Search

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a polymer with unique biological properties that has gained in interest over the years, with applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biomedical fields; however, its widespread use has been limited by its short half-life. Therefore, a new cross-linked hyaluronic acid was designed and characterized using a natural and safe cross-linking agent, such as arginine methyl ester, which provided improved resistance to enzymatic action, as compared to the corresponding linear polymer. The antibacterial profile of the new derivative was shown to be effective against S. aureus and P. acnes, making it a promising candidate for use in cosmetic formulations and skin applications. Its effect on S. pneumoniae, combined with its excellent tolerability profile on lung cells, also makes this new product suitable for applications involving the respiratory tract.

Skin diseases often give multifactorial damages; therefore, the development of multifunctional compounds represents a suitable approach especially against disorders that are induced by oxidative stress. Thus, taking into account the successful results we achieved on benzimidazoles, we have devised a new series of isosteric benzothiazoles and investigated their antioxidant, photoprotective, antifungal and antiproliferative activity. Particular attention has been paid to synergistic antioxidant and photoprotective properties. For compounds 9a and 10a, a multifunctional profile was outlined, supported by an excellent filtering capacity, mainly UVB, which has higher capacities than those of the reference PBSA which is currently in the market as a UV sunscreen filter. The two compounds were also the best in terms of growth inhibition of dermatophytes and Candida albicans, and 10a also showed good antioxidant activity. Furthermore, 9a was also effective on melanoma tumor cells (SK-Mel 5), making these compounds good candidates in the development of new skin protective and preventive agents.

Hyaluronic acid (HA), an excellent biomaterial with unique bio properties, is currently one of the most interesting polymers for many biomedical and cosmetic applications. However, several of its potential benefits are limited as it is rapidly degraded by hyaluronidase enzymes. To improve the half-life and consequently increase performance, native HA has been modified through cross-linking reactions with a natural and biocompatible amino acid, Ornithine, to overcome the potential toxicity commonly associated with traditional linkers. 2-chloro-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine/4-methylmorpholine (CDMT/NMM) was used as an activating agent. The new product (HA–Orn) was extensively characterized to confirm the chemical modification, and rheological analysis showed a gel-like profile. In vitro degradation experiments showed an improved resistance profile against enzymatic digestions. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity studies were performed on lung cell lines (Calu-3 and H441), which showed no cytotoxicity.

In the search for scaffolds for multifunctional compounds we investigated the structure activity relationship of a class of benzimidazole derivatives bearing 5-membered ring. The newly synthesized and the already known compounds were divided into three classes that present different substituent at 5 position of the benzimidazole ring (-H, -COOH or –SO3H) and different heterocycle at position 2 (thiophene, furan or pyrrole). All the derivatives were synthesized and tested to determine their photoprotective profile against UV rays, in vitro antioxidant capacity against different radicals (DPPH and FRAP test), antifungal inhibitory activity (dermatophytes and Candida albicans), antiviral and antiproliferative activity. A Structure-Activity Relationship study indicated compound 10, bearing a pyrrole heterocycle on the benzimidazole ring, as the best multifunctional derivative of the series and as potential candidate for the development of drugs especially in case of melanoma.

Iran has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, consisting of a complex traditional medicine deeply rooted in the history of the territory that goes back to the Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations. The ethnomedical practices that can be identifiable nowadays derive from the experience of local people who have developed remedies against a wide range of diseases handing down the knowledge from generation to generation over the millennia. Traditional medicine practices represent an important source of inspiration in the process of the development of new drugs and therapeutic strategies. In this context, it is useful to determine the state of the art of ethnomedical studies, concerning the Iranian territory, and of scientific studies on plants used in traditional Iranian medicine. Data regarding 245 plants used in Iranian ethnomedical practices and scientific studies conducted on 89 plants collected in the Iranian territory have been reported. All of the scientific studies here reported draw inspiration from traditional medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly called for an intensification of the scientific validation processes of traditional medicines intended as an important contribution to public health in various parts of the world. The process of study and validation of Iranian ethnomedical practices appears to be at an early stage.