Pharmaceutical nanotechnology最新文献

Aim: To develop medicinal plant nanoparticles as colitis alternative/supplementary therapy.

Background: Limited reports exist on the effectiveness of medicinal plant nanocrystals in treating or preventing colitis.

Objectives: We investigated the effect of canonizing Apium graveolens (AG) on improving dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)- induced (4%) colitis.

Methods: Nanonization was performed via the bead milling process. The nanocrystal product was characterized (i.e., particle size, zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI) values) and freezedried. Total flavonoids and phenolic compounds in nanocrystal products were compared with ethanolic extract of AG (AGEE). Anti-colitis activity of AG-nanocrystal water suspensions (AGNS) was compared to AG bulk powder suspensions (AGBS). Colitis severity was determined via physiological, macroscopic, and microscopic colon assessment. In addition, the fecal Enterobacteriaceae population and urine glucose levels were determined.

Results: The AG nanoparticle products are 200-400 nm, with PDI values 0.5-0.6, and ZP values -12 to -20 mV. The total flavonoid and phenolic compounds of AGNS were 115.12±4.32 ppm and 37.11±0.34 ppm, respectively. This value is higher compared to the content in AGEE. AGNS (350 mg/kg) improves physiological (i.e., fecal blood), macroscopic (i.e., length, diameter), and microscopic (i.e., structure and immune cell infiltration) colon conditions in a comparable level to the positive control of 5-aminosalicylic acid (100 mg/kg). AGNS have a compelling ability to restore colon microscopic and Enterobacteriaceae population compared to AGBS (700 mg/kg). AGNS (350 mg/kg) also recovered colon permeability as marked by the lower urine glucose concentration (9.90±0.15 mg/dL) compared to colitis mice (12.43±0.09 mg/dL).

Conclusion: The nanonization of AG contributes to improved anti-colitis activities compared to AGBS. Nanonization of medicinal plants will reduce organic solvent extraction, which supports the sustainable development goals.

Background: Guazuma ulmifolia or mutamba has been traditionally used for many years as a slimming agent. Various studies reported the antihyperlipidemic activity of mutamba leaves extract due to its flavonoid content.

Objective: This research was conducted to improve the bioactivity of mutamba leaves extract by applying ball-milling technology.

Methods: Unground dried mutamba leaves were extracted in ethanol 40%. The resulting extract (ME) was nano-milled and characterized for its physicochemical parameters. The ball milling process was optimized by performing in various durations, ball and powder ratios, and rotation speed.

Results: The optimized process of ball milling produced nano-extract (NanoME) with a particle size of 492,57±55,96 nm, confirmed with particle size and SEM. Compared with ME, the crystallinity and thermal behavior of NanoME did not change by particle size reduction. The reduction of particle size also did not improve the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor activity. ME and NanoME showed comparable activity compared to Pravastatin. However, the bioactivities of NanoME, including DPPH antioxidant activities, improved 8-fold compared to ME.

Conclusion: The improvement of these activities was attributed to the increase in their flavonoid content. This study emphasizes the role of particle size reduction or nano-extract preparation in increasing the biological activity of plant extracts.

Nanotechnology has advanced significantly in recent decades, with the production and design of nanomaterials becoming a focal point of research. Nanomedicine, a key component of this field, involves the development of nanoscale materials for applications in imaging and drug delivery. Current research predominantly focuses on the synthesis of precisely characterized nanomaterials, particularly in terms of their size and morphology, as these parameters play a critical role in determining the behavior of nanomaterials in vivo. This paper reviews various methods for the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles, including solvent evaporation, nanoprecipitation, emulsification/ solvent diffusion, salting out, dialysis, supercritical fluid technology (SCF), and monomer polymerization techniques. Additionally, it discusses approaches such as emulsion, mini-emulsion, microemulsion, interfacial polymerization, controlled/living radical polymerization, and ionic gelation/ coacervation. Each preparation method is described in terms of its characteristics, advantages, limitations, and potential applications. The paper also explores pharmaceutical considerations and challenges associated with novel drug delivery systems. Recent literature examples are presented to highlight the impact of preparation techniques on the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles.

