Introduction to Nanotechnology and Herbal-Based Nanoparticulate Systems

This introductory chapter reviews the history of nanotechnology and its benefits and challenges in the pharmaceutical field. In general, the chapter summarizes the types of nanoparticles and the techniques used to formulate nanoparticles. In detail, it discusses the principle of nanotechnology in improving solubility and dissolution rate. It discusses and describes different types of nanoparticles, including polymeric, metallic nanoparticles, and other types, such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and liposomes. Nanosization can be performed by various techniques, including top-down, bottom-up, and combination techniques. The method of these techniques has been discussed in this chapter. One of the disadvantages of nanoparticles is their stability. Nanoparticles suffer from various types of instability problems, including aggregation, sedimentation, and crystal growth. Therefore, in this chapter, the authors discuss the problem of stabilization of nanoparticles and describe the different pathways of physical instability and the mechanism of stabilizers to stabilize the colloidal system. Finally, the importance of herbs and natural products in the medical field and how the use of nanotechnology addresses various drawbacks of herbal products are also discussed.