Role of Nanotechnology in the Field of Phytopharmaceuticals for the Delivery of Herbal Drugs

Nanotechnology is an opportunity for a novel perspective in scientific and technological fields. In this vast area, recent and newly developed is the inclusion of phytomedicines or phytophramaceuticals. A phytopharmaceutical or phytomedicine is a composite combination derived from plant sources that is used as a medicine or drug. Delivery of herbal drugs is one of the rapidly growing areas in novel nanoresearch. New phytopharmaceutical nanoformulations like polymeric nanocarriers, nanocapsules, nanoemulsions, and nanogels have been reported using bioactive compounds and plant extracts. New phytopharmaceutical drugs have also been reported, and these are showing superior activity compared to conventional nanoformulations of plant extracts, epecially in the medical field, which comprises improvements in solubility, bioavailability, stability, controlled drug delivery, increment in pharmacological activities and guarding from chemical and physical biodegradation, and controlled variation in circulating drug levels in the body. This chapter provides an overview of the introduction of nanotechnology in the field of phytopharmaceuticals for the delivery of herbal drugs.