The effect of oxygen supply using perfluorocarbon-based nanoemulsions on human hair growth.

Hair dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) play a crucial role in hair growth and regeneration, and their function is influenced by nutrient and oxygen supply. A microenvironment with significantly low oxygen (O2) levels, known as anoxic conditions (<0.2%) due to oxygen deficiency, hinders hDPC promotion and retards hair regrowth. Here, a nanoemulsion (NE) based on perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB), a member of the perfluorocarbon family, is presented to provide a sustainable O2 supply and maintain physical stability in vitro. The PFOB-NE has been shown to continuously release oxygen for 36 h, increasing and maintaining the O2 concentration in the anoxic microenvironment of up to 0.8%. This sustainable O2 supply using PFOB-NE has promoted hDPC growth and also induced a complex cascade of effects. These effects encompass regulation via inhibiting lactate accumulation caused via oxygen deficiency, increasing lactate dehydrogenase activity, and promoting the expression of genes, such as the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 family and NADPH oxidase 4 under anoxic conditions. Sustained O2 supply is shown to enhance human hair organ elongation approximately four times compared to the control under anoxic conditions. In conclusion, the perfluorocarbon-based NE containing oxygen proves to be an important strategic tool for improving hair growth and alleviating hair loss.

A Review on Dry Eye Disease Treatment: Recent Progress, Diagnostics, and Future Perspectives.

Dry eye disease is a multifactorial disorder of the eye and tear film with potential damage to the ocular surface. Various treatment approaches for this disorder aim to alleviate disease symptoms and restore the normal ophthalmic environment. The most widely used dosage form is eye drops of different drugs with 5% bioavailability. The use of contact lenses to deliver drugs increases bioavailability by up to 50%. Cyclosporin A is a hydrophobic drug loaded onto contact lenses to treat dry eye disease with significant improvement. The tear is a source of vital biomarkers for various systemic and ocular disorders. Several biomarkers related to dry eye disease have been identified. Contact lens sensing technology has become sufficiently advanced to detect specific biomarkers and predict disease conditions accurately. This review focuses on dry eye disease treatment with cyclosporin A-loaded contact lenses, contact lens biosensors for ocular biomarkers of dry eye disease, and the possibility of integrating sensors in therapeutic contact lenses.

Cellulose Acetate Phthalate-Based pH-Responsive Cyclosporine A-Loaded Contact Lens for the Treatment of Dry Eye.

Cyclosporine A (CsA) as an eye drop is an effective treatment for dry eye. However, it has potential side effects and a short ocular residence time. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a cellulose acetate phthalate-based pH-responsive contact lens (CL) loaded with CsA (CsA-CL). The CsA was continuously released from the CsA-CL at physiological conditions (37 °C, pH 7.4) without an initial burst. CsA was well-contained in the selected storage condition (4 °C, pH 5.4) for as long as 90 days. In safety assays, cytotoxicity, ocular irritation, visible light transmittance, and oxygen permeability were in a normal range. CsA concentrations in the conjunctiva, cornea, and lens increased over time until 12 h. When comparing the therapeutic efficacy between the normal control, experimental dry eye (EDE), and treatment groups (CsA eye drop, naïve CL, and CsA-CL groups), the tear volume, TBUT, corneal fluorescein staining at 7 and 14 days, conjunctival goblet cell density, and corneal apoptotic cell counts at 14 days improved in all treatment groups compared to EDE, with a significantly better result in the CsA-CL group compared with other groups (all p < 0.05). The CsA-CL could be an effective, stable, and safe option for inflammatory dry eye.

