A Review on Integration of nanotechnology in Herbal medicine

Abstract

From the ancient times animal kingdom remained dependent upon plant kingdom for it’s abundant medicinal values. Herbal medicines gained popularity due to it is abundant sources as well as low cost which may solve the problems of unavailability. Different parts of plants contain different secondary metabolites which are the main components for the therapeutic effects of plants.The main disadvantage of herbal medicines was patient incompatibility.In some cases the solubility of active constituents of plants remains higher, however due to their high molecular weight they can’t be absorbed in the lipid membrane of cells in sufficient quantity. Due to this, they show very limited bioavailability and rapid excretion. So to get the therapeutic benefits, it become essential to it’s repeated administration with a large dose which deviates the patient compliance most times.One such use of nanotechnologyis to increase bioavailability and decrease toxicity. If it is possible to delivery herbal drugs in nanoscale, then improvements in solubility, bioavailability, pharmacological action and stability of novel herbal formulations are capable enhancing the distribution of macrophages in tissues as well as extended delivery, and prohibit the chemical and physical degradation.

“Novel Drug Delivery Systems” is a renowned technology was found to solve the noncompliance of herbal medicines. This technology is nothing but Nanotechnology.It studied that when herbal medicines and nanotechnology are fused, then the noncompliance of herbal medicine is successfully diminished.