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Review
. 2025 Apr 25.
doi: 10.1007/s00210-025-04175-y. Online ahead of print.

Natural product-based nanotechnological formulations for colorectal cancer treatment

Lanfang Wu #  1 , Jiali Wu #  1 , Xinyu Wang #  2 , Youfa Xu  2 , Zhizhe Lin  2 , Jianming Chen  3   4 , Xin Wu  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Natural product-based nanotechnological formulations for colorectal cancer treatment

Lanfang Wu et al. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies affecting the gastrointestinal tract. A silent onset often marks it and carries a poor prognosis. Studies have shown that natural products can suppress the growth of colorectal cancer and exert therapeutic effects at the molecular level. However, unfavorable physicochemical properties frequently hinder their clinical application, such as low solubility, limited bioavailability, short half-life, and rapid systemic clearance. As scientific and technological progress continues, increasing attention has been directed toward nanotechnology-based approaches. Techniques involving nanoparticles, liposomes, and micelles are being explored to improve drug delivery. These advancements provide a promising foundation for overcoming the limitations associated with natural products. This review systematically examines the application of nano-formulations for natural ingredients to offer meaningful insights into their. potential use in treating colorectal cancer.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Combination therapy; Nanotechnology; Natural products; Targeted therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethcis approval: All authors read and approved the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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