Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Integral University, Lucknow, 226026, India.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Integral University, Lucknow, 226026, India.
Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2023;24(11):1449-1464. doi: 10.2174/1389201024666230112141330.
Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid with several therapeutic properties, including anti-microbial, anti-diarrhea, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, anti-tumor, and anti-diabetes. However, its low water solubility, low absorption, first-pass metabolism, nontargeting, and poor bioavailability represent major hurdles to its successful therapeutic applications. Hence, researchers have attempted to enhance the biological and pharmacological activity of BBR to overcome its drawbacks by encapsulation of BBR in micro and nano delivery systems. For the preparation of nanostructured carrier systems of BBR, a range of methods has been developed, and each method has its benefits and characteristics. This review critically describes different types of nanocarriers like liposomes, niosomes, ethosomes, nanoemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, micelles, dendrimers, and silver and gold nanoparticles that have been used for encapsulation of BBR for different therapeutic applications. The various pharmaceutical characteristics (size, shape, entrapment efficiency, zeta potential, drug release, and drug permeation) of these BBR-loaded nanocarriers have been discussed systematically. Preclinical studies of BBR nanoformulations involving animal models are also discussed.
小檗碱（BBR）是一种异喹啉生物碱，具有多种治疗特性，包括抗菌、抗腹泻、抗病毒、抗炎、降压、抗肿瘤和抗糖尿病。然而，其低水溶性、低吸收率、首过代谢、非靶向性和差的生物利用度是其成功治疗应用的主要障碍。因此，研究人员试图通过将 BBR 包封在微纳米递药系统中来提高其生物和药理活性，以克服其缺点。为了制备 BBR 的纳米结构载体系统，已经开发了一系列方法，每种方法都有其优点和特点。本综述批判性地描述了不同类型的纳米载体，如脂质体、非离子型脂质体、醇质体、纳米乳剂、聚合物纳米粒子、胶束、树枝状大分子和银纳米粒子和金纳米粒子，这些纳米载体已被用于包封 BBR 以用于不同的治疗应用。系统地讨论了这些载有 BBR 的纳米载体的各种药物特性（大小、形状、包封效率、Zeta 电位、药物释放和药物渗透）。还讨论了涉及动物模型的 BBR 纳米制剂的临床前研究。
