Nanoformulation of Plant-Based Natural Products for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: From Formulation Design to Therapeutic Applications

Abstract

Background:

Herbal

remedies

are

used

to

manage

type

2

diabetes

mellitus

(type

2

DM)

as

the

sole

treat

ment

or

as

a

complementary

therapy.

Limitations

of

herbal

remedies,

such

as

poor

stability

and

limited

absorption,

impede

their

development

as

therapeutic

agents,

which

could

be

overcome

by

nanoformula

tions. Objectives:

This

review

attempts

to

summarize

the

studies

reported

between

2009

and

2020

in

the

de

velopment

of

medicinal

plant-based

nanoformulations

for

the

management

of

type

2

DM,

discuss

formu

lation

methods,

mechanisms

of

action,

and

identify

gaps

in

the

literature

to

conduct

future

research

on

nanoparticle-based

herbal

treatment

options

targeting

type

2

DM.

Methods:

To

retrieve

articles

published

between

January

2009

and

December

2020,

the

electronic

databases

PubMed,

Science

Direct,

and

Google

Scholar

were

searched

with

the

keywords

nanoparticle

,

plant

,

and

diabetes

in

the

entire

text.

Peer-reviewed

research

articles

on

herbal

nanoformulations

pub

lished

in

English-language

based

on

in

vitro

and/or

in

vivo

models

of

type

2

DM

and/or

its

complications

were

included.

The

literature

search

and

selection

of

titles/abstracts

were

carried

out

independently

by

2

authors.

The

list

of

full-text

articles

was

selected

considering

inclusion

and

exclusion

criteria,

with

the

agreement

of

all

the

authors.

Results:

Among

the

reported

studies,

68%

of

the

studies

were

on

inorganic

herbal

nanoformulations,

whereas

17%

and

8%

were

of

polymer-based

and

lipid-based

herbal

nanoformulations,

respectively.

Some

of

the

important

biological

properties

of

nanoformulations

included

improvement

in

glycemic

control

and

insulin

levels,

inhibition

of

the

formation

of

advanced

glycation

end

products,

and

regeneration

of

pancre

atic

β cells.

The

aforementioned

properties

were

observed

by

screening

nanoformulations

using

in

vitro

cellular

and

noncellular

models,

as

well

as

in

vivo

animal

models

of

type

2

DM

studied

for

acute

or

sub

acute

durations.

Only

2

clinical

trials

with

patients

with

diabetes

were

reported,

indicating

the

need

for

further

research

on

medicinal

plant-based

nanoformulations

as

a

therapeutic

option

for

the

management

of

type

2

DM. Conclusions:

Medicinal

plant

extracts

and

isolated

compounds

have

been

nanoformulated

using

vari

ous

methods.

The

properties

of

the

nanoformulations

were

found

superior

to

those

of

the

corresponding

herbal

extracts

and

isolated

compounds.

At

both

the

preclinical

and

clinical

levels,

there

are

a

number

of

poorly

explored

research

areas

in

the

development

and

bioactivity

assessment

of

herbal

nanoformula

tions.

(

Curr

Ther

Res

Clin

Exp

.

2022;

83:XXX–XXX)

© 2022

Elsevier

HS

Journals,

Inc.