Recent advances in phytochemical based nano-drug delivery systems to combat breast cancer: A review

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Recently bioactive plant products, namely phytochemicals are being been explored by researchers for their anticancer properties. Conventional chemo-therapy is the most widely used treatment option for breast cancer. However, the cytotoxic effects of synthetic drugs and resistance to numerous anticancer drugs, remain major obstacles. Thus certain phytochemicals have become potential chemotherapeutic options. Poor water solubility of these compounds along with their gastrointestinal instability has made their bioavailability to the target tumor a great challenge. Thus, loading these bioactive compounds in certain delivery vehicles may emerge as a great strategy to enhance their bio-efficiency. Phytochemical-based nano-drug delivery systems have increased drug stability and bioavailability, lowered toxicity, and enhanced anticancer activity. This review is an effort to portray current issues related to breast cancer therapy and its recent advancement along with encouraging the use of phytochemical-based nano -drug delivery systems to overcome the limitations of traditional drug therapy approaches. On the whole, this review encourages the concept of phytochemical-based nanomedicine for the treatment of breast cancer, along with focusing on the available studies that have shown nanocarriers enhancing the bioavailability of anti -cancerous plant compounds and reducing the unwanted effect on normal tissues. Moreover, this review paves way for future investigations on nano-drug delivery systems in breast cancer.

Automated summary

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Phytochemicals have been explored as potential chemotherapeutic options. However, their poor solubility and gastrointestinal instability have limited their bioavailability, hence, utilizing nano-drug delivery systems is seen as a strategy to enhance their efficacy.