Exosomes, a category of extracellular vesicle (EV), are phospholipid bilayer structures ranging from 30 to 150 nm, produced by various organisms through the endosomal pathway. Recent studies have established the utilization of exosomes as nanocarriers for drug distribution across various therapeutic areas including cancer, acute liver injury, neuroprotection, oxidative stress, inflammation, etc. The importance of plant-derived exosomes and exosome vesicles derived from mammalian cells or milk, loaded with potent plant bioactives for various therapeutic indications are discussed along with insights into future perspectives. Moreover, this review provides a detailed understanding of exosome biogenesis, their composition, classification, stability of different types of exosomes, and different routes of administration along with the standard techniques used for isolating, purifying, and characterizing exosomes.
Keywords: animal-derived exosomes; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; formulation; nanomedicine; plant bioactives; plant extract; plant-derived exosomes.
Exosomes are tiny, spherical structures made of two layers of lipids, measuring between 30 and 150 nm in diameter. They are flexible, less harmful to the immune system, can cross barriers in the body, and also can be used as vehicles to carry drugs. Various methods are used to obtain, separate, and purify the exosomes based on their size, shape, density, and specific markers. Exosomes obtained from plants can treat various diseases as they are less toxic, have high permeability, and are environmentally safe. The chemical compounds obtained from plants can be loaded into the exosomes obtained from sources like milk, or human cells both healthy and diseased, having the ability to treat cancer, inflammation, liver diseases, etc.