Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Potential of Essential Oils in Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications

Since the earliest times, essential oils (EOs) have been utilized for medicinal and traditional purposes. However, in recent decades, an increasing interest has developed due to the need to rediscover herbal remedies and adjuvant therapies for the management of various diseases, particularly chronic ones. The present narrative review examines the potential for EOs to exert hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects in diabetes mellitus, analyzing the main publications having evaluated plant species with potentially beneficial effects through their phytocompounds in diabetes mellitus and its complications. Numerous species have shown promising characteristics that can be used in diabetes management. The hypoglycemic effects of these EOs are attributed to their capacity to stimulate glucose uptake, suppress glucose production, and increase insulin sensitivity. Moreover, EOs can alleviate the oxidative stress by manifesting their antioxidant effects via a variety of mechanisms, including the scavenging of free radicals, the regulation of antioxidant enzymes, and the decreasing of lipid peroxidation, due to their diverse chemical composition. These findings demonstrate the possible benefits of EOs as adjuvant therapeutic agents in the management of diabetes and its complications. The use of EOs in the treatment of diabetes shows good potential for the development of natural and effective strategies to enhance the health outcomes of people with this chronic condition, but additional experimental endorsements are required

Exploring New Therapeutic Avenues for Ophthalmic Disorders: Glaucoma-Related Molecular Docking Evaluation and Bibliometric Analysis for Improved Management of Ocular Diseases

Ophthalmic disorders consist of a broad spectrum of ailments that impact the structures and functions of the eye. Due to the crucial function of the retina in the vision process, the management of eye ailments is of the utmost importance, but several unmet needs have been identified in terms of the outcome measures in clinical trials, more proven minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, and a lack of comprehensive bibliometric assessments, among others. The current evaluation seeks to fulfill several of these unmet needs via a dual approach consisting of a molecular docking analysis based on the potential of ripasudil and fasudil to inhibit Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCKs), virtual screening of ligands, and pharmacokinetic predictions, emphasizing the identification of new compounds potentially active in the management of glaucoma, and a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the most recent publications indexed in the Web of Science evaluating the management of several of the most common eye conditions. This method resulted in the finding of ligands (i.e., ZINC000000022706 with the most elevated binding potential for ROCK1 and ZINC000034800307 in the case of ROCK2) that are not presently utilized in any therapeutic regimen but may represent a future option to be successfully applied in the therapeutic scheme of glaucoma following further comprehensive testing validations. In addition, this research also analyzed multiple papers listed in the Web of Science collection of databases via the VOSviewer application to deliver, through descriptive analysis of the results, an in-depth overview of publications contributing to the present level of comprehension in therapeutic approaches to ocular diseases in terms of scientific impact, citation analyses, most productive authors, journals, and countries, as well as collaborative networks. Based on the molecular docking study’s preliminary findings, the most promising candidates must be thoroughly studied to determine their efficacy and risk profiles. Bibliometric analysis may also help researchers set targets to improve ocular disease outcomes

Micropulse Laser Therapy as an Integral Part of Eye Disease Management

Ocular diseases can significantly impact vision and quality of life through pathophysiological alterations to the structure of the eye. The management of these conditions often involves a combination of pharmaceutical interventions, surgical procedures, and laser therapy. Laser technology has revolutionized many medical fields, including ophthalmology, offering precise and targeted treatment options that solve some of the unmet needs of other therapeutic strategies. Conventional laser techniques, while effective, can generate excessive thermal energy, leading to collateral tissue damage and potential side effects. Compared to conventional laser techniques, micropulse laser therapy delivers laser energy in a pulsed manner, minimizing collateral damage while effectively treating target tissues. The present paper highlights the advantages of micropulse laser therapy over conventional laser treatments, presents the implications of applying these strategies to some of the most prevalent ocular diseases, and highlights several types and mechanisms of micropulse lasers. Although micropulse laser therapy shows great potential in the management of ocular diseases, further research is needed to optimize treatment protocols, evaluate long-term efficacy, and explore its role in combination therapies

Polyphenols Targeting MAPK Mediated Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune disorder, predominantly symmetric, which causes joint inflammation, cartilage degeneration and bone erosion, resulting in deformity and the loss of physical function. Although the management of RA has steadily improved, the pathophysiological mechanism is incompletely elucidated, and therapeutic options are still limited. Due to shortcomings in the efficacy or safety profiles of conventional RA therapies, therapeutic alternatives have been considered. Therefore, natural extracts containing polyphenolic compounds can become promising adjuvant agents for RA global management, due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and apoptotic properties. Polyphenols can regulate intracellular signaling pathways in RA and can generate different immune responses through some key factors (i.e., MAPK, interleukins (ILs 1 and 6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nuclear factor light k chain promoter of activated receptor (NF-κB), and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK)). The critical function of the Toll like-receptor (TLR)-dependent mitogen-activating protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in mediating the pathogenic characteristics of RA has been briefly discussed. Oxidative stress can trigger a change in transcription factors, which leads to the different expression of some genes involved in the inflammatory process. This review aims to provide a comprehensive perspective on the efficacy of polyphenols in mitigating RA by inhibiting signaling pathways, suggesting future research perspectives in order to validate their use