Herbal medicines continue to gain global use due to their therapeutic potential and generally favorable safety profile. Despite promising laboratory results, many herbal compounds show limited effectiveness in the body because of poor absorption, low lipid solubility, or unsuitable molecular size. These factors reduce bioavailability, which limits how much of the active compound reaches circulation and produces a therapeutic effect.
Advances in drug delivery technology have helped address this problem. Over the past decade, systems such as liposomes, nanoparticles, microspheres, transferosomes, ethosomes, and lipid-based carriers have been developed to improve the delivery of herbal compounds. These approaches help protect active ingredients, improve absorption, and allow more consistent release in the body. Several natural compounds, including quercetin, genistein, naringin, piperine, and glycyrrhizin, have also shown the ability to enhance bioavailability when used alongside herbal drugs.
This review highlights how modern delivery systems and natural bioavailability enhancers can improve the effectiveness of herbal medicines. By improving absorption and therapeutic response, these technologies help bridge the gap between strong laboratory results and real-world clinical performance, supporting more reliable use of herbal formulations in modern health applications.