Metallo-herb complexes as emerging therapeutics: chemistry, synthesis approaches, and pharmacological insights

Metallo-herb complex (MHC) is a promising frontier in biomedical research, combining the unique pharmacological potential of phyto elements with the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of metal ions. Recently, MHC has been growing rapidly because of its biodiversity activities and bio-environmental friendliness. Keeping this in mind, our review article illustrates different strategies for the formation of MHC. This study presents the different metals which are used for the production of MHC, and also illustrates the factors affecting for the production of MHC. Plant secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and polysaccharides serves as effective ligands, providing chelating sites to metal ions, resulting metal coordination and improves pharmacological activities. We also present the different synthesis methods using plant secondary metabolites that have been employed to develop these complexes. MHC formation is a one-step reaction and increases bioavailability and elicits different pharmacological activities like antidiabetic activity, antioxidant, antiviral activity, antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity, anti-inflammatory activity, hepatoprotective activity, and neuroprotective activity. MHC is used in drug delivery and biomedical research and opens new avenues for the development of novel, effective, and biocompatible therapeutic agents.