Table 3.

Ginsenosides delivery systems and improved properties

Bioactive compound	Delivery system	Improved properties	References
Rb1	MEs	Controlled and sustained drug release	[102]
	CNTs	Enhanced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 and PANC-1 cells	[103]
Rg3	Polymeric NPs	Longer circulation time; sustained drug release; passive target drug delivery; enhanced anti colorectal cancer activity	[88]
		Crossed BBB; promoted uptake efficiency of C6 glioma cells	[89]
		Sustained drug release; enhanced cytotoxicity to A549 cells	[90]
	Liposomes	Enhanced cytotoxicity to A549 and HepG-2 cells; inhibited growth rate of tumor-bearing mice	[97]
		Sustained drug release	[96]
		Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; significant synergistic effect with PTX for antitumor activity	[26]
		Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; promoted C6 glioma cells uptake efficiency and tumor penetration; biomimetic property; inhibited growth rate of brain tumor with PTX	[28]
	MEs	Controlled drug release	[104]
CK	Polymeric NPs	Sustained drug release; enhanced cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells	[105]
	Liposomes	Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; proapoptotic effects to A549 cells; inhibited growth rate of tumor-bearing mice	[101]
	Micelles	Sustained drug release; passive tumor targeting; proapoptotic effects; inhibited tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and outflow of A549 and PC-9 cells; inhibited growth rate of tumor-bearing mice;	[106]
		Longer circulation time; sustained drug release; passive tumor targeting; proapoptotic effects to A549 cells; inhibited growth rate of tumor-bearing mice	[107]
		Longer circulation time; sustained drug release; active target drug delivery; enhanced cytotoxicity to HepG2 and Huh-7 cells	[108]
		Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; proapoptotic effects to A549 cells; inhibited growth rate of tumor-bearing mice	[109]
	GNPs	Proapoptotic effects to A549, HT29, and AGS cells	[110]
	MSNPs	Enhanced anti-HepG2, -A549 and -HT-29 colon cancer activity	[111]
Rh2	Polymeric NPs	Passive tumor targeting; enhanced antilung cancer activity	[87]
		Enhanced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 cells	[21]
	Liposomes	Inhibited the tumor growth of A549 cells; antiproliferation and proapoptotic effects on xenografted tumors; safer than cisplatin group	[98]
		Longer circulation time; passive tumor targeting; inhibited growth rate of HepG2 tumor-bearing mice	[100]
		Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; significant synergistic effect with PTX for antitumor activity;	[26]
		Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; proapoptotic effects to 4T1 cells; inhibited growth rate of tumor-bearing mice	[25]
	Micelles	Longer circulation time; sustained drug release; inhibited growth rate of A549 tumor-bearing mice	[112]
		Longer circulation time; sustained drug release; promoted uptake efficiency of A549 cells; antiproliferation and proapoptotic effects	[113]
	MEs	Longer circulation time; crossed intestinal barrier; enhanced cytotoxicity and proapoptotic effects to A549 cells	[114]
	Protein-based nanocarriers	Longer circulation time; enhanced cytotoxicity to A549, HepG2, and HT29 cells	[115]
	GO	Enhanced cytotoxicity to OVCAR3, MDA-MB, and A375 cells	[116]
	MSNPs	Enhanced anti-HepG2, -A549 and -HT-29 colon cancer activity	[111]
Re	Polymeric NPs	Enhanced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 cells	[21]
	CDs	Enhanced cytotoxicity to MCF-7, HepG2, and A375 cells	[117]
Rg1	CNTs	Enhanced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 and PANC-1 cells	[103]
Rh1	Polymeric NPs	Passive tumor targeting; enhanced antilung cancer activity	[87]
Rg5	Liposomes	Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; significant synergistic effects with PTX for antitumor activity	[26]
		Longer circulation time; active target drug delivery; biomimetic property; inhibited growth rate of HGC-27, A549, and MCF-7 in tumor-bearing mice with PTX	[27]
	Protein-based nanocarriers	Longer circulation time; sustained drug release; active target drug delivery; proapoptotic effects to A549 cells;	[118]

CK compound K, MEs microemulsions, CNTs carbon nanotubes, NPs nanoparticles, GNPs gold nanoparticles, MSNPs mesoporous silica nanoparticles, GO graphene oxide, CDs carbon dots, BBB blood–brain barrier, PTX paclitaxel