View Article

Abstract

Targeted Drug Delivery Systems (TDDS) represent a promising advancement in the field of herbal medicine, offering the ability to enhance the precision and efficacy of herbal treatments while minimizing side effects. This review explores various innovative approaches for targeted delivery of herbal compounds, including the use of nanoparticles (liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles), microspheres, pH-sensitive systems, and biodegradable polymers. These systems allow for controlled release and protection of herbal bioactive ingredients, facilitating their precise targeting to diseased tissues, such as tumors or inflamed areas. TDDS improves the specificity of herbal formulations by exploiting mechanisms such as passive, active, and physical targeting, thus reducing systemic toxicity and enhancing therapeutic outcomes. Additionally, the use of nanotechnology, including nanocarriers like liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles, ensures improved bioavailability and stability of herbal compounds, such as curcumin, resveratrol, and ginger. TDDS also opens up new possibilities in overcoming barriers such as the blood-brain barrier, enabling targeted delivery to the brain for neuroprotection. While TDDS offer significant therapeutic advantages, challenges related to scalability, toxicity, and regulatory approval remain. Future research should focus on optimizing these systems for broader clinical applications, particularly in the treatment of cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders, to make them integral components of personalized herbal medicine.

Keywords

Targeted Drug Delivery Systems (TDDS), nanoparticles, liposomes, microspheres, pH, polymers, nanotechnology, curcumin, resveratrol, ginger, blood-brain barrier, neuroprotection, cancer therapy, inflammation, bioavailability, stability

