ABSTRACT
Wound healing is a critical process in tissue repair following injury, and traditional herbal therapies have long been utilized to facilitate this process. This review delves into the mechanistic understanding of the significant contribution of pharmacologically demonstrated natural products in wound healing. Natural products, often perceived as complex yet safely consumed compared to synthetic chemicals, play a crucial role in enhancing the wound-healing process. Drawing upon a comprehensive search strategy utilizing databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, this review synthesizes evidence on the role of natural products in wound healing. While the exact pharmacological mechanisms of secondary metabolites in wound healing remain to be fully elucidated, compounds from alkaloids, phenols, terpenes, and other sources are explored here to delineate their specific roles in wound repair. Each phytochemical group exerts distinct actions in tissue repair, with some displaying multifaceted roles in various pathways, potentially enhancing their therapeutic value, supported by reported safety profiles. Additionally, these compounds exhibit promise in the prevention of keloids and scars. Their potential alongside economic feasibility may propel them towards pharmaceutical product development. Several isolated compounds, from natural sources, are undergoing investigation in clinical trials, with many reaching advanced stages.
ABSTRACT
Genus Berberis is an excellent choice for research due to its history in traditional medicine, diverse pharmacological properties, and it has potential for drug discovery. This review presents information on the ethnobotany, pharmacological activities, and many phytochemicals identified from Berberis species. It examines the existing literature on the genus Berberis, drawn from online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Elsevier, and Google Scholar, etc encompassing the data from 1960 to 2023. This review focuses on the structural details of reported phytochemicals of Berberis species and pharmacological actions. Different extraction techniques were evaluated for extracts preparation. According to literature review, phytochemical analysis exhibited the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. A major bioactive alkaloid, berberine exhibits its main role in treatment of many gastric, infectious, and chronic disorders. This literature indicates that Berberis genus exhibits a variety of biological activities, i.e anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, antidiabetic and antioxidant activities and utilization of these effects in the treatment and management of various diseases, like diabetes, microbial infections, inflammation, liver disorders, and cancer. However, conventional medicines, validation of traditional uses, and in-depth phytochemical analysis are areas of research in genus Berberis.
ABSTRACT
In this study, we described the environmentally friendly biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) utilizing ethanolic extract of Filago desertorum (F. desertorum) as a capping and reducing agent. We also looked at the antioxidant and antibacterial capacities of AgNPs. In order to determine the size, shape, and crystallinity of the created AgNPs, the current project was designed to produce AgNPs utilizing the crude extract of the F. desertorum. The effectiveness of the project was evaluated by UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. AgNPs are monodispersed and spherical and have 50 nm average particle diameters, as determined using Image J software calculations and SEM observation. Four significant peaks from an XRD study, located at 38.46, 44.63, 64.81, and 77.74 nm, were used to calculate the average crystalline size of AgNPs which was reported to be 15 nm. In the crude extract of F. desertorum, it is possible to see the functional group peaks of a number of substances that are essential for bioreduction and the stability of the AgNPs. Antibacterial and antioxidant properties of AgNPs in vitro (DPPH, ABTS, H2O2, phosphomolybdenum, and ferric reducing power) were examined using conventional methods. The AgNPs showed maximum DPPH (72.51% with IC50 = 144.61 µg/mL), ABTS (75.24% with IC50 = 131.21 µg/mL), hydrogen peroxide (73.33% with IC50 = 115.05 µg/mL), phosphomolybdenum activity (73.43% with IC50 = 75.25 µg/mL), and observing reducing power (0.25) at a concentration of 250 g/mL. Inhibition by the AgNPs against the bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus was greatest (12 mm). According to the current findings, AgNPs produced by F. desertorum have the highest potential for free radical scavenging and antibacterial activity, which can result in antioxidant and antibiotic agents.
ABSTRACT
Quercetin is a phenolic flavonol compound with established antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immuno-stimulant properties. Recent studies demonstrate the potential of quercetin against COVID-19. This article highlighted the prophylactic/therapeutic potential of quercetin against COVID-19 in view of its clinical studies, inventions, and patents. The literature for the subject matter was collected utilizing different databases, including PubMed, Sci-Finder, Espacenet, Patentscope, and USPTO. Clinical studies expose the potential of quercetin monotherapy, and also its combination therapy with other compounds, including zinc, vitamin C, curcumin, vitamin D3, masitinib, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and ivermectin. The patent literature also examines claims that quercetin containing nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and dietary supplements, alone or in combination with other drugs/compounds, including favipiravir, remdesivir, molnupiravir, navitoclax, dasatinib, disulfiram, rucaparib, tamarixin, iota-carrageenan, and various herbal extracts (aloe, poria, rosemary, and sphagnum) has potential for use against COVID-19. The literature reveals that quercetin exhibits anti-COVID-19 activity because of its inhibitory effect on the expression of the human ACE2 receptors and the enzymes of SARS-CoV-2 (MPro, PLPro, and RdRp). The USFDA designated quercetin as a "Generally Recognized as Safe" substance for use in the food and beverage industries. It is also an inexpensive and readily available compound. These facts increase the possibility and foreseeability of making novel and economical drug combinations containing quercetin to prevent/treat COVID-19. Quercetin is an acidic compound and shows metabolic interaction with some antivirals, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory agents. Therefore, the physicochemical and metabolic drug interactions between quercetin and the combined drugs/compounds must be better understood before developing new compositions.
ABSTRACT
Chemotherapy has been the predominant treatment modality for cancer patients, but its overall performance is still modest. Difficulty in penetration of tumor tissues, a toxic profile in high doses, multidrug resistance in an array of tumor types, and the differential architecture of tumor cells as they grow are some of the bottlenecks associated with the clinical usage of chemotherapeutics. Recent advances in tumor biology understanding and the emergence of novel targeted drug delivery tools leveraging various nanosystems offer hope for developing effective cancer treatments. Topotecan is a topoisomerase I inhibitor that stabilizes the transient TOPO I-DNA cleavable complex, leading to single-stranded breaks in DNA. Due to its novel mechanism of action, TOPO is reported to be active against various carcinomas, namely small cell lung cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Issues of cross-resistance with numerous drugs, rapid conversion to its inactive form in biological systems, appended adverse effects, and higher water solubility limit its therapeutic efficacy in clinical settings. Topotecan nanoformulations offer several benefits for enhancing the therapeutic action of this significant class of chemotherapeutics. The likelihood that the target cancer cells will be exposed to the chemotherapeutic drug while in the drug-sensitive s-phase is increased due to the slow and sustained release of the chemotherapeutic, which could provide for a sustained duration of exposure of the target cancer cells to the bioavailable drug and result in the desired therapeutic outcome. This article explores nanoenabled active and passive targeting strategies and combinatorial therapy employing topotecan to ameliorate various cancers, along with a glimpse of the clinical studies utilizing the said molecule.
