Nephro-protective effects of alpha-lipoic acid in type I diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an insulin-dependent autoimmune condition. Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are volatile fatty acids with 1-6 carbon atoms that influence glucose storage in the body and can reduce appetite, potentially decreasing T1D risk. Alpha-lipoic acid (α-LA), a type of SCFA, has previously been used to treat diabetic neuropathy and inflammation due to its antioxidant properties. This study aims to assess α-LA's protective effects against T1D and associated kidney damage in rats induced with streptozotocin. Diabetic rats were treated with α-LA orally for 15 days, resulting in improved blood glucose (56% decrease) and kidney function markers like blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid. α-LA also showed significant antioxidant effects by decreasing LPO as well as improving activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-S transferase and alleviated kidney damage caused by diabetes. Docking experiments suggest that α-LA may regulate diabetes-related changes at the epigenetic level through interactions with the SIRT1 protein, indicating its potential as a target for future antidiabetic drug development.

Prevalence of self-medication practices among pregnant women in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Self-medication practice among pregnant women is a global concern. However, its understanding in the Indian context is limited due to a lack of comprehensive studies. PURPOSE: This study aimed to comprehensively assess the prevalence of self-medication, the medications used for self-medication, diseases/conditions associated with self-medication, and the reasons for self-medication among Indian pregnant women. METHODS: This study was carried out following the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A thorough search was done in PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to find articles that were published up until May 2023. Inclusion criteria comprised observational studies reporting self-medication prevalence among pregnant women in India. Data were extracted using a standardized sheet, and a random-effects model was applied to determine the overall prevalence of self-medication using R software. The I2 statistic was employed to assess the heterogeneity among the studies. RESULTS: This study analyzed eight studies with a collective sample size of 2208 pregnant women. The pooled prevalence of self-medication among pregnant Indian women was 19.3% (95% CI: 7.5%-41.3%; I2 = 99%; p < 0.01). Common self-treated conditions were cold, cough, fever, headache, and stomach disorders. Antipyretics, analgesics, antihistamines, and antacids were frequently used for self-medication. The perception of mild ailment, immediate alleviation, convenience, time savings, and advice from family, friends, or the media were all reasons for self-medication. Local pharmacies were the most usual source for obtaining drugs, and pharmacists, family, friends, and past prescriptions were common sources of medicine information. CONCLUSIONS: A low yet substantial number of pregnant women in India are engaged in self-medication practices. Appropriate strategies need to be planned to reduce self-medication practices to attain sustainable developmental goals for maternal health in India.

p-Coumaric acid attenuates high-fat diet-induced oxidative stress and nephropathy in diabetic rats.

The prevalence of persistent hyperglycaemia during diabetes, impair antioxidant defence system and generate reactive oxygen species, which majorly contribute to its progression and associated complications. Phytochemicals were suggested to scavenge-free radicals and exert antioxidant effects required to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the occurrence of diabetes-associated complications. We hypothesise that a phenolic phytochemical p-coumaric can reduce diabetes-induced oxidative stress and improve diabetes-associated nephropathy in rats. The aim of this study is to analyse the protective effects of p-coumaric acid against diabetes-induced oxidative stress and nephropathy in high-fat diet-induced diabetic rats. The oral feeding of p-coumaric acid (20 mg/kg for 12 weeks) was found to significantly decrease the elevated levels of blood glucose in high-fat diet-induced type 2 diabetic rats. p-Coumaric acid treatment also decreases the kidney weight whilst increasing the total body weight of diabetic rats. Furthermore whilst evaluation of the different renal functioning tests, p-coumaric acid significantly improves histopathological changes and the levels of urea, creatinine and uric acid in serum of diabetic rats, which was otherwise elevated under diabetic conditions. Our results also highlight that p-coumaric acid is an efficient compound with antioxidant properties and improves the diabetes-induced change in lipid peroxidation and activities of antioxidant enzymes: catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase. p-Coumaric acid thus possesses the potential to prevent diabetic nephropathy by reducing oxidative stress and can thus serve as a potential drug target for pharmaceutical companies.

Neuroinflammation in neurological disorders: pharmacotherapeutic targets from bench to bedside.

