PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF PTEROCARPUS SANTALINUS AND ITS ROLE IN DERMATOLOGY

The review provides an updated overview of the phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Pterocarpus santalinus. It briefs on the synergistic interactions of P. santalinus with other medicinal plants and its use in Ayurvedic formulations. Phytochemical analysis suggests the presence of triterpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. The phytoconstituents and related pharmacological activities of various parts of P. santalinus include antifungal, anticholinesterase, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiulcer. Literature survey highlights the dermatological applications of the phytoconstituents such as pterostilbene, savinin, and betulin as potential leads for anti-aging, ultraviolet rays (UV-B) protective, and wound healing effects. Undoubtedly, P. santalinus has wide therapeutic value. The dermatologically significant phytoconstituents, namely, pterostilbene, cedrol, savinin, lupeol, betulin, β-eudesmol, and α-bisabolol, if isolated and used in dermatological formulations, can show promising skin protective effect. The data were compiled using scientific databases, namely, Google Scholar and PubMed, the data made available specifically from 2010 to 2021

An insight into biomolecules for the treatment of skin infectious diseases

In assigning priorities, skin infectious diseases are frequently classified as minor when compared to infectious diseases of high mortality rates, such as tuberculosis or HIV. However, skin infections are amongst the most common and prevalent diseases worldwide. Elderly individuals present an increased susceptibility to skin infections, which may develop atypical signs and symptoms or even complicate pre-existing chronic disorders. When the skin fails to correct or inhibit the action of certain pathogenic microorganisms, biomolecules endowed with antimicrobial features are frequently administered topically or systemically to assist or treat such conditions. (1) Antibiotics, (2) antimicrobial peptides, or (3) natural extracts display important features that can actively inhibit the propagation of these pathogens and prevent the evolution of infectious diseases. This review highlights the properties and mechanisms of action of these biomolecules, emphasizing their effects on the most prevalent and difficult to treat skin infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The versatility of biomolecules’ actions, their symbiotic effects with skin cells and other inherent antimicrobial components, and their target-directed signatures are also explored hereFoundation for Science and Technology of Portugal (FCT), FEDER via Portugal 2020 Competitive Factors Operational Program (POCI), and the Government of Portugal (OE) for supporting the projects PTDC/CTM-TEX/28074/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER028074) and UID/CTM/00264/202

Smart dressings based on nanostructured fibers containing natural origin antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative compounds

A fast and effective wound healing process would substantially decrease medical costs, wound care supplies, and hospitalization significantly improving the patients’ quality of life. The search for effective therapeutic approaches seems to be imperative in order to avoid the aggravation of chronic wounds. In spite of all the efforts that have been made during the recent years towards the development of artificial wound dressings, none of the currently available options combine all the requirements necessary for quick and optimal cutaneous regeneration. Therefore, technological advances in the area of temporary and permanent smart dressings for wound care are required. The development of nanoscience and nanotechnology can improve the materials and designs used in topical wound care in order to efficiently release antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative compounds speeding up the endogenous healing process. Nanostructured dressings can overcome the limitations of the current coverings and, separately, natural origin components can also overcome the drawbacks of current antibiotics and antiseptics (mainly cytotoxicity, antibiotic resistance, and allergies). The combination of natural origin components with demonstrated antibiotic, regenerative, or anti-inflammatory nanostructured materials is a promising approach to fulfil all the requirements needed for the next generation of bioactive wound dressings. Microbially compromised wounds have been treated with different essential oils, honey, cationic peptides, aloe vera, plant extracts, and other natural origin occurring antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative components but the available evidence is limited and insufficient to be able to draw reliable conclusions and to extrapolate those findings to the clinical practice. The evidence and some promising preliminary results indicate that future comparative studies are justified but instead of talking about the beneficial or inert effects of those natural origin occurring materials, the scientific community leads towards the identification of the main active components involved and their mechanism of action during the corresponding healing, antimicrobial, or regenerative processes and in carrying out systematic and comparative controlled tests. Once those natural origin components have been identified and their efficacy validated through solid clinical trials, their combination within nanostructured dressings can open up new avenues in the fabrication of bioactive dressings with outstanding characteristics for wound care. The motivation of this work is to analyze the state of the art in the use of different essential oils, honey, cationic peptides, aloe vera, plant extracts, and other natural origin occurring materials as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative components with the aim of clarifying their potential clinical use in bioactive dressings. We conclude that, for those natural occurring materials, more clinical trials are needed to reach a sufficient level of evidence as therapeutic agents for wound healing management.properties together wit

