NUST Institutions Library Catalogue

Nanotechnology-based therapeutics have recently emerged as an inventive and optimistic
replacement for traditional therapy. Currently, biocompatible materials are used to create
nanoparticles and they have the potential to deliver drugs more precisely, either inactively by
enhancing the drug nanocarriers' physicochemical characteristics or actively by applying
homing technologies tailored to particular tissues or cells that enable disease site targeting
while minimising side effects. Because of their ability to overcome a wide range of
biomedical, biological or biophysical constraints, NPs can be developed as nanoplatforms for
efficient drug delivery.
Silymarin has a diverse set of in vitro and in vivo actions, including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, dose-dependent anti-apoptotic, and cell transporter altering properties. As a
result, it has the potential to be a promising medication in alternative medicine. However,
oral silymarin has a low bioavailability, which restricts its medical applications. But the
bioavailability of silymarin can be increased by using liposomes as drug delivery systems. In
the current study, the silymarin-loaded pegylated liposomal nanoparticle was successfully
created and employed as a treatment for NAFLD. Liposomal NPs can be created as
nanoplatforms for the effective and targeted delivery of drugs due to their ability to pass
through a number of biological, biophysical, and biomedical barriers
To overcome the drawbacks, silymarin encapsulated liposome nanoparticles were synthesized
utilizing DPPE by the ‘thin film hydration method’ and used against liver cirrhosis for the
first time. To enhance the stability, Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used to enhance stability
and for inducing the stealth effect, by coating the liposomes nanoparticles. Pegylation
enhances the steric repulsion and is hence known a as better stabilizer for different types of
nanoparticles. PEG follows the erosion-controlled release mechanisthe m of drug that resulta
ed in sustained release. Hence, it is noteworthy that encapsulating the silymarin drug within
liposomes and tailoring these liposome nanoparticles by PEG, is a substantial strategy to
combat NAFLD.