Polyphenols against infectious diseases: Controlled release nano-formulations

The emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens has become a global threat and a cause of significant morbidity and mortality around the world. Natural products have been used as a promising approach to counter the infectious diseases associated with these pathogens. The application of natural products and their derivatives especially polyphenolic compounds as antibacterial agents is an active area of research, and prior studies have successfully treated a variety of bacterial infections using these polyphenolic compounds. However, delivery of polyphenolic compounds has been challenging due to their physicochemical properties and often poor aqueous solubility. In this regard, nanotechnology-based novel drug delivery systems offer many advantages, including improving bioavailability and the controlled release of polyphenolic compounds. This review summarizes the pharmacological mechanism and use of nano-formulations in developing controlled release delivery systems of naturally occurring polyphenols in infectious diseases.