Title:Nanocarriers: A Successful Tool to Increase Solubility, Stability and Optimise Bioefficacy of Natural Constituents
Volume: 26
Issue: 24
Author(s): Anna Rita Bilia*, Vieri Piazzini, Laura Risaliti, Giulia Vanti, Marta Casamonti, Meng Wang and Maria Camilla Bergonzi
Affiliation:
- Department of Chemistry “Ugo Schiff”, University of Florence, via Ugo Schiff 6, 50121, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence,Italy
Keywords:
Natural products, low bioavailability, poor stability, lipid-based and polymeric nanoparticles, improved
oral bioefficacy, passive and active targeting, crossing barriers.
Abstract: Natural products are fascinating molecules in drug discovery for their exciting
structure variability and also for their interaction with various targets. Drugs multi-targeting
effect represents a more realistic approach to develop successful medications for many diseases.
However, besides a large number of successful in vitro and in vivo studies, most of the
clinical trials fail. This is generally related to the scarce water solubility, low lipophilicity and
inappropriate molecular size of natural compounds, which undergo structural instability in
biological milieu, rapid clearance and high metabolic rate. Additionally, some molecules are
destroyed in gastric juice or suffer to a massive pre-systemic metabolism in the liver, when
administered orally, limiting their clinical use. A reduced bioavailability can also be linked to
drug distribution/accumulation in non-targeted tissues and organs that increase the side effects
lowering the therapeutic efficacy and patient compliance. Nanomedicine represents a
favourable tool to increase bioavailability and activities of natural products. Generally,
nanovectors provide a large surface area and can overcome anatomic barriers. Each
nanovector has its own advantages, disadvantages, and characteristics. In this review, different
nanocarriers made of compounds which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for
the delivery of natural products, marketed as food supplements and medicines are reported.