ABSTRACT
There are several nutraceuticals that are a rich source of exogenous antioxidants. However, these suffer from some issues such as poor aqueous solubility, stability, permeability, and high first-pass metabolism, which ultimately limit their bioavailability. Novel and targeted drug delivery systems make it possible to overcome their drawbacks, thereby helping in improved management and prevention of disorders associated with deficiency of antioxidants. The different approaches that have been used for the drug delivery of antioxidants include both polymeric approach and lipid-based approach, and carriers such as microemulsions, nanoemulsions, microparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, niosomes, and liposomes have been researched. There is a need to design dosage forms that can facilitate delivery of antioxidants effectively to the target site in the body for better prevention and treatment of diseases. This chapter highlights the role of a few important nutraceuticals in counteracting oxidative stress and also focuses on the different novel and targeted drug delivery systems that have been formulated, optimized, and characterized for the delivery of various antioxidant molecules for depleting free radical load, thus helping in the reduction of damage caused due to them.
