Insights on prospective role of gallic acid as a bioavailability enhancer

The poor bioavailability of various drugs is the utmost obstacle in oral drug delivery. The use of natural bioenhancer as supplements with the primary therapeutic agent has gained wider acceptance and has been emerged as a potential method to increase the bioavailability of various drugs. Gallic acid is one of the chief phenolic natural compounds extensively distributed in plants and fruit. Despite its broad spectrum pharmacological effects, gallic acid significantly augments the bioavailability of diverse classes of drugs at low doses by impeding liver metabolism and altering gastrointestinal permeability. In this context, this review aims to summarise the promising bioavailability enhancing activity of gallic acid on different therapeutic agents. Furthermore, current evidence confirms that the intervention with gallic acid leads to enhance the bioavailability of various drugs; however, extensive research is need of the hour so that it could be utilized in drug formulations in the future for clinical use.