Organic and Biogenic Nanocarriers as Bio-Friendly Systems for Bioactive Compounds Delivery: State-of-the-Art and Challenges

The review discusses the use of organic and biogenic nanocarriers (OBNs) for delivering bioactive compounds. These nanocarriers, which can be naturally sourced or synthesized, include lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, antibodies, peptides, enzymes, flavonoids, polyphenols, essential oils, plant extracts, natural pigments, and vitamins. They enhance the stability, release characteristics, biocompatibility, and targeted drug delivery of the nanocarriers. The document also highlights the use of polymeric nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, lipid-based nanocarriers, and nanocarriers derived from animal proteins, plant proteins, and polysaccharides. The paper also discusses the use of living cells and cell derivatives for drug delivery. Despite their potential, challenges exist in developing OBNs, including reproducibility, consistency, cost-effectiveness, biocompatibility, toxicity, control over physicochemical properties, stability, limited loading capacity, biodegradation variability, formulation complexity, low drug loading efficiency, limited targeting efficiency, regulatory challenges, and lack of standardization.