Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Safety Profile of L. Extract Obtained from Romania.

L., also known as licorice, belongs to the family and is one of the most commercially valuable plants worldwide, being used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, both for its therapeutic benefits as well as for the sweetening properties of the extract. This study evaluates the phytochemical composition, the biological activities, and the safety profile of a methanolic extract of licorice root (LRE) obtained from Romania.

Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Puerarin: Characterization, Antimicrobial Potential, Angiogenesis, and Safety Profile Assessment.

Background: Zinc oxide nanobiocomposites were successfully synthesized using a green synthesis approach. The process involves the utilization of the isoflavone puerarin, resulting in the formation of PUE-ZnO NPs.

Methods: Physico-chemical and biological characterization techniques including X-ray dif-fraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and in ovo methods were employed to study the main characteristics of this novel hybrid material.

Antioxidant Extracts from Greek and Spanish Olive Leaves: Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Antiangiogenic Effects.

L. is the most valuable species of the type, and its products offer a wide range of therapeutical uses. The olive tree has been extensively studied for its nourishing qualities, and the "Mediterranean diet", which includes virgin olive oil as a key dietary component, is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and various malignancies.

Cutaneous Polymeric-Micelles-Based Hydrogel Containing L. Essential Oil: In Vitro Release and Permeation, Angiogenesis, and Safety Profile In Ovo.

var. essential oil (OEO) is known as a natural product with multiple beneficial effects with application in dermatology. Oregano essential oil represents a potential natural therapeutic alternative for fibroepithelial polyps (FPs), commonly known as skin tags.

Structural Investigation of Betulinic Acid Plasma Metabolites by Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Betulinic acid (BA) has been extensively studied in recent years mainly for its antiproliferative and antitumor effect in various types of cancers. Limited data are available regarding the pharmacokinetic profile of BA, particularly its metabolic transformation in vivo. In this study, we present the screening and structural investigations by ESI Orbitrap MS in the negative ion mode and CID MS/MS of phase I and phase II metabolites detected in mouse plasma after the intraperitoneal administration of a nanoemulsion containing BA in SKH 1 female mice.

The Anti-Melanoma Effect of Betulinic Acid Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles: A Mechanistic In Vitro Approach.

Implementing metallic nanoparticles as research instruments for the transport of therapeutically active compounds remains a fundamentally vital work direction that can still potentially generate novelties in the field of drug formulation development. Gold nanoparticles (GNP) are easily tunable carriers for active phytocompounds like pentacyclic triterpenes. These formulations can boost the bioavailability of a lipophilic structure and, in some instances, can also enhance its therapeutic efficacy.

An Up-To-Date Review Regarding Cutaneous Benefits of L. Essential Oil.

Due to the plethora of pharmacological activities reported in the literature, L. is a valuable aromatic plant for the medicine of the XXI century. Recent studies highlight that L.

Antimicrobial activity, in vitro anticancer effect (MCF-7 breast cancer cell line), antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory potentials of Populus nigra L. buds extract.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential, antimicrobial activity, the in vitro anticancer effect (tested on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line), as well as the antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory potential of Populus nigra L. bud (Pg) extract collected from the western part of Romania.

Results: Populus nigra L.

Investigation of Lupeol as Anti-Melanoma Agent: An In Vitro-In Ovo Perspective.

Malignant melanoma (MM) represents the most life-threatening skin cancer worldwide, with a narrow and inefficient chemotherapeutic arsenal available in advanced disease stages. Lupeol (LUP) is a triterpenoid-type phytochemical possessing a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties, including a potent anticancer effect against several neoplasms (e.g.

Hollongdione arylidene derivatives induce antiproliferative activity against melanoma and breast cancer through pro-apoptotic and antiangiogenic mechanisms.

The use of natural compounds as starting point for semisynthetic derivatives has already been proven as a valuable source of active anticancer agents. Hollongdione (4,4,8,14-tetramethyl-18-norpregnan-3,20-dion), obtained by few steps from dammarane type triterpenoid dipterocarpol, was chemically modified at C2 and C21 carbon atoms by the Claisen-Schmidt aldol condensation to give a series of arylidene derivatives. The anticancer activity of the obtained compounds was assessed on NCI-60 cancer cell panel, revealing strong antiproliferative effects against a large variety of cancer cells.

Novel Synthesized -Ethyl-Piperazinyl-Amides of C2-Substituted Oleanonic and Ursonic Acids Exhibit Cytotoxic Effects through Apoptotic Cell Death Regulation.

A series of novel hybrid chalcone N-ethyl-piperazinyl amide derivatives of oleanonic and ursonic acids were synthesized, and their cytotoxic potential was evaluated in vitro against the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel. Compounds and exhibited the highest overall anticancer activity, with GI values in some cases reaching nanomolar values. Thus, the two compounds were further assessed in detail in order to identify a possible apoptosis- and antiangiogenic-based mechanism of action induced by the assessed compounds.

3-Pyridinylidene Derivatives of Chemically Modified Lupane and Ursane Triterpenes as Promising Anticancer Agents by Targeting Apoptosis.

Cancer persists as a global challenge due to the extent to which conventional anticancer therapies pose high risks counterbalanced with their therapeutic benefit. Naturally occurring substances stand as an important safer alternative source for anticancer drug development. In the current study, a series of modified lupane and ursane derivatives was subjected to in vitro screening on the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel.

An Evaluation of the Antiproliferative and Antiangiogenic Effect of Flavone Apigenin against SK-MEL-24 Human Melanoma Cell Line.

