Liposomal Nanocarriers and Herbal Therapeutics in the Management of Melanoma: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Melanoma remains one of the most biologically restless forms of skin cancer. It accounts for a smaller
proportion of cutaneous malignancies than basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, yet it causes
a disproportionate share of skin cancer mortality because it invades early, adapts quickly, and often
survives therapeutic pressure. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, BRAF and MEK inhibitors, and refined surgical
management have changed the outlook for many patients, but the field is still living with a hard problem:
durable response is not guaranteed, toxicity can be serious, and resistance is common. In that unsettled
space, liposomal nanocarriers and plant derived therapeutics have become more than a fashionable
research topic. They offer a way to rethink how poorly soluble, chemically fragile, and pleiotropic natural
molecules might be delivered to melanoma cells, immune cells, and the skin itself. This review examines
liposomal nanocarriers for herbal and phytochemical agents in melanoma management, with attention to
curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, berberine, apigenin, silymarin, silibinin,
luteolin, and related compounds. The discussion covers melanoma biology, the rationale for lipid vesicular
delivery, formulation design, topical and systemic routes, mechanistic pathways, combination therapy,
safety, translational barriers, and future research priorities. A central argument runs through the review:
liposomes can make herbal therapeutics more drug like, but they cannot rescue weak biology or poorly
controlled experiments. The most convincing future work will therefore need stronger melanoma models,
rational dose selection, pharmacokinetic evidence, immunological readouts, and manufacturing realism.