Elham Karimi
1 
, Mohadeseh Khoshandam
2, Morteza Yousefzadi
3, Isan Amin Kanavandi
4, Mojdeh Hosseinpoor Kashani
2, Hossein Soltaninejad
5* 1 Department of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Reproductive Biology, Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACECR), Qom Branch, Iran
3 Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
4 Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University B.A. Student of Microbial Biotechnology, Qom Branch, Iran
5 Department of Stem Cells Technology and Tissue Regeneration, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Science and Technologies, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Medicinal plants, owing to their richness in bioactive compounds like flavonoids, alkaloids, and polyphenols, have become very crucial in the fight against diseases and also in health maintenance. Nonetheless, the mentioned drawbacks, such as instability, low solubility, and inefficient targeting of these active substances, have resulted in a huge decline in their therapeutic effectiveness. On the other hand, nanotechnology is said to enhance the optimal utilization of active principles from medicinal plants by providing advanced nanocarriers. The paper discusses the challenges of using medicinal plants and, simultaneously, the need for nanocarriers to overcome these limitations, particularly the introduction of lipid nanocarriers containing resveratrol and methyl gallate for dermatological infections. Moreover, the green synthesis of nanoparticles using medicinal plants offers a method that is both biocompatible and cost-effective for nanoparticle production, thereby improving their efficiency and safety. The application of these nanoparticles has been very successful in the management of inflammatory diseases, cancer, and other chronic disorders. Today, the use of nanocarrier systems (liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and protein-based) in conjunction with herbal medicine has become practicable as they enhance the medicinal properties of plant compounds. The developments achieved in this area have not only increased the opportunities of application of herbal remedies in modern medicine but also reduced drug reactions and improved the quality of care. This article has provided the avenues to the answers to the questions of how nanocarriers can be used in the future to enhance the efficacy of herbal extracts, presented the state-of-the-art application of nanocarriers in enhancing the efficacy of herbal extracts, and offered practical solutions to the predicaments that the application presented, thus providing new avenues to future research and application of herbal nanocarriers.