Silk fibroin (SF), an organic material obtained from the cocoons of a silkworm
, is used in several applications and has a proven track record in biomedicine owing to its superior compatibility with ...the human body, superb mechanical characteristics, and its controllable propensity to decay. Due to its robust biocompatibility, less immunogenic, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and biodegradable properties, it has been widely used in biological and biomedical fields, including wound healing. The key strategies for building diverse SF-based drug delivery systems are discussed in this review, as well as the most recent ways for developing functionalized SF for controlled or redirected medicines, gene therapy, and wound healing. Understanding the features of SF and the various ways to manipulate its physicochemical and mechanical properties enables the development of more effective drug delivery devices. Drugs are encapsulated in SF-based drug delivery systems to extend their shelf life and control their release, allowing them to travel further across the bloodstream and thus extend their range of operation. Furthermore, due to their tunable properties, SF-based drug delivery systems open up new possibilities for drug delivery, gene therapy, and wound healing.
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•Calcium Cholate, a bile-salt based LMWG hydrogel as cost-effective and biocompatible drug delivery platform.•Diosgenin, Quercetin, Rutin and Amygdalin employed as model drugs to ...analyze their release , swelling and other mechanical properties.•Correlating the enhanced mechanical strength of cholate gels with increasing hydrophobicity of drugs.•Exploring the thixotropic behavior and various other rheological properties of the hydrogels.•Synergistic enhancement in both antioxidant and antibacterial properties of cholate gels upon drug loading.
Bile salt based low-molecular-weight supramolecular hydrogels (LMWSH) serve as an appealing framework for drug delivery applications, owing to their natural origin, biocompatibility, and the peculiar distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains. In this work, LMWSH based on an ionotropic gel of sodium cholate assisted by Ca2+ ions (CaC) was developed as a drug delivery system for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. Diosgenin, Quercetin, Rutin, and Amygdalin were chosen as model drugs, having varying hydrophobicity. The mechanical strength of the CaC hydrogel is enhanced by increasing the hydrophobicity of the loaded drug. The close-knit mesh design of CaC hydrogels loaded with hydrophobic drugs resulted in controlled drug release compared to the hydrophilic drugs. Drug-loaded CaC hydrogels exhibited good swelling and thixotropy, making them suitable for injectable formulations. In kinetic drug release, both relaxation and diffusion mechanisms play a pivotal role. The antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the loaded drugs increased synergistically in the hydrogels. Thus, due to these properties, the hydrogels can be safely used as topical gels against wound healing. This study shows that bile salts exhibit potential to enhance the delivery of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, making them promising candidates for biomedical applications.
Bioactive compounds are crucial for an extensive range of therapeutic uses, and some exhibit anticancer activity. Scientists advocate that phytochemicals modulate autophagy and apoptosis, involved in ...the underlying pathobiology of cancer development and regulation. The pharmacological aiming of the autophagy-apoptosis signaling pathway using phytocompounds hence offers an auspicious method that is complementary to conventional cancer chemotherapy. The current review aims to explore the molecular level of the autophagic-apoptotic pathway to know its implication in the pathobiology of cancer and explore the essential cellular process as a druggable anticancer target and therapeutic emergence of naturally derived phytocompound-based anticancer agents. The data in the review were collected from scientific databases such as Google search, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Clinical Trials. With a broad outlook, we investigated their cutting-edge scientifically revealed and/or searched pharmacologic effects, a novel mechanism of action, and molecular signaling pathway of phytochemicals in cancer therapy. In this review, the evidence is focused on molecular pharmacology, specifically caspase, Nrf2, NF-kB, autophagic-apoptotic pathway, and several mechanisms to understand their role in cancer biology.
Skimmia anquetilia is a plant species native to the Western Himalaya region that has tremendous potential for phytochemical activities. This study aimed to identify bioactive compounds and assess the ...antibacterial activity of S. anquetilia. To determine the major bioactive chemicals in the methanol leaf extract of S. anquetilia, we used a gas chromatography–mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The presence of 35 distinct phytoconstituents was discovered using GC-MS, which could contribute to the therapeutic capabilities of this plant species. The most predominant compound was 2R-acetoxymethyl-1,3,3-trimethyl-4t-(3-methyl-2-buten-1-yl)-1t-cyclohexanol (23.9%). Further, the leaf extract was evaluated for antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, and Staphylococcus aureus. The extract showed the highest zone of inhibition against E. coli (19 mm) followed by P. aeruginosa (18 mm) and K. Pneumoniae (17 mm) at 160 mg mL−1. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of methanol extract against the strain of P. aeruginosa (2 mg mL−1) demonstrated significant antibacterial activity. The findings of the present study highlight the potential of S. anquetilia for the development of herbal medicines for the treatment of various pathogenic infections.