Neuroinflammation is one of the host defensive mechanisms through which the nervous system protects itself from pathogenic and or infectious insults. Moreover, neuroinflammation occurs as one of the most common pathological outcomes in various neurological disorders, makes it the promising target. The present review focuses on elaborating the recent advancement in understanding molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammation and its role in the etiopathogenesis of various neurological disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Epilepsy. Furthermore, the current status of anti-inflammatory agents in neurological diseases has been summarized in light of different preclinical and clinical studies. Finally, possible limitations and future directions for the effective use of anti-inflammatory agents in neurological disorders have been discussed.

Neuroprotective Potential of Chrysin: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential for Neurological Disorders.

Chrysin, a herbal bioactive molecule, exerts a plethora of pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-cancer. A growing body of evidence has highlighted the emerging role of chrysin in a variety of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumors. Based on the results of recent pre-clinical studies and evidence from studies in humans, this review is focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of chrysin in different neurological diseases. In addition, the potential challenges, and opportunities of chrysin's inclusion in the neurotherapeutics repertoire are critically discussed.

Synthesis and evaluation of new 1,2,4-oxadiazole based trans- acrylic acid derivatives as potential PPAR-alpha/gamma dual agonist.

Diabetes is a ubiquitously a metabolic disorder and life-threatening disease. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) belong to the class of nuclear receptors which acts as transcription factors to regulate lipid and glucose metabolism. PPAR alpha/gamma dual agonists tend to corroborate the functions of both thiazolidinediones and fibrates and they hold substantial promise for ameliorating the type 2 diabetic treatments and providing potential therapeutic diabetic interventions. New 1,2,4-oxadiazole based trans- acrylic acid derivatives compounds possessing aryl/methylene linker in between pharmacophore head and lipophilic tail for dual PPAR-alpha/gamma agonists are studied. AutoDock Vina used for potential PPAR alpha/gamma dual agonists and 6 compounds 9a, 9g, 9 m, 9n, 9o, and 9r were identified comparable to PPAR gamma agonist Pioglitazone on the basis of their affinity scores and further their in-silico toxicity and in-silico ADME properties. The selected compounds showed better-calculated lipophilicity (iLogP) was found to be 0.92 to 3.19. Compound 9n and 9a were found to be most potent on both PPAR alpha and gamma receptors with EC50 of 0.07 ± 0.0006 µM, 0.06 ± 0.0005 µM and 0.781 ± 0.008 µM, 3.29 µM ± 0.03 respectively as better to pioglitazone having EC50 of 32.38 ± 0.2 and 38.03 ± 0.13 for both receptors. The in-vivo evaluation found to reduce the plasma glucose level and total cholesterol level significantly in diabetic rats compared to pioglitazone at 5 mg/kg/day dose for 7 days of treatment. Thus, trans- acrylic acid derivatives can be further developed as oral therapeutic agents for diabetic interventions as PPAR alpha/gamma dual agonists.

The potential of siRNA based drug delivery in respiratory disorders: Recent advances and progress.

Lung diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The currently available therapies are not sufficient, leading to the urgent need for new therapies with sustained anti-inflammatory effects. Small/short or silencing interfering RNA (siRNA) has potential therapeutic implications through post-transcriptional downregulation of the target gene expression. siRNA is essential in gene regulation, so is more favorable over other gene therapies due to its small size, high specificity, potency, and no or low immune response. In chronic respiratory diseases, local and targeted delivery of siRNA is achieved via inhalation. The effectual delivery can be attained by the generation of aerosols via inhalers and nebulizers, which overcomes anatomical barriers, alveolar macrophage clearance and mucociliary clearance. In this review, we discuss the different siRNA nanocarrier systems for chronic respiratory diseases, for safe and effective delivery. siRNA mediated pro-inflammatory gene or miRNA targeting approach can be a useful approach in combating chronic respiratory inflammatory conditions and thus providing sustained drug delivery, reduced therapeutic dose, and improved patient compliance. This review will be of high relevance to the formulation, biological and translational scientists working in the area of respiratory diseases.

