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Fisetin (FS) is a bioactive flavonoid obtained mostly from apple and strawberry and classified under the category of food supplements due to numerous pharmacological effects against various diseases through multiple mechanistic pathways. It acts as excellent neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anti-invasive, anti-tumorigenic, anti-angiogenic, anticancer, antidiabetics, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent. Despite having excellent safety and efficacy profile, FS is very less explored to clinical research either as food supplement or, as therapeutic agent due to its poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability and reduced blood brain barrier permeability. Multiple mechanistic pathways through which FS elicits its pharmacological actions and the challenges associated with FS that compromises therapeutic efficacy are described in this article. The nanoformulations developed to enhance the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of FS are also covered with detailed description of research works carried by various researchers. These include nanoemulsions, liposomes, ethosomes, glycerosomes, polymeric micelles, self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system and polymeric nanoparticles. Various patents pertaining to extraction/isolation, formula composition and therapeutic uses of FS as well as some clinical studies conducted using FS as active moiety are also enlisted., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Viral respiratory tract infections have significantly impacted global health as well as socio-economic growth. Respiratory viruses such as the influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the recent SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) typically infect the upper respiratory tract by entry through the respiratory mucosa before reaching the lower respiratory tract, resulting in respiratory disease. Generally, vaccination is the primary method in preventing virus pathogenicity and it has been shown to remarkably reduce the burden of various infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the efficacy of conventional vaccines may be hindered by certain limitations, prompting the need to develop novel vaccine delivery vehicles to immunize against various strains of respiratory viruses and to mitigate the risk of a pandemic. In this review, we provide an insight into how polymer-based nanoparticles can be integrated with the development of vaccines to effectively enhance immune responses for combating viral respiratory tract infections., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a nasal spray containing a polyphenol-rich standardized extract of cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) (IND02) for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR)., Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in otherwise healthy men and women, aged between 18 and 75 years old, who were experiencing acute SAR symptoms. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a nasal spray containing either IND02 (100 μg/100 μL) or matching placebo in each nostril, twice a day, for seven days., Results: The outcome measures were the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ), the total daily symptom score comprising of day-time nasal, day-time eye, and night-time nasal symptom scores, the Work Productivity and Activities Impairment (WPAI:SHP), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and laboratory clinical parameters., Results: The IND02 group showed a statistically and clinically significant reduction in total RQLQ and the sub-domains; activity limitation, sleep problems, nose symptoms, eye symptoms, non-nose/eye symptoms, practical problems and emotional function. There was a significant reduction in the total daily symptom score and sub-domains of total day-time nasal, total day-time eye and total night-time nasal symptoms scores, and total work impairment and regular activity impairment in the IND02 group compared with the placebo group after treatment. The laboratory clinical parameters remained within healthy normal reference range., Conclusion: The use of a nasal spray of a standardized extract of cinnamon bark (IND02) over seven days reduced symptom severity and improved quality of life, work productivity and regular daily activities in participants experiencing SAR., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The human body is a home to thousands of microbiotas. It is defined as a community of symbiotic, commensal and pathogenic microorganisms that have existed in all exposed sites of the body, which have co-evolved with diet, lifestyle, genetic factors and immune factors. Human microbiotas have been studied for years on their effects with relation to health and diseases., Methods: Relevant published studies, literature and reports were searched from accessible electronic databases and related institutional databases. We used keywords, viz; microbiome, microbiota, microbiome drug delivery and respiratory disease. Selected articles were carefully read through, clustered, segregated into subtopics and reviewed., Findings: The traditional belief of sterile lungs was challenged by the emergence of culture-independent molecular techniques and the recently introduced invasive broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) sampling method. The constitution of a lung microbiome mainly depends on three main ecological factors, which include; firstly, the immigration of microbes into airways, secondly, the removal of microbes from airways and lastly, the regional growth conditions. In healthy conditions, the microbial communities that co-exist in our lungs can build significant pulmonary immunity and could act as a barrier against diseases, whereas, in an adverse way, microbiomes may interact with other pathogenic bacteriomes and viromes, acting as a cofactor in inflammation and host immune responses, which may lead to the progression of a