Advancing oral health: Harnessing the potential of chitosan and polyphenols in innovative mouthwash formulation.

This paper explores the therapeutic perspectives of polyphenols and chitosan as potential anticancer agents in the mouthwash formulations. Taking into account the high incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) among oral cancers, this discussion will concentrate on the potential advantages of these compounds in oral care, focusing on their impact on improving oral health and cancer prevention. According to the data, it appears that the mixture of BACs extract and chitosan may increase the efficiency of the apoptosis of cancer cells while reducing the undesired side effects. The cytotoxicity assays demonstrate a significant reduction in squamous carcinoma cell viability after incubation with BACs extract, with a marked decrease observed over 24-72 hours up to 76%. The anti-cancer properties of the BAC extract are related to luteolin, which is a predominant compound. The addition of 0.025% chitosan reduced the metabolic activity of cancer cells by 37.5%, suggesting a synergistic interaction between the compounds. This research highlights the potential of BACs and chitosan in modulating important molecular targets associated with cancer cell.

Christmas Tree Bio-Waste as a Power Source of Bioactive Materials with Anti-Proliferative Activities for Oral Care.

According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 54,000 new cases of oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancers have been detected in the United States of America in 2021, and they will cause about 10,850 deaths. The main therapies for cancer management, such as surgery and radio- and chemotherapy, have some own benefits, albeit they are often destructive for surrounding tissues; thus, deep investigations into non-surgical treatments for oral cavities are needed. Biologically active compounds (BACs) extracted from European Spruce needles were analyzed to determine the total phenolic and flavonoid content and were used as additional ingredients for oral hygiene products. An anti-proliferation investigation was carried out using extracts containing BACs with the use of several cell lines (cancer and a normal one). ESI-MS studies on BACs showed that luteolin, a natural flavonoid compound with anti-tumorigenic properties against various types of tumors, is the predominant component of the extracts. MTT, BrdU, and LIVE/DEAD studies demonstrated that BAC extracts obtained from Christmas tree needles possess anticancer properties against squamous cell carcinoma (with epithelial origins). We proved that BAC extracts contain high amounts of luteolin, which induces cytotoxicity toward cancer cells; along with their high selectivity, robustness, and nontoxicity, they are very promising materials in oral health applications.

[Resuscitation decision in cases of hospital cardiac arrest--current practices and opinions of physicians]. / Decyzja o podejmowaniu resuscytacji w przypadku szpitalnego zatrzymania krazenia--aktualna praktyka i poglady lekarzy.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND; DNAR is the procedure when CPR is not undertaken as it appears to conflict with the patient's will or may not be in his or her best interests due to medical futility. DNAR decisions should be carefully discussed in advance by the medical team and patients and finally formally documented. DNAR orders are still extremely rare in Polish hospitals and decisions to forgo CPR are usually made at the very last moment. Therefore, we compare actual practice and opinions of physicians related to DNAR decisions. METHODS: The study, carried out during three consecutive months in a big university hospital, was based on two questionnaires. The first questionnaire explored actual practice regarding the decision to forgo CPR, whereas the second one--opinions about DNAR guidelines. The former was filled in by physicians involved in the "do not to attempt resuscitation" decision, the latter by the group of other physicians employed in the hospital. RESULTS: The survey was performed among 286 physicians filling in the first questionnaire and 200 physicians completing the second one. On-call doctors were prime decision makers (49%) with no input from the patient when the "do not attempt resuscitation" decision was made. Decisions to forgo resuscitation were usually informal and communicated to medical team orally (98%). However, 20% of physicians declare that patients should be involved in the decision-making process concerning CPR, and more then 30% respondents stress the need for collegial discussion. Nearly 80% of physicians believe that such formal decisions should be recorded in the patient's medical history. CONCLUSIONS: Current opinions of physicians regarding DNAR differ strikingly from clinical practice. Respondents highlighted the need for collegial discussions, the growing role of a patient in the decision-making process and importance of suitable documentation.