New Strategies for the Delivery of Some Natural Anti-oxidants with Therapeutic Properties

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (13) ◽  
pp. 1030-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Esposito ◽  
Markus Drechsler ◽  
Carmelo Puglia ◽  
Rita Cortesi

Nature offers tremendous potential in the medicine field. Natural antioxidant molecules inhibit or quench free radical reactions and delay or inhibit cellular damage. In the last few years, researchers have been focusing on the health benefits of natural products. Particularly some dietary nutrients, such as curcumin, crocin, resveratrol, quercetin, coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, as well as some polysaccharides have been evaluated for their numerous and unique therapeutic properties. This review focuses on examples of pharmaceutical applications of natural anti-oxidants, with special regards to their encapsulation in micro- and nano- delivery systems. In vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted to investigate the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of different delivery systems containing antioxidant molecules. For instance, ethosomes, organogels, monoolein aqueous dispersions and solid lipid nanoparticle have been considered. It was found that micro and nanoencapsulation strategy can improve the solubility of lipophilic molecules and the chemical stability of labile antioxidants, thus prolonging their efficacy. In vitro and in vivo studies have highlighted that antioxidant encapsulation prolongs release kinetics, bioavailability and antioxidant effects. Noticeably, some encapsulated antioxidants effectively inhibit cancer cell proliferation, cell migration and colony formation, thus suppressing cancer progression.

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
An-Jen Chiang ◽  
Chia-Jung Li ◽  
Kuan-Hao Tsui ◽  
Chung Chang ◽  
Yuan-chin Ivan Chang ◽  
...  

Cervical cancer is a common gynecological malignancy, accounting for 10% of all gynecological cancers. Recently, targeted therapy for cervical cancer has shown unprecedented advantages. Several studies have shown that ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2 (UBE2C) is highly expressed in a series of tumors, and participates in the progression of these tumors. However, the possible impact of UBE2C on the progression of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) remains unclear. Here, we carried out tissue microarray analysis of paraffin-embedded tissues from 294 cervical cancer patients with FIGO/TNM cancer staging records. The results indicated that UBE2C was highly expressed in human CESC tissues and its expression was related to the clinical characteristics of CESC patients. Overexpression and knockdown of UBE2C enhanced and reduced cervical cancer cell proliferation, respectively, in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo experiments showed that UBE2C regulated the expression and activity of the mTOR/PI3K/AKT pathway. In summary, we confirmed that UBE2C is involved in the process of CESC and that UBE2C may represent a molecular target for CESC treatment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 430 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 276-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiguang Jin ◽  
Yanju Lian ◽  
Lina Du ◽  
Shuangmiao Wang ◽  
Chang Su ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 612-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaodong Zhang ◽  
Guwei Ji ◽  
Sheng Han ◽  
Zicheng Shao ◽  
Zefa Lu ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Aberrant expression of Tip60 is associated with progression in many cancers. However, the role of Tip60 in cancer progression remains contradictory. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance, biological functions and underlying mechanisms of Tip60 deregulation in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) for the first time. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) were carried out to measure Tip60 expression in CCA tissues and cell lines. Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log-rank test were used for survival analysis. In vitro, cell proliferation was evaluated by flow cytometry and CCK-8, colony formation, and EDU assays. Migration/ invasion was evaluated by trans-well assays. Phosphokinase array was used to confirm the dominant signal regulated by Tip60. Tumor growth and metastasis were demonstrated in vivo using a mouse model. Results: Tip60 was notably downregulated in CCA tissues, which was associated with greater tumor size, venous invasion, and TNM stage. Down-regulation of Tip60 was associated with tumor progression and poorer survival in CCA patients. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that Tip60 suppressed growth and metastasis throughout the progression of CCA. We further identified the PI3K/AKT pathway as a dominant signal of Tip60 and suggested that Tip60 regulated CCA cell proliferation and metastasis via PT3K-AKT pathway. Pearson analysis revealed that PTEN was positively correlated with the Tip60 level in CCA tissues. Conclusion: Tip60, as a tumor suppressor in CCA via the PI3K/AKT pathway, might be a promising therapeutic target or prognostic marker for CCA.


