Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 25, Issue 2, 2024

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic, inflammatory disease that affects joints and leads to progressive cartilage and bone deterioration. The susceptibility to RA is determined by genetic and environmental factors. Recently, many efforts have been undertaken to develop natural compounds capable of reducing the symptoms of RA to avoid the negative effects of the current anti-inflammatory drugs. Interestingly, substantial data has revealed that nutritional, and herbal supplements may be effective adjuvants in reducing the symptoms of RA by influencing the pathogenic inflammatory processes. In this context, various kinds of food, phenolic substances, spices like ginger, and turmeric, several vitamins, and probiotics are reported to control the activity of inflammatory molecules implicated in the pathophysiology of RA and therefore, have proved successful in slowing the course of this arthritic illness. Therefore, the goal of this review article is to compile various findings on RA that have revealed illuminating information about the antiinflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, immunomodulatory, and bone erosion-preventing properties of nutritional, and herbal components. Conclusively, this review concentrates on natural ingredients that may enhance overall well-being, promote health, and lessen the risk of RA.

Nanomaterials have been offering improvements in different areas due to their unique characteristics, but cytotoxicity associated with their use is still a topic that concerns researchers. Causing cell death, at first glance, may seem to be a problem and the studies regarding signaling pathways involved in this toxicity are still in their infancy. However, there are scenarios in which this feature is desirable, such as in cancer treatment. Anti-cancer therapies aim to eliminate the cells of malignant tumors as selectively as possible. From this perspective, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) deserve to be highlighted as important and efficient tools. Besides being able to induce cell death, these NPs can also be used to deliver anti-cancer therapeutics. These drugs can be obtained from natural sources, such as paclitaxel (an antitumoral molecule derived from a vegetal source). The present review aims to explore the recent knowledge of TiO2 NPs as nanocarriers (promoting the nanodelivery of paclitaxel) and as nanosensitizers to be used in phototherapies and/or sonodynamic therapy aiming to treat cancer. Signaling pathways triggered by this nanomaterial inside cells leading to apoptosis (a desirable fate when targeting tumor cells) and challenges related to the clinical translation of these NPs will also receive attention.

Currently, there are no approved treatments for the fatal infectious coronavirus disease. The process of identifying new applications for approved pharmaceuticals is called drug repurposing. It is a very successful strategy for drug development as it takes less time and cost to uncover a therapeutic agent than the de novo procedure. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the seventh coronavirus that has been identified as a causative agent in humans. SARS-CoV-2 has been recorded in 213 countries, with over 31 million confirmed cases and an estimated death rate of 3%. Medication repositioning may indeed be regarded as a unique therapeutic option for COVID-19 in the present situation. There are various drugs and techniques, which are being used to treat the symptoms of COVID-19. These agents are directed against the viral replication cycle, viral entrance, and viral translocation to the nucleus. Additionally, some can boost the innate antiviral immune response. Drug repurposing is a sensible method and could be a vital approach to treat COVID-19. Combining some of the drugs or supplements with an immunomodulatory diet, psychological assistance, and adherence to standards can ultimately act against COVID-19. A better knowledge of the virus itself and its enzymes will enable the development of more precise and efficient direct-acting antivirals. The primary aim of this review is to present the various aspects of this disease, including various strategies against COVID-19.

Oral and injectable drug administration have recently been replaced with transdermal drug delivery (TDD) approaches, which are less intrusive, less likely to be rejected by patients, and easier to administer. There is still room for improvement in the treatment of gout with the use of a TDD system. Gout has become a worldwide epidemic and a severe threat to human beings. Gout treatment can be accomplished in various ways, including orally and intravenously. Several traditional options are still useless, cumbersome, and potentially dangerous. Hence, gout therapeutic options are desperately required for more effective and less toxic drug delivery methods. Antigout medications using TDD could substantially influence obese people in the future, even if most trials are still in the animal stages. Thus, this review aimed to provide a concise overview of recent TDD technologies and anti-gout medication delivery methods that improved therapeutic efficacy and bioavailability. Moreover, clinical updates on investigational drugs have been discussed to address the potential findings against gout.

Dysmenorrhea (menstrual or periodic pain) is a discomfort that occurs during painful periods. It is the first and most prominent reason for female lower abdominal pain. Most adolescent girls consider it a curse due to the periodic occurrence of painful cramps and bleeding. The pathogenesis of painful periods is most likely because of increased prostanoids, notably prostaglandins, produced by the cyclooxygenase pathway (PGs). Misuse of synthetic medications leads to the development of medication resistance and deposits toxic residues in the body; thus, there is a critical need for safe and effective alternatives. In recent decades, herbal treatment approaches have found extensive applications in the treatment of various ailments. Herbal therapies are an alternate source, which include several bioactive chemicals, and recent improvements in our understanding of the value of herbal therapy methods have caused a sharp rise in their production. The main focus of this review was to study herbal treatment options; the recent studies conducted on herbal therapies and various experimental investigations on dysmenorrhea and herbal therapy methods have been studied, and randomized controlled trials and animal models have been discussed describing the anti-inflammatory properties of some potential herbal medicines that can be used as treatment options for dysmenorrhoea. This review aimed to present herbal treatments that can be used as alternative traditional synthetic medications and oral hormonal contraceptives in the treatment of painful menstruation.

