Pickering Emulsion-Based Approaches for Targeted Herbal Drug Formulations
Rachana Patil1, Firoj A Tamboli2*, Angha Bhutnar1, Divya Patil3, Mohanish Bhoyar3, Nivedita More3, Surbhi Nagane4, Pratik Disale1, Mihir Vaidya3 and Gouri Shikhare3
1Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
2Department of Pharmacognosy, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Near Chitranagari, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
3Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
4Department of Pharmaceutics, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
*Corresponding Author: Firoj A Tamboli, Department of Pharmacognosy, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Near Chitranagari, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
Received:
April 01, 2025; Published: April 21, 2025
Abstract
Pickering emulsions, stabilized by solid particles rather than traditional surfactants, have gained significant attention in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries for their unique stability and biocompatibility. This emerging technology holds immense promise in enhancing the delivery of herbal drugs, which often face challenges like poor solubility, stability issues, and bioavailability limitations. Herbal drugs, derived from plant sources, contain bioactive compounds that are highly sensitive to environmental factors such as light, temperature, and oxidation. Pickering emulsions provide an innovative approach to overcome these challenges. By using biocompatible solid particles such as silica, starch, or chitosan as stabilizers, these emulsions offer superior physical and chemical stability. Additionally, the absence of surfactants reduces toxicity and irritation, making them suitable for pharmaceutical and dermatological applications. This abstract explores the potential of Pickering emulsion technology in the encapsulation, protection, and controlled release of herbal drugs. It highlights the key advantages, including improved stability of bioactive compounds, targeted delivery, and enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, it discusses the application of this technology in formulating herbal-based creams, gels, and oral formulations, emphasizing its role in advancing natural medicine. To fully realize the promise of Pickering emulsions in modern herbal drug delivery systems, the study highlights the importance for more research to optimize particle selection, emulsion stability, and large-scale production.
Keywords: Bioavailability; Biocompatible Particles; Herbal Drugs; Pickering Emulsions
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