Nanocarriers as drug delivery systems for propolis: A therapeutic approach

Pablo Mendez-Pfeiffer, Josue Juarez, Javier Hernandez, Pablo Taboada, Claudia Virués, Dora Edith Valencia Rivera, Carlos Velazquez*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Propolis is a resinous material produced by bees (Apis mellifera) from different botanical sources. It has a wide variety of biological activities attributed to its chemical constituents, which are mainly phenolic acids and polyphenols such as flavonoids. These components usually have low water solubility and poor bioavailability. Polymeric, lipid and inorganic nanocarriers had been mainly used as drug delivery systems to overcome the physiological limitations of propolis chemical constituents. This review covers recent research on different types of nanocarrier agents used to explore the delivery and therapeutic improvement of propolis extracts, as well as their physicochemical characterization and biological activities. Future studies should focus on understanding the chemical composition of propolis in association with nanosystems and how affects its encapsulation. Additionally, in vivo evaluations to assess the relevance of propolis associated to nanocarriers as therapeutic options are needed.

Original languageEnglish
Article number102762
JournalJournal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology
Volume65
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by CONACyT (fellowship No 617231 ).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

  • Drug delivery systems
  • Nanocarriers
  • Propolis
  • Propolis nanoparticles

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