Author(s):  
Mohini Sihare ◽  
Rajendra Chouksey

Aim: Nateglinide is a quick acting anti-diabetic medication whose potent activity lasts for a short duration. One of the dangerous side effects of nateglinide administration is rapid hypoglycemia, a condition that needs to be monitored carefully to prevent unnecessary fatalities. The aim of the study was to develop a longer lasting and slower releasing formulation of nateglinide that could be administered just once daily. Methods: Matrix tablets of nateglinide were prepared in combination with the polymers hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), eudragits, ethyl cellulose and polyethylene oxide and the formulated drug release patterns were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo studies. Conclusion: Of the seventeen formulated matrix tablets tested, only one formulation labelled HA-2 that contained 15% HPMC K4M demonstrated release profile we had aimed for. Further, swelling studies and scanning electron microscopic analysis confirmed the drug release mechanism of HA-2. The optimized formulation HA-2 was found to be stable at accelerated storage conditions for 3 months with respect to drug content and physical appearance. Mathematical analysis of the release kinetics of HA-2 indicated a coupling of diffusion and erosion mechanisms. In-vitro release studies and pharmacokinetic in vivo studies of HA-2 in rabbits confirmed the sustained drug release profile we had aimed for. Keywords: Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, Matrix tablets, Nateglinide, Sustained release


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Jun Wang ◽  
Zhigang He ◽  
Bo Sun ◽  
Wenhai Huang ◽  
Jianbin Xiang ◽  
...  

Pleckstrin-2 (PLEK2) is a crucial mediator of cytoskeletal reorganization. However, the potential roles of PLEK2 in gastric cancer are still unknown. PLEK2 expression in gastric cancer was examined by western blotting and real-time PCR. Survival analysis was utilized to test the clinical impacts of the levels of PLEK2 in gastric cancer patients. In vitro and in vivo studies were used to estimate the potential roles played by PLEK2 in modulating gastric cancer proliferation, self-renewal, and tumourigenicity. Bioinformatics approaches were used to monitor the effect of PLEK2 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signalling pathways. PLEK2 expression was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer as compared with nontumour samples. Kaplan-Meier plotter analysis revealed that gastric cancer patients with higher PLEK2 levels had substantially poorer overall survival compared with gastric cancer patients with lower PLEK2 levels. The upregulation or downregulation of PLEK2 in gastric cancer cell lines effectively enhanced or inhibited cell proliferation and proinvasive behaviour, respectively. Additionally, we also found that PLEK2 enhanced EMT through downregulating E-cadherin expression and upregulating Vimentin expression. Our findings demonstrated that PLEK2 plays a potential role in gastric cancer and may be a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-162
Author(s):  
Mounika Chidurala ◽  
Raveendra Reddy J

Introduction: The drawbacks assosiated with oral administration of drugscan be controlled or minimized by gastro retentive formulations that remain buoyant within the stomach for an extended time by providing prolonged gastric retention and releasethe drug in an exceedingly extended manner thereby improving bioavailability. The current research was to develop and optimize Domperidone and Famotidine floating tablets with extended release by Quality by Design approach. Method: Based on QTPP (Quality Target Product Profile), CQAs (Critical Quality Attributes)wereidentified. Risk analysis by the evaluation of formulation and process parameters showed that optimizing the levels of polymers could reduce high risk to achieve the target profile. A 23factor experimental design with midpoints was selected for statistical analysis and optimization. Results: HPMC K100 and Carbopol 934P had a positive effect while ethyl cellulose demonstrated a negative effect on the selected responses. Drug release kinetics followed the first-order release with Higuchi diffusion and Fickian diffusion. Optimized formula satisfying all the required parameters was selected and evaluated. The predicted response values were in close agreement with experimental response values. Abdominal X-ray imaging after oral administration of the tablets on a healthy rabbit’s stomach confirmed the extended floating behavior with shorter lag time. In vivo, pharmacokinetic studies in rabbits revealed that the optimized formulation exhibited prolonged drug release with enhanced Cmax, tmax, AUCo-t, and t1/2 of an optimized product when compared to the marketed product. Conclusions: It has been concluded that the application of Quality by Design in the formulation and optimization reduced the number of trials to produce a cost-effective formula.


2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 296-307
Author(s):  
Jelle Reinen ◽  
Pieter van Sas ◽  
Ton van Huygevoort ◽  
Leticia Rubio ◽  
Kevin Scase ◽  
...  