disease. Thus, the use of microbiota as a target, and as a drug delivery system in the possible modification of a disease state, has started to gain massive attention in recent years. Microbiota, owing to its unique characteristics, could serve as a potential drug delivery system, that could be bioengineered to suit the interest. The engineered microbiome-derived therapeutics can be delivered through BC, bacteriophage, bacteria-derived lipid vesicles and microbe-derived extracellular vesicles. This review highlights the relationships between microbiota and different types of respiratory diseases, the importance of microbiota towards human health and diseases, including the role of novel microbiome drug delivery systems in targeting various respiratory diseases., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Oligonucleotide-based therapies are advanced novel interventions used in the management of various respiratory diseases such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). These agents primarily act by gene silencing or RNA interference. Better methodologies and techniques are the need of the hour that can deliver these agents to tissues and cells in a target specific manner by which their maximum potential can be reached in the management of chronic inflammatory diseases. Nanoparticles play an important role in the target-specific delivery of drugs. In addition, oligonucleotides also are extensively used for gene transfer in the form of polymeric, liposomal and inorganic carrier materials. Therefore, the current review focuses on various novel dosage forms like nanoparticles, liposomes that can be used efficiently for the delivery of various oligonucleotides such as siRNA and miRNA. We also discuss the future perspectives and targets for oligonucleotides in the management of respiratory diseases., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Macrophages are considered as the most flexible cells of the hematopoietic system that are distributed in the tissues to act against pathogens and foreign particles. Macrophages are essential in maintaining homeostatic tissue processes, repair and immunity. Also, play important role in cytokine secretion and signal transduction of the infection so as to develop acquired immunity. Accounting to their involvement in pathogenesis, macrophages present a therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory respiratory diseases. This review focuses on novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) including nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers, microspheres etc that can target alveolar macrophage associated with inflammation, intracellular infection and lung cancer. The physiochemical properties and functional moieties of the NDDS attributes to enhanced macrophage targeting and uptake. The NDDS are promising for sustained drug delivery, reduced therapeutic dose, improved patient compliance and reduce drug toxicity. Further, the review also discuss about modified NDDS for specificity to the target and molecular targeting via anti-microbial peptides, kinases, NRF-2 and phosphodiesterase., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Oxidative stress is intensely involved in enhancing the severity of various chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), infections and lung cancer. Even though there are various existing anti-inflammatory therapies, which are not enough to control the inflammation caused due to various contributing factors such as anti-inflammatory genes and antioxidant enzymes. This leads to an urgent need of novel drug delivery systems to combat the oxidative stress. This review gives a brief insight into the biological factors involved in causing oxidative stress, one of the emerging hallmark feature in CRDs and particularly, highlighting recent trends in various novel drug delivery carriers including microparticles, microemulsions, microspheres, nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers, solid lipid nanocarriers etc which can help in combating the oxidative stress in CRDs and ultimately reducing the disease burden and improving the quality of life with CRDs patients. These carriers improve the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability to the target site. However, there is an urgent need for translational studies to validate the drug delivery carriers for clinical administration in the pulmonary clinic., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Untreated Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women can result in disease sequelae such as salpingitis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ultimately culminating in tubal occlusion and infertility. Whilst nucleic acid amplification tests can effectively diagnose uncomplicated lower genital tract (LGT) infections, they are not suitable for diagnosing upper genital tract (UGT) pathological sequelae. As a consequence, this study aimed to identify serological markers that can, with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, discriminate between LGT infections and UGT pathology., Methods: Plasma was collected from 73 women with a history of LGT infection, UGT pathology due to C. trachomatis, or no serological evidence of C. trachomatis infection. Western blotting was used to analyze antibody reactivity against extracted chlamydial proteins. Sensitivity and specificity of differential markers were also calculated., Results: Four antigens (CT157, CT423, CT727 and CT396) were identified and found to be capable of discriminating between the infection and disease sequelae state. Sensitivity and specificity calculations showed that our assay for diagnosing LGT infection had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 76%, whilst the assay for identifying UGT pathology demonstrated 80% sensitivity and 86% specificity., Conclusions: The use of these assays could potentially facilitate earlier diagnoses in women suffering UGT pathology due to C. trachomatis., (Copyright © 2011 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)