Abstract

PHYTOSOMES: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR PHYTOMEDICINE

Vishin Ashish Patil* and Dr. Sachin Annasaheb Nitave

Abstract

In the recent days, most of the prevailing diseases and nutritional disorders are treated with natural medicines. The effectiveness of any herbal medication is dependent on the delivery of effective level of the therapeutically active compound. Phytosomes are recently introduced in herbal formulations that are better absorbed and as a result produced better bioavailability and actions than the conventional phyto molecules or botanical extracts. Phytomedicines are complex chemical mixtures prepared from plants, have been used for health maintenance since ancient times. But many phytomedicines are limited in their effectiveness because they are poorly absorbed when taken orally. The term “phyto” means plant while “some” means cell-like. Phytosomes are little cell like structure. This is advanced forms of herbal formulations which contains the bioactive phytoconstituents of herb extract surrounds and bound by a lipid. So, much work has been directed towards the development of new concept in herbal delivery system i.e., “Phytosomes” which are better absorbed, utilized and as a result produce better results than conventional herbal extracts owing to the presence of phosphatidylcholine which likely pushes the phytoconstituents through the intestinal epithelial cell outer membrane, subsequently accessing the bloodstream phytosomes have improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacological parameter which in result can advantageously be used in the treatment of the acute and chronic liver disease of toxic metabolic or infective origin or of degenerative nature.

Keywords: Phytosomes, Herbal medicine, Novel Drug Delivery System, Phytomedicine.