Bioactive Phytochemicals in Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Therapeutic Agents in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Ibrahima Mamadou Sall1, Claudiu-Nicusor Ionica2,*, Dragoș Hodor1, Alexia-Teodora Hota1, Iulia Pana1, Petronela Munteanu3, Leonardo Leonardi3, Alexandru-Flaviu Tabaran1, Romelia Pop1
1 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2 Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universita degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
* Corresponding Author: Claudiu-Nicusor Ionica. Email: 
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.088394
Received 02 July 2026; Accepted 28 August 2026; Published online 02 September 2026
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease represents a growing global health burden, resulting from a complex interaction among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposome, microbiota dysbiosis, and dysregulation of mucosal immunity. Despite major therapeutic advances achieved over the past decades, current treatments do not always maintain sustainable remission; they primarily target the suppression of the inflammatory cascade rather than the restoration of tissue homeostasis and barrier function. In this context, plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are drawing growing interest. These nanostructures, bound by a lipid bilayer, play an essential role in intercellular and cross-kingdom communication by transporting a multitude of bioactive molecules. The richness of their bioactive phytochemical properties and the botanical diversity of their plant sources including edible fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs confer considerable therapeutic potential to PDEVs, along with distinct properties compared to those of mammalian-derived vesicles. They are involved in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier, in the excretion of cellular metabolites, and in the regulation of very complex interactions between genetic susceptibility, environmental factors, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and dysregulation of the mucosal immune response. Today, PDEVs stand as a natural, highly biocompatible, and promising nanotherapeutic platform; whether used as intrinsic therapeutic agents or as vehicles for the targeted administration of active ingredients, they bring vast clinical perspectives to the management of IBD. This review synthesizes current data regarding the therapeutic potential of PDEVs (in both their natural and artificial forms) and provides an in-depth analysis of their biogenesis, diverse botanical origins, isolation methodologies, and unique biochemical properties, as well as their multi-target mechanisms of action in restoring intestinal homeostasis.
Keywords
Intercellular communication; cargo molecules; bioactive compounds; biogenesis; bioactive phytochemicals; botanical diversity; pathogenesis
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