Current Drug Delivery - Volume 22, Issue 1, 2025

The therapeutic effect of NS oil in mild to moderate psoriasis is limited owing to low play load of thymoquinone (<15%w/w), irritation, dripping, low viscosity and thus, less contact time on the lesions.

This study aimed at developing and characterizing the ethanolic vesicular hydrogel system of Nigella sativa (NS) oil (NS EV hydrogel) for the enhancement of anti-psoriatic activity.

The objective of this study was to develop NS EV hydrogel and evaluate its anti-psoriatic activity.

The identification and quantification of TQ content in different NS seed extracts and marketed oil were measured by an HPTLC method using n-hexane and ethyl acetate as solvent systems. Preparation of ethanolic vesicles (EVs) was performed by solvent injection method, while its anti-psoriatic activity was evaluated employing an Imiquad (IMQ)-induced plaque psoriasis animal model.

A compact HPTLC band was obtained for TQ at an Rf value of 0.651. The calibration plot was linear in the range of 1-10 µg/spot, and the correlation coefficient of 0.990 was indicative of good linear dependence of peak area on concentration. From the different NS sources, the high TQ content was obtained in the marketed cold press oil, i.e., 1.45±0.08 mg/ml. Out of various NS oil-loaded EVs, the F6 formulation revealed the smallest particle size (278.1 nm), with log-normal size distribution (0.459) and adequate entrapment efficiency. A non-uniform shape was observed in the transmission electron microscopy. The viscosity of F6 formulation hydrogel was 32.34 (Pa·s), which exhibited plastic behavior. In vivo, efficacy studies demonstrated decreased inflammation of the epidermis and dermis and a marked decrease in the levels of IL-17 by NS EV hydrogel compared to plain NS oil and standard drugs (Betamethasone and Dr. JRK Psorolin Oil).

It may be concluded from the findings that NS-loaded EV gel was as good as betamethasone cream but more efficacious than the other treatments.

The misuse of antibiotics leads to a global increase in antibiotic resistance. Therefore, it is imperative to search for alternative compounds to conventional antibiotics. ZnO nanoparticles (Zn NP) are one of these alternatives because they are an effective option to overcome biofilm bacterial cells and a novel way to overcome multidrug resistance in bacteria. The current research study aims to characterize the efficacy of ZnO nanoparticles alone and in combination with other antibacterial drugs against bacterial biofilms.

ZnO NPs were prepared by co-precipitation method, and their anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities alone or combined with four types of broad-spectrum antibacterial (Norfloxacin, Colistin, Doxycycline, and Ampicillin) were evaluated against E. coli and S. aureus bacterial strains. Finally, the cytotoxicity and the hemolytic activity were evaluated.

ZnO NPs were prepared, and results showed that their size was around 10 nm with a spherical shape and a zeta potential of -21.9. In addition, ZnO NPs were found to have a strong antibacterial effect against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 62.5 and 125 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, they could eradicate biofilm-forming microorganisms at a concentration of 125 µg/m. ZnO NPs were found to be non-toxic to erythrocyte cells. Still, some toxicity was observed for Vero cells at effective concentration ranges needed to inhibit bacterial growth and eradicate biofilm-forming organisms. When combined with different antibacterial, ZnO NP demonstrated synergistic and additive effects with colistin, and the MIC and MBEC of the combination decreased significantly to 0.976 μg/mL against planktonic and biofilm strains of MDR Gram-positive bacteria, resulting in significantly reduced toxicity.

The findings of this study encourage the development of alternative therapies with high efficacy and low toxicity. ZnO nanoparticles have demonstrated promising results in overcoming multi-drug resistant bacteria and biofilms, and their combination with colistin has shown a significant reduction in toxicity. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential of ZnO nanoparticles as a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics.

M. oleifera is the most adapted tree species in different medicinal eco-systems and has resilience against climate changes. This multiple-use tree provides healthy foods, snacks, honey, and fuel. Besides this, it has immense promising applications by offering antimicrobial and antibacterial activities for targeted uses. This validates the court of Hippocrates that let food be the medicine and medicine be the food for which moringa qualifies.

The objective of this study is to assess the antioxidant properties of M. oleifera, in vitro antibacterial activity of hydro-ethanolic extract, and further investigate in vivo healing potential of M. oleifera for corneal ulcers and in silico analysis.

To evaluate the antioxidant and in vitro antibacterial potency of the hydro-ethanolic extract of M. oleifera on clinically isolated multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus using agar well diffusion assay. Furthermore, in vivo, healing response of M. oleifera extract was analysed on corneal ulcers induced in rabbit eyes infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The M. oleifera extract exhibited exponential antioxidant activity. In-vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion assay showing zone of inhibition ranging from 11.05 ± 0.36 to 20 ± 0.40 mm at concentrations of 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/ml, whereas, in our finding, no zone of inhibition was observed below 20 mg/ml concentration, which indicated that there is threshold limit below which the antibacterial activity of M. oleifera extract is not observed. Furthermore, continuous application of 3% and 5% M. oleifera extract (eye drop) four times a day for 14 consecutive days showed a significant healing response of the eyes of rabbits with corneal ulcers.

These results suggest that M. oleifera extract could be a viable alternative or in combination could be used in existing antibacterial therapies for corneal ulcers. Additionally, there is a possibility of commercial formulation of M. oleifera extract in the form of deliverable pharmaceutical products; therefore, it should be explored further.