RESEARCH AND REVIEWS: JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY Applications of Nanotechnology Based Dosage Forms for Delivery of Herbal Drugs

Over the past decade, major advances have been made on development of novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) form plant actives and extracts. Herbal medicines have been widely used all over the world since ancient old ages and have been recognized by physicians and patients for their better therapeutic value as they have fewer adverse effects as compared with modern medicines. Herbal therapeutics can be achieved by Drug Delivery systems. This herbal treatment helps to increase the therapeutic value by reduce the toxicity and side effects of drugs at the same time it also increase the bioavailability. The use of herbal formulations for novel drug delivery systems is more beneficial and has more advantages compared to others. The novel herbal formulations like liposomes, phytosomes, ethosomes microsphere, nanocapsules, transferosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsions and has been reported using bioactive and plant extracts. The main reason behind development of alternative drug delivery is to increase efficiency of drug delivery and safety in drug delivery and provide more convenience to the patient. Distribution, sustained delivery, and protection from physical and chemical degradation. The present work highlights the current status of the development of novel herbal formulations and summarizes their method of preparation, type of active ingredients, size, and entrapment efficiency, route of administration, biological activity and applications of novel formulations.