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Simple Summary: Oral cancer represents a main public health issue around the world due to the mortality rates associated with it, the lack of effective and potent drugs, the multitude of side effects and the expensive treatments. Until now, no natural alternative therapeutic methods have been found beneficial enough to replace conventional drugs. Thus, bioactive compounds with anticancer properties can represent a necessary alternative through a targeted molecular approach to the multiple pathways involved in carcinogenesis. This review explores how the therapeutic potential of natural compounds can be harnessed and how they can be used as adjuvant therapies for oral cancer treatment. The collected results focused only on plant extracts and biologically active metabolites known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor potential, which can be described as future chemopreventive agents against oral cancer, alone or in therapeutic combinations. Background: With a significant increase in both incidence and mortality, oral cancer—particularly oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)—is one of the main causes of death in developing countries. Even though there is evidence of advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the overall survival rate for patients with OSCC has improved, but by a small percentage. This may be due, on the one hand, to the fact that the disease is diagnosed when it is at a too-advanced stage, when metastases are already present. Methods: This review explores the therapeutic potential of natural herbal products and their use as adjuvant therapies in the treatment of oral cancer from online sources in databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Research Gate, Scopus, Elsevier). Results: Even if classic therapies are known to be effective, they often produce many serious side effects and can create resistance. Certain natural plant compounds may offer a complementary approach by inducing apoptosis, suppressing tumor growth, and improving chemotherapy effectiveness. The integration of these compounds with conventional treatments to obtain remarkable synergistic effects represents a major point of interest to many authors. This review highlights the study of molecular mechanisms and their efficiency in in vitro and in vivo models, as well as the strategic ways in which drugs can be administered to optimize their use in real contexts. Conclusions: This review may have a significant impact on the oncology community, creating new inspirations for the development of more effective, safer cancer therapies with less toxic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemicals reaching the human body can affect the endocrine system by inducing hormone agonist or antagonist effects or by altering hormone synthesis reactions. Exposure to the body can be either through ingestion or inhalation (food, drinking water, air) or through direct contact with certain substances in general use (industry, cosmetics, etc.). The human health problems identified and associated with endocrine disrupters are mainly related to dysfunctions of the reproductive system or lipid metabolism. Also, exacerbating exposure can lead to irreversible changes at the molecular level and carcinogenesis. Worryingly, it can have long-term consequences through changes in genetic and epigenetic regulatory pathways. Legislation at the European level seeks to harmonize ways of protecting human health through regulations related to basic research, environmental risk assessment, promotion of sustainable development, protection of vulnerable ecosystems, and continuous information and updating of risk data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of concern for the improvement and protection of environmental conditions, emphasis is placed on the provision of non-toxic, eco-friendly, renewable biomaterials to replace established chemical substances. Lythri herba is the aerial part of the plant species Lythrum salicaria L., known in the scientific literature especially for its content of tannins and total polyphenols, which highlight its antioxidant, hemostatic, antibacterial and antidiarrheal properties. Chitosan is a biopolymer widely used in industry and medicine due to its abundance in nature, its biodegradability, lack of toxicity and the ease with which it can be transformed into several basic forms (hydrogel, membrane, sponge). The aqueous solutions and membranes obtained in this study by merging these two natural resources were biologically tested in terms of genotoxicity (SOS-Chromo assay), hemolytic activity, thrombin generation activity and bacterial adhesion to reveal outwardly the lack of these properties and their use for medical purposes. The results of the current study attest to the absence of mutagenic and slight hemolyzing properties, thus supporting the possibility of using this extract and membrane in medical and pharmaceutical therapeutic practice. The surface parameters of membranes were examined and important influences at thrombin activity were found. Also, bacterial adhesion results showed a correlation between Lythri herba and chitosan concentrations and membranes' appearances (swelling, stability). The results show that the membranes could be a promising material for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletonema costatum is a dominant species in the spring phytoplankton composition of the Romanian Black Sea coastal waters. The species was isolated during a spring bloom and maintained in laboratory conditions for the past 10 years. The biomass was obtained by culturing the species in growth medium for diatoms under continuous light and shaking for four days. The biomass was harvested by vacuum filtration and lyophilized. The tannic acid content was determined by the HPLC method in the methanolic extract of S. costatum biomass. The tannic acid content was 0.46% (4.6 mg tannic acid/g biomass). Also, the chromatogram showed the presence of other separate, but unidentified organic compounds, which may contribute to its therapeutic potential. Our results justify further research to highlight S. costatum antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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It is estimated that 25 percent of the population will face the diagnosis of cancer during their lifetime. Less than a quarter of these patients will be cured solely by surgery and/or local radiation. Most of the remainder will receive systemic chemotherapy at some time during their illness. In a small fraction (approximately 10 percent) of patients with cancer representing selected neoplasms, the chemotherapy will result in a cure or a prolonged remission. Thus, the overall five-year survival rate for cancer patients is about 65 percent, ranking cancer second only to cardiovascular disease as a cause of mortality. Anticancer treatment should be established and performed by the oncologist depending on the type and stage of the tumor and the patient’s condition. It includes the association of pharmacological therapy (chemotherapy) with surgical treatment and/or radiotherapy or immunotherapy. The goal is curative (eradication of each neoplastic cell) or palliative (relieving symptoms and avoiding potentially lethal toxicity), when healing is not possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)