Lutein, a versatile phyto-nutraceutical: An insight on pharmacology, therapeutic indications, challenges and recent advances in drug delivery

Carotenoids are natural pigments known for their ability to provide protection from ultraviolet radiation and singlet-oxygen-induced damage such as mutation, immunosuppression, and oxidative stress induction. Lutein is a xanthophyll of the carotenoid family and numerous research studies on it have revealed that it is a potential drug candidate for various diseases like age-related macular degeneration, lung cancer, skin cancer, atherosclerosis, etc.Despite of being efficacious for multiple afflictions, the drug delivery of lutein is challenging owing to its poor bioavailability due to its poor solubility and instability in gastrointestinal milieu. Various novel approaches such as microencapsulation, nano-encapsulation, complexation with cyclodextrin, etc. have been employed by researchers to develop an effective formulation. As the nutraceutical market is booming day by day, lutein formulations should be subjected to further pre-clinical and clinical research, so that lutein, with its tremendous scope in the treatment of a wide range of diseases, can be included as a common intervention for the aforementioned disorders.The main objective of this review article is to give insight on the various studies supporting the wide range of pharmacological activities and applications of lutein, as well as to give an update on the recent advancements in its drug delivery.

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