Co-assembly strategies of natural plant compounds for improving their bioavailability

Natural plant compounds have long served as crucial sources of medicinal therapies, spanning millennia and underpinning the field of drug discovery and development. Their profound impact is rooted in their extensive diversity and broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. Inspired by the decoction methods of traditional Chinese medicine, we have delved into the co-assembly strategy of natural plant compounds. This strategy involves the coalescence of active components from various drugs into nanocomplexes via non-covalent interactions during the decoction process. Consequently, this approach enhances the biocompatibility, biodegradability, and pharmacological efficacy of natural plant small molecules while mitigating their toxicity. The co-assembly strategy capitalizes on the inherent advantages of natural plant compounds, thereby expediting drug discovery by repurposing existing drugs. This review outlines the evolution of co-assembly strategies involving natural plant compounds, provides illustrative examples of co-assembly, elucidates the mechanisms underlying assembly, and highlights the resultant advantages. By shedding light on the transition from single molecule to multi-component interactions, this review advances our understanding, facilitating further research and the practical application of co-assembly strategies for natural plant compounds.