| dc.description.abstract | In many cases, conventional therapeutics are not able to cure diseases in a proper and safe manner. Conversely, plants and their derivatives have been successfully used for the treatment of numerous diseases and disorders for centuries and have proven themselves as efficient, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, faster, and less toxic. However, their use is sometimes connected to some issues, mainly due to inefficient systemic delivery and bioavailability, which prevent to translate their promising in vitro and in vivo effects into clinical use. During the past decade, nanotechnology has made big progress in developing different nanocarriers for drug delivery formulations. In the case of phytopharmaceuticals their encapsulation in nanoparticles can help in improving drug solubility, physical and chemical stability, pharmacological activity, reducing its toxicity and side effects, and providing targeted and sustained delivery which all leads to better bioavailability. The current review highlights the main problems connected to the delivery of phytopharmaceuticals, the main properties of different types of plant drugs, and gives a critical review of properties and limitations connected to the application of numerous lipid, polymer, and inorganic nanoparticles as phytodrug carriers. It also provides information about up-to-date investigated combinations of phytopharmaceuticals and nanocarriers. | sr |