Emerging treatments for the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Dementia is referred to a loss of memory and decline in other mental abilities at levels critical enough to hinder performance of daily activities. It can be of several types, depending on the underlying pathophysiology. The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are various, but the most clinically significant are depression, apathy, and anxiety. Other BPSD include agitation, aberrant motor behavior, elation, hallucinations, and alterations in sleep and appetite. About 90% of sufferers of dementia are affected by BPSD during the course of the illness. These symptoms occur in demented patients irrespective of the dementia subtype. However, there has not been significant development in the areas of disease-modifying pharmacotherapeutics for dementia. Therefore, tackling BPSD has emerged as a research avenue in the recent past. Existing antidepressants, antipsychotics, and cholinergic agents have been extensively used in the treatment of BPSD, independently and in different combinations. However, these agents have not successful in completely alleviating such symptoms. Research in this field is going on globally, but it is still limited by various factors. There is a strong need to develop new entities and test them clinically. This review focuses on emerging treatments for the management of clinically significant BPSD.

The misfolding mystery: α-synuclein and the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) are characterized by the death of neurons in specific areas of the brain. One of the proteins that is involved in the pathogenesis of PD is α-synuclein (α-syn). α-Syn is a normal protein that is found in all neurons, but in PD, it misfolds and aggregates into toxic fibrils. These fibrils can then coalesce into pathological inclusions, such as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. The pathogenic pathway of PD is thought to involve a number of steps, including misfolding and aggregation of α-syn, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein clearance impairment, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. A deeper insight into the structure of α-syn and its fibrils could aid in understanding the disease's etiology. The prion-like nature of α-syn is also an important area of research. Prions are misfolded proteins that can spread from cell to cell, causing other proteins to misfold as well. It is possible that α-syn may behave in a similar way, spreading from cell to cell and causing a cascade of misfolding and aggregation. Various post-translational alterations have also been observed to play a role in the pathogenesis of PD. These alterations can involve a variety of nuclear and extranuclear activities, and they can lead to the misfolding and aggregation of α-syn. A better understanding of the pathogenic pathway of PD could lead to the development of new therapies for the treatment of this disease.

PPAR gamma agonistic activity of dillapiole: protective effects against diabetic nephropathy.

Using structural similarity approach we identified dillapiole, a phenylpropanoid, the main component of Piper aduncum L. and Anethum graveolens L. essential oils as potential PPARγ agonist. Molecular docking revealed that dillapiole binds to the active site of PPARγ, similar to pioglitazone binding. In silico ADME studies showed that dillapiole has high water solubility and GI absorption. Dillapiole was also observed to be partial agonist of PPARγ receptors with EC50 of 43.95 µM. In BHK-21 cells cultured under hyperglycaemic conditions, dillapiole administration reduced oxidative stress and prevented decrease in histone H3 acetylation (k9/14) levels. In HFD + STZ induced diabetic mice, dillapiole treatment for 7 days was able to improve renal functions and decrease plasma glucose level to 138.39 ± 12.36 mg/dl along with decreasing total cholesterol (29%), triglycerides (48.8%), LDL (24.7%), and VLDL (65%) levels in serum. These results show that dillapiole is a potential PPARγ-agonist and thus needs to explore further.

Screening of natural epigenetic modifiers for managing glycemic memory and diabetic nephropathy.

Short hyperglycaemic episodes trigger metabolic memory (MM) in which managing hyperglycaemia alone is not enough to tackle the progression of Diabetic nephropathy on the epigenetic axis. We used a structural similarity search approach to identify phytochemicals similar to natural epigenetic modifiers and docked with SIRT1 protein and did ADME studies. We found that UMB was 84.3% similar to esculetin. Upon docking, we found that UMB had a binding energy of -9.2 kcal/mol while the standard ligand had -11.8 kcal/mol. ADME showed UMB to be a good lead. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed it to be a good antioxidant with IC50 of 107 µg/mL and MTT stands for 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) showed that it does not promote cell death. Oxidative biomarkers in vitro showed UMB was able to ameliorate glycemic memory induced by high glucose. Western blot revealed decreased histone acetylation under hyperglycaemic conditions and upon treatment with UMB along with DR, its levels increased. This led us to check our hypothesis of whether concomitant diet reversal (DR) together with UMB can alleviate high-fat diet-induced metabolic memory and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in SD rats. UMB was able to decrease blood glucose, lipid, renal, and liver profile concluding UMB was able to ameliorate DN and MM by increasing the histone acetylation level.

