RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Nanotechnology has immense significance in the field of medicine, agriculture, business, public health sector due to wide applicability of the nano products. Basically, nanotechnology is the incorporation of nanoscale structures into larger material components to improve the properties of constructed system. METHOD: Nanotechnology serves as an alternative drug delivery system to the liposomes drug delivery system as the stability of the product in biological fluids is the main problem associated with the liposomal drug delivery system. In the present review, nanoparticles, their applications, various techniques of preparation of nanoparticles and research update on nano particulate drug delivery system have been discussed. RESULTS: The main complication associated with biodegradable polymer is uncertainty in their absorption pathway in gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes, harmful by-products after metabolism are released. However, the polymeric nanoparticles (synthetic or semi-synthetic) have a defined structure therefore; get absorbed in intact form in gastrointestinal tract. CONCLUSION: Nano-particulate drug delivery system using natural/synthetic polymer may enhance the therapeutic activity of some anti-cancer drug by increasing the host's immune mechanism and antitumor role through improving the body's immune function. It has been observed that despite the technological challenges, nanoparticulate drug delivery system is the most promising drug delivery system in case of anticancer drugs because polymer based nanostructures enhance the bio-adhesiveness and as well as local accumulation of chemotherapeutic agent.
