Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L., syn Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.) and its topical applications: A review

Topical application is an important administration route for drugs requiring local action on the skin, thereby avoiding their systemic absorption and adverse side effects. Rosmarinus officinalis L. (syn. Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.), popularly known as rosemary, is an aromatic plant with needle-like leaves belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Rosemary has therapeutic properties and has been used in the folk medicine, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, mainly for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are attributed to the presence of carnosol/carnosic and ursolic acids. The therapeutic use of rosemary has been explored for the treatment of inflammatory diseases; however, other uses have been studied, such as wound healing and skin cancer and mycoses treatments, among others. Besides it therapeutic uses, rosemary has potential applications in cosmetic formulations and in the treatment of pathological and non-pathological conditions, such as cellulite, alopecia, ultraviolet damage, and aging. This review aims to critically discuss the topical applications of rosemary found in the literature while also offering relevant information for the development of topical formulations of its bioactive compounds.This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001. Eliana B. Souto acknowledges the financial support received from Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT/MCT) and from European Funds (PRODER/COMPETE) forunder the projects reference M-ERA-NET/0004/2015-PAIRED and and UIDB/04469/2020 (strategic fund), co-financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of polysaccharide sources on the physicochemical properties of bromelainchitosan nanoparticles

Bromelain, a set of proteolytic enzymes potential pharmaceutical applications, was encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles to enhance enzyme stability, and the effect of different chitosan sources was evaluated. Chitosan types (i.e., low molecular weight chitosan, chitosan oligosaccharide lactate, and chitosan from shrimp shells) produced nanoparticles with different physicochemical properties, however in all cases, particle size and zeta potential decreased, and polydispersity index increased after bromelain addition. Bromelain encapsulation was higher than 84% and 79% for protein content and enzymatic activity, respectively, with low molecular weight chitosan presenting the highest encapsulation efficiency. Nanoparticle suspension was also tested for accelerated stability and rheological behavior. For the chitosan–bromelain nanoparticles, an instability index below 0.3 was recorded and, in general, the loading of bromelain in chitosan nanoparticles decreased the cohesiveness of the final suspension.This research was granted by FAPESP (2016/03444-5,2017/05275-9,and2017/05333-9), CNPq and FAEPEX, and by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation, Ministry of Science and Education (FCT/MEC) through national funds, and co-financed by FEDER, under the project reference M-ERA-NET/0004/2015 (PAIRED) Partnership Agreement PT2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Flavonoid-enriched plant-extract-loaded emulsion: a novel phytocosmetic sunscreen formulation with antioxidant properties

The aim of this study was to develop a phytocosmetic sunscreen emulsion with antioxidant effect, containing a blend of flavonoid-enriched plant extracts. In vitro sun protection factor, antioxidant activity, skin irritation, photostability, cutaneous permeation, and retention of flavonoids were evaluated. Thermodynamically stable emulsions were obtained and tested for sensorial analysis after loading the blend of extracts. The selected emulsion was stable when stored at low temperatures (5 C), for which after 120 days the concentration of quercetin and rutin were above their limit of quantification, i.e., 2.8 ± 0.39 µg/mL and 30.39 ± 0.39 µg/mL, respectively. Spreadability, low rupture strength and adhesiveness were shown to be similar to a conventional topical product. Higher brittleness, pseudo-plastic, and viscoelastic behaviors were also recorded for the developed phytocosmetic sunscreen. The product presented a critical wavelength of 387.0 nm and ultraviolet rays A and B (UVA/UVB) rate of 0.78, confirming that the developed formulation shows capacity for UVA/UVB protection, protecting skin against damages caused by Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Rutin was shown to permeate the skin barrier and was also quantified in the stratum corneum (3.27 ± 1.92 µg/mL) by tape stripping and retention test (114.68 ± 8.70 µg/mL). The developed flavonoid-enriched phytocosmetic was shown to be non-irritant to skin by an in vitro assay. Our results confirm the antioxidant activity, sun protection, and physical properties of the developed phytocosmetic for topical application.This research was funded by FAPESP (grant number 2015/25533‐7 and 2017/14757‐7), CAPES and CNPq. The authors also received support from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT/MCT) and from European Funds (PRODER/COMPETE) under the project reference M‐ERA‐NET/0004/2015‐PAIRED, co‐financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020, and PhD scholarship (SFRH/BD/130555/2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Recent Advances with Precision Medicine Treatment for Breast Cancer including Triple-Negative Sub-Type

