Recent Updates on Phytopharmaceuticals-Based Novel Phytosomal Systems and Their Clinical Trial Status: A Translational Perspective.

Phytopharmaceuticals are the newly termed herbal medicine, which includes standardized extract, bioactive fraction, and phytoconstituent. They have been practiced to cure, treat, and mitigate diseases. Phytopharmaceuticals have many health benefits, but their therapeutic efficacy is limited due to poor absorption, low bioavailability, and early elimination profile. A novel phospholipid complex is a newly introduced patented technology developed to incorporate the standardized plant extracts/fractions or water-soluble phytoconstituents into phospholipids to produce lipid compatible molecular complex, called phytosome, which improves their absorption and bioavailability. In herbal formulations, phytosome is the most advanced dosage form that has an upgraded absorption rate and enhanced pharmacokinetics compared with conventional products. The phospholipid complex results from hydrogen bonding between phospholipids and phytoconstituents, offering the maximum incorporation of herbal active ingredients into the lipidic layer and core. The increased therapeutic efficacy is due to the formation of amphiphilic phospholipid-complex of herbal medicine. This review highlights the role of phospholipids on delivery of herbal bioactives and natural extracts with particular emphasis on phytosomes. Moreover, the status of bioavailabilities, commercial products, patents, and clinical trials of phytosomal systems of phytopharmaceuticals were addressed.

Emerging Trends in the Treatment of Skin Disorders by Herbal Drugs: Traditional and Nanotechnological Approach.

Since the earliest days, people have been employing herbal treatments extensively around the world. The development of phytochemical and phytopharmacological sciences has made it possible to understand the chemical composition and biological properties of a number of medicinal plant products. Due to certain challenges like large molecular weight and low bioavailability, some components of herbal extracts are not utilized for therapeutic purposes. It has been suggested that herbal medicine and nanotechnology can be combined to enhance the benefits of plant extracts by lowering dosage requirements and adverse effects and increasing therapeutic activity. Using nanotechnology, the active ingredient can be delivered in an adequate concentration and transported to the targeted site of action. Conventional therapy does not fulfill these requirements. This review focuses on different skin diseases and nanotechnology-based herbal medicines that have been utilized to treat them.

COVID-19: Recent Insight in Genomic Feature, Pathogenesis, Immunological Biomarkers, Treatment Options and Clinical Updates on SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious and transmissible viral infection that first emerged in 2019 and since then has sparked an epidemic of severe respiratory problems identified as "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19) that causes a hazard to human life and safety. The virus developed mainly from bats. The current epidemic has presented a significant warning to life across the world by showing mutation. There are different tests available for testing Coronavirus, and RT-PCR is the best, giving more accurate results, but it is also time-consuming. There are different options available for treating n-CoV-19, which include medications such as Remdesivir, corticosteroids, plasma therapy, Dexamethasone therapy, etc. The development of vaccines such as BNT126b2, ChAdOX1, mRNA-1273 and BBIBP-CorV has provided great relief in dealing with the virus as they decreased the mortality rate. BNT126b2 and ChAdOX1 are two n-CoV vaccines found to be most effective in controlling the spread of infection. In the future, nanotechnology-based vaccines and immune engineering techniques can be helpful for further research on Coronavirus and treatment of this deadly virus. The existing knowledge about the existence of SARS-CoV-2, along with its variants, is summarized in this review. This review, based on recently published findings, presents the core genetics of COVID-19, including heritable characteristics, pathogenesis, immunological biomarkers, treatment options and clinical updates on the virus, along with patents.

A Snapshot of Selenium-enclosed Nanoparticles for the Management of Cancer.

