Nanoparticles: A Potential Approach for Drug Delivery

Since the beginning of this century, 2000, science and engineering has seen a rapid increase in interest for materials at the nano-scale. Nanoparticles have unique properties as compared to macro and micro particles. Different types of nanoparticulate materials are used in the field of electronic, magnetic, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, energy, catalytic and material industries. Nanoparticles are colloidal drug carriers, typically made of a single material, in which a drug is entrapped, encapsulated or adsorbed onto the surface. It is estimated that nearly 40% of newly developed drugs will be poorly soluble in future and it will be very difficult to perform the pharmacological screening for potential effect. This can be solved with the help of nanotechnology. This review focuses on the methods of preparation, Characterization and applications of nanoparticles.