Plant-derived polyphenol-based nanomaterials for drug delivery and theranostics

Plant-derived polyphenols are multifunctional phenol-rich natural compounds that exhibit antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. They are rapidly nanoformulated with a variety of biomacromolecules and therapeutics via multivalent hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and metal chelation, resulting multifunctional colloidal nanoparticles and nanothin surface coatings. Recent studies have suggested that polyphenols not only act as biocompatible drug carriers, but also are effective therapeutics themselves in various diseases. Herein, we focus on the synthesis and characterization of polyphenol-based nanomaterials for drug delivery and theranostic applications. The description is divided into three sections: therapeutic polyphenol/tannin delivery by polymer carriers, polyphenol-based drug delivery system, and nanotheranostics via a metal-phenolic network.