Medical and pharmacokinetic effects of nanopolyphenols: A systematic review of clinical trials

Abstract

Abstract A significant percentage of the population has been turning to herbal remedies either as a sole treatment option or in combination with other drugs. Efforts to increase the production of therapeutic remedies from these scaffolds have therefore amplified. A fundamental aim when developing new drugs is to develop drugs that have virtually no or less adverse effects than those currently available while being efficacious. Several approaches have been undertaken to use nanotechnology to develop nanoencapsulated polyphenols for use in therapeutics in an attempt to improve their physicochemical properties, bioavailability, and efficacy. This review covers the types of nanopolyphenols that have been evaluated in clinical trials against various medical conditions and their outcomes. Medical conditions covered include cardiometabolic diseases, inflammatory diseases, and cancer and in almost all instances the nanoencapsulated polyphenol produced a positive outcome. Similar outcomes were also reported for pharmacokinetic analyses. The review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews as CRD42020172642.

Keywords

• clinical trial
• nanoencapsulation
• nanomedicine
• nanopolyphenols
• pharmacokinetic effect