Nature Meets Nanotechnology: Evolution of Phytosomes

Since ancient times, herbal plants have served as traditional medicines for the treatment of various diseases. These herbal plants contain phyto constituents that have excellent pharmacological activity and bioactivity and help in the management of diseases like cancer, liver damage, inflammation, and heart disease. The supply of these phytomedicinals, which have some physicochemical limitations such as poor absorbability and bioavailability due to their multiple ring structures and poor solubility. Phytosome technology was introduced to overcome the physicochemical limitations of herbal medicines. “Phyto” means plant, and some meanings relate to cell-like structures. Phytosomes are the complex structures produced by the envelopment of phyto constituents like flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, and xanthones into phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine. The formed phytosomal complex exhibits enhanced solubility, absorbability, and bioavailability compared to crude drug forms. A number of phytosomal products are available in the market, such as CURCUMIN, SILYMARIN, GREEN TEA, RUTIN, CATECHIN, and GINSENG. This article contains a comparative study of phytosomes along with recent advancements, including their preparation methods, properties, formulations, characterization, and applications. Particle size, zeta potential, morphology, and entrapment efficacy help determine their stability in the formulation. TEM and SEM are used to characterize the phytosomal complex. Phytosomes represent a potential drug delivery system with enhanced bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy compared to normal phyto constituents. Further research on this phytosomal technology brings the medicinal field into a new era.