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Acrylamide (AA) is a chemical substance which is used as a soil stabilizing agent and in the production of copolymers and polymers since 1970. The presence of an AA adduct in food was observed in rats fed with fried food which led to a substantial increase in levels of hemoglobin adduct. Foods that are rich in carbohydrate when prepared at high temperature (above 120 ºC) by baking, toasting, frying, roasting or cooking results in the production of AA by the reaction of the amino acid with glucose present in it. Several studies observed AA toxicity on nervous system, reproductive system, and immune system. To justify this toxicity there is not a clear mechanism described. In this review article the mechanisms of AA toxicity on urogenital system and role of antioxidants against its toxicity has been reviewed. According to previous studies the main factor that induces AA toxicity is oxidative stress. AA treated groups revealed degeneration of the kidney’s epithelial lining and the glomerular tuft. Adverse effect on reproductive system by AA has been evidenced by sperm-head abnormalities, dominant lethal effects, and testicular epithelial tissue degeneration. Therefore, it is advised that modifying of food processing methods and consuming lot of vegetables and fruits containing antioxidants. These antioxidants give us some supports to the cells of our body organs against the AA sources which cause cell defects.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS – CoV2), the causative viral pathogen of the COVID-19 pandemic belongs to the family of Coronaviruses which are positive single stranded RNA viruses. The scientific fraternity has developed and developing various types of vaccines for prevention against COVID-19, such as inactivated virus vaccines, mRNA vaccines, replicating vector protein subunit vaccines, etc., Out of which ten vaccines namely Novovax, Covovax (protein subunit vaccines), Pfizer BNT16b2, Moderna mRNA 1273 (mRNA vaccines), Johnson & Johnson Ad26, Cov2.S, Astrazeneca AZD1222, Covishield (non-replicating viral vector vaccines), Covaxin, Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV, CoronoVac (inactivated vaccines) have been approved for clinical use by WHO. There is an urgent need for SARS-CoV2 specific therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19 as there is the emergence of various variants such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron, etc. The emergence of variants that possesses immune evading property and spike protein mutation have increased infectivity and more pathogenicity which impelled the need to develop various therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19. This review compiles the information about potential antiviral candidates in preclinical trials intended for the treatment of COVID-19. The clinical development of such antivirals will be very crucial for the treatment of COVID-19 and also to curb the spread as the present scenario depends on the development of effective prophylactic vaccines.

Objective: The main objectives of the present investigation work included that the preparation of a suitable naproxen semi-solid dosage form by using different types of semi-solid bases (gel bases, ointment bases) for topical application for the effective treatment of muscle aches. Methods: Different types of semi-solid bases (gel bases and ointment bases) were successfully prepared by the incorporation method to know the effect of semi-solid bases on drug release from topical semi-solid formulations. In all formulations, the drug was added by the levigation method. An evaluation study of prepared formulations, includes physical appearance, spreadability, extrudability, pH was conducted according to official methods. Results: Percent drug release of all formulations was conducted by taking diffusion cells with cellophane membrane and results showed that gel-based formulations showed more drug release than ointment-based formulations. Carbopol gel base (F1) showed more drug release (98.76 %), simple ointment base formulation (F8) showed least drug release (25.11%). From the stability studies reports at various temperature and humidity conditions it is evident that all formulations are stable for one month. In all the formulations, the drug content was observed at 95.75%. Conclusion: Finally concluded that the NXN topical dosage forms can be prepared by using gel-type bases preferably than ointment bases to release more drug from formulations.

Objective: The main objective of this study was to the formulation containing polyherbal medicinal plants, which gives safety, and efficacy; rectify skin disease, scalp disorders and reducing the harmful effect from herbal anti-lice and dandruff shampoos for the treatment of Pediculosis capitis and Pityriasis capitis and to prevent hair fall. Methods: The formulation of herbal shampoo with various herbal ingredients were dried, milled, sieved (120#) and mixed in geometrical order and evaluated their physicochemical characteristics. Furthermore, particle characters, organoleptic properties, foaming index, skin irritation study, and Anti-lice activity were performed. Results: The prepared poly herbal powdered shampoo (PHPS) exhibits that was freely soluble, particle 20-25 μm size range and free-flowing powder. Lest moisture content (2.5%), ash value, acid value and reduced surface tension of liquid are referred as an ideal candidate for foaming, anti-lice potential with no skin irritations. Conclusion: Based on the evaluation parameters, the prepared powdered shampoo helps to remove hair grease, no hair fall and strengthen hair follicles. Preparation of PHPS formulation at laboratory scale and the compounding of several ingredients of herbal source have produced it possible to ensure safety, efficacy and secure highly effective PHPS.

