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Background: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the leading complications of type-2 diabetes mellitus. It is associated with neuropathy and peripheral arterial disease of the lower limb in patients with diabetes. There are four stages of wound healing, namely hemostasis phase, inflammatory phase, proliferative phase and maturation phase. In the case of DFU, all these stages are disturbed which lead to delay in healing and consequently to lower limb amputation. Conventional dosage forms like tablets, creams, ointments, gels and capsules have been used for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer for many years. Introduction: In this review, the global prevalence as well as etiopathogenesis related to diabetic foot ulcer have been discussed. The potential role of various synthetic and herbal drugs, as well as their conventional dosage forms in the effective management of DFU have been discussed in detail. Methods: Structured search of bibliographic databases from previously published peer-reviewed research papers was explored and data has been represented in terms of various approaches that are used for the treatment of DFU. Results: About 148 papers, including both research and review articles, were included in this review to produce a comprehensive as well as a readily understandable article. A series of herbal and synthetic drugs have been discussed along with their current status of treatment in terms of dose and mechanism of action. Conclusion: DFU has become one of the most common complications in patients having diabetes for more than ten years. Hence, understanding the root cause and its successful treatment is a big challenge because it depends upon multiple factors such as the judicious selection of drugs as well as proper control of blood sugar level. Most of the drugs that have been used so far either belong to the category of antibiotics, antihyperglycaemic or they have been repositioned. In clinical practice, much focus has been given to dressings that have been used to cover the ulcer. The complete treatment of DFU is still a farfetched dream to be achieved and it is expected that combination therapy of herbal and synthetic drugs with multiple treatment pathways could be able to offer better management of DFU.

The study entailed formulation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) upon reduction of chloroauric acid by modified apple polysaccharide (MAP). AuNPs were conjugated with insulin (INS) for its oral delivery to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). The size of MAP conjugated AuNPs loaded with INS was 124 ± 8.55 nm with zeta potential −10.5 ± 0.54 mV. The animal study carried out in streptozotocin induced rat model revealed that AuNPs conjugated insulin (AuNPs-INS) in high dose caused 3.36 folds decrease in blood glucose level in 240 min, whereas, orally administered INS failed to decrease the blood glucose level. The 28-day study also revealed better improvement in body weight, lipid profile, urea, creatinine and liver parameters in AuNPs-INS (high dose) for which the observed value was close with respect to intraperitoneally administrated insulin followed by medium dose of AuNPs-INS, low dose of AuNPS-INS, AuNPs alone and modified apple polysaccharide.

Ayurveda is a highly recognized, well-documented, and well-accepted traditional medicine system. This system utilizes many natural products in various forms for therapeutic purposes. Thousands of plants mentioned in the Ayurvedic system are useful in disease mitigation and health preservation. One potential plant of the Ayurvedic system is "Ashwagandha" [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal], commonly regarded as Indian Ginseng. It possesses various therapeutic activities, such as neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, antiarthritic, and anticancer effects.Here we present a comprehensive insight on the anticancer effects of W. somnifera and mechanistic attributes of its bioactive phytocompounds. This review also provides updated information on the clinical studies pertaining to cancer, safety evaluation and opportunities for chemical modifications of withanolides, a group of specialized phytochemicals of W. somnifera.The present study was performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Various scientific databases, such as PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, were explored for related studies published up to May 2021.An updated review on the anticancer potential and mechanisms of action of the major bioactive components of W. somnifera, including withanolides, withaferin A and withanone, is presented. Comprehensive information on clinical attributes of W. somnifera and its active components are presented with the structure-activity relationship (SAR) and toxicity evaluation.The outcome of the work clearly indicates that W. somnifera has a significant potential for cancer therapy. The SAR revealed that various withanolides in general and withaferin A in particular have binding energies against various proteins and tremendous potential to serve as the lead for new chemical entities. Nevertheless, additional studies, particularly well-designed clinical trials are required before therapeutic application of withanolides for cancer treatment.