One of the most important class of natural compounds with successful preclinical results in the management of cancer is the flavonoids. Due to the plethora of biological activities, apigenin (4',5,7 trihydroxyflavone) is a main representant of the flavone subclass. Although the antiproliferative and antiangiogenic effects of apigenin were studied on a significant number of human and murine melanoma cell lines, in order to complete the data existing in the literature, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of apigenin on SK-MEL-24 human melanoma cell line as well as on tumor angiogenesis using the aforementioned cell line on the chorioallantoic membrane assay.

Development and Characterization of FeO@Carbon Nanoparticles and Their Biological Screening Related to Oral Administration.

The current study presents the effect of naked FeO@Carbon nanoparticles obtained by the combustion method on primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and primary gingival keratinocytes (PGKs)-relevant cell lines of buccal oral mucosa. In this regard, the objectives of this study were as follows: (i) development via combustion method and characterization of nanosized magnetite particles with carbon on their surface, (ii) biocompatibility assessment of the obtained magnetic nanoparticles on HGF and PGK cell lines and (iii) evaluation of possible irritative reaction of FeO@Carbon nanoparticles on the highly vascularized chorioallantoic membrane of a chick embryo. Physicochemical properties of FeO@Carbon nanoparticles were characterized in terms of phase composition, chemical structure, and polymorphic and molecular interactions of the chemical bonds within the nanomaterial, magnetic measurements, ultrastructure, morphology, and elemental composition.

Scaffold-Type Structure Dental Ceramics with Different Compositions Evaluated through Physicochemical Characteristics and Biosecurity Profiles.

The design and development of ceramic structures based on 3D scaffolding as dental bone substitutes has become a topic of great interest in the regenerative dentistry research area. In this regard, the present study focuses on the development of two scaffold-type structures obtained from different commercial dental ceramics by employing the foam replication method. At the same time, the study underlines the physicochemical features and the biological profiles of the newly developed scaffolds, compared to two traditional Cerabone materials used for bone augmentation, by employing both the in vitro Alamar blue proliferation test at 24, 48 and 96 h poststimulation and the in ovo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay.

L. Aqueous Extract Exerts Antioxidant and Antiangiogenic Effects and Improves Physiological Skin Parameters.

Melissa officinalis (MO) is a medicinal plant well-known for its multiple pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer and beneficial effects on skin recovery. In this context, the present study was aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo safety profile of an MO aqueous extract by assessing cell viability on normal (HaCaT-human keratinocytes) and tumor (A375-human melanoma) cells and its impact on physiological skin parameters by a non-invasive method. In addition, the antioxidant activity and the antiangiogenic potential of the extract were verified.

Anticancer Potential of Betulonic Acid Derivatives.

Clinical trials have evidenced that several natural compounds, belonging to the phytochemical classes of alkaloids, terpenes, phenols and flavonoids, are effective for the management of various types of cancer. Latest research has proven that natural products and their semisynthetic variants may serve as a starting point for new drug candidates with a diversity of biological and pharmacological activities, designed to improve bioavailability, overcome cellular resistance, and enhance therapeutic efficacy. This review was designed to bring an update regarding the anticancer potential of betulonic acid and its semisynthetic derivatives.

[Corrigendum] Mechanistic investigations of antitumor activity of a Rhodamine B‑oleanolic acid derivative bioconjugate.

Subsequently to the publication of the above paper, the authors have realized that they should have credited a Professor René Csuk [Martin‑Luther‑Universität Halle‑Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany] for the use of a compound that his group synthesized in the study. Therefore, the authors wish to include the following text in the Acknowledgements' section of the Declarations: 'The authors are grateful to Professor Rene Csuk, Department of Organic Chemistry, Martin‑Luther University Halle‑Wittenberg, for providing us with the rhodamine B‑conjugated oleanolic acid derivative (RhodOA)'. All the named authors agree to this Corrigendum, and apologize to Professor Csuk for the upset and inconvenience caused.

A Recent Insight Regarding the Phytochemistry and Bioactivity of L. Essential Oil.

L. is a widely used aromatic plant, especially due to its content in essential oil, mainly rich in carvacrol and thymol. The ethnopharmacological uses of L.

Comparative Toxicological In Vitro and In Ovo Screening of Different Orthodontic Implants Currently Used in Dentistry.

Unlabelled: Selecting the most biocompatible orthodontic implant available on the market may be a major challenge, given the wide array of orthodontic devices currently available on the market. The latest scientific data have suggested that in vitro evaluations using oral cell lines provide reliable data regarding the toxicity of residual particles released by different types of orthodontic devices. In this regard, the in vitro biocompatibility of three different commercially available implants (stainless steel and titanium-based implants) was assessed.

Correlations on Phenolic Screening Related to In Vitro and In Ovo Assessment of L. Hydro-Alcoholic Extracts Used as Skin Active Ingredient.

The current study was aimed to evaluate the phenolic composition parameters of two hydro-alcoholic extracts of L. (OB) obtained from the aerial part (without leaves) and leaves, in order to determine their contribution to the antioxidant activity (AOA). Both hydro-alcoholic extracts have proven to be rich in polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, flavonols and tannins.

Thermosensitive Betulinic Acid-Loaded Magnetoliposomes: A Promising Antitumor Potential for Highly Aggressive Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cells Under Hyperthermic Conditions.

Purpose: Breast cancer presents one of the highest rates of prevalence around the world. Despite this, the current breast cancer therapy is characterized by significant side effects and high risk of recurrence. The present work aimed to develop a new therapeutic strategy that may improve the current breast cancer therapy by developing a heat-sensitive liposomal nano-platform suitable to incorporate both anti-tumor betulinic acid (BA) compound and magnetic iron nanoparticles (MIONPs), in order to address both remote drug release and hyperthermia-inducing features.