Bergenin pentacetate (2), a peracetate derivative of biologically active lead compound Bergenin (1) isolated from Bergenia stracheyi was subjected to lipase catalyzed regioselective alcoholysis to ...obtain 3,4,10,11-tetracetate of Bergenin (3). The free hydroxyl group of 3 was derivatised using higher carboxylic acids to obtain acyl derivatives (4–7). These compounds synthesized via chemoenzymatic route were characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectral data and evaluated for DPPH radical scavenging, antimicrobial and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. The studies revealed that biological activity of Bergenin can be optimized by selective modification of its structure.
Regioselective deacylation of Bergenin pentaacetate into bergenin-3,4,10,11-tetraacetate using some commercially available lipases under dry alcoholytic conditions followed by chemosynthetic acylation of the biotransformed product is presented. Results show achievement of optimization of some biological activities of Bergenin through its selective modification. Display omitted
► We report regioselective deacylation of bergenin pentaacetate using chemoenzymatic synthesis. ► All the derivatives produced by the present scheme are new to literature. ► Most of these derivatives have pronounced DPPH radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities. ► The derivatives promoted xanthine oxidase catalyzing ability against xanthine to form uric acid.
Multidrug-resistant bacterial strains cause several serious infections that can be fatal, such as Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Acinetobacter baumannii, ...Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae (often referred to as ESKAPE pathogens). Since ancient times, several indigenous medical systems in India have utilized diverse medicinal plants (approximately 80,000 species) as conventional treatments for a variety of illnesses. A member of the Fabaceae family, also referred to as "Himalayan indigo," Indigofera heterantha Wall, is well known for its therapeutic properties.
The present study investigated the antibacterial, antifungal and antihelmintic properties of the roots, bark, leaves, and flowers of I. heterantha from the Kashmir Himalayas. The effectiveness of the extracts against bacteria, fungi, and earthworms. Three of the tested organisms for bacteria were ESKAPE pathogens, as they are responsible for creating fatal bacterial infections. The antifungal potency of I. heterantha aqueous and methanolic extracts was evaluated using the Agar Well Diffusion Assay. The antihelmintic activity was carried out on an adult Pheretima posthuma Indian earth worm, which shares physiological and anatomical similarities with human intestinal roundworm parasites.
The methanolic extracts of root and bark have shown prominent activity against all bacterial strains, whereas aqueous extracts of flower, root, and leaves have shown promising activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The aqueous extract demonstrated good activity against S. cerevisiae at a concentration of 200 mg/ml with a zone of inhibition of 16 mm, while the methanolic extract displayed comparable activity against the fungal strains. The remaining two strains, P. crysogenum and A. fumigatus, were only moderately active in response to the extracts. All the extracts have shown anthelmintic activity except aqueous flower.
These results will pave the way for the bioassay-guided isolation of bioactive constituents that may act as hits for further development as potential antibacterial agents against drug-resistant microbial and helminthic infections.
Propolis is a resinous compound produced by honey bees. It contains bioactive molecules that possess a wide range of biological functions. The chemical composition of propolis is affected by various ...variables, including the vegetation, the season, and the area from which the sample was collected. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition and assess Cerana indica propoli’s antibacterial efficacy from the Kashmir region. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used to determine the chemical composition of Kashmiri propolis. A range of bacterial strains was tested for antimicrobial activity using different extracts of propolis by agar well diffusion technique. Propolis was found to be rich in alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and resins. The chemical characterization revealed the presence of 68 distinct phytocompounds using GC-MS, and the most predominant compounds were alpha-D-mannopyranoside, methyl, cyclic 2,3:4,6-bis-ethyl boronate (21.17%), followed by hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (9.91%), and bacteriochlorophyll-c-stearyl (4.41%). The different extracts of propolis showed specific antibacterial efficacy against multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC1688), Escherichiacoli (MTCC443), Klebsiella pneumonia (MTCC19), Cutibacterium acnes (MTCC843), and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC96). The EEKP showed the highest zone of inhibition against S. aureus (17.33) at 400 µg mL−1. According to the findings of this study, bee propolis contains a variety of secondary metabolites with various pharmacological activities. Furthermore, because of its broad spectrum of positive pharmacological actions and the fact that it is a promising antibacterial agent, more research on propolis is warranted.
