Applications of lignin nanoparticles for cancer drug delivery: An update

Abstract

Cancer is one of the fast-growing diseases with an increasing trend in mortality rate worldwide. Among the treatment modalities, chemotherapy is regarded as an active therapeutic approach where anti-cancer drugs are used to kill cancer cells or arrest its growth. With the emergence of nanotechnology, nanomedicines are being developed to improve the overall pharmaceutical properties of anti-cancer drugs namely drug stability, solubility and bioavailability. Lignin-based nanomaterials are prepared from naturally available lignin polymers, a constituent of lignocellulosic biomass, showcases non-toxic behavior, biodegradable nature, and excellent absorption capacity and are well suited for biomedical applications. This review presents the recent advances on the emerging applications of lignin-based nanomaterials for cancer therapeutics. More importantly, the functional properties of lignin -nanoparticulate systems in cancer drug delivery was discussed.