Nanocarrier: A potential tool for future antioxidant therapy

Antioxidants are believed to have great potential for the treatment of diseases that are induced by oxidative stress. However, their pharmaceutical application is severely limited by their poor bioavailability and low biocompatibility. To solve this problem, the antioxidants can be encapsulated or covalently linked with nanomaterials to form nanoantioxidants. In this review, we aim to summarize the use of nanocarriers for antioxidant delivery and discuss their enhancement of antioxidant activity. We also suggest future research directions toward bringing nanoantioxidants into the realm of clinical applications.