Reference

  1. Khar, R. K., & Vyas, S. P. (2002). Targeted and Controlled Drug Delivery: Novel Carrier Systems. CBS Publishers & Distributors.
  2. Patra, J. K., Das, G., Fraceto, L. F., Campos, E. V. R., Rodriguez-Torres, M. P., Acosta-Torres, L. S., … & Shin, H. S. (2018). Nano-based drug delivery systems: recent developments and future prospects. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 16(1), 1-33.
  3. Sharma, S., & Sikarwar, M. S. (2020). Phytosome: an emerging technology to enhance the bioavailability of botanical extracts. Current Drug Delivery, 17(6), 460-470.
  4. Shukla, R., & Sachan, N. (2021). Role of Novel Drug Delivery Systems in Phytochemicals: Present Scenario and Future Prospects. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 11(1-s), 36-40.
  5. Pandey, A., Pandey, R. D., & Gupta, R. N ,Role of nanotechnology in herbal drug delivery. International Journal of Herbal Drug Research, 1(2), 1-7.
  6. Borah, B., & Ghosh, L. “Herbal Drug Delivery Systems: A Review of Recent Advances.” Pharmaceutical Technology.
  7. Nair, R., & Jacob, P. “Nanotechnology in Herbal Medicine: A Review.” International Journal of Nanomedicine, 6, 1735-1745.
  8. Singh, M., & Singh, H. “Novel Drug Delivery Systems for Herbal Medicine: Advancements and Applications.” Phytotherapy Research, 34(4), 854-872.
  9. Patel, D., & Patel, M.  “Recent Trends in the Development of Nanocarriers for the Delivery of Herbal Drugs.” Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 53, 101227.
  10. Langer, R., & Wise, D. L. Medical Applications of Controlled Drug Delivery. CRC Press.
  11. Patel, M., & Patel, P. Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems: An Overview. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, 4(9), 1-12.
  12. 1. Allen, T. M., & Cullis, P. R. Drug delivery systems: Entering the mainstream. Science, 303(5665), 1818-1822. DOI: 10.1126/science.1095833 
  13.  Lammers, T., Kiessling, F., Hennink, W. E., & Storm, G. (2012). Drug targeting to tumors: Principles, pitfalls and (pre-) clinical progress. Journal of Controlled Release,161(2), 175-187. DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2011.09.063 
  14.  Peer, D., Karp, J. M., Hong, S., Farokhzad, O. C., Margalit, R., & Langer, R. (2007). Nanocarriers as an emerging platform for cancer therapy. Nature Nanotechnology, 2(12), 751–760. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2007.387
  15. Alves, C., & Oliveira, M. (2016).Targeted drug delivery systems: A comprehensive review. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 507(1-2), 122-135.  DOI:[10.1016/j.ijpharm.2016.04.040](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2016.04.040)
  16. Bansal, V., & Mishra, P. R. (2017).Targeted drug delivery systems: Recent developments. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 106(12), 3140-3155. Doi[10.1016/j.xphs.2017.08.017](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xphs.2017.08.017
  17. Mahalingam, S., & Choudhury, H. (2020).Nanotechnology-based drug delivery for herbal medicines: Novel approaches and therapeutic applications. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine, 24, 102118.  DOI:[10.1016/j.nano.2019.102118](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nano.2019.102118)
  18. Sahoo, S. K., & Labhasetwar, V. (2003).Nanotech approaches to drug delivery and imaging. Drug Discovery Today, 8(24), 1112-1121.  DOI: [10.1016/S1359-6446(03)03002-3](https://doi.org/10.1016/S1359-6446(03)03002-3)
  19. Suri, K. S., & Jain, A. (2018).Targeted drug delivery systems: Strategies and applications in cancer therapy. Journal of Drug Targeting, 26(6), 520-536.  Doi[10.1080/1061186X.2018.1476644](https://doi.org/10.1080/1061186X.2018.1476644)
  20. Patel, V. P., & Patel, D. M. (2017). Liposomes in targeted drug delivery. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 41, 184-192.  DOI[10.1016/j.jddst.2017.01.003](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2017.01.003)
  21. Liu, X., & Zhang, S. (2016). Nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery: A review.International Journal of Nanomedicine, 11, 4341-4354.DOI: [10.2147/IJN.S107177](https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S107177)
  22. Fang, J., & Nakamura, H. (2011).The enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect: The key role of tumor-targeted nanomedicine in cancer therapy. Journal of Controlled Release, 159(3), 267-272. DOI:[10.1016/j.jconrel.2012.01.040](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2012.01.040)
  23. Jain, R. K. (2001). Delivery of molecular medicine to tumors: A review of methods.Cancer Research, 61(21), 8199-8205.  [https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/61/21/8199](https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/61/21/8199)
  24. Xie, Z., & Ding, Y. (2017).Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for targeted therapy of cancers. International Journal of Nanomedicine,12, 2921-2935. DOI: [10.2147/IJN.S129255](https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S129255)
  25. Verma, A., & Mishra, S. (2019). Role of nanotechnology in targeted drug delivery of herbal medicine. Current Drug Delivery, 16(2), 154-167.  DOI:[10.2174/1567201815666190709123004](https://doi.org/10.2174/1567201815666190709123004)
  26. Ma, H., & Duan, X. (2018). Targeted delivery of herbal extracts using nanocarriers: Current status and future prospects. Journal of Controlled Release, 271, 98-116. DOI:[10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.11.023](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.11.023)
  27. Couvreur, P., & Vauthier, C. (2006).Nanotechnology: A new opportunity for drug delivery. Journal of Controlled Release, 146(1), 31-43.DOI:[10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.12.009](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.12.009)
  28. Duan, X., & Zhong, L. (2019).Nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery systems for targeted cancer therapy. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10, 489.  DOI[10.3389/fphar.2019.00489](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.00489)
  29. Zhang, Q., & Cheng, L. (2021).Targeted drug delivery and its applications in cancer therapy. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 110(9), 31113121.DOI:[10.1016/j.xphs.2021.06.035](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xphs.2021.06.035).

Photo
Priti pagar
Corresponding author

Swami Vivekanad Sanstha’s Institute of Pharmacy, Mungase (Malegaon)- Nashik-(Maharashtra)

Photo
Khushi borwal
Co-author

Swami Vivekanad Sanstha’s Institute of Pharmacy, Mungase (Malegaon)- Nashik-(Maharashtra)

Photo
pachpute D. S.
Co-author

Swami Vivekanad Sanstha’s Institute of Pharmacy, Mungase (Malegaon)- Nashik-(Maharashtra)

Photo
tufail dana
Co-author

Swami Vivekanad Sanstha’s Institute of Pharmacy, Mungase (Malegaon)- Nashik-(Maharashtra)

Photo
manohar nikam
Co-author

Swami Vivekanad Sanstha’s Institute of Pharmacy, Mungase (Malegaon)- Nashik-(Maharashtra)

Photo
Dipali Kothawade
Co-author

Swami Vivekanad Sanstha’s Institute of Pharmacy, Mungase (Malegaon)- Nashik-(Maharashtra)

Priti Pagar*, Khushi Borwal, Dipali Kothawade, pachpute D. S., tufail dana, manohar nikam, Novel Approaches in Herbal Medicine Administration: The Role of Targeted Drug Delivery, Int. J. of Pharm. Sci., 2025, Vol 3, Issue 3, 34-48. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14953664

More related articles
Development of Pharmacovigilance in AI Tool: Drug ...
Sneha Deshmukh, Akanksha Gangurde, Prachi Divate, Mitesh Sonawane...
Analytical Method Development And Validation For S...
Kartik A. Bhatkar, V. M. Waghulkar, M. P. Jadhao, M. D. Game, S. ...
Rise of E-Pharmacies in India: A Case Study on Gro...
Tooba Rizvi, Nandini Rupesh Vimal, Shailja Sahu, Aishwarya Srivas...
Related Articles
Evaluation Parameters For Mouth Dissolving Films...
Avinash Bichave, Somesh Phate, Vaishnavi Naik, Anushka Gaikwad, Lalit Choudhary, Uttam Choudhary, Sh...
Formulation and Evaluation of Flaxseed Hair Gel...
HEMAPRIYA. M, KODHAI. V, PAVITHRA. N, MOUNIKA. R, PERARASU. P, Senthilraja M., ...
Development and Validation of RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Amox...
Uttam Sanandiya, Dhirendra Kumar Tarai, Khyati P. Bhupta, Dr. Santosh R. Kirtane, ...
Organoids As a Model for Drug Testing and Disease Research...
Stiven Gaikwad , Aakansha Warjurkar, Ishika Biloriya, Dr. Vaibhav Uplanchiwar, ...
Development of Pharmacovigilance in AI Tool: Drug Safety Monitoring...
Sneha Deshmukh, Akanksha Gangurde, Prachi Divate, Mitesh Sonawane, ...
More related articles
Development of Pharmacovigilance in AI Tool: Drug Safety Monitoring...
Sneha Deshmukh, Akanksha Gangurde, Prachi Divate, Mitesh Sonawane, ...
Analytical Method Development And Validation For Simultaneous Estimation Of Anti...
Kartik A. Bhatkar, V. M. Waghulkar, M. P. Jadhao, M. D. Game, S. G. Jawarkar, ...
Rise of E-Pharmacies in India: A Case Study on Growth, Operational Models, Regul...
Tooba Rizvi, Nandini Rupesh Vimal, Shailja Sahu, Aishwarya Srivastava, Ashwani Kumar, ...
Development of Pharmacovigilance in AI Tool: Drug Safety Monitoring...
Sneha Deshmukh, Akanksha Gangurde, Prachi Divate, Mitesh Sonawane, ...
Analytical Method Development And Validation For Simultaneous Estimation Of Anti...
Kartik A. Bhatkar, V. M. Waghulkar, M. P. Jadhao, M. D. Game, S. G. Jawarkar, ...
Rise of E-Pharmacies in India: A Case Study on Growth, Operational Models, Regul...
Tooba Rizvi, Nandini Rupesh Vimal, Shailja Sahu, Aishwarya Srivastava, Ashwani Kumar, ...