Silybin-based herbal nanocarriers: an advancement in anticancer therapy

ABSTRACT Silybin is a key bioactive component of silymarin that display health-promoting actions in many chronic diseases. However, its clinical applicability is curtailed by its inherent issues like low aqueous solubility, poor bioavailability, high metabolism, fast elimination, and poor penetration in intestinal epithelial cells. In this context, nanotechnology plays a crucial role to address several issues of the broad range of bioactives. In this review, the authors have discussed the anticancer mechanism of silybin and its synergistic combinations. Further, it summarizes the emerging nanocarriers used to deliver silybin alone or in combination like lipid-based, polymeric micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles, nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, and hydrogel. Besides, it presents the repercussions of nano-silybin and the present scenario of clinical studies in the field of cancer. The application of nanotechnology brings the opportunity for silybin to be used as an alternative for effective therapy in cancer management in near future. ABSTRACT