
Citation: Nishita R. Mehta, Bioavailability Enhancement of Herbal Drugs through Phytosomal and Nanoformulation Technologies. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2025.13.010.
Copyright: © 2025 Nishita R. Mehta, this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Despite the promising pharmacological activity of herbal drugs, many suffer from poor oral bioavailability due to low solubility, permeability, and stability. Modern drug delivery technologies such as phytosomes, liposomes, nanoemulsions, and solid lipid nanoparticles are being employed to enhance the absorption and therapeutic efficacy of herbal compounds. This article reviews advanced formulation strategies used to improve the pharmacokinetic profiles of key phytoconstituents.
Herbal medicines offer a wide range of therapeutic benefits, but poor bioavailability of active constituents remains a major barrier to clinical translation. Phytoconstituents like curcumin, quercetin, and silymarin have low aqueous solubility and are rapidly metabolized. Nanoformulation techniques provide novel ways to overcome these limitations by enhancing solubility, protecting against enzymatic degradation, and improving permeability across biological membranes.
Barriers to Herbal Drug Bioavailability
Phytosomal Technology
Definition:
Phytosomes are complexes of phytoconstituents with phospholipids (usually phosphatidylcholine), which improve solubility and membrane permeability.
Applications:
Phytoconstituent |
Herbal Source |
Benefit via Phytosome |
Silybin |
Silybum marianum |
↑ Liver bioavailability |
Curcumin |
Curcuma longa |
↑ Anti-inflammatory activity |
Quercetin |
Allium cepa, Camellia sinensis |
↑ Cardiovascular protection |
Ginkgo flavones |
Ginkgo biloba |
↑ CNS penetration |
Mechanism: Phytosomes interact with lipid bilayers, enhancing passive diffusion across enterocytes.
Nanoparticle-Based Herbal Formulations
Case Studies
Evaluation Parameters
Advantages of Nanoformulations
Regulatory and Commercial Considerations
Advanced formulation techniques such as phytosomes and nanoparticles offer a promising future for overcoming the bioavailability barriers associated with herbal medicines. By combining traditional phytotherapy with modern delivery systems, these strategies enhance therapeutic efficacy, improve safety, and support the global integration of herbal drugs into mainstream healthcare.