Drug-induced phototoxicity occurs when drugs absorb natural sunlight, leading to chemical reactions causing cellular damage. Distribution to light-exposed tissues is critical and is enhanced by binding to melanin. The International Council on Harmonization S10 guidance document on photosafety evaluation of pharmaceuticals states that although nonpigmented skin tends to be more sensitive than pigmented skin, pigmented skin models should be considered for drugs that bind significantly to melanin. In this study, an in vitro melanin-binding assay was evaluated as prescreening tool for animal model selection. Binding of various structurally diverse phototoxic drugs to synthetic melanin was investigated in vitro and the high-affinity binder sparfloxacin (SPX), moderate-affinity binder 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), and low-affinity binder pirfenidone (PIF) were selected for in vivo studies. Pigmented Brown Norway (BN) rats were compared with nonpigmented Wistar Albino rats to evaluate their sensitivity for the assessment of phototoxicity and skin concentrations of the drugs were measured. For SPX, the onset of phototoxic symptoms was faster for BN rats and drug concentrations were significantly higher in skin of BN rats. For 8-MOP, both models showed comparable sensitivity and skin concentrations did not differ. For the low-affinity binder PIF, no phototoxic effects were observed and skin concentrations in both models were similar. A combined in vitro/in vivo approach was developed that can be applied for accurate photosafety evaluation of pharmaceuticals based on the assessment of possible melanin-binding effects. In view of the presented data, the pigmented model could be considered for compounds showing a high-affinity binding capacity in vitro.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mounika Chidurala ◽  
Raveendra Reddy J

Background: The present research aimed to develop and optimize extended-release floating tablets of Sacubitril and Valsartan through Quality by Design (QbD) approach. Risk analysis by formulation assessment and process parameters showed that optimizing the levels of the polymer will minimize high risk to meet the target profile. A two (2) level three (3) full factorial experimental design along with midpoints was carefully chosen for optimization and statistical analysis. Based on the literature, the independent and dependent variables were selected. Results: HPMC K100, Carbopol 934P had a positive effect, whereas Ethylcellulose had a negative effect on Floating time, drug release at 2 h, drug release at 12 h and, 50% responses. Drug release kinetics followed the first-order release with Higuchi and Fickian diffusion. Contour and overlay plots were utilized for an assortment of design space and optimized formula. ANOVA results of all the factors exhibited significance at p<0.05. Abdominal X-ray imaging of the optimized tablets on healthy rabbit’s stomach confirmed the floating behavior for more than 12 h. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rabbits showed that the optimized formulation exhibited prolonged and extended drug release with improved Cmax, tmax, AUCo-t, and t1/2 of test product when compared to marketed product. IVIVC model was developed by using dissolution data of in vitro and pharmacokinetics data of in-vivo by de-convolution method (Wagner-Nelson method). Conclusion: The Quality by Design implementation in the formulation and optimization abridged the number of trials to produce a cost-effective formula. In vivo studies confirmed that the formula was successfully developed with extended floating time (12 h) and drug release by risk analysis and experimental designs. Level A correlation was observed which confirmed a good correlation between in vitro and in vivo data.


Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Ul Islam ◽  
Muhammad Bilal Ahmed ◽  
Haseeb Ahsan ◽  
Mazharul Islam ◽  
Adeeb Shehzad ◽  
...  

Human skin is continuously subjected to environmental stresses, as well as extrinsic and intrinsic noxious agents. Although skin adopts various molecular mechanisms to maintain homeostasis, excessive and repeated stresses can overwhelm these systems, leading to serious cutaneous damage, including both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Phytochemicals present in the diet possess the desirable effects of protecting the skin from damaging free radicals as well as other benefits. Dietary phytochemicals appear to be effective in preventing skin cancer and are inexpensive, widely available, and well tolerated. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-angiogenic characteristics of dietary phytochemicals against skin malignancy. Moreover, dietary phytochemicals affect multiple important cellular processes including cell cycle, angiogenesis, and metastasis to control skin cancer progression. Herein, we discuss the advantages of key dietary phytochemicals in whole fruits and vegetables, their bioavailability, and underlying molecular mechanisms for preventing skin cancer. Current challenges and future prospects for research are also reviewed. To date, most of the chemoprevention investigations have been conducted preclinically, and additional clinical trials are required to conform and validate the preclinical results in humans.


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