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Review
. 2022 Oct 3;14(19):4141.
doi: 10.3390/polym14194141.

Nanogels as Potential Delivery Vehicles in Improving the Therapeutic Efficacy of Phytopharmaceuticals

Murtada Taha  1 , Nabil A Alhakamy  2 , Shadab Md  2 , Mohammad Zaki Ahmad  3 , Md Rizwanullah  4 , Sana Fatima  5 , Naveed Ahmed  6 , Faisal M Alyazedi  6 , Shahid Karim  7 , Javed Ahmad  3
Affiliations
Review

Nanogels as Potential Delivery Vehicles in Improving the Therapeutic Efficacy of Phytopharmaceuticals

Murtada Taha et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Nanogel is a promising drug delivery approach to improve the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic prospect of phytopharmaceuticals. In the present review, phytopharmaceuticals with astonishing therapeutic utilities are being explored. However, their in vivo delivery is challenging, owing to poor biopharmaceutical attributes that impact their drug release profile, skin penetration, and the reach of optimal therapeutic concentrations to the target site. Nanogel and its advanced version in the form of nanoemulgel (oil-in-water nanoemulsion integrated gel matrix) offer better therapeutic prospects than other conventional counterparts for improving the biopharmaceutical attributes and thus therapeutic efficacy of phytopharmaceuticals. Nanoemulgel-loaded phytopharmaceuticals could substantially improve permeation behavior across skin barriers, subsequently enhancing the delivery and therapeutic effectiveness of the bioactive compound. Furthermore, the thixotropic characteristics of polymeric hydrogel utilized in the fabrication of nanogel/nanoemulgel-based drug delivery systems have also imparted improvements in the biopharmaceutical attributes of loaded phytopharmaceuticals. This formulation approach is about to be rife in the coming decades. Thus, the current review throws light on the recent studies demonstrating the role of nanogels in enhancing the delivery of bioactive compounds for treating various disease conditions and the challenges faced in their clinical translation.

Keywords: biopharmaceutical attributes; nanoemulgel; nanogels; phytopharmaceuticals; skin permeation; therapeutic efficacy; thixotropy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Molecular structure of some promising phytopharmaceuticals.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Promising category of phytopharmaceuticals exploiting nanogels as a delivery vehicle for topical application in different skin disorders.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Characteristics of thymoquinone-containing nanoemulgel (TMQ-NEG) system vs. placebo gel. (a) Rheology profile of TMQ-NEG system. (b) Rheology profile of placebo gel. (c) Spreadability behavior of TMQ-NEG vs. placebo gel. Reproduced from [45], Copyright 2021, MDPI.
Figure 4
Figure 4
In vitro release of thymoquinone from nanoformulations differing in composition (F8, F11, and F14) vs. the aqueous suspension of thymoquinone carried out through the dialysis bag technique. Reproduced from [45], Copyright 2021, MDPI.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Illustration highlights the improved permeation of the bioactive compound (through intercellular, follicular, and intracellular permeation) to the deeper layer of skin utilizing a nanoemulgel system as a delivery vehicle.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Illustration highlights improved wound healing efficacy of curcumin utilizing nanoemulgel as a delivery vehicle in Wistar rats. (a) Wound healing efficacy of curcumin nanoemulgel compared to the control, a marketed product, and curcumin-containing conventional gel. (b) Percentage of contraction of wound area of curcumin nanoemulgel compared to the control, a marketed product, and curcumin-containing conventional gel. Reproduced from [79], MDPI, 2021.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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