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COVID-19 is a systemic disease affecting multiple organ systems and caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and after the introduction of several vaccines, the pandemic continues to evolve in part owing to global inequities in access to preventive and therapeutic measures. We are also witnessing the introduction of antivirals against COVID-19. Against this current background, we review the progress made with nanotechnology-based approaches such as nanoformulations to combat the multiorgan effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection from a systems medicine lens. While nanotechnology has previously been widely utilized in the antiviral research domain, it has not yet received the commensurate interest in the case of COVID-19 pandemic response strategies. Notably, SARS-CoV-2 and nanomaterials are similar in size ranging from 50 to 200 nm. Nanomaterials offer the promise to reduce the side effects of antiviral drugs, codeliver multiple drugs while maintaining stability in the biological milieu, and sustain the release of entrapped drug(s) for a predetermined time period, to name but a few conceivable scenarios, wherein nanotechnology can enable and empower preventive medicine and therapeutic innovations against SARS-CoV-2. We conclude the article by underlining that nanotechnology-based interventions warrant further consideration to enable precision planetary health responses against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Type II diabetes mellitus is one of major lifestyle disorders worldwide. Despite numerous therapeutic interventions, cases and adverse health effects are still rising. Many plant substances, known as phytochemicals, display potential to treat diabetes, yet their clinical application is actually limited by inefficient delivery. In this review, we show that recent nano-delivery systems such as liposomes, niosomes, solid–liquid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, nanomicelles and nanoparticles improve pharmacokinetic properties of entrapped phytochemicals for the treatment of diabetes and associated vascular complications.

Febrile seizures are very common in pediatric practice. We need to differentiate between febrile seizures and other seizures due to central nervous system (CNS) infection by various means of investigation. Though approximately 30% of patients with febrile seizure have later epilepsy and the risk is around 20% even if electroencephalogram (EEG), and neuro-imagings are normal. But data regarding this is laking in developing countries like India.The primary objective of this study is to determine the hospital-based prevalence among various types and etiologies of seizures in children admitted to the pediatric department in a teaching hospital of a developing country, India. Besides, the different types of seizures were correlated with the EEG and neuroimaging findings along with the acute onset of seizures among children.In this prospective observational study, children from two months to 15 years of age admitted to the Pediatrics Department, KIMS, Bhubaneswar in India between September 2017 and September 2019 were taken. The patients having seizures were included in the study based on the inclusion criteria. Neurological and systemic examinations of the children were recorded and the neuroimaging reports were analyzed.A total of 19,553 patients aged two months to 15 years were admitted during the study period. Of that, 1,192 cases were diagnosed with febrile and unprovoked seizures. It was observed that the hospital-based prevalence of seizures among children in Odisha was 6%. Besides, it is found that generalized seizure disorder was the most common among the children. It was found that abnormal EEG, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) brain in 60% (202/340), 49% (113/230), and 47% (136/288) of cases, respectively. MRI is a better modality of investigation in partial seizure cases 22 (64%) to detect CNS abnormality. Also, MRI of the brain is better in evaluating CNS abnormality in complex febrile cases 4 (31%) than CT brain (0%).The study concluded that EEG must be the standard modality of test for patients' diagnosis of seizure in children with seizures. CT/MRI scan can give a better supplement to the results but MRI findings are more accurate in cases of complex febrile seizures.

Chitosan is a natural biopolymer, which is extensively used in the formulation of colon-targeted drug-delivery systems. Chitosan-based systems lead to the release of drugs at the colon region by the subsequent degradation of chitosan. This degradation of chitosan occurs through the lysis of glycosidic bonds by the colonic microflora. Native chitosan and different chitosan derivatives, such as carboxymethyl chitosan, trimethyl chitosan, thiolated chitosan, N-succinyl chitosan, PEGylated chitosan, folic acid-conjugated chitosan, hyaluronic acid-coupled chitosan, etc., have widely been used in colon-targeted systems for the effective delivery of therapeutics.

The remarkable size-dependent attributes of nano-sized materials have influenced all dimensions of human existence rendering nanotechnology a fascinating field of research in biomedicine. Much like metal nanoparticles amounting to their exceptional optical, electrical and antimicrobial properties, silver has attracted much interest over the decades. Owing to their reconfigurable physicochemical properties and a huge array of biomedical applications, silver nanoparticles have fascinated the thought of researchers in the recent past. Although numerous physical, chemical and photochemical procedures are routinely used to prepare silver nanoparticles, yet the usage of harmful reagents for reduction and stabilization processes confines their widespread acceptability. In such a pursuit, green synthesis approach stands out an optimal method of preparation of silver nanoparticles in terms of involvement of lesser cost and environment-friendly, non-toxic reducing and stabilizing agents. This chapter presents the different methods of preparation of silver nanoparticles in detail along with the in vitro characterization methods used to characterize the formulated nanoparticles.