Cancer is a leading cause of death and life-threatening disease globally. It is connected to persistent tissue damage and unregulated cellular proliferation. In females, breast cancer plays a crucial role in death rates. Chemotherapy, alongside surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy, is a first-line treatment, but its non-specific action harms both cancerous and healthy cells, causing severe side effects. The treatment options for breast cancer are based on the disease stage, which spans from stages 0 to IV. To mitigate this issue, novel strategies focusing on specific targets have been introduced in recent times. Advanced nanocarriers are focused on tumor-specific drug delivery using active targeting based on ligand-receptor identification, this approach has the potential to demonstrate enhanced efficacy compared to passive targeting strategies in the context of therapy for human breast cancer. Surface alteration can assist overcome this issue. This overview focuses on modified nano-sized carriers, including liposomes, micelles, polymeric nanocarriers, carbon dots, and gold nanoparticles. It has been studied to improve therapeutics efficacy, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetics features via mechanisms. The primary aim is no longer confined to merely enveloping cancer medications in novel formulations for diverse delivery pathways; instead, the emphasis lies on precise cancer targeting. This review focuses on the stages of breast cancer, obstacles, types of breast cancer therapies, techniques, and various nanocarriers using ligand-mediated drug delivery systems and their mechanisms.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and chronic pain are global health concerns that affect millions of people, often requiring long-term, effective treatment strategies. The conventional therapies used to manage these conditions come with significant limitations. In TB, long treatment durations, poor compliance, drug resistance, and toxicity of first-line drugs are key challenges. Similarly, pain management faces issues, such as inadequate targeting, systemic side effects, and tolerance to analgesics, limiting traditional therapy efficacy.

Objective: The objective of this review is to explore the potential of nanocarriers as a targeted drug delivery strategy for improving treatment outcomes in TB and pain management. It aims to explore how these advanced systems improve drug bioavailability (BA), control release, reduce side effects, and enhance therapeutic outcomes.

Methods: This systematic review used databases like PubMed, Elsevier, Scopus, Google Scholar, Google Patents, and ResearchGate, etc., to collect original review articles from the past 15 years (September 1, 2007 to September 1, 2024).

Results: The review also revealed that these advanced systems offer promising solutions for overcoming the limitations of conventional therapies, such as poor patient compliance and drug toxicity. Nanocarriers represent a transformative approach in both TB and pain management, with the potential to revolutionize treatment paradigms and improve patient outcomes.

Conclusion: In conclusion, nanocarriers represent a highly promising approach for advancing treatment strategies in both TB and pain management. The review underscores that nanocarrier systems, such as nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, nanocrystal, liposomes, niosomes, dendrimer, and polymeric nanoparticles, offer substantial improvements in drug delivery by enhancing BA, ensuring targeted release, and reducing systemic side effects.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that is characterized by high postprandial blood sugar levels and increased fasting, which disrupts physiological balance and causes organ damage. Owing to the global health risk of type 2 diabetes, natural remedies have shown promise as viable alternatives because of their outstanding antidiabetic properties. Nevertheless, the therapeutic use of these compounds is rather restricted due to their inadequate solubility, instability in the gastrointestinal tract, low absorption, and other related factors. Currently, the development of nanoscale systems is a notable approach to enhancing the delivery of phytochemicals. This study aims to investigate the advancements in drug delivery techniques using nanoparticles, with a particular focus on enhancing the effectiveness of herbal remedies in the treatment of diabetes. This study aims to enrich our understanding of nanotechnology's potential in enlightening drug delivery systems by employing database repositories like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Based on their categorization and structure, nano-systems are classified into liposomes, nanostructured lipid carriers, phytosomes, niosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, self-nano emulsifying drug delivery systems, and inorganic nano-carriers. This study intricately describes the formulation process, selection criteria, and mechanism of herb-loaded nanoparticles using an example of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of antidiabetic herbal drugs. Researchers have proven that nanoformulations of herb-loaded antidiabetic drugs improve compliance and therapeutic efficacy by resolving pharmacokinetic and biopharmaceutical issues. We could expect the creation of nanoformulations to be a viable method for optimizing the therapeutic effectiveness of plant-produced antidiabetic compounds.

Background: Paraquat (PQ) is a common herbicide, and its mortality results from injury to several organs, including the kidneys. Nanocurcumin and curcumin have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities, but their involvement in PQ-induced kidney damage is unclear. Therefore, the goal of our study was to compare nanocurcumin and curcumin in male rats whose kidneys were damaged by PQ.