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•Curcumin-loaded nanoemulsion encapsulated in hybrid hydrogels were fabricated.•Release of curcumin is faster in SGF than in SIF at 37 °C temperature.•Complexation of curcumin with ...Ca2+ ions in hydrogel network plays important role in release.•Fickian diffusion is predominant mechanism for release from hybrid hydrogel beads.•RSA and antibacterial activity of released curcumin depend on medium and strain.
Nanoemulsion encapsulated in the hydrogel beads are important entrants for loading hydrophobic active ingredients for enhancing their bioavailability and biological activities relevant in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. Herein, we report the formulation of curcumin-loaded nanoemulsion encapsulated in ionotropic hybrid hydrogel beads of alginate, chitosan, gelatin and polyethylene oxide for effective delivery of curcumin. The release behaviour in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids (SGF and SIF) at 37 °C showed faster release in SGF which could be explained on the basis of mesh size, the extent of hydration and the complexation of the curcumin with the Ca2+ ions present within the hydrogel network. The free radical scavenging and antibacterial activities of the released curcumin in SGF were significantly greater than in SIF. This study shows promises of such hybrid systems, ignored so far, for proper encapsulation, protection and delivery of curcumin for the development of functional foods and pharmaceutics. The high structural stability of these nanoemulsion carriers and their effective delivery of curcumin provide a novel and tailored formulation out of existing polymers with plethora of advantages for oral drug delivery. Moreover, this study opens new door for different possibilities to improve the physicochemical characteristics and delivery of bioactive molecules like curcumin.
Natural polymers, like chitosan and alginate have potential of appearance, as well as the changes and handling necessary to make it acceptable vehicle for the controlled release of medicines and ...biomolecules. Microcapsules are characterized as micrometer-sized particulate that can be employed to store chemicals within them. In the present review, we have discussed various advantages, components of microcapsules, release mechanisms, preparation methods, and their applications in drug delivery systems. The preparation methods exhibited strong encapsulation effectiveness and may be used in a wide range of pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. The major advantages of using the microencapsulation technique are, sustained and controlled delivery of drugs, drug targeting, improvement of shelf life, stabilization, immobilization of enzymes and microorganisms. As new biomaterials are developed for the body, they are better suited to the development of pharmaceutical systems than traditional pharmaceuticals because they are more reliable, biocompatible, biodegradable, and nontoxic. Furthermore, the designed microcapsules had been capable of shielding the essential components from hostile environments. More advanced techniques could be developed in the future to facilitate the formulation and applications of microcapsules and working with the pharmaceutical and medical industries.
•Microencapsulation has become one of the most widely investigated fields in the pharmaceutical area.•Current review provides the various components of microcapsules, preparation methods, release mechanisms, and their applications.•Crosslinked chitosan serves as the pH-responsive capsule membrane in the suggested microcapsules.•Alginate microcapsules (AMC) are the most extensively researched alginate formulation.•AMC has ability to encapsulate both tiny and big molecules with a variety of chemical characteristics.
An ultra-stretchable, quickly self-healable, adhesive hydrogel with efficient anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial activities makes it potential wound dressing material, particularly in healing skin ...wounds. However, it is highly challenging to prepare such hydrogels with a facile and efficient material design. Given this, we opine the synthesis of medicinal plant Bergenia stracheyi extract-loaded hybrid hydrogels of biocompatible and biodegradable polymers like Gelatin, Hydroxypropyl cellulose, and Polyethylene glycol with acrylic acid via in situ free radical polymerization reaction. The selected plant extract is rich in phenols, flavonoids, and tannins and found to have important therapeutic benefits such as anti-ulcer, anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus, anti-inflammatory, and burn wound healing effects. The polyphenolic compounds in the plant extract interacted strongly via hydrogen bonding with –OH, -NH2, -COOH, and C-O-C groups of the macromolecules. The synthesized hydrogels were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and rheology. The as-prepared hydrogels demonstrate ideal tissue adhesion, excellent stretchability, good mechanical strength, broad-band anti-bacterial capability, and efficient anti-oxidant properties, in addition to quick self-healing and moderate swelling properties. Thus, the aforementioned properties attract the potential use of these materials in the biomedical field.
