The effects of curcumin and a modified curcumin formulation on serum Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein concentrations in patients with metabolic syndrome: A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Objective: Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) mediates the transfer of cholesteryl ester from HDL-C to LDL-C and VLDL-C. The aim of the present trial was to evaluate the effect of curcumin and its modified formulation on serum CETP concentrations in patients with metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: Participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups of 40 subjects receiving either unmodified curcumin or its phospholipid complex or placebo. Lipid profile and plasma CETP were measured at the start and sixweeksafter initiation of the treatment.The normality of data distribution was assessed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Wilcoxon test was used for comparing the data before and after the intervention. The percent changes of CETP and biochemical factors among the three groups were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Serum CETP levels were not significantly altered among patients receiving curcumin. Conclusion: Curcumin and its complex had no significant effect on serum CETP concentrations

Application of Various Optical and Electrochemical Nanobiosensors for Detecting Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125): A Review

Nowadays, diagnosing early-stage cancers can be vital for saving patients and dramatically decreases mortality rates. Therefore, specificity and sensitivity in the detection of cancer antigens should be elaborately ensured. Some early-stage cancers can be diagnosed via detecting the cancer antigen CA-125, such as ovarian cancer, and required treatments can be applied more efficiently. Thus, detection of CA-125 by employing various optical or electrochemical biosensors is a preliminary and crucial step to treating cancers. In this review, a diverse range of optical and electrochemical means of detecting CA-125 are reviewed. Furthermore, an applicable comparison of their performance and sensitivity is provided, several commercial detection kits are investigated, and their applications are compared and discussed to determine whether they are applicable and accurate enough

Current advances in niosomes applications for drug delivery and cancer treatment

The advent of nanotechnology has led to an increased interest in nanocarriers as a drug delivery system that is efficient and safe. There have been many studies addressing nano-scale vesicular systems such as liposomes and niosome is a newer generation of vesicular nanocarriers. The niosomes provide a multilamellar carrier for lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactive substances in the self-assembled vesicle, which are composed of non-ionic surfactants in conjunction with cholesterol or other amphiphilic molecules. These non-ionic surfactant vesicles, simply known as niosomes, can be utilized in a wide variety of technological applications. As an alternative to liposomes, niosomes are considered more chemically and physically stable. The methods for preparing niosomes are more economic. Many reports have discussed niosomes in terms of their physicochemical properties and applications as drug delivery systems. As drug carriers, nano-sized niosomes expand the horizons of pharmacokinetics, decreasing toxicity, enhancing drug solvability and bioavailability. In this review, we review the components and fabrication methods of niosomes, as well as their functionalization, characterization, administration routes, and applications in cancer gene delivery, and natural product delivery. We also discuss the limitations and challenges in the development of niosomes, and provide the future perspective of niosomes