NANOTECHNOLOGY IN HERBAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS: A REVIEW

Abstract

Nanotechnology has emerged as a revolutionary approach in pharmaceutical sciences for improving the therapeutic efficacy of herbal medicines. Herbal drugs possess significant pharmacological activities; however, their clinical applications are often limited by poor solubility, low bioavailability, instability, rapid metabolism, and poor target specificity. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems such as nanoparticles, liposomes, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, dendrimers, and polymeric micelles have shown great potential in overcoming these limitations. These nanocarriers improve drug solubility, stability, absorption, controlled release, and targeted delivery while reducing toxicity and enhancing therapeutic effectiveness. This review discusses the principles, advantages, types, preparation methods, characterization techniques, applications, challenges, and future perspectives of nanotechnology in herbal drug delivery systems.