Available online www.jocpr.com Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2016, 8(1):804-808 Review Article ISSN : 0975-7384 CODEN(USA) : JCPRC5 804 Phytosomes: A promising system of herbal drug delivery Bhawana Keshwani *1 , Divyanshu Sharma 2 , Arindam Chatterjee 3 and Manish Jaimini 4 1 Agra Public Pharmacy College, Artoni, Agra, Uttar Pradesh 2 Rajiv Academy for Pharmacy, N.H. 24, Mathura Delhi Road, Chhatikara, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh 3 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jaipur National University, Jagatpura, Jaipur (Raj.), India 4 Jaipur College of Pharmacy, ISI - 15, RIICO Institutional Area, Sitapura, Tonk Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Phytosomes, are the tiny structures which serves as intermediate between the conventional and novel drug delivery system. These are the cells, which are able to carry themselves from a hydrophilic to the lipid environment of the cell membrane, which ultimately reaches the blood. The hydrophilic plant constituents, which find their application in skin disorders, anti-ageing possess and different type of carcinomas are difficult in processing into conventional delivery system and hence transformed into phytosomes. Phytosomes are the complexes prepared by mixing polyphenolic phytoconstituents and phosphatidylcholine in molar ratio. Phytosomes are superior to the conventional drug delivery systems in terms of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Phytosomal delivery of the extracts of Ginkgo biloba, Grape seed, Green tea, Ginseng, etc. has been profitably used. Phytosomes have been refined for therapeutic uses like cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulator, anticancer, antidiabetic etc. or for preventive and health reasons. In the ever-expanding pharmaceutical horizon, exploration of Phytosome technology is much needed. Keywords: Phytosomes, immunomodulator, phosphatidylcholine. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION In order to amalgamate different water-soluble phytoconstituents into phospholipids to yield molecular complexes that are compatible with lipid, a technology had developed which also fruitfully improve their absorption and bioavailability. These molecular complexes are acknowledged as Phytosomes or Phytolipid delivery system or herbosomes in certain literature and serve as a intermediate between the conventional and novel drug delivery system [1]. These are the cells, which are able to carry themselves from a hydrophilic to a lipid environment of the cell membrane, and ultimately reach the blood. The above-described delivery system has upgraded pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameter, which is profitable in the treatment of the acute and chronic liver disease of toxic and infective source [2]. This unique delivery system mainly consolidates herbal drugs as it assist in increasing solubility, stability and pharmacological activity. Major biologically active constituents of plants are polar or water soluble molecules (like flavonoids, tannins and terpenoids) which are ailingly absorbed either because of their bulky molecular size which are unable to absorb by passive diffusion, or because of their low solubility in lipid portion; which restrain their capability to cross the lipid-rich biological membranes, culminating in poor bioavailability.[3,4] PHYTOSOME TECHNOLOGY: [5, 6] Phytosomes are processed by reacting stoichiometric amount of phospholipid (phosphatidylcholine) with the standardized extract (like simple flavonoids) in a non-polar solvent. The phospholipid that is most often hired is phosphatidylcholine originated from soybean. It is a dual compound, as the phosphatidyl fraction is lipophilic and the choline portion is hydrophilic in nature. The hydrophilic part (choline group) binds with water-soluble constituents and forms the body whereas lipid soluble phosphatidyl fraction forms tail and enclose the choline bound material [7, 8]. Hence, phospholipids form a molecular complex that is compatible with lipid; and referred to as