Cancer is the second highest cause of death globally, with about 70% of deaths occurring in low- or middle-income countries, thus calling for efficient cures. Nanotechnology research has evidenced numerous therapeutic innovations that target the tumor tissues either passively or actively. Camptothecin is a potent anticancer drug which has shown appreciable antitumor activity against a broad spectrum of cancers such as breast, ovarian, colon, lung and stomach. Nonetheless, applications of camptothecin are limited by water insolubility, rapid conversion of its bioactive lactone form to inactive carboxylate under physiological conditions, drug resistance and off-target side effects. Here, we review the delivery of camptothecin by active and passive targeting for anticancer activity. We discuss the mechanism of action and the novel targeted drug delivery platforms that have been explored for the delivery of camptothecin for the treatment of solid tumors.

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials, with their unique properties, are expanding the use of up-to-date technology in a variety of sectors, including health care, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and robotics, among others. Various nanotools are used to explore targeted delivery of drugs with minimum adverse effects and maximum utility. The metal nanoparticles possess superior properties for which they are widely applicable in nanotechnology whereas these properties are negligible in bulk materials like silver, gold, and other metals and cannot find any application owing to their inherent physicochemical, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. In general, the transition and noble metals used in the synthesis of metal nanoparticles are cost-effective, and the steps involved in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles are not complex. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) possess high surface plasmon resonance, have high thermal stability, and exhibit good electrical conductivity. Also, AgNPs possess intrinsic antimicrobial properties that are used extensively to inhibit the growth or completely kill specific disease-causing microbes. In this chapter, we review the mechanism of action and application of AgNPs as antifungal agents against fungal infections in plants and humans.

Ovarian cancer is the most aggressive of gynecological cancers and the fifth driving cause of cancer-related death in females. Owing to the late-stage diagnosis, poor prognosis of advanced stage disease and high risk of recurrence affiliated to popping of chemoresistance, significant upgradation in therapeutic strategies along with early detection are the need of the hour. Because of the various advantages rooted in the implementation of novel drug delivery systems for the treatment of multiple disease conditions, this chapter will provide insight into the implementation of a variety of innovative drug delivery systems in ovarian cancer alleviation. Although the conventional drugs have conferred proven therapeutic efficacy in the stated disease, their use in oncology clinics is still constrained by the associated drawbacks. Hence, it is an attempt to showcase the novel attributes of the above-mentioned drug delivery systems in delivering the entrapped drugs for the specific treatment of the said disease.

Nanoscience is the branch of science which presents applications in diversified fields of pharmaceuticals, medicine, electronics, cosmetics, water treatment, agriculture and environmental remediation. Particularly, nowadays, nanomaterials are in high demand in the field of agriculture for enhanced crop production, reduced nutrient loss and increased crop yield. The green revolution caused the random use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides which resulted in a loss of soil fertility, loss of nutrient and development of resistance against pathogens and pests. In recent years, the use of nanotechnology in the field of agriculture provided a new platform related to the concept of nanofertilizer and nanopesticide usage. Nanomaterials with a particle size less than 100 nm not only influence the important life events of plants but also affect the serious hazardous effects of the pesticides. Nanofertilizers and nanopesticides improve the crop quality and yield by delivering the required macronutrients and micronutrients and the pesticides in a controlled manner for longer duration which overcomes the problems associated with conventional chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

In this world, we have the gift of God to have a wide range of flora and fauna to enjoy our life. The benefits of the unicellular to the multicellular organism in our day-to-day life can be ignored. Some are beneficial whereas some are responsible for so many types of infections and diseases. The biological agents are more preferred over the synthetic agents against the treatment or prevention of such infections and diseases. In this chapter, the role of plant metabolites is discussed which is used for the prevention, cure, and treatment of so many problems due to pathogens. The secondary metabolites of the plant, that is the essential oils, are not useful for the plants, but they are responsible for the specific aromatic flavour for the respective plants. Aromatherapy has been the widest field of application of essential oils since ancient times. But the problems associated with the solubility and stability of essential oils restricted their application in other areas. So a new thought gave rise to avoid the problems of essential oils in the form of nanoemulsions. Emulsions are the biphasic systems of oil-in-water or water-in-oil types. The formulation of nanoemulsions not only solved the physical properties of essential oils but also enhanced their applicability in the area of perfumery, natural pesticide, food preservatives, and finally as the larvicidal, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, repellent, and antiprotozoal activity.

