Secondary metabolites in topical infectious diseases and nanomedicine applications

Topical infection affects nearly one-third of the world’s population; it may result from poor sanitation, hygienic conditions and crowded living and working conditions that accelerate the spread of topical infectious diseases. The problems associated with the anti-infective agents are drug resistance and longterm therapy. Secondary metabolites are obtained from plants, microorganisms and animals, but they are metabolized inside the human body. The integration of nanotechnology into secondary metabolites is gaining attention due to their interaction at the subatomic and skin-tissue levels. Hydrogel, liposomes, lipidic nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles and metallic nanoparticles are the most suitable carriers for secondary metabolite delivery. Therefore, the present review article extensively discusses the topical applications of nanomedicines for the effective delivery of secondary metabolites.

皮肤感染（topical infection）影响全球近三分之一的人口；其可由卫生设施不完善、卫生条件不佳以及拥挤的生活与工作环境引发，此类因素会加速皮肤传染性疾病的传播。当前抗感染药物面临的核心问题为耐药性与长期治疗困境。次生代谢物（secondary metabolites）可从植物、微生物与动物中获取，但会在人体内发生代谢。将纳米技术与次生代谢物相结合的研究正受到广泛关注，因其可在亚原子与皮肤组织层面产生相互作用。水凝胶、脂质体、脂质纳米颗粒、聚合物纳米颗粒以及金属纳米颗粒是适配次生代谢物递送的最优载体。因此，本篇综述文章全面探讨了纳米药物在次生代谢物高效递送领域的皮肤应用方向。