Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Natural Compounds

Plant-based medicines have received significant attention in terms of therapeutic capabilities, however poor pharmacokinetics and low bioavailability of such compounds have often made it challenging to get benefit from their potential in the clinical setting. In this chapter, the basic pharmacokinetic processes, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of natural products are discussed. This chapter emphasizes how physicochemical properties, enzyme degradation, transport protein or inter-individual differences influence the systemic exposure of natural compounds to the body. Relative to synthetic drugs, natural compounds encounter several specialized challenges including, insolubility, poor stability, and extensive first-pass metabolism. To address these constraints, this chapter discusses a wide variety of bioavailability enhancement methods, including, nanocarriers, liposomes, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS), prodrug development, and enzyme inhibitors. Furthermore, latest trends in this field, such as AI-based pharmacokinetic modeling, personalized drug delivery, and precision medicine integration are also addressed in this chapter. Altogether, this chapter offers an overall picture of how optimization of pharmacokinetics will allow tapping the true potential of natural compounds in contemporary medicine.