Progress in Natural Product Nanocarriers with Drug-excipient Homology

With advances and widespread adoption of nanotechnology in the pharmaceutical field, natural product-based nanocarriers with drug-excipient homology have emerged as a major focus of current research. Natural products, including polysaccharides, proteins and lipids, are extensively used for the development of nanocarriers because of their abundant availability, excellent biocompatibility and notable pharmacological activities. These nanocarriers function as both drug carriers and therapeutic agents and are thus suitable for drug delivery. Furthermore, they can improve the physicochemical properties of drugs, increase the solubility of poorly soluble drugs, and enhance drug stability and pharmacological activity. Moreover, they can facilitate targeted drug delivery, thereby improving drug enrichment at specific sites. Such nanocarriers can exert intrinsic pharmacological effects and enhance the pharmacological effects of loaded drugs, thereby improving treatment effectiveness. Overall, this review highlights the combined and mutually beneficial advances in the integration of nanocarriers with natural products (e.g., polysaccharides, proteins and lipids) as well as the advantages of naturally occurring active small molecules based on drug-excipient homology.