Is it Possible to Cure Diabetes Mellitus by Herbal Treatment in Twenty First Century

The diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the world. The diabetic population is increasing day by day.The report of WHO shows that the diabetic population was 60 millions in 1980, 118 millions in 1995 and there will be 220 millions in 2010. Therefore, it is very important to focus on the research to find the cure to such disease, which is not only killing the lives and deteriorating the health but also, a huge social and economical burden to the nation.Although some people prefer to say that diabetes is a Westem disease, there is already description of diabetes in the oriental literature claimed as 3500 years old. It is one of the oldest known human diseases. So far known, there are more than 1200 hypoglycemic plants already reported and many of them are used for the treatment of diabetes in several countries. None of the phytomedicines, so far reported, sufficiently meets the criteria for a medicine such as safety, efficacy, mode of action, bioavialibity, dosage, carrier system etc. to be used clinically.There are several scientific evidences for the cause of diabetes mellitus and one major cause is the gradual destruction of insulin-producing {3 -cells in the pancreas. On this regard,the role of GAD”65, IRS, Thl andτ\u27h2 cells activities, and reactive oxygen spices (ROS) including SOD-activity, have been studied. Vitamin C, vitamin E, nicotinamide, lipoic acid, N-acetyl-L-cysteine are some of the substances showing the preventive action on diabetes. However, there is no systematic study on the role of natural medicines and their actions in preventing diabetes.The main challenge for the natural medicines in 21\u271 century is the systematic study. In the present review, an attempt was made to focus on the medicinal plants which are used as a traditional medicine in more than two countries. Moreover, only a few of them are taken to clinical trails. The total literature survey suggests that the use of hypoglycemic plant remedies clinically requires further systematic study

Liposomes-in-chitosan hydrogel boosts potential of chlorhexidine in biofilm eradication in vitro

Successful treatment of skin infections requires eradication of biofilms found in up to 90 % of all chronic wounds, causing delayed healing and increased morbidity. We hypothesized that chitosan hydrogel boosts the activity of liposomally-associated membrane active antimicrobials (MAA) and could potentially improve bacterial and biofilm eradication. Therefore, liposomes (∼300 nm) bearing chlorhexidine (CHX; ∼50 μg/mg lipid) as a model MAA were incorporated into chitosan hydrogel. The novel CHX-liposomes-in-hydrogel formulation was optimized for skin therapy. It significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage and almost completely reduced biofilm formation. Moreover, it reduced Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa adherent bacterial cells in biofilm by 64.2–98.1 %. Chitosan hydrogel boosted the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of CHX

Knowledge about preventive dentistry versus self-reported competence in providing preventive oral healthcare – a study among Nepalese dentists

Source at https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2Fs12903-017-0366-5 Background: Dentists ’ and dental healthcare providers ’ professional knowledge and attitude towards the prevention of oral diseases may have an impact on the oral health of the general population. The aim of this study was to describe Nepalese dentists ’ competency in giving preventive education and treatment to their patients, and to assess their level of knowledge about preventive dental health. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 195 dentists (71 males and 124 females). Knowledge of preventive oral healthcare and self-reported aspects of preventive oral healthcare were assessed using a close-ended multiple- choice questionnaire. Statistical evaluation was done using chi-squared test, independent sample t-test and factor analysis as appropriate. Results: More than 90% of dentists self-reported to be competent in providing preventive treatment and oral hygiene education to their patients. Female dentists reported being more competent in giving oral hygiene education than their male counterparts ( p = 0.045). Dentists scored a mean of 24.06 ± 3.8 [range (15 – 33)] out of 56 on knowledge based on self-reported awareness of seven different aspects of preventive dentistry. More than 70% of the dentists had relatively good knowledge regarding the use of fluoride, whereas the preventive knowledge in other aspects of dental health such as frequency of sugar consumption, xylitol use, dental visits, sealant, gingival health, dental and general health was found to be limited. Conclusions: The majority of participating dentists reported a high level of general competency in providing preventive treatment and oral health education to their patients, whereas their knowledge was found to be limited in some aspects of preventive dentistry

Chitosan-based delivery system enhances antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine

Infected chronic skin wounds and other skin infections are increasingly putting pressure on the health care providers and patients. The pressure is especially concerning due to the rise of antimicrobial resistance and biofilm-producing bacteria that further impair treatment success. Therefore, innovative strategies for wound healing and bacterial eradication are urgently needed; utilization of materials with inherent biological properties could offer a potential solution. Chitosan is one of the most frequently used polymers in delivery systems. This bioactive polymer is often regarded as an attractive constituent in delivery systems due to its inherent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and wound healing properties. However, lipid-based vesicles and liposomes are generally considered more suitable as delivery systems for skin due to their ability to interact with the skin structure and provide prolonged release, protect the antimicrobial compound, and allow high local concentrations at the infected site. To take advantage of the beneficial attributes of the lipid-based vesicles and chitosan, these components can be combined into chitosan-containing liposomes or chitosomes and chitosan-coated liposomes. These systems have previously been investigated for use in wound therapy; however, their potential in infected wounds is not fully investigated. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether both the chitosan-containing and chitosan-coated liposomes tailored for infected wounds could improve the antimicrobial activity of the membrane-active antimicrobial chlorhexidine, while assuring both the anti-inflammatory activity and cell compatibility. Chlorhexidine was incorporated into three different vesicles, namely plain (chitosan-free), chitosan-containing and chitosan-coated liposomes that were optimized for skin wounds. Their release profile, antimicrobial activities, anti-inflammatory properties, and cell compatibility were assessed in vitro. The vesicles comprising chitosan demonstrated slower release rate of chlorhexidine and high cell compatibility. Additionally, the inflammatory responses in murine macrophages treated with these vesicles were reduced by about 60% compared to non-treated cells. Finally, liposomes containing both chitosan and chlorhexidine demonstrated the strongest antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus. Both chitosan-containing and chitosan-coated liposomes comprising chlorhexidine could serve as excellent platforms for the delivery of membrane-active antimicrobials to infected wounds as confirmed by improved antimicrobial performance of chlorhexidine

