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Background: The pathogenesis of hepatic diseases involves several cells, which complicates the delivery of pharmaceutical agents. Many severe liver diseases affecting the worldwide population cannot be effectively treated. Major hindrances or challenges are natural physiological barriers and non-specific targeting of drugs administered, leading to inefficient treatment. Hence, there is an earnest need to look for novel therapeutic strategies to overcome these hindrances. A kind of literature has reported that drug safety and efficacy are incredibly raised when a drug is incorporated inside or attached to a polymeric material of either hydrophilic or lipophilic nature. This has driven the dynamic investigation for developing novel biodegradable materials, drug delivery carriers, target-specific drug delivery systems, and many other novel approaches., Objective: Present review is devoted to summarizing receptor-based liver cell targeting using different modified novel synthetic drug delivery carriers. It also highlights recent progress in drug targeting to diseased liver mediated by various receptors, including asialoglycoprotein, mannose and galactose receptor, Fc receptor, low-density lipoprotein, glycyrrhetinic, and bile acid receptor. The essential consideration is given to treating liver cancer targeting using nanoparticulate systems, proteins, viral and non-viral vectors, homing peptides and gene delivery., Conclusion: Receptors based targeting approach is one such approach that was explored by researchers to develop novel formulations which can ensure site-specific drug delivery. Several receptors are on the surfaces of liver cells, which are highly overexpressed in various disease conditions. They all are helpful for the treatment of liver cancer., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

In the present study, SEL was loaded in a lipid nanocarrier (LNC) formulation with a P-gp pump inhibitor i.e., Quercetin (QUR) for improving the bioavailability of the SEL in the brain via the oral route. SEL-QUR LNC was formulated using modified emulsiosonication method and optimized using central composite rotatable design (CCRD) design. The results showed that optimized SEL-QUR LNC formulation was spherical with globule size, polydispersity index, entrapment efficiency and zeta potential within the range of 92.46-95.34 nm, 0.239-0.248, 88.94-91.26%, and -6.21 to -7.75 mV respectively. A 4-fold and 6-fold increase was observed in the permeation of SEL from SEL-QUR LNC across the gut sac in comparison with SEL-QUR and SEL suspensions respectively. CLSM images showed 2-fold deeper permeation of SEL across intestinal membrane demonstrating excellent in vivo prospect of the formulation. The behavioural studies including forced swimming, muscle coordination, locomotor activity, akinesia, and catalepsy were performed in the haloperidol-induced PD rats that demonstrated increased efficacy of the formulation in contrast to the SEL-QUR and SEL suspensions. These studies concluded that developed LNC formulation loaded SEL with P-gp inhibitor had the potential in improving bioavailability of SEL in the brain via oral route., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cancer is a community health hazard which progress at a fatal rate in various countries across the globe. An agent used for chemotherapy should exhibit ideal properties to be an effective anticancer medicine. The chemotherapeutic medicines used for treatment of various cancers are, gemcitabine, paclitaxel, etoposide, methotrexate, cisplatin, doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil. However, many of these agents present nonspecific systemic toxicity that prevents their treatment efficiency. Of all, gemcitabine has shown to be an active agent against colon, pancreatic, colon, ovarian, breast, head and neck and lung cancers in amalgamation with various anticancer agents. Gemcitabine is considered a gold-standard and the first FDA approved agent used as a monotherapy in management of advanced pancreatic cancers. However due to its poor pharmacokinetics, there is need of newer drug delivery system for efficient action. Nanotechnology has shown to be an emerging trend in field of medicine in providing novel modalities for cancer treatment. Various nanocarriers have the potential to deliver the drug at the desired site to obtain information about diagnosis and treatment of cancer. This review highlights on various nanocarriers like polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, dendrimers, gold nanoparticles and combination approaches for delivery of gemcitabine for cancer therapy. The co-encapsulation and concurrent delivery of Gem with other anticancer agents can enhance drug action at the cancer site with reduced side effects., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Natural products have been widely explored since ancient times to heal human diseases. Due to their biological activities and relative safety, natural products have found applications in functional foods, medicine, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. However, applications are often limited by poor aqueous solubility, instability and poor bioavailability following oral administration. For instance, many natural products exhibit excellent in vitro pharmacological activity, and no or less in vivo activity as a result of poor gastrointestinal absorption. Here we review techniques and materials for bioavailability enhancement such as particle size reduction, surfactant use, pH change, solid dispersion, cyclodextrin complexation, phytosome technology, solid-lipid nanoparticles, liposome and polymeric nanoparticles. Natural substances include quercetin, naringenin, curcumin, hesperetin, andrographolide, ellagic acid, resveratrol, bilobalide sinomenine, genistein, ginkgolide and glycyrrhizin. The clinical use of piperine as bio-enhancer with rifampicin is key achievement in the treatment of tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intent of this study was to provide topical delivery of acetazolamide by preparing chitosan- STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate) nanoparticles of acetazolamide and evaluate the particle size, zeta potential, drug entrapment, particle morphology; in vitro drug release and in vivo efficacy. The particles showed sustained in vitro drug release which followed the Higuchi kinetic model. The results indicate that the nanoparticles released the drug by a combination of dissolution and diffusion. The optimised formulation was having particle size 188.46 ± 8.53 nm and zeta potential + 36.86 ± 0.70 mV. The particles were spherical with a polydispersity index of 0.22 ± 0.00. Powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry indicated diminished crystallinity of drug in the nanoparticle formulation. In the in vitro permeation study, the nanoparticle formulation showed elevated permeation as compared to that of drug solution with negative signs of corneal damage. In vitro mucoadhesion studies showed 90.34 ± 1.12% mucoadhesion. The in vivo studies involving ocular hypotensive activity in rabbits revealed significantly higher hypotensive activity (P < 0.05) as compared with plain drug solution with no signs of ocular irritation. The stability studies revealed that formulation was quite stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation of the eye is a usual clinical condition that can implicate any part of the eye. The nomenclature of variety of such inflammations is based on the ocular part involved. These diseases may jeopardize normal functioning of the eye on progression. In general, corticosteroids, antihistamines, mast cell stabilizers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to treat inflammatory diseases/disorders of the eye. There have been several attempts via different approaches of drug delivery to overcome the low ocular bioavailability resulting from shorter ocular residence time. The features like safety, ease of elimination and ability to sustain drug release have led to application of biopolymers in ocular therapeutics. Numerous polymers of natural origin such as gelatin, collagen, chitosan, albumin, hyaluronic acid, alginates etc. have been successfully employed for preparation of different ocular dosage forms. Chitosan is the most explored biopolymer amongst natural biopolymers because of its inherent characteristics. The emergence of synthetic biopolymers (like PVP, PACA, PCL, POE, polyanhydrides, PLA, PGA and PLGA) has also added new dimensions to the drug delivery strategies meant for treatment of ophthalmic inflammations. The current review is an endeavor to describe the utility of a variety of biomaterials/polymers based drug delivery systems as carrier for anti-inflammatory drugs in ophthalmic therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]