BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS IN PHYTOMEDICINE: A NEW ERA OFNANOTECHNOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS FOR ENHANCEDPHARMACOLOGICAL EFFICACY

Herbs and spices possess various bioactive compounds, which tend to show vital role in the medicinal plant based phytotherapy for several chronic diseases.These bioactive compounds, known as phytochemicals has become potential therapeutic agents due to the lowest degree of side effects and high safety along with health benefits.Numerous herbs and spices (mustard, turmeric, saffron, kokum, black pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, jeera, coriander, fenugreeink, clove, asafoetida) are known to have various pharmacological activities viz., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-obesity, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic properties.Conventional plant extract formulations have been transformed into new herbal drug formulation by the use of nanomaterials.Niosomes, metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles (NPs), nanocapsules, nanocrystals, nanoemulsions etc. offer discrete benefits viz., controlled and sustainable release, increase in the stability, solubility, bioavailability of the bioactive compounds.This review provides latest key findings on the role of nanomaterials in therapeutic action of bioactive compounds on various chronic diseases.The plant sources having bioactive components along with therapeutic value and their nanotechnology-based herbal drug delivery formulations have been thoroughly discussed in this review.