Nanoencapsulation of carotenoids within lipid-based nanocarriers.

Production of biological nanoparticles from bovine serum albumin as controlled release carrier for curcumin delivery.

Factors relating to the biodistribution & clearance of nanoparticles & their effects on in vivo application.

The aging process is known to be associated with heightened oxidative stress and related systemic inflammation. Therefore, antioxidant supplementation is regarded as a promising strategy to combat aging and associated pathological conditions. Food-grade antioxidants from plant-derived extracts are the most common ingredients of these supplements. Phyto-bioactive compounds such as curcumin, resveratrol, catechins, quercetin are among the most commonly applied natural compounds used as potential modulators of the free radical-induced cellular damages. The therapeutic potential of these compounds is, however, restricted by their low bioavailability related to poor solubility, stability, and absorbance in gastrointestinal tract. Recently, novel nanotechnology-based systems were developed for therapeutic delivery of natural antioxidants with improved bioavailability and, consequently, efficacy in clinical practice. Such systems have provided many benefits in preclinical research over the conventional preparations, including superior solubility and stability, extended half-life, improved epithelium permeability and bioavailability, enhanced tissue targeting, and minimized side effects. The present review summarizes recent developments in nanodelivery of natural antioxidants and its application to combat pathological conditions associated with oxidative stress.

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Nanodelivery of Natural Antioxidants: An Anti-aging Perspective.

Solid lipid nanoparticles for delivery of andrographolide across the blood-brain barrier: in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Natural products have been used as a major source of drugs for millennia, and about half of the pharmaceuticals in use today are derived from natural products. However, their efficacy can be limited because of their low hydrophilicity and intrinsic dissolution rate(s), or physical/chemical instability. In addition, they can present scarce absorption, poor pharmacokinetics and bioavailability, scarce biodistribution, first-pass metabolism, trivial penetration and accumulation in the organs of the body, or low targeting efficacy. Novel nanoformulations based on drug delivery systems, namely nanoparticles, micelles, and vesicles, offer significant promise in overcoming these limitations. Nowadays, nanomedicine is crucial in developing appropriate therapeutic treatments of essential drugs, specifically antitumor and antiparasistic agents (i.e., Taxol, vincristine, camptothecin, doxorubicin, artemisinin) and other emerging molecules with pleiotropic functions (i.e., resveratrol, curcumin, salvianolic acid B, honokiol). Additionally, the number of nanoformulations developed with flavonoids, in particular rutin, quercetin, silymarin, and green tea catechins, is constantly increasing, and a significant number of publications have appeared in the last decade pertaining to nanoformulations based on extracts and essential oils. Most of these studies report very promising nanoformulations with sustained release and improved bioavailability at much lower doses than conventional preparations, and in many cases, also a better safety profile.

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Improving on Nature: The Role of Nanomedicine in the Development of Clinical Natural Drugs.

Hexosomes based on cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine: a new drug delivery system for curcumin release

In this study HPLC analysis for the evaluation of carotenoids and DNA barcoding are reported for three different samples of Lycium cultivated in Tuscany (Italy). These two analytical methods can re...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1934578X1501000660

Giada Capecchi

Papers

Improving on Nature: The Role of Nanomedicine in the Development of Clinical Natural Drugs.

Hexosomes based on cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine: a new drug delivery system for curcumin release

Goji berry: quality assessment and crop adaptation of plants cultivated in Tuscany (Italy) by combination of carotenoid and DNA analyses