HERBONANOCEUTICALS: A NEWER APPROACH FOR DELIVERING HERBAL DRUGS

“Nanotechnology” is a science which deals with the particles less than the size of 100 nm. Materials at the atomic and molecular scales are engineered and manufactured by this technology. The use of nanotechnology for “phytotherapy” or treatment of various diseases by herbal medicines/drugs, including herbal drug delivery, where current and emerging nanotechnologies could enable entirely novel classes of therapeutics, has been reported. The researchers have succeeded in using nanotechnology to insert and simultaneously activate the genes delivered into plant cell walls. The nanomaterials can significantly enhance the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic index of plant origin drugs. Interestingly, pharmaceutical sciences are using nanoparticles to reduce toxicity and side effects of drugs. Herbs and herbal derivatives are of great research interest owing to their wide applications in therapeutics. Several folk evidence has been recorded in the formulations of the ancient world’s medicinal system, which have attracted researchers for their scientific validation. Various herbal compounds have been identified and showed their therapeutic efficiency against pathophysiological conditions. Employing these herbal compounds for synthesizing nanoparticles for biomedical applications has been ventured in recent times. This review tries to put forward the different metal nanoparticles formed from different herbal resources and their role in health and diseases. This review opens the door to a completely new dimension in medicinal plant research combining nanotechnology with herbs i.e., Herbonanoceuticals.