According to reports, one of the leading causes of mortality is cancer. Over the years, numerous approaches have been devised to lessen chronic pain and death as well as to elevate the quality of life. However, a scarcity persists in the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Early cancer identification and medication delivery with excellent specificity to reduce toxicities are two critical elements in ensuring effective cancer treatment. As a result of severe systemic toxicities and issues with current cancer diagnostic and treatment procedures, alternative nanotechnology-based techniques are being employed to improve detection and minimize disease severity. Nanotechnology has shown promising breakthroughs in cancer therapy by eliminating tumours with minimal damage to surrounding healthy cells. Since zinc is one of the necessary trace elements found in large amounts in human body tissues, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are said to be the most cost-effective and have the least hazardous characteristics of all metal oxide nanoparticles. In addition, ZnO NPs have several biological uses, notably in the field of drug administration. In this review, we tried to explore the advantage of ZnO NPs in the biomedical field, particularly in the treatment of cancer which can help to facilitate future research progress.

Plants are the natural source for the antioxidants from plants source is boon for the investigators. Present study was aimed to study the antioxidant activity and phytochemical screening of Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. & Thomson extract. Study involved preparation hydroalcoholic extract of Cananga odorata leaves (HECOL) using maceration method, followed by its phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity. The HECOL was subjected to determination of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), and DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) radical scavenging assay for determination of antioxidant activity. Maceration of C. odorata using hydroalcoholic solvent offered dark brown colored HECOL. Phytochemical screening of HECOL exhibited presence of carbohydrates, mucilage, fats and oils, volatile oils, anthraquinone glycosides, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and phenolic compounds. For TPC the gallic acid equivalent of HECOL was found to be 0.507 mg GAE/g. Whereas for TFC, the rutin equivalent of HECOL was found to be 0.2224mg RE/g. The antioxidant activity of HECOL was estimated to be 120.44μg/ml (IC50). Based on the experimental results, present study concludes that HECOL possess the significant antioxidant potential. This study also recommends that antioxidant activity potential of C. odorata leaves should be further explored using different solvent extracts.

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of Covid-19. We have been fortunate enough for the swift response of the Scientific world to the various types of vaccines available today. Presently there is ongoing continuous research for more therapeutic options. Yet the worrying fact is there has been the emergence of various new mutant strains. These mutant strains are hindering the process the whole world is carrying out since the beginning of the pandemic to curb it. These mutant strains are of concern since they possess high infective abilities, neutralizing the natural as well as vaccine-induced antibodies and with immune-evading properties. As the focus present is more on the mutation and mutant strains of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) understanding the role of their structural proteins, non-structural proteins, and accessory proteins is more significant as they do have a key role in the above-mentioned properties in mutant strains. Conclusion Researchers and the scientific community need the compiled data about the various variants as per WHO, and crucial information on SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, non-structural proteins, and accessory proteins. This review is to elucidate SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, non-structural proteins, and accessory proteins as well as the mutant variants. Keywords: Accessory proteins, Covid–19, non-structural proteins, SARS-CoV-2, structural proteins, variant strains

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has special physical and chemical characteristics which enable it to be utilized in numerous applications including electronics, sunscreens, pigments, and most notably in biomedical applications. Nanoemulsions containing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are progressively sought-after as an active component in cosmetic formulations and are used in sunscreens, moisturizers, and antiaging products. Zinc paste bandages including Unna boot consist of open wove cotton gauze treated with ZnO paste are now common medicaments for leg ulcers. The damaged and broken skins are vulnerable to ZnO NPs uptake. This being the case, ZnO NPs on the skin surface can affect the functions of surrounding cells in numerous ways by penetrating into the skin cells. This could exert toxicity effects on the skin cells over time depending on the concentration and site of ZnO NPs exposure. This review brings together some findings regarding the toxicity of ZnO NPs on human skin dermal cells and thus in turn enlightens the safer usage of ZnO NPs in skin care applications.

Hyperpigmentation is one of the most commonly seen skin disorders which is not a concerning health issues but it may affect the psychological aspect of a person. Hyperpigmentation is caused by the presence of excess melanin, which is the brown pigment of the skin. Products that aimed to reduce the pigmentations act by inhibiting the tyrosinase enzyme, which is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of melanin. There are many products that are currently available in the market that aims to reduce pigmentation of the skin. These products are conventionally formulated into different dosage forms such as cream, lotion and emulgel, which gains popularity due to its convenience on application. However, due to the drawbacks that these dosage forms possess such as poor stability and absorption, new formulations are presented which incorporate novel drug delivery system into the conventional dosage forms. These novel drug delivery systems are, inter alia, liposome, niosomes and microsphere. They carry benefits of controlled drug delivery, enhanced skin penetration and reduce drug toxicity as compared to the conventional dosage form, which resulted in the increase in marketed product diving into this pathway. This present article will discuss the various dosage forms, drug delivery system, its advantages, disadvantages and marketed product for pigmentation control.

Over the past two decades, supercritical fluid technology has emerged as one of the most important technologies applied in many fields such as cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical. Supercritical fluid extraction process offers numerous advantages such as easy, effective, inexpensive, high quality of solute extraction and environmentally friendly. This mini-review describes the fundamentals of supercritical fluid technology, the function of supercritical fluid as solvent and anti-solvent, mechanism of supercritical fluid, advantages and disadvantages and revisit the application of supercritical fluid technology in pharmaceutical sciences. In-depth discussion with recent examples of extraction of natural products, particle design in drug delivery, preparation on pharmaceutical powder, drug solubilization, inclusion complex, polymer impregnation, liposomal formulations, purification and polymorphism as well as drug extraction analysis are also presented. Key aspects and processing considerations of supercritical fluid technologies are reviewed to assist scientists to generate other related experimental works. © 2020, Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India. All rights reserved.

The amlodipine besylate tablet is one of the most highly prescribed medicines to manage hypertension in the geriatric population. However, the difficulty of swallowing tablets due to problems like dysphagia, fear of choking, and odynophagia has been identified as one of the contributing factors to non-compliance among geriatrics. Due to the swallowing factor among geriatrics, this study was conducted to compare two compounding methods of orally disintegrating films, namely solvent casting and spray casting, to produce an orally disintegrating film containing amlodipine besylate. Different polymers were used to develop the orally disintegrating films, and the formulations were subjected to validation tests such as thickness, folding endurance, tensile strength, percentage of elongation, Young's modulus, disintegration, and dissolution. Chemicals like hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, glycerin, mannitol, sodium lauryl sulfate, citric acid, peppermint oil, and a coloring agent were used to formulate the orally disintegrating films. In addition, orally disintegrating films were prepared using the solvent casting and the spraying method. An increase in the polymer's concentration resulted in the formation of a greater mechanical strength. After a comparison between the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and the carboxymethyl cellulose as film-forming agents, it was discovered that hydroxypropyl methylcellulose had greater mechanical film properties than carboxymethyl cellulose, except for the folding endurance. Moreover, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose was shown to have a better disintegration time, which was in the range of 30 minutes to 90 minutes, with a drug release of 95% to 100%, while carboxymethyl cellulose disintegrated at 6 minutes to 15 minutes with a drug release of 60% to 75%. On the other hand, both the solvent casting and spraying methods produced an evenly matched orally disintegrating film quality. Orally disintegrating films containing amlodipine besylate were developed and characterized. It was concluded that these orally disintegrating films have a great potential in the market and a profound ability in the reduction of geriatric non-compliance to antihypertensive drugs.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are widely used in biomedical applications due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The objective of the present study was to determine the antifungal activity of ZnO NPs against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The turbidity test results showed a significant (p < 0.05) dose-dependent growth inhibitory effect of ZnO NPs on S. cerevisiae as the growth inhibition increased from 7.04 ± 0.64 to 70.30 ± 3.19% as the concentration of ZnO NPs increased from 5 to 150 μg/mL. The scanning microscopy images evidenced the morphological alterations such as regional invagination, pitting, cracks, wrinkles, and cell wall rupture in the yeast cells treated with ZnO NPs. In addition, the FTIR spectrum revealed the possible involvement of hydroxyl, alkene, amides, carbonyl, and phosphate groups from polysaccharides, polypeptides, phospholipids, and ergosterol of the yeast cells wall for binding of ZnO NPs on the cell surface. The present study has demonstrated the antifungal activity of ZnO NPs on S. cerevisiae through growth inhibition and the morphological damages resulting from the treatment of ZnO NPs.