Central-stimulating and analgesic activity of the ethanolic extract of Alternanthera sessilis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Alternanthera sessilis is a popular vegetable and used in traditional medicinal practice of Bangladesh and other parts of Asia to relive tiredness, laziness, and sleeps as well as pain and inflammation. However, no report was found on the neuropharmacological and analgesic activity of this plant to-date. Present study was undertaken to evaluate the neuropharmacological and analgesic activity of the ethanol extract of A. sessilis whole plant (ETAS) in mice models. METHODS: Central stimulating activity was investigated by pentobarbitone induced sleeping time, open field, and hole cross tests. Analgesic activity was evaluated by acetic acid induced writhing and hot-plate methods. The tests were performed at 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight dose levels. RESULTS: In sleeping time test, ETAS significantly (p < 0.001) increased the onset of sleep, and decreased the duration of sleep. In open field and hole cross tests, ETAS significantly (p < 0.001) increased the movements of mice which persisted throughout the study period. In writhing test, ETAS showed, significant (p < 0.001) inhibition of writhing reflex. In hot plate test, ETAS significantly (p < 0.001) raised the pain threshold. In HPLC analysis for polyphenols, (+)-catechin, rutin, ellagic acid, and quercetin were detected in ETAS (117.72, 490.74, 3007.26, and 13.85 mg/100 g of dry extract, respectively). CONCLUSION: Present study supported the traditional uses of A. sessilis and indicated that the plant can be a potential source of bioactive molecules.

Bioactivity studies on Musa seminifera Lour.

BACKGROUND: Musa seminifera Lour is a tree-like perennial herb that has been used in folk medicine in Bangladesh to heal a number of ailments. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antioxidant, analgesic, antidiarrheal, anthelmintic activities, and general toxicity of the ethanol extract of the roots. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The extract was assessed for free-radical-scavenging activity by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, total phenolic content (TPC) by the Folin Ciocalteu reagent, antioxidant activity by the ferric reducing power assay, analgesic activity by the acetic acid-induced writhing and hot-plate tests, antidiarrheal activity by the castor oil-induced diarrhea model in mice, anthelmintic activity on Paramphistomum cervi and Haemonchus contortus, and general toxicity by the brine shrimp lethality assay. RESULTS: The extract showed free-radical-scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 44.86 µg/mL. TPC was 537.89 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g of dried plant material. It showed concentration-dependent reducing power, and displayed 42.11 and 69.32% writhing inhibition at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The extract also significantly raised the pain threshold at the above-mentioned dose levels. In vivo antidiarrheal property was substantiated by significant prolongation of latent period and decrease in total number of stools compared with the control. The LC50 against brine shrimp nauplii was 36.21 µg/mL. The extract exhibited dose-dependent decrease in paralysis and death time of the helminths. CONCLUSION: The above results demonstrated that the plant possesses notable bioactivities and somewhat supports its use in folk medicine.

Preliminary pharmacological evaluation of Alocasia indica Schott tuber.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate potential antioxidant, antidiarrheal, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activities of the ethanol extract of Alocasia indica Schott tuber in different experimental models established in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: In vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay. Phenolic content was estimated by using Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent while reducing ability was measured by ferric reducing power assay. In vivo antidiarrheal studies were carried out in mice, and the activity was evaluated in castor oil and magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhea. Disk diffusion assay was utilized to determine antibacterial activity against a number of pathogenic bacterial strains. Acute toxicity test was carried out to measure the safe doses for the extract. RESULTS: In DPPH radical-scavenging assay, the extract exhibited strong radical-scavenging activity with the 50% inhibitory concentration value of 42.66 µg/mL. Total phenolic content was found to be 542.26 mg gallic acid equivalent per 100 g of dried tuber extract, whereas flavonoid content was found to be 4.30 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dried tuber extract. In reducing power assay, the extract showed strong reducing power in a concentration-dependent manner. The extract significantly (P < 0.01) enhanced the latent period and decreased defecation in both castor oil- and magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhea. The extract also lessened gastrointestinal motility in mice. Potential antibacterial activity was exhibited by the extract against all the tested bacterial strains in disk diffusion assay. The 50% lethal concentration against brine shrimp nauplii was 81.09 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the ethanol extract of A. indica has potential antioxidant, antidiarrheal, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activity.