**5. Phospholipid based nano drug delivery systems (PBNDDS) of plant extracts and phytoconstituents**

Two types of phospholipid based nano drug delivery systems (PBNDDS) have been discussed in this chapter for four different natural extracts and its phytoconstituents, which are liposomes and phytosomes.

Liposome is a phospholipid based lipid bilayer vesicles where both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs can be entrapped. Liposomal drug delivery system has become a budding technology for delivering drugs to improve the bioavailability, efficacy, safety and stability of both synthetic and natural source of medicines [70, 71]. Liposomal drug delivery system can be used to deliver drugs for neurodegenerative diseases through blood brain barrier (BBB) [72–74].

Phytosomes are structures prepared using natural plant extract with phospholipid matrix. Phytosomal delivery system can improve the absorption and bioavailability of phytoconstituents. In phytosome drug form complex with phospholipid like matrix formation while in liposomes, drug is entrapped in the core or lipid bilayer of phospholipids. Phytoconstituents of plant extracts showed better biological activity when delivered through phytosomes [75–79].

This chapter is mainly focused on the development, preparation and solid state characterization of liposomal drug delivery systems of black seed oil, *A. polystachya* leaf extracts and *Corchorus olitorius* leaf extracts and their main phytoconstituents. Phytosomal delivery system development of green tea extract and EGCG is also discussed with different solid state characterizations. Finally stability, *in-vitro* and *in-vivo* studies were discussed for phospholipids based nano preparations of all extracts and their phytoconstituents.

Phospholipid can be extracted from both plant and animal source of origin. Phospholipid used in these studies was extracted from egg yolk, which is known as lecithin or egg lecithin. Results (UHPLC data) showed the presence of phosphatidylcholine (PC) peak (the main phospholipid component for liposome) and suggest that per gram of egg lecithin contain 100–200 mg of PC, where filtrate of egg phospholipid contain the most of the PC content compared to solid residue (**Table 1**) [80]. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) content was also quantified for peanut using UHPLC analysis and results demonstrate that less amount of PC is present in per gram of peanut (**Table 1**).

*Phospholipid Based Nano Drug Delivery Systems of Phytoconstituents DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101040*


**Table 1.**

*Amount of PC present in egg yolk. Sample 1 represents extracted PC as filtrate and sample 2 represents PC as solid residue. Data are mean ± SD (N = 3).*
