From Nature to Medicine: Overcoming the Limitations of Herbal Therapeutics for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Based on Nanotechnology

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide due to late-stage diagnosis, aggressive progression, and limited therapeutic responsiveness. Although herbal-derived bioactive compounds have demonstrated promising anticancer potential, their clinical application is often restricted by poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, rapid metabolic degradation, and insufficient tumor targeting. Nanomedicine has emerged as a promising platform to overcome these limitations through enhanced drug delivery, improved pharmacokinetics, and controlled release capabilities. In recent years, the integration of green nanotechnology with herbal therapeutics has gained increasing attention as a sustainable and biocompatible strategy for PDAC management. Green synthesis approaches utilizing plant extracts, microbial systems, and biopolymers provide environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional physicochemical nanoparticle (NP) fabrication methods while simultaneously enhancing biological functionality. This review aims to explore green nanotechnology-based strategies for improving the therapeutic potential of herbal-derived bioactive compounds in PDAC, with particular emphasis on nanoformulation approaches that enhance solubility, bioavailability, tumor targeting, and anticancer efficacy. In addition, the review discusses the advantages of green synthesis approaches, NP characterization strategies, translational barriers, biosafety considerations, and current clinical challenges. Overall, this review highlights the growing potential of green nanomedicine to improve herbal-based therapeutic strategies against PDAC while emphasizing the key obstacles that must be addressed to facilitate successful clinical translation.