Advanced Pharmaceutical Nanotechnologies Applied for Chinese Herbal Medicines

Over centuries of clinical practice, Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have gained widespread recognition for their efficacy in treating various diseases. However, their complex material basis and relatively mild therapeutic efficacy limit their modernization and quality control. Recently, the application of pharmaceutical nanotechnology to CHMs has not only enhanced their efficacy, but also helped elucidate their material basis, thereby substantially advancing their modernization. Nano-modified CHMs have shown improvements in multiple aspects, such as bioavailability, targeting ability, toxicity reduction, and sustained release. In this review, nano-strategies for emerging, revolutionary, and promising pathways for modernizing CHMs are revealed. First, the development, application potential, particularities, and limitations of CHMs are reviewed. Subsequently, a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the two nano-strategies for optimizing CHMs are presented, highlighting the distinct characteristics of the carrier-free and carrier-based approaches. The specific advantages of these strategies, including improved bioavailability, increased targeting ability, reduced toxicity, and controlled release, are discussed. The novel research directions resulting from the application of pharmaceutical nanotechnology to CHMs are also explored, such as elucidating CHM treatment theories, combining traditional Chinese medicine topical therapies, drug screening, and expanding innovative drug formulations. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in this field are addressed to inspire future research.