International Journal of Toxins and Toxics Review Article
Nanotechnology meet phytomedicine towards smarter drug delivery system.
Abstract
Using bioactive substances derived from plants, or phytomedicine, has long shown promise in treating a variety of illnesses with fewer adverse effects than synthetic medications. Nevertheless, a lot of phytochemicals have issues with inadequate targeting in vivo, low bioavailability, poor solubility, and chemical instability. By enabling encapsulation, controlled release, targeted delivery, and stimuli responsive behavior, nanotechnology provides effective tools to get around these restrictions. This review examines the intersection of nanotechnology and phytomedicine, providing an overview of recent developments in nanocarrier systems, including micelles, lipid-based nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and hybrid materials, intended for the intelligent delivery of therapeutic agents derived from plants. We look at how these nano-formulations reduce off-target effects, improve pharmacokinetics, increase therapeutic efficacy, and enable controlled or triggerable release in response to environmental ues (pH, redox, enzymes, etc.). We also discuss important issues like cost, regulatory barriers, manufacturing scalability, and safety/toxicity. Lastly, we point out potential future paths that could result in the next generation of intelligent phytomedicine delivery systems, such as theranostics, green synthesis, and AI-guided design.
Keywords
References (48)
- Parvin N, Aslam M, Joo SW, Mandal TK. Nano-phytomedicine: harnessing plant-derived
- phytochemicals in nanocarriers for targeted human health applications. Molecules.
- 2025;30(15):3177.
- Bonifácio BV, da Silva PB, Ramos MAS, Negri KM, Bauab TM, Chorilli M.
- Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems and herbal medicines: a review. Int J
- Nanomedicine. 2013;8:3271–3287.
- Jalili A, Zarei M, Ahmadi M, Ghasemi F. Current advances in nanotechnology-mediated
- delivery of phytochemicals. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(2):456.
- Novel drug delivery systems for phytomedicines. Pharmaceutics. 2024;16(8):1059.
- Dashchenko AI. Nanotechnology. In: CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering.
- Berlin: Springer; 2020.
- Bhushan B, editor. Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology. Dordrecht: Springer; 2016.
- Zhang YB, Li X, Wang Y, Chen Z. Nano-based drug delivery systems for active
- ingredients of traditional medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1342211.
- Siafaka PI, Okur ME, Ayla Ş, Er S, Çağlar EŞ. Nanoformulations loaded with
- phytochemicals for wound healing and regenerative applications. Nanomaterials.
- 2025;15(3):412.
- Rahat I, Khan S, Ahmad Z, Ullah R. Polymer–lipid hybrid nanoparticles for phytochemical
- delivery: progress, challenges, and future perspectives. Pharmaceutics. 2024;16(4):512.
- Solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers for anticancer phytochemical
- delivery: advances, challenges, and future prospects. Drug Deliv Transl Res.
- 2023;13(6):1789–1812.
- Kothapalli CR, Vasanthan T. Lipid-based nanocarriers for enhanced delivery of plant-
- derived bioactive molecules: a comprehensive review. Food Chem. 2022;370:131034.
- Guillén-Meléndez GA, López-Cervantes J, Sánchez-Machado DI. Nanoencapsulation of
- extracts and isolated compounds of plant origin used in antineoplastic therapy.
- Pharmaceutics. 2024;16(3):389.
- Fahim M, Rahman MM, Hossain MA. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles: a
- comprehensive review. Nanomaterials. 2024;14(2):178.
- Eker F, Aydın A, Şahin F. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using plant extracts and
- their biomedical applications. Molecules. 2025;30(6):1423.
- Tenchov R, Bird R, Curtze AE, Zhou Q. Cutting-edge applications of nanoscale materials
- in drug delivery. ACS Nano. 2021;15(11):17882–17915.
- Balcerak-Woźniak A, Lewandowska-Łańcucka J. Stimuli-responsive smart polymers and
- their biomedical applications: a comprehensive review. Polymers (Basel). 2024;16(4):512.
- Saxena R, Sharma P, Gupta VK. Green synthesis of nanoparticles toward sustainable
- nanotechnology: a review. J Clean Prod. 2025;402:136818.
- Liu X, Wang J, Zhang Y. New opportunities of stimulus-responsive smart nanocarriers for
- precision drug delivery. Adv Ther (Weinh). 2025;8(2):2300456.
- Samuel MS, Ravikumar M, John JA, Selvarajan E, Patel H, Chander PS, et al. Green
- synthesis of nanoparticles and their diverse biomedical and environmental applications.
- Catalysts. 2022;12(5):459.
- Nanoparticle-based delivery systems for phytochemicals in cancer therapy: molecular
- mechanisms, clinical evidence, and emerging trends. Semin Cancer Biol. 2024;89:56–72.
- Phytochemical delivery through nanocarriers: principles and therapeutic applications. Adv
- Drug Deliv Rev. 2020;154–155:1–25.
- Usmani A, Dash PP, Mishra A. Metallic nanoformulations: green synthetic approaches for
- advanced drug delivery. Mater Sci Eng C. 2025;156:113765.