This paper reports the antifungal properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on Candida albicans ATCC 1023 through the study of growth inhibitory effects of ZnO NPs on C. albicans and the effect of the nanoparticles on the surface of C. albicans. The growth inhibitory effects of ZnO NPs (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 µg/mL) on C. albicans at 24 h were determined through the reduction in suspension turbidity and colony count. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis was carried out to establish the functional groups associated with the interaction of ZnO NPs on the yeast cell wall, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis was utilised to determine the surface accumulation of ZnO NPs on the yeast cells and the consequential morphological alterations on C. albicans. The results exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) growth inhibition for all tested concentrations except for 5 µg/mL of ZnO NPs at 24 h as compared to negative control. FTIR analysis revealed the possible involvement of alcohol, amide A, methyl, alkynes, amide I and II, and phosphate groups from the cell wall of C. albicans in the surface interaction with ZnO NPs. Finally, SEM-EDX revealed a considerable accumulation of ZnO NPs on the yeast cells and consequential morphological alterations on C. albicans, including the damage of hyphae, pitting of the cell wall, invagination, and rupture of the cell membrane. The current study demonstrated that ZnO NPs possess antifungal properties against C. albicans in a dose-dependent manner, and the surface interaction of ZnO NPs on fungal cells caused alterations in cell membrane integrity that might have resulted in cell death.

Progress in the drug delivery system in the last few decades has led to many advancements for efficient drug delivery. Both micro and nanorobots, are regarded as superior drug delivery systems to deliver drugs efficiently by altering other forms of energy into propulsion and movements. Furthermore, it can be advantageous as it is directed to targeted sites beneath physiological environments and conditions. They have been validated to possess the capability to encapsulate, transport, and supply therapeutic contents directly to the disease sites, thus enhancing the therapeutic efficiency and decreasing systemic side effects of the toxic drugs. This review discusses about the microand nanorobots for the diagnostics and management of diseases, types of micro, and nanorobots, role of robots in drug delivery, and its biomedical applications.

Antimicrobials are widely used to treat bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Therefore, research and development of newer types of antimicrobials are important. Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a major challenge to the healthcare system, although various alternative antimicrobials have been proposed. However, none of these show consistent and comparable efficacy to antimicrobials in clinical trials. More recently, nanoparticles have emerged as a potential solution to antimicrobial agents to overcome antimicrobial resistance. This article revisits and updates applications of various types of nanoparticles for the delivery of antimicrobial agents and their characterization. Though nanoparticle technology has some limitations, it provides an innovative approach to pharmaceutical technology. Furthermore, nanoparticles offer a variety of advantages, such as enhancement of solubility and permeation, leading to better efficacy. In this article, approaches commonly employed to improve antimicrobial therapy are discussed. These approaches have advantages and applications and provide a broader opportunity for pharmaceutical scientists to choose the proper method per the desired outcome.

Aim: To investigate the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antihyperlipidemic activities of Dolichandrone atrovirens in albino wistar rats. Methods and Material: Bark and leaf part of Dolichandrone atrovirens were extracted with water and methanol. Swiss albino wistar rats were used to evaluate the in vivo effects of streptozotocin induced body weight loss, oxidative stress, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Statistical analysis : Data were analysed by One - way ANOVA, followed by Turkey –Kramer Multiple Comparison Test. Results: Dolichandrone atrovirens extract treated animals demonstrated significant increase in body weight, decreased blood glucose levels, glycosylated haemoglobin and changes in other biochemical parameters levels when compared to diabetic control rats.

The present work was to study the effect of biodegradable and synthetic polymers on sustained release (SR) matrix tablets of Nateglinide by in vitro performance. The SR tablets were formulated with various concentrations of chitosan and/ or Eudragit RLPO or HPMC K100M via direct compression. The tablets were subjected to tests for drug-polymer interaction, weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, drug content, in vitro drug release and stability studies. The NG06 SR matrix tablets formulated was able to sustain the release of the drug over 12 hours (CDR=98% ± 1.47) and shown optimum post-compression properties. In vitro release data of NG06 also showed a good linear relationship in the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (r2=0.9975) while n=0.750 indicated non-Fickian transport. The optimized formulation, NG06, which consisted of 12.5mg Chitosan and 12.5mg Eudragit RLPO, had the best characteristics to achieve the aims of this study.