ABSTRACT:
Natural plant extracts and phytoconstituents have excellent bioactivity in-vitro but less in-vivo due to their poor lipid solubility or multiple ring large molecules or destruction in gut. Novel drug delivery system phytosomes were prepared by complexing polyphenolic phyto- constituents with phospholipid mainly phosphatidylcholine which bind components to each other on a molecular level. Bioavailability is enhanced due to their capacity to cross the lipid rich bio-membranes and to protect the valuable components of the herbal extract from destruction by digestive secretions and gut bacteria. Phytosomes have the capacity to deliver the standardized plant extracts and phytoconstituents through several routes of drug administration which increases the bio-availability of the herbal formulation. The present study directed toward the development and evaluation of phytosomes of Pomegranate peels. The physicochemical properties of the prepared complex were analyzed by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV), infrared spectrometry (IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in-vitro dissolution study etc. The result showed that methanolic extract and phospholipids in Methanolic extract -phospholipids complex were joined by non-covalent bond and did not form a new compound. Prepared pomegranate peel phytosomes showed better bioavailability.