GREEN NANO TECHNOLOGY APPROACHES FOR THE DELIVERY OF HERBAL ANTI-TUBERCULAR AGENTS

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is still among the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Although effective drugs exist, long treatment courses, patients who struggle to complete them, drug-related toxicity and the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains keep undermining cure rates. Many medicinal plants yield flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds that act against mycobacteria in the laboratory, yet these molecules dissolve poorly in water, degrade easily, are absorbed inefficiently and distribute to tissues without selectivity, which has kept them out of the clinic. Green nanotechnology offers a more sustainable route, in which plant extracts and other biological materials replace harsh chemicals as reducing and stabilizing agents during nanoparticle synthesis. Silver, zinc oxide and gold nanoparticles produced this way can carry larger drug loads, reach infected macrophages, release their cargo gradually and be taken up more readily by cells, which raises efficacy while limiting systemic toxicity. This review outlines the principles of green nanotechnology, describes the main herbal anti-tubercular agents, compares green synthesis routes and nanocarrier platforms, explains how these particles act against mycobacteria, and discusses the obstacles and prospects for moving herbal nanomedicines toward clinical use against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB.