Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 21, Issue 12, 2021

Cancer notably carcinoma represents a prominent health challenge worldwide. A variety of chemotherapeutic agents are being used to deal with a variety of carcinomas. However, these delivering agents not only enter the targeted site but also affect normal tissues yielding poor therapeutic outcomes. Chemotherapeutic-associated problems are being attributed to drug non-specificity resulting from poor drug delivery systems. These problems are now being solved using nanomedicine, which entails using nanoparticles as drug delivery systems or nanocarriers. This nanoparticle-based drug delivery system enhances clinical outcomes by enabling targeted delivery, improving drug internalization, enhanced permeability, easy biodistribution, prolonged circulation and enhanced permeability rate, thereby improving the therapeutic effectiveness of several anticancer agents. Natural Protein-based Nanoparticles (PNPs) such as ferritin, lipoprotein, and lectins from natural sources have gained extensive importance at a scientific community level as nanovehicle for effective drug delivery and photo acoustic labeling replacing several synthetic nanocarriers that have shown limited therapeutic outcomes. The bioavailability of PNP, the chance of genetic engineering techniques to modify their biological properties made them one of the important raw material sources for drug delivery research. This current review highlighted different chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of some carcinomas. It also focused on the wide variety of natural protein sources derived nanoparticles (NPs) as anticancer delivery of agents for cancer therapy.

Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre (family Polygonacea), commonly known as Polygonum hydropiper, is a popular medicinal plant used in traditional medicine. The plant is indigenous to the tropical northern hemisphere and temperate zone, including China, Bangladesh, India, and Japan. The plant is used in folk medicine for numerous ailments such as hemorrhoids, antifertility, diarrhea, and dyspepsia. Its medicinal usage in Unani, Ayurveda, Siddha, and other traditional medicine is well-recognized. So far, a wide range of active phytochemicals of this plant has been identified, such as flavonoids, sulphated flavonoids, terpenoids, anthraquinones, steroids, coumarin, simple phenolics, and others. Pharmacological data reported in the literature suggest that various parts of P. hydropiper exhibit antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antidepressant, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, anticancer, and antifertility effects. The present review aims to compile the coherently document research on the phytochemical, pharmacological, and biological activities of P. hydropiper from different parts of the globe.

Nutraceuticals are food or component of food that do not only promote health but also help in recovering and combating health disorders. Algae are microorganisms that are used as supplements used in treating health disorders. They are rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidant pigments, and other micronutrients. These algae are gaining importance as functional components in the green synthesis of metal nanoparticles and applications in fabrics incorporated antimicrobial agents and pharmaceuticals. The present review focus on the distinctive algal components that are beneficial in biomedical applications. It also focuses on the research techniques to enrich the macronutrients and micronutrients by altering growth conditions and susceptible nutritional factors. A diagram model for a systematic review is utilized for this search. The research is conducted through the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Science Direct. Results: Here in this review, current reviewers put forward the importance of microalgae and other algae as alternative marine nutrient sources of dietary supplements for human consumption. In this context, extrinsic and intrinsic environmental parameter manipulative studies by eminent research groups to enhance the nutrient composition of these marine creatures are focused on in this study. Some costeffective approach-based techniques for industrial output have also been manifested. The role of algae as bio-inspired material for the production of biosynthetic metal nanoparticles, water-soluble polymers, bioplastic, antimicrobials, antifouling agents has been incurred as research interests in the past decades. In spite of being so impressive as nutraceuticals and bio-inspired material components, research gaps still exist. The purpose of the manuscript is to cover such gaps and show a new paradigm of biomedical applications.

With the introduction of antiretroviral therapy, the worldwide AIDS-related deaths have decreased, and life expectancy has increased, including the prevalence of AIDS-related neurological disorders or neuroAIDS. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders such as mild neurocognitive disorder and asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment have largely remained stable or increased among the HIV-infected individuals in the combination antiretroviral therapy era. The emerging evidence that antiretrovirals with high CNS penetration effectiveness score contribute to the neurotoxicity and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders has ushered the search for natural, nontoxic bioactive constituents having pre-established neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and restorative neurocognitive activity. In this review, we have highlighted the probable mechanism of neuroAIDS infection, the problem with the existing antiretroviral therapy, along with various bioactive constituents with in vivo, in vitro, or ex vivo evidence of their neuroprotective activity that can be used as an adjuvant with the current combination antiretroviral therapy regimen or can even serve as an alternate to the antiretrovirals for treatment of HIV associated neurocognitive disorder.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (adult onset diabetes) is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for around 90% of all diabetes cases with insulin resistance and insulin secretion defect. The key goal of anti-diabetic therapy is to increase the development of insulin, immunity and/or decrease the amount of blood glucose. While many synthetic compounds have been produced as antidiabetic agents, due to their side effects and limited effectiveness, their usefulness has been hindered. Methods: This systematic review investigated the bioactive compounds reported to possess activities against type 2 diabetes. Three (3) databases, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar were searched for research articles published between January 2010 and October 2020. A total of 6464 articles were identified out of which 84 articles were identified to be elligible for the study. Result and Discussion: From the data extracted, it was found that quercetin, Kaempferol, Rosmarinic acid, Cyanidin, Rutin, Catechin, Luteolin and Ellagic acid were the most cited bioactive compounds which all falls within the class of polyphenolic compounds. The major sources of these bioactive compounds includes citrus fruits, grapes, onions, berries, cherries, broccoli, honey, apples, green tea, Ginkgo biloba, St. John's wort, green beans, cucumber, spinach, tea, Rosmarinus officinalis, Aloe vera, Moringa oleifera, tomatoes, potatoes, oregano, lemon balm, thyme, peppermint, Ocimum basilicum, red cabbage, pears, olive oil and walnut.