Potential research outcomes on nanotechnology-based novel drug delivery systems since the past few decades attracted the attention of the researchers to overcome the limitations of conventional deliveries. Apart from possessing enhanced solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs, the targeting potential of the carriers facilitates longer circulation and site-specific delivery of the entrapped therapeutics. The practice of these delivery systems, therefore, helps in maximizing bioavailability, improving pharmacokinetics profile, pharmacodynamics activity and biodistribution of the entrapped drug(s). In addition to focusing on the positive side, evaluation of nanoparticulate systems for toxicity is a crucial parameter for its biomedical applications. Due to the size of nanoparticles, they easily traverse through biological barriers and may be accumulated in the body, where the ingredients incorporated in the formulation development might accumulate and/or produce toxic manifestation, leading to cause severe health hazards. Therefore, the toxic profile of these delivery systems needs to be evaluated at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ level. This review offers a comprehensive presentation of toxicity aspects of the constituents of nanoparticular based drug delivery systems, which would be beneficial for future researchers to develop nanoparticulate delivery vehicles for the improvement of delivery approaches in a safer way.

The rampant emergence of Candida albicans in the vagina and its ability to thrive as a biofilm has outstood the prevalence of candidal vulvovaginitis (CVV), a gender-based fungal infection approximately affecting 75% of the global female population. The biofilm represents a multidimensional microbial population, which often dictates prominent caveats of CVV such as increased fungal virulence, drug resistance and infection relapse/recurrence. Additionally, the conjugated issues of the ineffectiveness of conventional antifungals (azoles), prolonged treatment durations, compromised patient compliance, economic and social burden, exacerbates CVV complications as well. Henceforth, the current hypothesis narrates an investigational proposal for exploration and combination of naturally derived antibiofilm components with luliconazole (imidazole antifungal agent) as a new therapeutic paradigm against CVV. The purported hypothesis unravels a synergistic approach for fabricating Nanostructured Lipid Carriers, NLCs loaded transvaginal gel with dual APIs of natural (antibiofilm) as well as the synthetic (antifungal) origin to target high therapeutic efficacy, delivery, retention, controlled release and bioadhesion in a vaginal milieu. The multipronged effect of antibiofilm and antifungal agents will expectably enhance drug susceptibility thus, maintaining Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) against cells of C. albicans and targeting its biofilm in planktonic, adherent, and sessile phases. The effective disruption of a biofilm could further lower infection resistance and recurrence as well. In conclusion, the purported hypothesis could speed up the emergence of novel drug combinations and accelerates new product development with solid, synergistic, and complementary activities against C. albicans and its biofilm, making it amenable for generating pre-clinical and clinical results therebycreating a suitableroadmap for commercialization.

Camptothecin is a potent anti-cancer drug which has shown appreciable anti-tumor activity against a broad spectrum of cancers such as breast, ovarian, colon, lung and stomach. The water insolubility property, rapid conversion of its bioactive lactone form to inactive carboxylate form under physiological condition, incidence of drug resistance and the associated off-target side effects due to extended use of campothecin restricts its widespread clinical usage. The development of novel treatment modalities is therefore the demand of era. The last two decades have already evidenced the explosive growth of nanotechnology channeling into plethora of innovations in therapeutic domains, the main dominance being the ability to target the tumor tissues either passively or actively.

Nanoscience opens the window for a sea of applications due to the significant properties of nanostructures (NSs) such as optical, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, catalytic, etc. The properties leading to specific applications are due to the constitution of the NSs and preferentially the morphology of the NSs. Among the varieties of NSs, metal nanoparticles (NPs) are more used in applications. NPs can be categorized as monometallic NPs (MNPs) or bimetallic NPs (BNPs) according to the number of metal ions involved in the NP constitution. In this context, details about the structure, methods of synthesis, and applications in various fields are discussed. The applicability of BNPs is more compared to MNPs due to the enhancement of properties due to the small size effect, quantum size effect, surface effect, and the quantum tunneling effect. Nowadays, green synthesis is in discussion for NP synthesis due to its safety, simplicity, and nonrequirement of costly solvents, chemicals, toxicity reduction, and stabilizing agents. NP synthesis by the extracts of different plant parts, whole plants, or secondary metabolites of plants is the principle of green synthesis. Sometimes microbial flora are also used for green synthesis, but the limitations of microorganism selection, growth, and scalability limit their application. BNPs synthesized by green synthesis have wide applications in the field of biomedicine, environment, agriculture, imaging, catalysis, and biosensing.

COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To fight this pandemic, which has caused a massive death toll around the globe, researchers are putting efforts into developing an effective vaccine against the pathogen. As genome sequencing projects for several coronavirus strains have been completed, a detailed investigation of the functions of the proteins and their 3D structures has gained increasing attention. These high throughput data are a valuable resource for accelerating the emerging field of immuno-informatics, which is primarily aimed toward the identification of potential antigenic epitopes in viral proteins that can be targeted for the development of a vaccine construct eliciting a high immune response. Bioinformatics platforms and various computational tools and databases are also essential for the identification of promising vaccine targets making the best use of genomic resources, for further experimental validation. The present review focuses on the various stages of the vaccine development process and the vaccines available for COVID-19. Additionally, recent advances in genomic platforms and publicly available bioinformatics resources in coronavirus vaccine discovery together with related immunoinformatics databases and advances in technology are discussed.

Poor and suboptimal therapeutic outcomes with single anticancer drugs have led to a keen interest in combination chemotherapy. Co-delivery of potent anticancer agents with high efficacy and least off-target site effects is highly desirable but often requires focussed formulatory approaches. The unique physiochemical properties of the chosen drugs further add to the challenge. The current work is an attempt to co-deliver topotecan (hydrophilic moiety) and thymoquinone (lipophilic moiety) from a nanomatrix eliciting a suitable release profile. Topotecan- thymoquinone loaded PLGA nanomatrix (TP-TY NPs) were formulated by a modified double emulsion solvent evaporation method where topotecan is solubilized in the inner aqueous phase while thymoquinone is incorporated into the organic phase of the double emulsion. Independent and dependent variables were optimized using central composite design (CCD) to obtain TP-TY NPs which were then characterized in terms of zeta potential, surface morphology, residual PVA content, injectability, syringeability, and reconstitution time. The nature of entrapped drugs was confirmed by DSC and XRD analyses and drug release pattern was studied. CCD indicated quadratic as the best fit model. The optimized formulation had particle size of 240.7 ± 8.3 nm and percent entrapment and loading of 62.6 ± 2.6 and 6.52 ± 0.25 respectively for thymoquinone and 42.3 ± 1.2% and 3.6 ± 0.26 for topotecan respectively. The particles had a spherical shape, residual PVA content of 6.22% and negative zeta potential of − 1.16 mV indicating the stability of the nanoparticles. DSC and XRD confirmed the transformation of drug from its crystalline to amorphous form when entrapped in the PLGA nanomatrix. The lyophilized particles reconstituted within 30 s and suspension thus obtained conformed to the standard tests of syringeability and injectability. TP-TY NPs revealed a sustained release pattern of both the drugs with a minimal burst release and a total percentage release > 90% in 96 h. Finally, the short term accelerated stability analysis showed no significant changes with a minimal variation in the release pattern. Conclusively, the CCD supported successful formulation of nanomatrix aimed at co-delivery of topotecan and thymoquinone.

Cessation of menstruation, widely known as menopause is a significant transition period in women’s life. It leads to the arrest of fertility and creates a depletion of the hormones causing physical, mental, sexual, and social problems which lead to a serious decline in their quality of life. The onset of menopause induces certain sudden changes, while others appear in a phasic manner, henceforth demanding an adequate understanding of its progression, adverse impact on life, and exploration of any remedial measures thereof. Menopause, despite being a natural occurrence, brings in significant changes to women’s life, almost sometimes leading to severe debilitation. However, it is still not attended and remains an ignored health issue that warrants the immediate attention of researchers, practitioners, and health policymakers. The present review is an attempt to draw attention towards these women-centric health issues and diligently explores the causes, symptoms and also describes the various procedures for the management of menopausal and postmenopausal syndromes. The review tries to summarise the currently available pharmaceutical interventions and also dwells into herbal and complementary remedies which could ameliorate and provide respite from the etiolating menopausal symptoms.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that occurs in the body because of decreased insulin activity and/or insulin secretion. Pathological changes such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular complications inevitably occur in the body with the progression of the disease. DM is mainly categorized into 2 sub-types, type I DM and type II DM. While type I DM is generally treated through insulin replacement therapy, type II DM is treated with oral hypoglycaemics. The major drug therapy for type II DM comprises of insulin secretagogues, biguanides, insulin sensitizers, alpha glucosidase inhibitors, incretin mimetics, amylin antagonists and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Dual drug therapies are often recommended in patients who are unable to achieve therapeutic goals with first line oral hypoglycaemic agents as monotherapy. Inspite of the appreciable therapeutic benefits, the conventional dosage forms depicts differential bioavailability and short half-life, mandating frequent dosage and causing greater side effects leading to therapy ineffectiveness and patient non-compliance. Given the pathological complexity of the said disease, nanotechnology-based approaches are more enticing as it comes with added advantage of site-specific drug delivery with higher bioavailability and reduced dosage regimen. In the present review article, we have made an attempt to explore the pathophysiology of type II DM, the conventional treatment approaches (mono and combination therapy) as well as the nano based drug delivery approaches for the treatment of type II DM.

