Herbal Based Polymeric Nanoparticles as a Therapeutic Remedy for Breast Cancer

Abstract

Background: The currently available anti breast cancer agents as well as conventional drug delivery methods have some limitations.

Objective: In view of these limitations, researchers used phytochemicals/herbal extracts as anti-breast cancer agents together with the polymeric nanoparticles to provide an effective way of targeted drug delivery with lesser /no side effects.

Methods: The literature for this review was searched during the year 2015 to 2019, using the keywords, ' 'breast cancer', 'breast cancer and its current treatments', 'plants against the breast cancer', 'polymeric nanoparticles', 'herbal based polymeric nanoparticles'. The databases i.e., PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, were used for collecting the information.

Results: In the present review, an attempt was made to summarize the potential of herbal-based nanoformulation as a specific and high efficacy therapeutic strategy in order to pave the way for future research involving screening and use of herbal nanoparticles for the treatment of breast cancer.

Conclusion: The encapsulation of the herbal extract in the polymeric nanoparticles is the prominent, effective, and emerging way of targeted drug delivery for cancer. It may serve as a safer way of targeted drug delivery and maybe the answer to the complications related to the currently available anti-breast cancer agents as well as limitations of the conventional method of drug delivery.

Keywords: Breast cancer; herbal; phytochemicals; polymeric nanoparticles; targeted drug delivery; tumor micro-environment.