Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 31, Issue 33, 2025

This study explores the formulation and effectiveness of a Rhodiola rosea phytosomal gel for enhancing wound healing.

The ethanolic extract of Rhodiola rosea roots, rich in bioactive compounds like alkaloids and flavonoids, was optimized into a phytosomal complex to improve absorption and dermal retention.

Characterization through GC-MS revealed compounds, such as 2-Heptadecenal and Bicyclo[4.1.0]Heptane and 7-Pentyl. FTIR confirmed the successful encapsulation within the phospholipid bilayer, while SEM showed smooth, spherical particles.

The Box-Behnken design optimized formulation parameters, achieving high yield (92.64%), small particle size (355 nm), and high entrapment efficiency (93.98%). In vitro release studies displayed a consistent release profile, aligning with Zero-order and Hixson-Crowell models. In vivo evaluation on Wistar rats showed that the phytosomal gel significantly enhanced wound healing, achieving 98.16% wound reduction by day 14, compared to 95.17% for R. rosea extract and 97.13% for standard treatment. Histopathological analysis demonstrated complete tissue regeneration and well-organized collagen fibers in the phytosomal gel group.

This research highlights the potential of Rhodiola rosea phytosomal gel as an effective wound healing therapy, with future studies suggested for extended stability tests and human skin permeation studies.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease primarily characterized by insufficient insulin secretion or reduced insulin sensitivity in the body's cells, leading to persistently high blood glucose levels. Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids, as important secondary metabolites of Ganoderma lucidum, have shown preliminary potential efficacy in the treatment of T2DM according to existing research. However, due to the structural complexity and diversity of these triterpenoid compounds, as well as the intricate interactions between their therapeutic targets and active ingredients, the precise molecular and pharmacological mechanisms remain to be further explored.

In the present research, we aim to fully employ the integrated approach of network pharmacology and molecular docking methodologies, delving deeply into the potential therapeutic targets and their underlying pharmacological mechanisms in the management of T2DM via Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids.

The active compounds were sourced from prior research and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Their potential targets were predicted with the aid of Swiss Target Prediction. Genes linked to T2DM were gathered from DisGeNET and GeneCards. Using Cytoscape, we established the network connecting active ingredients, targets, and pathways, and the target protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was created using data from the STRING database. The core targets of Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids underwent gene enrichment analysis via DAVID. Lastly, to validate our chosen Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids, we conducted molecular docking experiments between the compounds and their targets.

A total of 53 Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids and 116 associated targets were identified. Among these, SRC, MAPK1, MAPK3, HSP90AA1, TP53, PIK3CA, and AKT1 emerged as pivotal targets. We retrieved 447 Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotations and 153 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, notably including the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Endocrine resistance, Rap1 signaling pathway, and Lipid and Atherosclerosis, which are known to be associated with T2DM. Our findings suggest that Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids may confer resistance to T2DM through mechanisms related to hyperexcitability, cell death, cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation.

A comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and multi-technology approach has been established, which uncovers the collaborative effects and underlying principles of Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids in the management and therapy of T2DM from a holistic perspective. This approach provides new insights into the development of novel biological control products for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and lays the foundation for future systematic studies on the interactions between Ganoderma triterpenes and different targets, elucidating their primary and secondary pathways for lowering blood glucose.

Renal secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) represents a prevalent complication among dialysis patients, significantly impacting long-term prognosis. Parathyroidectomy (PTX) serves as a clinically effective therapeutic option for patients diagnosed with refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism.

This study aims to assess the impact of PTX on cardiovascular events (CVEs) and all-cause mortality in dialysis patients, as well as to analyze the incidence and potential determinants of postoperative cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

We collected data on 710 patients with renal secondary hyperparathyroidism who were treated with PTX between February 2011 and April 2019. A total of 633 patients who underwent PTX were finally included and matched with 462 patients who did not undergo PTX on a 1:1 basis according to age and follow-up duration. Ultimately, 179 pairs were successfully matched to investigate the differences in all-cause mortality and CVEs. The Logistic/Cox regression analyses were employed to identify independent factors associated with adverse CVEs and all-cause mortality among patients receiving PTX. Nomogram prediction models were constructed based on independent influencing factors.

Among 633 patients who underwent PTX, 117 (18.5%) died and 192 (30.3%) experienced CVEs during median 5-year follow-up. No significant differences in cardiovascular/death events were observed between matched groups. In patients who underwent PTX, the logistic regression analysis revealed that age and history of diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for CVEs. The pre-operative use of cinacalcet and/or calcitriol was associated with a reduced risk of CVEs. With respect to preoperative and postoperative calcium levels, the highest tertile was identified as a risk factor when compared with the lowest tertile. Cox regression showed age, diabetes history, and highest preoperative phosphorus tertile negatively correlated with survival, while albumin (ALB) was positively correlated. The predictive nomogram model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.649 for CVE prediction. The areas under the ROC curve for predicting 3-, 5-, and 10-year mortality prediction were 0.865, 0.865, and 0.953, respectively.

PTX does not reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients on maintenance dialysis. In patients who underwent PTX, older age, a history of diabetes mellitus, and higher preoperative calcium/postoperative calcium levels were independent risk factors for adverse CVEs; preoperative use of cinacalcet and/or calcitriol was a protective risk for CVEs. Older age, a history of diabetes mellitus, lower ALB levels, and hyperphosphatemia were independent risk factors for all-cause mortality following PTX. These predictive models may assist in clinical decision-making to some extent.