Current Drug Targets - Volume 14, Issue 9, 2013

The current vaccine against TB, bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) fails to protect against the most prevalent disease form, the pulmonary TB in adults. Thus, it is not a satisfactory vaccine. Given that T cells are central to protection against TB, future vaccine design should focus on T-lymphocyte populations. Most vaccines do not prevent infection but instead disease, that if they allow establishment of the pathogen in the host but Read More

The modern target-based drug discovery process, characterized by the one-drug-one-gene paradigm, has been of limited success. In contrast, phenotype-based screening produces thousands of active compounds but gives no hint as to what their molecular targets are or which ones merit further research. This presents a question: What is a suitable target for an efficient and safe drug? In this paper, we argue that target se Read More

Several natural compounds containing an anthraquinone core linked to a prenyloxy chain have been reported in the literature in recent years. The discovery in the plant kingdom of such secondary metabolites is a novel acquisition in the phytochemistry research field and in many cases led to a re-consideration of the secondary metabolite pool of well known anthraquinone-containing plants. In this review article we will focus on t Read More

During tumour progression, cells accumulate secondary mutations and/or chromosomal aberrations that generate genetic diversity within the tumour cell population. This may result in the acquisition of new properties that increase tumour malignancy, such as invasiveness or resistance to chemotherapy. One of the important mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance is overexpression or biochemical activation of ABC family Read More

Since the aetiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP) is still unknown, the use of medicinal herb extracts and products prepared thereof are recommended due to their antimicrobial activity, especially during early stages of BHP. A comparison was performed of the in vitro antimicrobial activity (using broth microdilution assay) of flowers and leaves of willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium L., Onagraceae) from Mt. Velebit ( Read More

Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a potent antioxidant found in olive oil and leaves. Using several in vitro approaches, we tested antifungal activity of HT. HT showed broad spectrum of antifungal activity against medically important yeasts and dermatophyte strains with MIC values ranging between 97.6 µgml-1 and 6.25 mgml-1. The antimicrobial activity of HT was also tested using the time-kill methodology. Below the MIC value, HT show Read More

Carotenoids are considered to act as antioxidants and protect humans from serious disorders such as skin degeneration and ageing, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and age-related diseases of the eye. In this study, these chemopreventive activities of a carotenoids-overexpressing transgenic carrot were evaluated. The results of DPPH, hydroxyl, and superoxide radical scavenging tests demonstrate t Read More

In this paper chemical composition of the essential oil (analysed by GC and GC-MS), the content of phenolic compounds (analysed by HPLC), quantity of total phenols and total flavonoids (analysed by UV/Vis spectrophotometer), antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of ethanolic extracts were investigated in endemic Teucrium arduini L. in population of Mt Biokovo (Croatia). The oil was characterized by a high concentratio Read More

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Alternathera brasiliana (Amaranthaceae) extracts as photosensitizing agents in photodynamic antimicrobial therapies (PACT) against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida dubliniensis. The crude hexane and ethanol extracts were obtained from A. brasiliana whole plant and showed absortion from 650 to 700nm. Also, singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) p Read More

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms adhering to a surface and embedded in an extracellular polymeric matrix, frequently associated with disease and contamination, and also used for engineering applications such as bioremediation. A mixed biofilm formed by bacteria and fungi may provide an optimal habitat for addressing contaminated areas. To exploit the potential of natural microbial communities consisting of ba Read More

Chitosan, a cationic polysaccharide, has prompted the continuous impetus for the development of safe and effective drug delivery systems due to its unique properties such as mucoadhesive feature, absorption enhancement and active functional groups for chemical modifications. By using chitosan-based nanoformulations, many studies have attempted to improve the dispersion of loaded hydrophobic drugs in aqueous envi Read More

Different anticancer drugs clinically approved by international regulatory organizations present poor water solubility and low stability after systemic injection. Their administration requires suitable carriers capable of maximizing therapeutic efficacy. Lipid and polymeric nanotherapeutics, particularly liposomes, are widely used to deliver chemotherapeutics in the clinic. The interaction between chemotherapeutics and bioco Read More

Combined use of gemcitabine (Gem) and LY-364947 (LY), a TGF-β1 receptor inhibitor, has shown promise for the treatment of fibrotic pancreatic cancer, by reducing collagen production and improving tumor drug penetration. The preparation and optimization of novel Gem and LY formulations, including co-encapsulation in liposomes, require a validated method for the simultaneous quantification of both drugs, a m Read More

A new delivery system based on ibuprofen-β-cyclodextrin (βCd) complexation and its loading into non–ionic surfactant vesicles (NSVs) was developed to improve ibuprofen therapeutic efficacy in topical formulations. The proposed strategy exploits the well known solubilizing and stabilizing properties of cyclodextrins together with the high tolerability and percutaneous absorption enhancing properties of NSVs. The Read More

As a society we are increasingly concerned about our physical appearance. For example, as much as 24% of people in developed countries admittedly exercise to improve their performance. Professional sportsmen and amateurs alike are in a constant search for new means that will enable them better sport results in shorter time. Among those means,a prominent place belongs to dietary supplements. However, the Read More