Emerging Nanoparticle-Based Herbal Drug Delivery Systems for Colon Targeting Therapy

Herbal medications hold a dominant position in the pharmaceutical sector due to their well-established therapeutic effects and extremely low negative effects. Besides, herbal remedies are easily available and highly economical. However, to circumvent the issue of poor bioavailability, the combinatorial strategy of incorporating herbal medicines and nanotechnology is useful. The phytoconstituents molded in novel nanocarriers such as polymeric nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, nanoemulsions, gold nanoparticles, etc., have been extensively investigated as they are the most promising approach for colon-targeting drug delivery systems. Although plantbased medicines have been developed for decades, there is enormous research interest in the development of an effective plant-derived delivery system for the incorporation of phytoconstituents into various nanomaterials to overcome potential challenges related to solubility, bioavailability, and stability issues. The encapsulation of phytoconstituents in a novel nanocarrier is a promising approach to improving the bioavailability, stability, and therapeutic efficacy of herbal medicines. The herbal nanomedicines are used as a promising tool for targeted delivery to the colon, with potentially effective outcomes for the treatment of colonic diseases, viz., ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease, shigellosis, constipation, colonic polyps, colon cancer, etc. This article presents a comprehensive survey of recent findings and patents by innovators working exclusively on nanoparticles for the delivery of phytomedicines for colon targeting.