Topotecan (TPT) is indicated against a variety of solid tumors, but has restricted clinical use owing to associated pharmaceutical caveats. This study is focused at formulating a successful TPT PLGA nanosystem which ameliorates the rapid conversion of active lactone form of drug to its inactive carboxylate form and consequently improvises its efficacy. TPT PLGA nanoparticles were formulated by a double emulsion-solvent evaporation technique with sequential optimization to obtain desired particle size, PDI, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency. Stability of TPT was ensured by maintaining an acidic pH in the drug-containing phase and the system was evaluated for in vitro-in vivo performance including cytotoxic potency. The optimized nanosystem had a particle size of 187.33 ± 7.50 nm, a PDI of 0.179 ± 0.05, and an entrapment efficiency of 56 ± 1.2%. Low pH in the interior of nanoparticles stabilized the drug to remain in its active lactone form and revealed a biphasic release pattern till 15 d. Additionally, an in vitro cytotoxicity testing as well as in vivo antitumor efficacy demonstrated a significant potential of higher proliferation inhibition as compared with neat drug (TPT). Thus, the investigation summarized an innovative simple tool for developing stable TPT NPs for effective delivery for treating solid tumors.

The study focuses on widening up the therapeutic perspective of anti-cancer therapy by entrapping a hydrophilic anticancer drug, topotecan hydrochloride (TOPO) in biodegradable poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) matrix to form topotecan nanoparticles (TOPO NPs) by a double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Statistical optimization using Box–Behnken design showed that sonication time of primary emulsion for 120 s, drug: polymer ratio of 1:12.65, organic phase: external aqueous phase ratio of 1:2.82 and 0.5% w/v of polyvinyl alcohol in the drug containing phase produced TOPO NPs with a size of 243.2 ± 4 nm and an entrapment efficiency of 60.9 ± 2.2%. TOPO NPs illustrated sustained release of TOPO for a week in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at simulating physiological (pH 7.4) and acidic tumor microenvironmental (pH 6.5) conditions. A dramatic increase in cellular uptake with a corresponding enhanced cytotoxic potency was also displayed by TOPO NPs against human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3) over time as compared to native drug, TOPO. These findings were further supported by the enhancement of bioavailability (13.05 fold) conferred by TOPO NPs from the in vivo pharmacokinetic study. The study represents a logistic approach for formulating TOPO NPs which can be used as an effective drug delivery system for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

The dual drug loaded poly( dl -lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA 1 ) nanoparticles (TOP–TAM NPs 2 ) concurrently delivering topotecan hydrochloride (TOP 3 ) and tamoxifen citrate (TAM 4 ) were developed to achieve synergism for the treatment of breast cancer by enhancing the permeation of TOP through the gut and the cells present in the breast. TAM acted as P-glycoprotein (P-gp 5 ) inhibitor, reduced the side effects of individual drugs by reducing the dose. The NPs were prepared by double emulsion (w/o/w) method. The optimized TOP–TAM NPs were found to have smooth and spherical morphology by using SEM 6 and TEM 7 technique. Similarly size of nanoparticles was found to be 151.2 ± 1.6 nm with 0.147 ± 0.03 polydispersity index (PDI 8 ). The percentage entrapment efficiency of 95.17 ± 3.57 and 57.77 ± 2.2 was found for TAM and TOP respectively. The lyophillized nanoparticles under DSC 9 showed amorphous nature of both TOP and TAM. In an invitro release study the release of drugs from TOP–TAM NPs was found to follow the Higuchi pattern. The ex vivo gut permeation study revealed that the TAM enhanced the permeation of TOP and increased its bioavailability by 1.9 folds. The permeation and activity of combination of drugs were further confirmed by carrying out cell line studies on MCF-7 cells.