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Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Drug Delivery for Natural Extract Applications
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Drug Delivery for Natural Extract Applications

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Biopharmaceutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 2348

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nada Ćujić Nikolić

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Guest Editor
Department for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr Josif Pančić”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: natural compounds; extraction; microencapsulation; drug delivery
Dr. Katarina Šavikin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr. Josif Pančić“, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: phytotherapy; phytochemistry; ethnomedicine; phenolics; biological activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Milica Radan

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Guest Editor
Department for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr. Josif Pančić”, Tadeuša Košćuška 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: extraction; cyclodextrins; phytochemistry; molecular docking
Dr. Jelena Mudrić

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Guest Editor
Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr. Josif Pančić”, Tadeuša Košćuška 1, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: solid dosage forms; controlled release; plant extract; manufacturing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Pharmaceutics (Q1) as one of the leading journals in the fields of pharmacology and pharmacy.

Natural extracts have been used for centuries to prevent and treat various health conditions and diseases. Nowadays, more than a third of newly approved active compounds are derived from natural sources. However, natural bioactive compounds often encounter significant challenges despite their therapeutic potential, such as low chemical stability, poor solubility, limited bioavailability, and unfavorable sensory and manufacturing properties.

Innovative drug delivery systems are emerging as powerful solutions to overcome these issues, enhancing the efficacy, stability and safety of high-quality pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food products with natural extracts and bioactive compounds.

This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in the formulation, characterization and application of delivery systems for natural extracts and bioactive compounds. Research topics may include, but are not limited to, natural product extraction, advanced drug delivery technologies, regulatory aspects of natural compound delivery and therapeutic applications of natural compounds.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Nada Ćujić Nikolić
Dr. Katarina Šavikin
Dr. Milica Radan
Dr. Jelena Mudrić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural-based extracts
  • natural-based products
  • bioactive compounds
  • optimization of extraction
  • green and conventional extraction methods
  • by-product, waste, unexploited, underutilized products
  • antioxidants
  • biological activities
  • mode of action
  • encapsulation
  • carriers and biopolymers
  • drug delivery system
  • therapeutics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 4709 KiB  
Article
Dual-Mechanism Gastroretentive Tablets with Encapsulated Gentian Root Extract
by Jelena Mudrić, Ljiljana Đekić, Nemanja Krgović, Đorđe Medarević, Katarina Šavikin, Milica Radan, Nada Ćujić Nikolić, Tijana Ilić, Bojana Vidović and Jelena Đuriš
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17010071 - 7 Jan 2025
Viewed by 863
Abstract
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to develop gastroretentive tablets based on mucoadhesive–floating systems with encapsulated gentian (Gentiana lutea, Gentianaceae) root extract to overcome the low bioavailability and short elimination half-life of gentiopicroside, a dominant bioactive compound with systemic effect. The formulation also [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to develop gastroretentive tablets based on mucoadhesive–floating systems with encapsulated gentian (Gentiana lutea, Gentianaceae) root extract to overcome the low bioavailability and short elimination half-life of gentiopicroside, a dominant bioactive compound with systemic effect. The formulation also aimed to promote the local action of the extract in the stomach. Methods: Tablets were obtained by direct compression of sodium bicarbonate (7.5%) and solid lipid microparticles (92.5%), which were obtained with lyophilizing double emulsions. A quality by design (QbD) was employed to evaluate the impact of formulation factors and processing parameters on emulsion viscosity, powder characteristics (moisture content, encapsulation efficiency, flowability), and tablet characteristics (floating lag time, gentiopicroside release, and assessment of dispersibility during in vitro dissolution). Results: The trehalose content and high-shear-homogenization (HSH) time of primary emulsion were critical factors. Trehalose content positively influenced emulsion viscosity, moisture content, floating lag time, encapsulation efficiency, and the release rate of gentiopicroside. HSH time positively affected powder stability and negatively gentiopicroside release. The selected powder had a high gentiopicroside encapsulation efficiency (95.13%), optimal stability, and good flowability. The developed tablets exhibited adequate floating lag time (275 s), mucoadhesive properties, and gentiopicroside biphasic release (29.04% in 45 min; 67.95% in 6 h). Furthermore, the optimal tablet formulation remained stable for 18 months and was primarily digested by duodenal enzymes. Conclusions: Dual-mechanism gastroretentive tablets with encapsulated gentian root extract were successfully developed. The in vitro digestion study demonstrated that the optimal formulation effectively resisted gastric enzymes, ensuring the release of its contents in the small intestine, even in the case of premature gastric evacuation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Delivery for Natural Extract Applications)
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Review

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40 pages, 1306 KiB  
Review
Trojan Horse Delivery Strategies of Natural Medicine Monomers: Challenges and Limitations in Improving Brain Targeting
by Kelu Lei, Lanyu Zhou, Min Dan, Fei Yang, Tiantian Jian, Juan Xin, Zhigang Yu and Yue Wang
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(3), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17030280 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 810
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, significantly impact patients’ quality of life and impose substantial economic burdens on society. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) limits the effective delivery of most therapeutic drugs, especially natural products, despite [...] Read more.
Central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, significantly impact patients’ quality of life and impose substantial economic burdens on society. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) limits the effective delivery of most therapeutic drugs, especially natural products, despite their potential therapeutic effects. The Trojan Horse strategy, using nanotechnology to disguise drugs as “cargo”, enables them to bypass the BBB, enhancing targeting and therapeutic efficacy. This review explores the applications of natural products in the treatment of CNS diseases, discusses the challenges posed by the BBB, and analyzes the advantages and limitations of the Trojan Horse strategy. Despite the existing technical challenges, future research is expected to enhance the application of natural drugs in CNS treatment by integrating nanotechnology, improving delivery mechanisms, and optimizing targeting characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Delivery for Natural Extract Applications)
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