ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology is a well-established technology and has been applied to drug delivery. In recent years, nanotechnology has attracted interest for the delivery of nutraceutical molecules, with the aim to overcome the oral barrier and improve absorption and bioavailability, thereby allowing an improved nutraceutical effect. The application of natural compounds as dietary supplements for the prevention of age-related diseases and for the treatment of other diseases such as cancer is an interesting route. However, the potential of these compounds is hindered by their biopharmaceutical properties, leading to low bioavailability and short half-life, resulting in unsatisfactory in vivo effects. Polymeric nanoparticles have proved to improve drug stability, solubility, and permeability, resulting in enhanced bioavailability and higher permanency of the molecule in body, due to sustained release. Also, nanoparticles improve the biodistribution due to higher cellular uptake, improving the pharmacological effects of the drug-loaded nanoparticles. In this chapter, we introduced the main features of polymeric nanoparticles that enable them to be potential carrier systems for nutraceutical delivery, focusing on phytochemical molecules from diet as resveratrol, curcumin, ursolic acid, catechins ,and quercetin.
