Retinal cell-targeted liposomal ginsenoside Rg3 attenuates retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury via alleviating oxidative stress and promoting microglia/macrophage M2 polarization.

Retinal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR) injury remains a major challenge that is detrimental to retinal cell survival in a variety of ocular diseases. However, current clinical treatments focus on a single pathological mechanism, making them unable to provide comprehensive retinal protection. A variety of natural products including ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

ROS generation and p-38 activation contribute to montmorillonite-induced corneal toxicity in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Montmorillonite (Mt) and its derivatives are now widely used in industrial and biomedical fields. Therefore, safety assessments of these materials are critical to protect human health after exposure; however, studies on the ocular toxicity of Mt are lacking. In particular, varying physicochemical characteristics of Mt may greatly alter their toxicological potential.

Nanoparticles loaded with pharmacologically active plant-derived natural products: Biomedical applications and toxicity.

Pharmacologically active natural products have played a significant role in the history of drug development. They have acted as sources of therapeutic drugs for various diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases. However, most natural products suffer from poor water solubility and low bioavailability, limiting their clinical applications.

Silica nanoparticles: Biomedical applications and toxicity.

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are composed of silicon dioxide, the most abundant compound on Earth, and are used widely in many applications including the food industry, synthetic processes, medical diagnosis, and drug delivery due to their controllable particle size, large surface area, and great biocompatibility. Building on basic synthetic methods, convenient and economical strategies have been developed for the synthesis of SiNPs. Numerous studies have assessed the biomedical applications of SiNPs, including the surface and structural modification of SiNPs to target various cancers and diagnose diseases.