BRAIN-TARGETED LIPID NANOCARRIERS OF ANTIDIABETIC PHYTOCHEMICALS FOR DIABETIC NEUROPATHY

K. A. Sridhar, Roma Sharma, Pankaj Pradhan, Naveen Jain, Akansha Bisht, Ahmed Jeelani, Renu Solanki, Srinivas Nammi*

ABSTRACT

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common and debilitating complications of diabetes mellitus, characterized by nerve damage, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and impaired neuronal signaling. Conventional therapeutic approaches mainly provide symptomatic relief and often fail to prevent progressive neuronal degeneration. In recent years, phytochemicals such as curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, berberine, and epigallocatechin gallate have gained significant attention because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic activities. However, their clinical application is limited by poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and restricted penetration across the blood–brain barrier. Brain-targeted lipid nanocarriers have emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these limitations and improve targeted delivery to neural tissues. Lipid-based nanocarriers, including solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, liposomes, and nanoemulsions, enhance drug stability, prolong circulation time, improve brain uptake, and enable controlled release of phytochemicals. Surface modification with targeting ligands further enhances transport across the blood–brain barrier and increases therapeutic efficacy in diabetic neuropathy. This approach may reduce neuronal oxidative stress, improve nerve conduction, and prevent neurodegeneration with minimal systemic toxicity. The present review highlights the role of brain-targeted lipid nanocarriers in enhancing the therapeutic potential of antidiabetic phytochemicals for the management of diabetic neuropathy and discusses recent advancements, challenges, and future perspectives in this emerging field.

Keywords: • Diabetic neuropathy , • Brain-targeted drug delivery , • Lipid nanocarriers , • Antidiabetic phytochemicals , • Solid lipid nanoparticles, • Nanostructured lipid carriers