ABSTRACT
Nutraceuticals are gaining wide acceptance due to their synergistic nutritional effects and therapeutic value. Vitamin D3 is one such nutraceutical that plays a critical role in health. Vitamin D3 deficiency is a global problem with the major causes attributed to insufficient exposure to sunlight and limited availability of food sources containing vitamin D. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D3 is 400 IU for children and 800 IU for adults. Although available as fortified food supplements and therapeutic formulations, the problems include low bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and low stability. Efforts to overcome these problems are comprised of approaches to confer improved stability and bioavailability. Nanocarriers of vitamin D3 have been effectively employed for improved stability and bioavailability. Vitamin D3, alone or in combination with other drugs, exhibits promise for effective therapy in various conditions, including bone disorders, cancer, psoriasis, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and degenerative diseases. Furthermore, targeted delivery of vitamin D3 employing nanocarriers could enable improved efficacy in a range of therapies. This multifaceted nutraceutical holds great promise when delivered in nanoformulations for improved management of serious pathologies.
