Effects of nanoparticles on gastrointestinal disorders and therapy

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are the diseases that affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract including acute, chronic, recurrent or functional disorders. There are a numbers of factors affecting the biology of GI tract.... [ view full abstract ]

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are the diseases that affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract including acute, chronic, recurrent or functional disorders. There are a numbers of factors affecting the biology of GI tract. Nanoparticles are one of them in causing diseases. As there are many conventional therapeutic strategies for the treatment of GI diseases but these are not very efficient. Nanotechnology is the emerging and rapidly evolving field of the current era with new hopes in the field of nano-medicine for the detection, prevention and the treatment of diseases. Chemotherapeutic drug delivery in the field of nanotechnology has gained much attention and focus recently. Nano materials have wider range of potential applications for the detection and treatment of diseases while toxicological effects cannot be neglected and safe and non-toxic nano drugs should be considered for the treatment of pathological and physiological gastrointestinal diseases to reduce the existing conventional treatments. The parameters such as shape, size, surface chemistry and geometry of nanoparticles are important to consider in the designing of nano carrier. The review aims at integrating toxicological effects of nano materials and their safe and effective role in the treatment of GI disorders. Although there are disorders caused by nanoparticles but counteracting as well in a safe and targeted delivery of the conventional drugs into the GI system.