Among the primary causes of mortality in today's world is cancer. Many drugs are employed to give lengthy and severe chemotherapy and radiation therapy, like nitrosoureas (Cisplatin, Oxaliplatin), Antimetabolites (5-fluorouracil, Methotrexate), Topoisomerase inhibitors (Etoposide), Mitotic inhibitors (Doxorubicin); such treatment is associated with significant adverse effects. Antitumor antibiotics have side effects similar to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals, and additional Se supplementation is required, particularly for individuals deficient in Se. Due to its unique features and high bioactivities, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), which act as a supplement to counter Se deficiency, have recently gained worldwide attention. This study presented a safer and more economical way of preparing stable SeNPs. The researcher has assessed the antiproliferative efficiency of SeNPs-based paclitaxel delivery systems against tumor cells in vitro with relevant mechanistic visualization. SeNPs stabilized by Pluronic F-127 were synthesized and studied. The significant properties and biological activities of PTX-loaded SeNPs on cancer cells from the lungs, breasts, cervical, and colons. In one study, SeNPs were formulated using chitosan (CTS) polymer and then incorporated into CTS/citrate gel, resulting in a SeNPs-loaded chitosan/citrate complex; in another study, CTS was used in the synthesis of SeNPs and then situated into CTS/citrate gel, resulting in Se loaded nanoparticles. These formulations were found to be more successful in cancer treatment.

Fabrication of Sustained Release Curcumin-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (Cur-SLNs) as a Potential Drug Delivery System for the Treatment of Lung Cancer: Optimization of Formulation and In Vitro Biological Evaluation.

The goal of current research was to develop a new form of effective drug, curcumin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (Cur-SLNs) and test its efficacy in the treatment of lung cancer. Different batches of SLNs were prepared by the emulsification-ultrasonication method. For the optimization of formulation, each batch was evaluated for particle size, polydispersity index (PI), zeta potential (ZP), entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL). The formulation components and process parameters largely affected the quality of SLNs. The SLNs obtained with particle size, 114.9 ± 1.36 nm; PI, 0.112 ± 0.005; ZP, -32.3 ± 0.30 mV; EE, 69.74 ± 2.03%, and DL, 0.81 ± 0.04% was designated as an optimized formulation. The formulation was freeze-dried to remove excess water to improve the physical stability. Freeze-dried Cur-SLNs showed 99.32% of drug release and demonstrated a burst effect trailed by sustained release up to 120 h periods. The erythrocyte toxicity study of Cur-SLNs and its components demonstrated moderate hemolytic potential towards red blood cells (RBCs). The cytotoxic potential of the formulation and plain curcumin was estimated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against A549 cell line. After 48 h of incubation, Cur-SLNs demonstrated more cytotoxicity (IC50 = 26.12 ± 1.24 µM) than plain curcumin (IC50 = 35.12 ± 2.33 µM). Moreover, the cellular uptake of curcumin was found to be significantly higher from Cur-SLNs (682.08 ± 6.33 ng/µg) compared to plain curcumin (162.4 ± 4.2 ng/µg). Additionally, the optimized formulation was found to be stable over the period of 90 days of storage. Hence, curcumin-loaded SLNs can be prepared using the proposed cost effective method, and can be utilized as an effective drug delivery system for the treatment of lung cancer, provided in vivo studies warrant a similar outcome.

ß-Artemether and Lumefantrine Dual Drug Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles: Physicochemical Characterization, Pharmacokinetic Evaluation and Biodistribution Study.

BACKGROUND: ß-artemether (BAT) and lumefantrine (LFT) combination therapies are well recognized for the treatment of malaria. However, the current conventional formulations have several drawbacks. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to develop novel lipid nanoparticles (LNP) for efficient delivery of BAT and LFT. METHODS: The LNP were prepared by solvent injection method and optimized by the Box-Behnken experimental design to achieve the desired particle size, maximum entrapment efficiency (EE), and percentage drug release. BAT and LFT in rat plasma were estimated by liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS: Freeze-dried LNP comprised of 78.74% (w/w) lipid, 15.74% (w/w) surfactant, 3.93% (w/w) co-surfactant and 1.57% mannitol with respect to the total inactive components. Mean particle size and zeta potential were found to be 140.22 ± 1.36 nm and -35.23 mv, respectively. EE was 80.60 ± 3.85% for BAT and 69.64 ± 2.63% for LFT. The optimized formulation exhibited a biphasic release profile in phosphate buffer (pH 7.2). In vivo study revealed an increased bioavailability of BAT and LFT from dual drug loaded LNP compared to the pure drug solution. Moreover, the tissue distribution study confirmed the high uptake of both the drugs in the liver and spleen. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the potential use of the developed formulation for oral administration in the treatment of malaria.

