Neurodegenerative diseases were mostly perceived as diseases of ageing populations, but now-a-days, these diseases pose a threat to populations of all age groups despite significant improvements in quality of life. Almost all essential oils (EOs) have been reported to have some neuroprotective abilities and have been used as supplements for good mental health over the centuries. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of one such monoterpene phenolic EO, carvacrol (CV), that has the potential to be used as a main therapeutic intervention for neurodegenerative disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have shown promise as a delivery system for nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including DNA, siRNA, and mRNA vaccines. The immune system plays a critical role in the response to these nanocarriers, with innate immune cells initiating an early response and adaptive immune cells mediating a more specific reaction, sometimes leading to potential adverse effects. Recent studies have shown that the innate immune response to LNPs is mediated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and other pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which recognize the lipid components of the nanoparticles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSilk fibroin nanoparticles (SFNs) have been widely investigated for drug delivery, but their clinical application still faces technical (large-scale and GMP-compliant manufacturing), economic (cost-effectiveness in comparison to other polymer-based nanoparticles), and biological (biodistribution assessments) challenges. To address biodistribution challenge, we provide a straightforward desolvation method (in acetone) to produce homogeneous SFNs incorporating increasing amounts of FeO (SFNs-Fe), detectable by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and loaded with curcumin as a model lipophilic drug. SFNs-Fe were characterized by a homogeneous distribution of the combined materials and showed an actual FeO loading close to the theoretical one.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFManna, a well-known herbal drug has multiple traditional and pharmaceutical uses and the entire composition, sugar derivatives and polyphenols, gives rise to a very interesting bioactive complex with versatile therapeutic and benefic properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of this research was to investigate a manna extract loaded in a pectin hydrogel as a synergic vehicle to evaluate the potential use of the complex for cosmetic and dermatological applications. In particular, the study set out to disclose manna properties as a wound healing agent with antimicrobial and reparative activity on infected tissues.
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