Method: 42 eight-week male albino Wistar rats were put into six groups at random as control, control + curcumin, control + nanocurcumin, PQ, PQ + curcumin, PQ + nanocurcumin for 7 days. The kidney tissues and serum were collected at the end of this period. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipid peroxidation (LPO), total thiol Molecule (TTM), urea, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were assessed. The histopathological evaluation of kidney damage was performed at the end of our study. Moreover, the gene expression was assessed by biochemical and Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis.

Result: Curcumin and nanocurcumin administration alleviated PQ-induced renal injury, as evidenced by reduced serum creatinine and BUN levels. The levels of antioxidant markers, like TAC and TTM, increased and decreased the levels of oxidative stress indexes like LPO. Furthermore, our result shows up-regulating the expression of nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2), NAD (P) H: quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and down-regulating the expression of Kelchlike ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap-1) in renal tissue.

Conclusion: Niosomal curcumin was more advantageous than ordinary curcumin in lowering oxidative stress and renal tissue damage induced by paraquat intoxication.

The development of targeted cancer therapies has become crucial in addressing the limitations of conventional chemotherapy, particularly its lack of specificity and severe side effects. Polymeric nanocarriers have emerged as a transformative solution, providing enhanced drug solubility, selective targeting, and controlled release of therapeutics. This review discusses recent advances in polymeric nanocarriers, emphasizing their capacity to incorporate multiple drugs and optimize delivery through both active and passive targeting strategies, and especially the transition to targeted cancer therapy through the various applied methods in the field. Mechanisms such as the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect for passive targeting, and the use of ligands, peptides, and proteins for active targeting, are explored in depth. Furthermore, the potential of these nanocarriers to improve therapeutic outcomes through targeting specific cellular and subcellular sites, including the nucleus, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum, is examined. These innovations pave the way for the development of safer and more effective cancer treatments with the potential to enhance clinical outcomes.

Background: Lung fibrosis, characterized by the thickening and scarring of lung tissue, is a serious condition often triggered by environmental toxins like Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Diosgenin, a natural steroidal sapogenin found in plants such as fenugreek and wild yam, has shown potential to protect against lung damage due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, its clinical application is limited by poor solubility and bioavailability.

Objective: The current investigation aims at developing diosgenin-loaded silver nanoparticles (DioAgNPs) to enhance their delivery and efficacy. This study investigates the preparation, characterization, and protective effects of Dio-AgNPs against B[a]P-induced lung fibrosis in mice.

Methods: Acute toxicity studies in mice were conducted to determine the lethal dose (LD50) of DioAgNPs. Sub-lethal doses (1/50 and 1/20 LD50) were selected for subsequent experiments. Mice were exposed to B[a]P to induce lung fibrosis. Dio-AgNPs were administered to assess their protective effects. Biochemical assays measured levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), and matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP12). Additionally, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels were evaluated. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to analyze the expression levels of lung signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), transforming growth factor- β1(TGF-β1), and Sirtuin 1 genes. Insilico molecular docking studies were performed to evaluate the binding affinity of diosgenin with SIRT1, STAT3, and TGF-β1 proteins, with binding energies (ΔG) calculated to predict interaction strength.

Results: The synthesized Dio-AgNPs exhibited a mean diameter of 51.60±1.54 nm, a zeta potential of -19.5 mV, and encapsulation efficiency of 84.98%, confirming their stability through spectral analysis. In B[a]P-exposed mice, there was a significant elevation in TC, TG, MDA, NF-κB, IL-6, MMP2, and MMP12 levels, alongside a reduction in HDL-C, GSH, CAT, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels. Additionally, lung STAT3 and TGF-β1 gene expression was upregulated, while SIRT1 gene expression was downregulated. Administration of Dio-AgNPs to B[a]P-treated mice resulted in a significant reduction in TC, TG, and HDL-C levels, improvement in lung MDA, NF-κB, IL-6, MMP2, and MMP12 levels, downregulation of lung STAT3 and TGF-β1, and upregulation of SIRT1 gene expression. In-silico molecular docking studies demonstrated strong binding affinities of diosgenin with SIRT1, STAT3, and TGF-β1 proteins, with binding energies (ΔG) of -9.7, -9.6, - 10.1, and -9.7 kcal/mol, respectively.

Conclusion: This study innovatively enhances the delivery and efficac