Nanoemulsions as vehicles for transdermal delivery of glycyrrhizin

The present investigation aims to evaluate an isotropic and thermodynamically stable nanoemulsion formulation for transdermal delivery of glycyrrhizin (GZ), with minimum surfactant and cosurfactant (Smix) concentrations that could improve its solubility, permeation enhancement, and stability. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were developed and various nanoemulsion formulations were prepared using soyabean oil as oil, Span 80, Brij 35 as a surfactant and isopropyl alcohol as a cosurfactant. Nanoemulsion formulations that passed the thermodynamic stability tests were characterized for pH, viscosity and droplet size using a transmission electron microscopy. The transdermal ability of glycyrrhizin through human cadaver skin was determined using Franz diffusion cells. The in vitro skin permeation profile of the optimized nanoemulsion formulation (NE2) was compared to that of conventional gel. A significant increase in permeability parameters such as steady-state flux (Jss) and permeability coefficient (Kp) was observed in the optimized nanoemulsion formulation (NE2), which consisted of 1 percent wt/wt of mono ammonium glycyrrhizinate (MAG), 32.4 percent Span 80, 3.7 percent Brij 35, 10 percent isopropyl alcohol, 46.5 percent soyabean oil and 6.4 percent distilled water. No obvious skin irritation was observed for the studied nanoemulsion formulation (NE2) or the gel. The results indicated that nanoemulsions are promising vehicles for transdermal delivery of glycyrrhizin through human cadaver skin, without the use of additional permeation enhancers, because excipients of nanoemulsions act as permeation enhancers themselves.

O objetivo da investigação é avaliar uma nanoemulsão isotrópica termodinamicamente estável para a administração transdérmica da glicirrizina (GZ), com concentrações mínimas de tensoativo e co-tensoativo (Smix), que poderiam melhorar a sua solubilidade, a permeação e a estabilidade. Os diagramas pseudo-ternários de fase foram desenvolvidos e diversas nanoemulsões foram preparadas com óleo de soja como óleo, Span 80, Brij 35 como tensoativos e álcool isopropílico como co-tensoativo. As nanoemulsões que passaram por testes de estabilidade termodinâmica foram caracterizadas por pH, viscosidade, tamanho de gota e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão. A capacidade transdérmica da glicirrizina em passar através da pele de cadáver humano foi determinada por células de difusão de Franz. O perfil in vitro de permeação cutânea da formulação otimizada (NE2) foi comparada com a de gel convencional. Observou-se aumento significativo nos parâmetros de permeabilidade, como fluxo de equilíbrio (JSS) e coeficiente de permeabilidade (Kp) na formulação otimizado (NE2), que consistiu de 1 por cento wt/wt de monoglicirrizinato de amônio (MAG), 32,4 por cento de Span 80, 3,7 por cento de Brij 35, 10 por cento de álcool isopropílico, 46,5 por cento de óleo de soja e 6,4 por cento de água destilada. Não se observou irritação óbvia da pele para as nanoemulsões estudadas (NE2) ou de gel. Os resultados indicaram que nanoemulsões são promissores veículos para a administração transdérmica de glicirrizina através da pele de cadáveres humanos, sem o uso adicional de promotor de permeação, porque excipientes de nanoemulsões atuam como promotores de permeação.