International audience; Emerging research in the field of behavioral neuroscience has demonstrated the fundamental role of the cerebral organization. For brain development, various important functions are required for instance synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. This property is described in terms of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity denotes the extraordinary ability of the brain for the recognition of its structure and function after an experience with some external stimuli and involves in the various behavioral processes of the brain such as cognitive functions. It has multiple factors that can range from gene alteration to environmental factors. Environmental factors exert both negative and positive impact on cognitive functions of the brain. Here, we elaborate about neuroplasticity, its mechanism, and the relation between the environment and brain cells, which includes remarkable effects on brain development after alteration in maternal care, under stressful conditions, sleep deprivation, and enriched environment.

The liver is the largest gland in the human body and it is situated in the right side of the upper abdominal cavity. Liver damage can be generally caused by drugs, particularly antitubercular, paracetamol, general anesthetics, and some anticancer drugs. Toxic hepatitis is the most common severe adverse reaction caused by antituberculosis drugs. It mostly starts in the first few weeks of treatment accompanying liver necrosis, which may unfold to neurological disorder and death. Apart from synthetic drugs, many agents such as alcohol consumption also play a significant role in liver damage. Although many synthetic drugs are available to treat hepatotoxicity, still natural product-based drugs such as silymarin are among the favorable choices for hepatotoxicity.

Poor aqueous solubility and gastrointestinal lability of drugs meant for oral administration are consistent challenges for formulation scientists and regulatory authorities. In view of this, several endeavors have been made in the past, including development of nanosuspension, complexes, solid dispersions, and nanocrystals, to improve oral bioavailability of these drugs. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) have been extensively explored to improve the dissolution rate limited bioavailability of drugs. The ease of manufacture, use of inexpensive excipients, thermodynamic stability, and permeation of drugs in the nano range through the lymphatic route has made them unique nanocarriers for oral delivery of poorly soluble drugs. The current chapter discusses composition, preparation techniques, characterization, and applications of SNEDDS.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) represent two vital intracellular signaling pathways, which are associated with various aspects of cellular functions. These functions play vital roles in quiescence, survival, and growth in normal physiological circumstances as well as in various pathological disorders, including cancer. These two pathways are so intimately connected to each other that in some instances these are considered as one unique pathway crucial for cell cycle regulation. The purpose of this review is to emphasize the role of PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in different cancer conditions and the importance of natural products targeting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. This review also aims to draw the attention of scientists and researchers to the assorted beneficial effects of the numerous classes of natural products for the development of new and safe drugs for possible cancer therapy. We also summarize and critically analyze various preclinical and clinical studies on bioactive compounds and constituents, which are derived from natural products, to target the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway for cancer prevention and intervention.

Oral colon targeted mini-tablets containing 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) were developed by using guar gum, pectin and Eudragit S100. Probiotics were co-administered to constantly replenish the gut microflora of colon that gets damaged due to pathophysiology of cancer and side effect of 5-FU. Replacement of microbial count ensures that the polysachharide used for sustaining the drug release gets digested to release the drug, once the formulation reaches the colon. The site-specific release of coated tablets was confirmed by dissolution studies in medium containing rat caecal contents (RCC), wherein, the formulation containing Eudragit S100, pectin and guar gum in the ratio of 04:03:03 w/w, showed less than 10% drug release in initial 5 h and immediate burst release (100%) between 5th to 10th hour. The cell line studies carried for pooled dissolution samples indicated that more than 90% cells were viable in all the cases till 5th hour. Significant (p

Summary Borage ( Borago officinalis L.) is considered as a native of both Europe and Asia. Several species around the globe fall under the denomination of “borage”. The presence of the highest γ-linolenic acid content in the seeds of borage makes borage distinctively important mainly for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical research. γ-Linolenic acid is an omega -6 polyunsaturated fatty acid which cannot be synthesized in the body and hence falls into the category of essential fatty acids. Borage seeds’ oil is utilized in various disease conditions such as atherosclerosis, inflammatory disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and gastrointestinal disorders. Borage is also being extensively used as one of the potential ingredients for the development of various formulations ranging from emulsions to the green synthesis of nanoparticles. This chapter encompasses the availability, therapeutic benefits, drug interactions, and adverse drug reaction of borage. The chapter also entails, in brief, the various pharmaceutical formulations containing borage as an ingredient.