COSMECEUTICALSâ€: AN OPINION IN THE DIRECTION OF PHARMACEUTICALS

 Cosmeceuticals are the latest addition to the health industry and are described as cosmetic products with drug-like activities. Cosmetics are productsthat are used to cleanse and beautify the skin (Millikan, 2001). Pharmaceuticals are essentially drug products and are defined as products that prevent,mitigate, treat or cure disease and/or affect the structure or function of the body (Vermeer and Gilchrest, 1996). Cosmeceuticals is a deliberateportmanteau of these two terms and is intended to connote drug-like benefits from an otherwise cosmetic product. While the food, drug, and cosmeticact does not recognize the term cosmeceutical,†the cosmetic industry has begun to use this word to refer to cosmetic products that have drug-likebenefits. The term cosmeceutical was coined by Kilgman, but these lines of product became popular in 1996 and have an expanding market that hasrapidly reached Africa. Many scientists and health consumers in Africa may not be conversant with this line of products. They may, therefore, be underresearchedor over-utilized. In the cosmetic arena, many materials are used commercially. Cosmetic ingredients previously considered inert†havethe potential to provide a biologic effect to the skin. In a cosmeceutical formulation, the boundary between an active†and inert†ingredient may beobscured. There is most common names of the different ingredients used in cosmeceutical products such as antioxidants, the binding agent, emollients,emulsions, humectants, lubricants, preservatives, solvents, surfactants, vehicle, etc. Potential for cosmeceutical ingredients in the United States aloneis SI00 million and includes such products as skin peelers, wrinkle creams, emollients, hair growth stimulants, skin lighteners and darkeners, andbotanicals. The 75 million baby boomers are the major market for cosmeceuticals. Cosmeceuticals claims are largely unsubstantiated and the term,though misleading, has probably come to stay. The term and the target consumers appear flamboyant enough to with stand Government regulations.In a free trade world, the benefits and adverse effects of cosmeceuticals are probably optimized by frequent review to inform the clinical and publicstake-holders of their uses and limitations. This comprehensive review attempts to briefly, expand the recent knowledge about cosmeceuticals.Keywords: Cosmetics, Formulation/stability, Safety testing, Claim substantiation

The Expanded Role of Chitosan in Localized Antimicrobial Therapy

Chitosan is one of the most studied natural origin polymers for biomedical applications. This review focuses on the potential of chitosan in localized antimicrobial therapy to address the challenges of current rising antimicrobial resistance. Due to its mucoadhesiveness, chitosan offers the opportunity to prolong the formulation residence time at mucosal sites; its wound healing properties open possibilities to utilize chitosan as wound dressings with multitargeted activities and more. We provide an unbiased overview of the state-of-the-art chitosan-based delivery systems categorized by the administration site, addressing the site-related challenges and evaluating the representative formulations. Specifically, we offer an in-depth analysis of the current challenges of the chitosan-based novel delivery systems for skin and vaginal infections, including its formulations optimizations and limitations. A brief overview of chitosan’s potential in treating ocular, buccal and dental, and nasal infections is included. We close the review with remarks on toxicity issues and remaining challenges and perspectives

Abstract Book

Proceedings of APP 11th ANNUAL CONVENTION AND 5th INDO SWISS CONFERENCE 16 – 17, DEC-2022 &nbsp

GLOBAL SCENARIO IN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIAL AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH

ABSTRACT BOOK  Organized byFaculty of Pharmacy, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam University, Indore Published byAsian Journal of Pharmaceutical & Clinical Research (ISSN 2455-3891) www.ajpcr.co

Curcumin-Alginate Mixed Nanocomposite: An Evolving Therapy for Wound Healing

A lot of advancements have taken place in the wound dressing materials and in wound healing process. Alginate based wound dressings materials are more preferable due to their biocompatibility and non-toxic unique biological characteristics. There’s always a need to increase the efficacy of alginates by combining with other biopolymers like chitosan, collagen and cellulose etc. However, the recent trend towards the natural and herbal bio-compounds are more likely attracting to develop alginate based wound dressing materials with higher efficiency, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory potency. Out of many natural compounds tested, curcumin has shown high potency and more effectively used for wound healing purpose. Due to curcumin’s bio-medical properties it has been used as a vital ingredient combined with alginate and other biopolymers to prepare wound dressing materials. Based on the available literatures, this review chapter on alginate-curcumin nanocomposite will help the reader to develop better wound healing materials with evolutionary therapeutic applications

Advances in Nanogels

In the last two decades, nanogels have emerged as very promising and versatile biomaterials suitable for a wide range of applications. Their features, such as large surface areas, the ability to hold molecules, flexibility in their size and their water-based formulations, have earned them great recognition as drug delivery systems for various in vivo applications, confirming their potential. On the other hand, because of their tuneable and versatile characteristics, nanogels have been investigated in recent years for applications in various fields other than biomedicine. In view of this variety of possible applications of nanogels, in this Special Issue, we extend our knowledge on the topic of their possible uses described in literature, taking stock of the state-of-the-art for all possible nanogel applications and their synthesis methods

Properties and Applications of Alginates

Alginates are biodegradable, biocompatible, renewable, and natural polysaccharides in brown marine algae. Properties and Applications of Alginates provides an overview of the state of the art of chemical and material properties of alginates and biomedical and nanotechnology mechanisms underlying alginate biosynthesis. It discusses alginate-based materials’ fundamentals that combine research and technological advances with current limitations. Moreover, novel technologies using alginate composites are introduced, and as well as the latest developments in alginate-based technologies were reviewed. It also examines potential uses of alginates in immobilized biocatalysts, nanoparticle synthesis, wastewater treatment, heavy metal removal, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and biomedicine