Nano-hydrogel systems in herbal medicine: A systematic review

Introduction: The growing popularity of herbal medications among the general public can be attributed to the belief that they are safer and have lower adverse drug reactions compared to synthetic treatments. In vitro studies showing the efficacy of herbal treatments may not always be directly applicable in vivo. Furthermore, the drug’s efficiency in the body is limited by its low solubility in water, necessitating bigger doses and longer dosing intervals for maximum effectiveness. As a result, it is critical to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of nanotechnology in the delivery of herbal medication. This study aims to investigate and collect scientific reports on the characteristics, increased activity and solubility, drug loading, drug release, and nanotoxicity of nano-hydrogel-containing herbal medicines. Methods: This review used a literature search of the Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases from January 2024 to July 2024 using the keywords "nano-hydrogel" and "herbal" and "enhance solubility" and "enhance the antibacterial, antioxidant, wound healing activity". Results: The literature findings showed that nano-hydrogel was highly effective for the internal and external delivery of medications. The decreased surface-to-volume ratio of nano-hydrogels resulted in a higher efficacy in transporting herbal active compounds across human cell membranes. Conclusion: Nano-hydrogel is an effective formulation when mixed with herbal active ingredients and might be used for drug production.