ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the use of biodegradable polysaccharides for delivery of herbal medicines for biomedical applications. There has been a growing interest in use of the herbal medicines in the form of herbal extracts and/or the bio-actives of plants which demonstrate lesser side effects as compared to present medicines. The main limitations of herbal medicines are solubility, permeability, stability, and inadequate potency. Numerous bio-actives like flavonoids, terpenoids, and tannins show improved therapeutic effect at less or similar dose when combined into nanocarriers as compared to plain herbal extracts. Nanocarriers for delivery of herbal active constituents carry numerous advantages corresponding to enhancement of their solubility, bioavailability and therapeutic effect, controlled release, and protection from degradation. Some of these polysaccharides are bio-active and if used in developing nanocarriers can improve therapeutic effect and enhance the targeting efficiency of the system. Progress in polysaccharide chemistry and nanotechnologies allow for elaboration of new dedicated nanosystems.