Artificial viruses: A nanotechnology based approach.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this work was to review and summarise the detailed literature available on viral nanoparticle and the strategies utilised for their manufacture along with their applications as therapeutic agents. DATA ACQUISITION: The reported literature related to development and application of virus nanoparticles have been collected from electronic data bases like ScienceDirect, google scholar, PubMed by using key words like "viral nanoparticles", "targeted drug delivery" and "vaccines" and related combinations. RESULT: From the detailed literature survey, virus nanoparticles were identified as carriers for the targeted delivery. Due to the presence of nanostructures in virus nanoparticles, these protect the drugs from the degradation in the gastrointestinal tract and in case of the delivery of gene medicine, they carry the nucleic acids to the target/susceptible host cells. Thus, artificial viruses are utilised for targeted delivery to specific organ in biomedical and biotechnological areas. CONCLUSION: Thus, virus nanoparticles can be considered as viable option as drug/gene carrier in various healthcare sectors especially drug delivery and vaccine and can be explored further in future for the development of better drug delivery techniques.

Serum Zinc Level and Efficacy of Zinc Therapy in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a parasitic skin disease prevalent in many parts of the world. Zinc has been investigated for its potential role in the immune response against Leishmania parasites. This study aimed to systematically review the literature and conduct meta-analyses to evaluate the serum zinc level and efficacy of zinc therapy in cutaneous leishmaniasis. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was performed to find studies reporting serum zinc levels and the efficacy of zinc therapy in cutaneous leishmaniasis. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan software (version 5.4), calculating the mean difference for serum zinc levels and risk ratio for the efficacy of zinc therapy. A total of 11 studies with 1009 participants were evaluated. Five of these studies, comprising 637 participants, examined serum zinc levels; the remaining six, involving 372 individuals, examined the effectiveness of zinc therapy in treating cutaneous leishmaniasis. The results showed that the serum zinc level was significantly lower in cutaneous leishmaniasis patients compared to controls (MD: - 26.65; 95% CI: [- 42.74, - 10.57]; p = 0.001). However, zinc therapy did not demonstrate a significant clinical improvement compared to standard treatment (RR: 0.96; 95% CI: [0.74, 1.23], p = 0.73).

Osteomyelitis and non-coding RNAS: A new dimension in disease understanding.

Osteomyelitis, a debilitating bone infection, presents considerable clinical challenges due to its intricate etiology and limited treatment options. Despite strides in surgical and chemotherapeutic interventions, the treatment landscape for osteomyelitis remains unsatisfactory. Recent attention has focused on the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the pathogenesis and progression of osteomyelitis. This review consolidates current knowledge on the involvement of distinct classes of ncRNAs, including microRNAs, long ncRNAs, and circular RNAs, in the context of osteomyelitis. Emerging evidence from various studies underscores the potential of ncRNAs in orchestrating gene expression and influencing the differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, pivotal processes in bone formation. The review initiates by elucidating the regulatory functions of ncRNAs in fundamental cellular processes such as inflammation, immune response, and bone remodeling, pivotal in osteomyelitis pathology. It delves into the intricate network of interactions between ncRNAs and their target genes, illuminating how dysregulation contributes to the establishment and persistence of osteomyelitic infections. Understanding their regulatory roles may pave the way for targeted diagnostic tools and innovative therapeutic interventions, promising a paradigm shift in the clinical approach to this challenging condition. Additionally, we delve into the promising therapeutic applications of these molecules, envisioning novel diagnostic and treatment approaches to enhance the management of this challenging bone infection.

