Leucaena leucocephala succinate based polyelectrolyte complexes for colon delivery of synbiotic in management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) formed by the interaction between oppositely charged polymers have emerged as promising carriers for accomplishing colon-specific release. In this study, we have explored the potential of polyelectrolyte complexes between a succinate derivative of Leucaena leucocephala galactomannan and cationic guar gum for colon delivery of synbiotic. The PECs were prepared using a polyelectrolyte complexation method and characterized. The PECs exhibited excellent stability, with high encapsulation efficiency for both probiotics (95.53 %) and prebiotics (83.33 %). In vitro studies demonstrated enhanced survivability and proliferation of the encapsulated probiotics in the presence of prebiotics (93.29 %). The SEM images revealed a smooth and firm structure with reduced number of pores when both prebiotic and probiotic were encapsulated together. The treatment with synbiotic PECs in acetic acid induced IBD rats significantly relieves colitis symptoms as was evident from colon/body ratio, DAI score and histopathology studies. An increase in the protein and reduced glutathione levels and reduction in superoxide dismutase activity was observed in colitic rats that received synbiotic treatment as compared to colitic rats. Overall, this study highlights the potential of Leucaena leucocephala succinate-cationic guar gum PECs as a promising system for colon-specific synbiotic delivery, with implications for improved gut health and the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders.

Cross Talks between CNS and CVS Diseases: An Alliance to Annihilate.

Cardiovascular and neurological diseases cause substantial morbidity and mortality globally. Moreover, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally. About 17.9 million people are affected by cardiovascular diseases and 6.8 million people die every year due to neurological diseases. The common neurologic manifestations of cardiovascular illness include stroke syndrome which is responsible for unconsciousness and several other morbidities significantly diminished the quality of life of patients. Therefore, it is prudent need to explore the mechanistic and molecular connection between cardiovascular disorders and neurological disorders. The present review emphasizes the association between cardiovascular and neurological diseases specifically Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease.

Tofacitinib in dermatology: a potential opportunity for topical applicability through novel drug-delivery systems.

Tofacitinib is a first-generation JAK inhibitor approved by the US FDA for treating rheumatoid arthritis. It exhibits a broad-spectrum inhibitory effect with abilities to block JAK-STAT signalling. The primary objective of this review is to obtain knowledge about cutting-edge methods for effectively treating a variety of skin problems by including tofacitinib into formulations that are based on nanocarriers. The review also highlights clinical trials and offers an update on published clinical patents. Nanocarriers provide superior performance compared to conventional treatments in terms of efficacy, stability, drug bioavailability, target selectivity and sustained drug release. Current review has the potential to make significant contributions to the ongoing discussion involving dermatological treatments and the prospective impact of nanotechnology on transforming healthcare within this field.

Stress, Depression, and Anxiety of Female Adolescents of Higher Senior Secondary School: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study of Humanities, Commerce, and Science Streams.

A cross-sectional, representative sample from adolescent girls of higher senior secondary schools was collected for the study. We analyzed the data from 600 Punjabi Indian female adolescents (200 from humanities, 200 from commerce, and 200 from science stream) aged 15-17 years who were randomly selected from government and private schools. The symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed by the DAS questionnaire. Overall prevalence was 50.8%, 58.7%, and 68% for depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. A significant difference was reported for depression (.000), anxiety (.000), and stress (.002) between adolescents of three streams. The results of the study point out that there is a necessity for some interventions to educate adolescent girls about the negative effects of stress, depression, and anxiety on their body.

A Narrative Review on Non-Invasive Drug Delivery of Teriparatide: A Ray of Hope.

In the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology and formulation development, various protein and peptide-based drugs have been used for therapeutic and clinical implications. These are mainly given via parenteral routes like intravenous, subcutaneous or intramuscular delivery. Teriparatide, also known as PTH 1-34, is a U.S. Food & Drug Administartion-approved anabolic drug to treat osteoporosis is currently available in market only as subcutaneous injection. The quest for elimination of needle in case of given peptidal delivery to replace it with alternative routes like nasal, buccal, transdermal and pulmonary pathways has driven meticulous drug research. The pharmaceutical scientists are working on innovation and approaches involving new materials and methods to develop the formulations for protein and peptides by noninvasive routes. Lately, various approaches have been carried out which involve many strategies and technologies to deliver teriparatide via alternative routes. But, physicochemical instability, proteolytic degradation, low bioavailability, etc. are some obstacles to develop suitable delivery system for teriparatide. This review intends to gather the overall developments in delivery systems specific to teriparatide which meant for better convenience and avoids vulnerability of multiple subcutaneous injections. In addition, the article emphasizes on the successes to develop noninvasive technologies and devices, and new milestones for teriparatide delivery.