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different molecular subtypes. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in woman due to rapid metastasis and disease recurrence. Precision medicine remains an essential source to lower the off-target toxicities of chemotherapeutic agents and maximize the patient benefits. This is a crucial approach for a more effective treatment and prevention of disease. Precision-medicine methods are based on the selection of suitable biomarkers to envision the effectiveness of targeted therapy in a specific group of patients. Several druggable mutations have been identified in breast cancer patients. Current improvements in omics technologies have focused on more precise strategies for precision therapy. The development of next-generation sequencing technologies has raised hopes for precision-medicine treatment strategies in breast cancer (BC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Targeted therapies utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRi), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi), antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), oncolytic viruses (OVs), glucose transporter-1 inhibitor (GLUT1i), and targeting signaling pathways are potential treatment approaches for BC and TNBC. This review emphasizes the recent progress made with the precision-medicine therapy of metastatic breast cancer and TNBC

Effect of nanoencapsulation of blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus): A green source of flavonoids with antioxidant and photoprotective properties

The effect of nanoencapsulation on the in vitro photoprotection and antioxidant properties of blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) extract, before and after their dispersion into an oil-in-water emulsion and its final stability under stress conditions. Besides its skin healing activity, chitosan was chosen as wall material due to its natural origin, and possibility of obtention from shrimp residues. Chitosan/tripolyphosphate (TPP) nanoparticles loaded with blueberry extract were produced and characterized. Three different semi-solid oil-in-water emulsions, using Ecocert certified materials, were developed containing, respectively, (i) 5% (wt/wt) of extract-free nanoparticles, (ii) 5% (wt/wt) of extract-loaded nanoparticles, (iii) 2% (wt/wt) of free extract. Sun protection factor (SPF), antioxidant activity and stability under stress conditions were evaluated. The concentration of rutin was determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The loading of blueberry extract into nanoparticles kept their physicochemical properties, as well as SPF and antioxidant activity, over the course of the stability study. Extract-loaded nanoparticles were dispersed in a semi-solid oil-in-water emulsion and were shown to protect the extract from oxidation, suggesting that formulation containing 5% (wt/wt) of extract-free nanoparticles could presented lower difference between initial and final SPF and antioxidant activity values after 90 days of analysis. The developed formulation is proposed as a greener potential formulation to be used as photoprotector, especially if associated with physical sun filters. The role of blueberry flavonoids and the synergistic effect of nanoparticles against skin aging are here discussed

Effect of nanoencapsulation of blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus): A green source of flavonoids with antioxidant and photoprotective properties

