Nanomedicine-based approaches for delivery of herbal compounds

Herbal compounds have enormous potential to enhance the efficacy of current cancer treatments. Several herbal compounds have been reported to enhance the effect of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and gene therapy on tumor cells. Compared to synthetic formulations, natural products are considered safer and do not have toxic effects at therapeutic doses, thus increasing demand for them. These compounds can significantly effect on signal transduction pathways, reduce side effects, and even inhibit the efflux of anticancer drugs. This review will explain factors influencing herbal nanomedicines, targeting of nanomedicines, nanocarriers used for delivery, herbal nanomedicines in cancer, phytochemical based combinatorial nanomedicines, and challenges to the nanocarriers based cancer therapy.