Nanocarrier-assisted phytochemical drug delivery in cancer therapy: A bibliometric analysis and integrative review of challenges, innovations, and translational potential

Abstract

Phytochemicals demonstrate broad anticancer potential and favourable safety profiles, yet their therapeutic value is limited by poor solubility, rapid metabolism, and low bioavailability. Nanocarrier-assisted delivery addresses these challenges by enhancing stability, prolonging circulation, and enabling tumour-selective release. Developments across polymeric, lipid-based, inorganic, protein-derived, and exosome-like systems have strengthened delivery performance through ligand-directed targeting, surface engineering, and stimuli-responsive designs. A bibliometric assessment of 117 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2025 reveals increasing research activity in encapsulation strategies, targeted delivery approaches, and translational nanomedicine, with major contributions from India, China, and the United States. Emerging innovations including AI-guided formulation methods, hybrid nanosystems, and multi-omics-based optimisation are advancing phytochemical therapeutics toward greater precision and clinical feasibility. The growing body of evidence supports the translational promise of phytochemical-loaded nanocarriers. Continued progress in scalable synthesis, regulatory alignment, and rigorous in vivo evaluation will be essential for establishing these platforms as next-generation cancer therapeutics.