Abstract

PHYTOSOMES: A NOVEL HERBAL DRUG DELIVERY CARRIER FOR VARIOUS TREATMENTS

Rutuja Sawant* and Dr. Sheela Yadav

ABSTRACT

Novel drug delivery system called as phytosomes was developed to incorporate standardized plant extract or water-soluble phytoconstituents into phospholipids to produce lipid compatible molecular complexes. Phytosomes is made up of two words and expressed the meaning of “Phyto” means plant and “some” means celllike. There is and intermolecular bonding between the lipids used and the polyphenol. Formulations which are administered orally or topically, they have some limitations in bioavailability. For the enhancement of bioavailability of herbal extracts, this emerging technology is applied for various applications for orally as well as topically. These are the herbosomes that can travel from a hydrophilic to the lipid environment of the cell membrane and lastly to the blood. Herbal extract in form of phytosomes is generally bioavailable than the original extract due to enhancement in absorption and crossing lipid-rich biomembrane. For phytosomes mainly flavonoids are used as bioactive constituents as they show poor bioavailability. There is a dual advantage of phytosomes for topical pharmaceutical agents and cosmetics with improved efficacy and it can be used effectively as functional cosmetics. Phytosome is a connection between conventional drug delivery and novel drug delivery systems. The present review represents the recent advances and applications of herbal extract phytosome as a tool for drug delivery for various treatments.

Keywords: phytosome, phytoconstituent, phosphatidylcholine, bioavailability, antiinflammatory, flavonoid.