Role of Novel Drug Delivery Systems in Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19): Time to Act Now.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has found its roots from Wuhan (China). COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2, previously named as 2019-nCoV. It has spread across the globe and was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th March, 2020. Currently, there is no standard drug or vaccine available for the treatment, therefore, repurposing of existing drugs is the only solution. Novel Drug Delivery Systems (NDDS) will be boon for the repurposing of drugs. The role of various NDDS in repurposing of existing drugs for the treatment of various viral diseases and their relevance in COVID-19 has been discussed in this paper. It focuses on the currently ongoing research in the implementation of NDDS in COVID-19. Moreover, it describes the role of NDDS in vaccine development for COVID-19. This paper also emphasizes how NDDS will help to develop the improved delivery systems (dosage forms) of existing therapeutic agents and also explore the new insights to find out the void spaces for potential targeted delivery. Therefore, in these tough times, NDDS and nanotechnology can be a safeguard to humanity.

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) galactomannan nanoparticles: Optimization and characterization for ocular delivery in glaucoma treatment.

In the present study, bioadhesive polymeric nanoparticles for ocular delivery of dorzolamide hydrochloride (DRZ) were formulated using derivatized Leucaena leucocephala galactomannan (LLG). The carboxymethyl (CMLLG) and amine derivative (AMLLG) of LLG were synthesized and used for the preparation of nanoparticles. The preparation method was optimized using 2-factor, 3-level central composite experimental design. The optimized nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, DSC, SEM, TEM and XRD studies. The results of in vitro release studies and ex vivo transcorneal permeation studies revealed sustained release and higher corneal permeation as compared to conventional formulation of DRZ. The optimized nanoparticles were found to reduce the intra ocular pressure (IOP) for prolonged period of time when compared to conventional eye drops. Overall, the present study suggests a promising role of bioadhesive polymeric nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery in glaucoma treatment.

Nanovesicles for Nanomedicine: Theory and Practices.

Lipid-based nanovesicles such as liposomes, niosomes, and ethosomes are now well recognized as potential candidates for drug delivery and theranostic applications. Some of them have already stepped forward from laboratory to market. The property to entrap lipophilic drugs in their bilayers and hydrophilic drugs in the aqueous milieu makes them a unique carrier for drug delivery. Delivery of drugs/diagnostics to various organs/tissues/cells via nanovesicles is considered to be a topic of long-standing interest with new challenges being posed to formulation scientists with new developments. The key challenge in this context is the physiological and pathological conditions, which make the delivery of drugs extremely difficult at the disease locus and makes their precise delivery ineffective. This chapter gives an insight into the role of novel nanovesicles in the field of drug delivery. We present an overview of the formulation and characterization and role of diverse nanovesicles. A comprehensive update about their application and current as well as potential challenges have also been discussed.

Evaluation of Effect of Bisphosphonates on Dental Implant Therapy in Postmenopausal Women Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography.

AIM: Osteoporosis is one of the diseases which show significant bone mass reduction especially in post menopausal women. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of Bisphosphonates (BP) on alveolar bone and dental implant therapy in women after menopause. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted on 30 postmenopausal women who received at least one dental implant in the last 5 years. Group I comprised of 15 patients who were on BP therapy for 1.5 years, and group II consisted of 15 patients who were on parathyroid hormone (PTH). Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone thickness were assessed in both groups. RESULTS: Group I had 3.85% and group II had 3.15% of dental implants failures. BMD of cortical bone was 1552± 145 mg/mL and 1012 ± 94 mg/mL in groups I and II respectively. BMD of cancellous bone was 80 ± 15 mg/mL and 104 ± 72 mg/mL in group I and group II respectively. The difference was significant (p < 0.05). Cortical bone thickness was 2.5 ± 0.6 mm in group I and 2.2 ± 0.8 mm in group II. The difference was non-significant (p >0.05). There was a reduction in BMD (mg/mL) of cortical and cancellous bone. There was an increase in cortical bone thickness with the use of BPs over the years. The difference was significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a decrease in bone mineral density of both cortical and cancellous bone in both groups. There was increase cortical bone thickness on prolonging use of BPs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Patients on BPs therapy should be carefully evaluated both clinically and radiographically before dental implant treatment as these agents affect the quantity and quality of cortical bone especially in the posterior mandibular region in patients with osteoporosis.

Extraction and derivatization of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) galactomannan: Optimization and characterization.

Water soluble gums also known as hydrocolloids are increasingly finding applications in the pharmaceutical and food industry due to their versatile functional properties. They possess considerable use in food and pharmaceutical industries as emulsifying, thickening and gelling agents. In the present investigation a heteropolysaccharide galactomannan was extracted from Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) seeds by an aqueous method, characterized for its compositional analysis (mannose: galactose ratio), physicochemical and functional properties (solubility), and mechanical properties. The extracted gum was derivatized to form its carboxymethyl derivative and the method of its derivatization was optimized by varying the reaction parameters. The native and derivatized gum was characterized by FTIR, XRD, DSC, NMR, SEM and elemental analysis, etc. The yield of Leucaena leucocephala galactomannan (LLG) was found to be 20% (w/w). The optimized parameters for carboxymethylation reaction (degree of substitution 0.805) were found to be 6.0g NaOH, 10.0g MCA, at 60°C for 4h. The physicochemical and functional characteristics of native and derivatized gum suggest its potential role in food and pharmaceutical industries.