Natural Product–Based Drug Nanodelivery Systems in Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Cancer remains an essential health problem worldwide. Today, chemotherapeutic agents, which are the leading actors of cancer treatment, target healthy cells alongside cancer cells, and most patients cannot tolerate the cytotoxic effect. Therefore, the development of novel treatment strategies that target specific cancer cells more effectively and will show low toxicity is necessary. Natural bioactive compounds in various herbs show antitumor effects in cancer through multiple mechanisms and signaling pathways. Despite these known effects, successful results observed in preclinical studies are not transformed into clinical studies. One of the reasons is due to the low bioavailability of natural bioactive compounds. Various biotechnological delivery systems have been developed in recent years to increase these compounds' bioavailability and ensure reaching the target area. Nanoparticles designed from different materials are an effective carrier system by increasing bioavailability and stability. In this study, bioactive compounds used in the nanotechnological formulation and whose anticancer potentials have been demonstrated in various studies will be emphasized. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.