Background: Ascorbic acid is a potent natural antioxidant that protects against oxidative stress and performs various bodily functions. It is commonly found in fruits and vegetables. Objective: The manuscript has been written to provide valuable insights into ascorbic acid in managing Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The data has been gathered from web sources, including PubMed, Science Direct, Publons, Web of Science, and Scopus from 2000-2022 using AA, ascorbic acid, Alzheimer’s diseases, memory, dementia, and antioxidant keywords. Results: In the present manuscript, we have summarized the impact of ascorbic acid and its possible mechanism in Alzheimer's disease by, outlining the information currently available on the behavioral and biochemical effects of ascorbic acid in animal models of Alzheimer's disease as well as its usage as a therapeutic agent to slow down the progression of Alzheimer disease in human beings. Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the advancement of AD. AA is a wellknown antioxidant that primarily reduces oxidative stress and produces protein aggregates, which may help decrease cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease. The current paper analyses of ascorbic acid revealed that deficiency of ascorbic acid adversely affects the central nervous system and leads to cognitive defects. However, the results of clinical studies are conflicting, but some of the studies suggested that supplementation of ascorbic acid improved cognitive deficits and decreased disease progression. Conclusion: Based on clinical and preclinical studies, it is observed that ascorbic acid supplementation improves cognitive deficits and protects the neurons from oxidative stress injury.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disease affecting 50 million individuals worldwide, and some forms of epilepsy do not respond to available treatments. Overactivation of the glutamate pathway and excessive entrance of calcium ions into neurons are proposed as the biochemical mechanisms behind epileptic seizures. However, the overactivation of neurons has also been associated with other neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and multiple sclerosis. The most widely used food ingredient, monosodium glutamate (MSG), increases the level of free glutamate in the brain, putting humans at risk for NDDs and epilepsy. Glutamate is a key neurotransmitter that activates nerve cells. MSG acts on glutamate receptors, specifically NMDA and AMPA receptors, leading to an imbalance between excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA neurotransmission. This imbalance can cause hyperexcitability of neurons and lead to epileptic seizures. Overuse of MSG causes neuronal cells to become overexcited, which in turn leads to an increase in the flow of Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ ions, mutations, and upregulation in the enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD-1) and TDP43, all of which contribute to the development of NDDs. While TDP43 and SOD-1 protect cells from damage, a mutation in their genes makes the proteins unprotective and cause neurodegeneration. Yet to what extent mutant SOD1 and TDP43 aggregates contribute to neurotoxicity is generally unknown. This study is focused on neuroprotective herbal medications that can pass the blood-brain barrier and cure MSGinduced NDDs and the factors that influence MSG-induced glutaminergic, astrocyte, and GABAergic neuron abnormalities causing neurodegeneration.

Background: Uricase (Uox) is a major drug in gout and a supplementary drug in cancer treatment. Because allergic reactions caused by Uox limit its clinical application,10% Co/EDTA was used to chemically modify Uox from A. flavus to reduce its immunogenicity. Methods: The immunogenicity of Uox and 10% Co/EDTA-Uox was examined by determining the antibody titer and concentration of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-β in quail and rat serum. Moreover, we examined the pharmacokinetics of 10% Co/EDTA-Uox in rats and acute toxicity in mice. Results: The concentration of UA decreased from 771.85 ± 180.99 to 299.47 ± 20.37 μmoL/L (p<0.01) in the hyperuricemia model of quails injected by 10% Co/EDTA-Uox. Two-way immuno- diffusion electrophoresis revealed that 10% Co/EDTA-Uox did not produce antibody, whereas the antibody titer against Uox was 1:16. The concentrations of four cytokines in the 10% Co/EDTA-Uox group were significantly lower than in Uox group (p < 0.01); The titer of IgG and IgM against 10% Co/EDTA-Uox was significantly lower than that against Uox at different serum dilutions (p < 0.0001). The pharmacokinetic data indicated that the half-life time of 10% Co/EDTA- Uox (69.315 h) was significantly longer than that of Uox (13.4 h) (p<0.01). The tissue section of the liver, heart, kidney, and spleen revealed no toxicity in Uox and 10% Co/EDTA- Uox groups. Conclusion: 10% Co/EDTA-Uox possesses little immunogenicity, a long half-life time, and a highly efficient degradation of UA.