Botanical Drug Products Using Advanced Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Trends

One of the main obstacles faced when using diverse form of treatment is drug delivery. After extensive research, various forms of smart drug delivery have been found including the use of nanotechnology and nanoparticle delivery through the use of transmission methods such as liposomes and niosomes. This chapter describes different drug delivery methods applicable in Botanical Drug Products and that include: polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, microcapsules, and dermal products. A polymeric nanoparticle is defined as a drug either attached or encapsulated in a nanoparticle matrix form. Polymeric nanoparticles have been revolutionary in the use of smart drug delivery. Due to polymeric nanoparticles having many structural and functional advantages, it is used for both: targeting specific sites in the body and controlled release of the drug to reduce unwanted side effects. Liposomes are defined as a phospholipid nanoparticle containing bilayer membrane which is consisted of lipids for the protection of a drug inside the matrix. Due to the bilayer membrane being so advantageous in the delivery of the drug, it meets the criteria of targeting specific sites and controlled release of the drug over a treatment time. Microencapsulation is defined as a drug delivery method in which a membrane surrounds the core material. Microencapsulation provides many benefits, which allows it to treat gastric irritations due to it targeting gastrointestinal tract. Dermal products are defined as any kind of solid or liquid form of a drug applied onto the skin to help ease wide variety of medical complexities. Dermal products having the advantage of integrating different vesicular systems, which include transfersomes, pharmacosomes, niosome, and ethosome, allows it to be quicker, cheaper, with fewer side effects, and effectively treats medical problems. Above mentioned advanced drug deliveries are effective compared to conventional drug delivery, although due to their costliness, it remains widely unused.