A REVIEW ON CHITOSAN-BASED HERBOSOMES A NANO-DRUG DELIVERY TO CURE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

The discovery of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapy that can also permeate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is very difficult owing to its specificity and restrictive nature. The BBB disruption or drug administration directly into the brain is not an option due to toxic effects and low diffusion of the therapeutic molecule in the brain parenchyma. A promising approach for systemic drug delivery to the central nervous system is the use of nanosized carriers. The therapeutic potential of certain nanopharmaceuticals for AD has already been demonstrated in-vivo after systemic delivery. Herbosomes have an enhanced absorption rate, producing excellent bio-availability, good penetration power.  Herbosome technology is one of such systems that incorporate phospholipids into standardized active ingredients of herbal extracts, thus effectively enhancing the bioavailability of water-soluble bioactive constituents of phytomedicines such as flavonoids, phenolics and hydrophilic compounds. These phytoconstituents have been established to exhibit a variety of biological activities that have pharmacological benefits. However, poor absorption of these phytoconstituents limits their bioavailability. The poor absorption is principally due to the failure of these constituents to reach their site of action before being degraded as well as their inability to pass through the small intestine due to their multi-ring structures and the lipid nature of the intestinal wall. This review chronicles the recent advances made in herbosome technology, highlighting the concepts, applications, and future perspectives of herbosome use.