The effect of nanoencapsulation on the in vitro photoprotection and antioxidant properties of blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) extract, before and after their dispersion into an oil-in-water emulsion and its final stability under stress conditions. Besides its skin healing activity, chitosan was chosen as wall material due to its natural origin, and possibility of obtention from shrimp residues. Chitosan/tripolyphosphate (TPP) nanoparticles loaded with blueberry extract were produced and characterized. Three different semi-solid oil-in-water emulsions, using Ecocert certified materials, were developed containing, respectively, (i) 5% (wt/wt) of extract-free nanoparticles, (ii) 5% (wt/wt) of extract-loaded nanoparticles, (iii) 2% (wt/wt) of free extract. Sun protection factor (SPF), antioxidant activity and stability under stress conditions were evaluated. The concentration of rutin was determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The loading of blueberry extract into nanoparticles kept their physicochemical properties, as well as SPF and antioxidant activity, over the course of the stability study. Extract-loaded nanoparticles were dispersed in a semi-solid oil-in-water emulsion and were shown to protect the extract from oxidation, suggesting that formulation containing 5% (wt/wt) of extract-free nanoparticles could presented lower difference between initial and final SPF and antioxidant activity values after 90 days of analysis. The developed formulation is proposed as a greener potential formulation to be used as photoprotector, especially if associated with physical sun filters. The role of blueberry flavonoids and the synergistic effect of nanoparticles against skin aging are here discussed.This research was funded by FAPESP (grant number 2015/25533–7, 2017/14757–7, 2017/05275–9) and in part by CAPES (Finance Code 001). This study was financed by CNPq (301436/2017–7) granted to PGM, and by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT / MCT) and from European Funds (PRODER/COMPETE) under the project reference UIDB/04469/2020 (strategic fund), co-financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020, granted to EBS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mechanisms of Resistance and Current Treatment Options for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive form of brain cancer that is difficult to treat due to its resistance to both radiation and chemotherapy. This resistance is largely due to the unique biology of GBM cells, which can evade the effects of conventional treatments through mechanisms such as increased resistance to cell death and rapid regeneration of cancerous cells. Additionally, the blood–brain barrier makes it difficult for chemotherapy drugs to reach GBM cells, leading to reduced effectiveness. Despite these challenges, there are several treatment options available for GBM. The standard of care for newly diagnosed GBM patients involves surgical resection followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Emerging treatments include immunotherapy, such as checkpoint inhibitors, and targeted therapies, such as bevacizumab, that attempt to attack specific vulnerabilities in GBM cells. Another promising approach is the use of tumor-treating fields, a type of electric field therapy that has been shown to slow the growth of GBM cells. Clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these and other innovative treatments for GBM, intending to improve with outcomes for patients

Vitamin C in acerola and red plum extracts: quantification via HPLC, in vitro antioxidant activity, and stability of their gel and emulsion formulations

The fruits acerola and red plum are known to be good sources of antioxidants, particularly vitamin C. Antioxidants are compounds that protect organisms from biomolecular damage, such as accelerated aging, caused by free radicals. Objective: The objective of this study was to extract vitamin C from acerola and red plum, incorporate these extracts into different topical formulations, and evaluate the physicochemical stabilities of these formulations under stress conditions. Methods: Vitamin C was extracted from acerola and red plum via dynamic maceration for 2 h at 50 ± 2°C and was quantified via HPLC. In vitro antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPH assays. The extracts were then incorporated into emulsion and gel formulations in two types of packaging, and stability studies were carried out. Results: Red plum and acerola extracts were orange and red and contained vitamin C concentrations of 2732.70 ± 93.01 mg/100 g and 2.60 ± 1.2 mg/100 g, respectively. In vitro antioxidant activity resulted in over 90.0% inhibition of free radicals at 0.01 mL/mL acerola extract and 0.1 mL/mL red plum extract. In the stability study, pH values decreased for both acerola formulations when stored in the oven or in transparent glass containers. Formulations containing red plum extract were stable under all conditions. Acerola extracts contained a higher concentration of vitamin C than red plum extracts. Both extracts possessed antioxidant activity, although the acerola-based formulation was unstable when stored at high temperatures or in transparent glass containers. Highlights: Extracts from red plum and acerola contained vitamin C; antioxidant activity of the extracts resulted in over 90.0% inhibition of free radicals. Formulations containing red plum were stable under all tested conditions, and formulations containing acerola were unstable when stored in the oven or in transparent glass containers101514611465sem informaçãosem informaçã

Modified-release topical hydrogels: a ten-year review

Hydrogels are polymeric networks with tridimensional structure, which are able to load water and other substances. Such property makes hydrogels suitable for innumerous applications in biomedical field. Hydrogels are being used as raw materials in pharmaceutical formulations for more than 60 years, while significant progress is very well documented in topical use. Natural and synthetic polymers have been applied to develop smart hydrogels that respond to physiological stimuli to follow the release of the loaded bioactive ingredient. This paper discusses the most relevant polymers commonly used in pharmaceutical formulations for modified topical delivery.Authors acknowledge FAPESP (process number 2016/03444-5), CNPq and CAPES for the financial support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio