Abstract

NOVEL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS IN HERBALS FOR CANCER

Dhara Bhatt*, Khushboo Jethva, Sonal Patel and Maitreyi Zaveri

Abstract

Herbal medicines have been used since ages for the treatment of various diseases since the ancient times. The demand of the herbal medicines has increased in the recent years because of their ability to treat different diseases with fewer side effects. The side effects of chemotherapy in cancer treatment are a major concern and hence the need of the day is to find the treatment which is effective with fewer side effects. There is a need to attain the effective drug delivery of herbal medicines. The development of novel drug delivery system (NDDS) plays a major role to overcome various constraints like poor bioavailability, in vivo stability, aqueous insolubility, intestinal absorption and unspecific site of action. The integration of NDDS in traditional system of medicine enriches the potential of herbal drugs for treating chronic diseases such as cancer. The formulations such as phytosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, microspheres, solid lipid nanoparticles and microemulsions have a great potential to deliver herbal medicines effectively. The current review summarizes various NDDS that have been studied for the delivery of herbal medicines, for the treatment of cancer and are gaining more attention for improved therapeutic response and bioavailability.

Keywords: Herbal medicine, Novel drug delivery system, Cancer.