Diabetes Warriors from Heart Wood: Unveiling Dalbergin and Isoliquiritigenin from Dalbergia latifolia as Potential Antidiabetic Agents in-vitro and in-vivo.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious and complex metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. In recent years natural products has gained much more interest by researchers as alternative sources for diabetes treatment. Though many potential agents are identified so far but their clinical utility is limited because of their adverse effects. Therefore, there is a keen interest in discovering natural compounds to treat diabetes efficiently with less side effects. Dalbergia latifolia is well explored because of its diverse pharmacological activities including diabetes. Therefore, the present research work aimed to identify and isolate the potential antidiabetic agents from the heart wood of Dalbergia latifolia. We successfully extracted DGN and ISG from the heartwood and evaluated their antidiabetic potential both in-vivo and in-vitro. Alpha amylase activity inhibition of ISG and DGN was found to be 99.05 ± 8.54% (IC50 = 0.6025 µg/mL) and 84.68 ± 5.2% (IC50 = 0.0216 µg/mL) respectively. Glucose uptake assay revealed DGN (158%) promoted maximum uptake than ISG (77%) over control. In vivo anti diabetic activity was evaluated by inducing diabetes in SD rats with the help of HFD and STZ (35 mg/kg body weight). After the continuous administration of DGN (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg) and ISG (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg) for 14 days, we observed the reduction in the blood glucose levels, body weight, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, blood urea, serum creatinine, serum glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase levels than vehicle group indicates the potency of ISG and DGN against diabetes.

Enhancing the oral bioavailability of fisetin: polysaccharide-based self nano-emulsifying spheroids for colon-targeted delivery.

Fisetin (FS) is a flavonoid that possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties against ulcerative colitis. FS shows poor dissolution rate and permeability. An attempt has been made to develop colon-targeted solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (S-SNEDDS) of FS. Initially, liquid (L) SNEDDS were prepared by loading FS into isotropic mixture of L-SNEDDS was prepared using Labrafil M 1944 CS, Transcutol P, and Tween 80. These L-SNEDDS were further converted into solid (S) SNEDDS by mixing the isotropic mixture with 1:1:1 ratio of guar gum (GG), xanthan gum (XG) and pectin (PC) [GG:XG:PC (1:1:1)]. Aerosil-200 (A-200) was added to enhance their flow characteristics. Further, they were converted into spheroids by extrusion-spheronization technique. The solid-state characterization of S-SNEDDS was done by SEM, DSC, and PXRD, which revealed that the crystalline form of FS was converted into the amorphous form. In the dissolution study, S-SNEDDS spheroids [GG:XG:PC (1:1:1)] exhibited less than 20% drug release within the first 5 h, followed by rapid release of the drug between the 5th and 10th h, indicating its release at colonic site. The site-specific delivery of FS to colon via FS-S-SNEDDS spheroids was confirmed by conducting pharmacokinetic studies on rats. Wherein, results showed delay in absorption of FS loaded in spheroids up to 5 h and achievement of Cmax at 7h, whereas L-SNEDDS showed rapid absorption of FS. Furthermore, FS-L-SNEDDS and FS-S-SNEDDS spheroids [GG:XG:PC (1:1:1)] increased oral bioavailability of FS by 6.86-fold and 4.44-fold, respectively, as compared to unprocessed FS.

Enhancement of absorption and hepatoprotective potential through soya-phosphatidylcholine-andrographolide vesicular system.

Andrographis paniculata is a medicinal herb used extensively for various ailments and contains therapeutically active phytoconstituent, andrographolide (AN). Although hepatoprotective activity of AN is established, but their bioavailability is restricted due to its rapid clearance. The aim of this study, therefore, was to formulate AN herbosomes (ANH) through complexation with naturally occurring soya-phosphatidylcholine (SPC), in order to enhance absorption. Prepared andrographolide-soy phosphatidylcholine (AN-SPC) complex prepared was subjected for characterisation of complex and formation of vesicular system known as ANH using rotary evaporation techniques. This complex was subjected to in vitro study using everted small intestine sac technique which showed significantly increased absorption of AN from the ANH as compared to the plain AN. The hepatoprotective potential of ANH and plain AN was evaluated using carbon tetrachloride inducing hepatotoxicity rat model and compared, in which ANH equivalent to 50 mg/kg of plain AN significantly restore serum glutamate oxalacetate transaminase (112.4 ± 9.67 for AN whereas 90.2 ± 4.23 for ANH) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (109.3 ± 7.89 for AN whereas 90.6 ± 4.34 for ANH) level as compared to control group. The ANH showed significantly better absorption than plain AN and this effect of ANH was also comparable to the standard drug (Silymarin). The findings of present study reveal that ANH has better bioavailability as shown by in vitro absorption study and hence improved hepatoprotection as compared to plain AN at equivalent dose.

Novel Approaches for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Update.