Liposomes-In-Hydrogel Delivery System Enhances the Potential of Resveratrol in Combating Vaginal Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections and causes serious reproductive tract complications among women. The limitations of existing oral antibiotics and treatment of antimicrobial resistance require alternative treatment options. We are proposing, for the first time, the natural polyphenol resveratrol (RES) in an advanced delivery system comprising liposomes incorporated in chitosan hydrogel, for the localized treatment of C. trachomatis infection. Both free RES and RES liposomes-in-hydrogel inhibited the propagation of C. trachomatis in a concentration-dependent manner, assessed by the commonly used in vitro model comprising McCoy cells. However, for lower concentrations, the anti-chlamydial effect of RES was enhanced when incorporated into a liposomes-in-hydrogel delivery system, with inhibition of 78% and 94% for 1.5 and 3 µg/mL RES, respectively for RES liposomes-in-hydrogel, compared to 43% and 72%, respectively, for free RES. Furthermore, RES liposomes-in-hydrogel exhibited strong anti-inflammatory activity in vitro, in a concentration-dependent inhibition of nitric oxide production in the LPS-induced macrophages (RAW 264.7). The combination of a natural substance exhibiting multi-targeted pharmacological properties, and a delivery system that provides enhanced activity as well as applicability for vaginal administration, could be a promising option for the localized treatment of C. trachomatis infection

Liposomes-In-Hydrogel Delivery System Enhances the Potential of Resveratrol in Combating Vaginal Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections and causes serious reproductive tract complications among women. The limitations of existing oral antibiotics and treatment of antimicrobial resistance require alternative treatment options. We are proposing, for the first time, the natural polyphenol resveratrol (RES) in an advanced delivery system comprising liposomes incorporated in chitosan hydrogel, for the localized treatment of C. trachomatis infection. Both free RES and RES liposomes-in-hydrogel inhibited the propagation of C. trachomatis in a concentration-dependent manner, assessed by the commonly used in vitro model comprising McCoy cells. However, for lower concentrations, the anti-chlamydial effect of RES was enhanced when incorporated into a liposomes-in-hydrogel delivery system, with inhibition of 78% and 94% for 1.5 and 3 µg/mL RES, respectively for RES liposomes-in-hydrogel, compared to 43% and 72%, respectively, for free RES. Furthermore, RES liposomes-in-hydrogel exhibited strong anti-inflammatory activity in vitro, in a concentration-dependent inhibition of nitric oxide production in the LPS-induced macrophages (RAW 264.7). The combination of a natural substance exhibiting multi-targeted pharmacological properties, and a delivery system that provides enhanced activity as well as applicability for vaginal administration, could be a promising option for the localized treatment of C. trachomatis infection

Deformable liposomes for skin therapy with human epidermal growth factor: The effect of liposomal surface charge

Accepted manuscript version, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Published version available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2018.10.005.The topical administration of exogenous human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) is a promising approach for improved chronic wound therapy. To develop therapeutically superior hEGF formulation, we prepared hEGF-containing neutral (NDLs), cationic (CDLs) and anionic (ADLs) deformable liposomes (DLs), respectively, since it is expected that the liposomal surface charge can affect both the liposomal physicochemical properties, their skin penetration potential and therapeutic efficacy of liposome-associated drug. All prepared liposomes were of similar size (300–350 nm) with high hEGF load (~80% entrapment efficacy). Among the studied DLs, ADLs were found to be most promising for sustained release of hEGF, as assessed in vitro using the polyamide membrane. Ex vivo studies revealed that all DLs were excellent systems for skin therapy with hEGF and no penetration of hEGF through the full thickness human skin was detected. ADLs provided a depot exhibiting the highest hEGF retention onto the human skin surface. ADLs also revealed enhanced mitogenic activities in human fibroblasts compared to both NDLs and CDLs after 48 hrs treatment. Moreover, hEGF-containing ADLs significantly enhanced mitogenic activity in fibroblast as compared to activity of hEGF solution (positive control). Similar trends were observed in human keratinocytes after 24 hrs of treatment. We proved that the liposomal surface charge affects the therapeutic potential of hEGF-containing liposomes. hEGF-containing ADLs can be a promising nanosystem-based formulation for localized therapy of chronic wounds