Advances in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications of plant-based nano-biopolymers with special emphasis on vaginal drug delivery systems: A review

Recent advances in drug delivery have revolutionized the effectiveness of the administration of drugs which in turn has improved patient compliance. There has been a great deal of interest in the potential application of plant cellular wall polymeric medicinal delivery systems, notably in the biological and pharmaceutical sciences. Naturally occurring polymers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin have many advantages over synthetic polymers, including biocompatibility, and biodegradable properties. Nanotechnology which has led to the creation of nanobiopolymers, has a lot to offer in the treatment of diseases since it can deliver drugs to specific sites and treat a variety of ailments. This article will discuss the use of plant-based cell wall nano-polymers for drug delivery methods in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, evaluating the efficacy of these polymers for vaginal drug administration which could be used to treat sexually-transmitted infections and gynaecological- related diseases. On the other hand, the vaginal mucosa faces obstacles such as fast clearance, enzymatic degradation, and limited permeability which could be overcome by using plant cell wall polymeric compounds, including chitosan, which have showed promise and improved the efficacy of vaginal medication delivery strategies. These polymers can cling to the mucosa of the vagina, extending the drug's bioavailability and improved absorption. Furthermore, these drugs have controlled-release features that aid in ongoing drug administration, which improves patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes for the betterment of human health. Polymeric compounds generated from plant cell walls can improve bioavailability, drug retention time, medicine solubility and stability, making them appropriate for a wide range of drug delivery applications. However fewer limitations are needed to be considered such as production cost, scalability, polymer stabilization etc. More advances in this field are needed to fully realize the enormous potential of plant-based cell wall polymers for polymer modification, repeated clinical trials, improving patient care and effective targeted delivery.