Diabetes mellitus is an irreversible, chronic metabolic disorder indicated by hyperglycemia. It is now considered a worldwide pandemic. T2DM, a spectrum of diseases initially caused by tissue insulin resistance and slowly developing to a state characterized by absolute loss of secretory action of the ß cells of the pancreas, is thought to be caused by reduced insulin secretion, resistance to tissue activities of insulin, or a combination of both. Insulin secretagogues, biguanides, insulin sensitizers, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, incretin mimetics, amylin antagonists, and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are the main medications used to treat T2DM. Several of these medication's traditional dosage forms have some disadvantages, including frequent dosing, a brief half-life, and limited absorption. Hence, attempts have been made to develop new drug delivery systems for oral antidiabetics to ameliorate the difficulties associated with conventional dosage forms. In comparison to traditional treatments, this review examines the utilization of various innovative therapies (such as microparticles, nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, phytosomes, and transdermal drug delivery systems) to improve the distribution of various oral hypoglycemic medications. In this review, we have also discussed some new promising candidates that have been approved recently by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of T2DM, like semaglutide, tirzepatide, and ertugliflozin. They are used as a single therapy and also as combination therapy with drugs like metformin and sitagliptin.

Significant Advancement in Various Synthetic Strategies and Pharmacotherapy of Piperine Derivatives: A Review.

BACKGROUND: Piperine is a natural compound found in black pepper that has been traditionally used for various therapeutic purposes. In the ayurvedic system of medication there is a lot of evidence which shows that the piperine is widely used for different therapeutic purpose. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the pharmacological and therapeutic potential of piperine and its derivatives in modern medicine. In order to increase the bioavailability and therapeutic effectiveness of piperine and its analogs, researchers have been looking at various extraction methods and synthesis approaches. Many studies have been conducted in this area because of the promise of piperine as a natural substitute for synthetic medications. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review article is to provide an up-to-date analysis of the literature on the synthesis of piperine analogs, including their extraction techniques and various biological activities such as antihypertensive, antidiabetic, insecticidal, antimicrobial, and antibiotic effects. Additionally, the review aims to discuss the potential of piperine in modern medicine, given its traditional use in various medicinal systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani. The article also provides a comprehensive analysis of the plant from which piperine is derived. CONCLUSION: This review article provides a thorough examination of piperine and the source plant. The best extraction technique for the extraction of piperine and the synthesis of its analogs with various biological activities, including antihypertensive, antidiabetic, insecticidal, antibacterial, and antibiotic properties, are covered in the article. This review aims to provide an updated analysis of the literature on the synthesis of piperine analogs.

The multifactorial role of vanillin in amelioration of aluminium chloride and D-galactose induced Alzheimer's disease in mice.

The onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are influenced by a variety of factors. These include oxidative stress, overexpression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), depletion of acetylcholine levels, increased beta-secretase mediated conversion of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) to Amyloid Beta (Abeta), accumulation of Abeta oligomers, decrease in Brain Derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and accelerated neuronal apoptosis due to elevated levels of caspase-3. The currently available therapeutic approaches are inadequate in affecting these pathological processes except maybe the overexpression of AChE (AChE inhibitors like donepezil, rivastigmine). There is an urgent need to develop disease modifying pharmacotherapeutic interventions which have appreciable safety and cost effectiveness. From previously reported in vitro studies and a preliminary assessment of neuroprotective effect in scopolamine induced dementia-like cognitive impairment in mice, vanillin has been used as the compound of interest in the present study. Vanillin, a phytoconstituent, has been used in humans, safely, in the form of a flavouring agent for various foods, beverages, and cosmetics. Owing to its chemical nature i.e. being a phenolic aldehyde, it has an additional antioxidant property that is congruent to the desirable characteristics that are sought in a suitable novel anti-AD agent. In our study, vanillin proved to have a nootropic effect in healthy Swiss albino mice as well as an ameliorative effect in aluminium chloride and D-galactose induced AD model in mice. Apart from tackling oxidative stress, vanillin was found to reduce the levels of AChE, beta secretase, caspase-3, enhance degradation of Abeta plaques and elevate the levels of BDNF, in cortical and hippocampal regions. Vanillin is a promising candidate for being incorporated into the search for safe and effective anti-AD molecules. However, further research might be needed to warrant its application clinically.