Topic Review
Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques and DDS
In the latest years, fluorescence microscopy-related techniques have exhibited continuous developments and progresses, both from technical and applicative perspectives, holding the promise to provide unprecedented tools for drug delivery research.We have revised the major fluorescence microscopy-related experimental techniques available for the characterization of drug delivery systems (DDS)from static and dynamic points of view in different media, with a particular focus on the investigation within biological environments and in vivo. Indeed, the opportunities provided by fluorescence microscopy-related techniques to disentangle scientific issues typical of drug delivery research (spanning from the colloidal characterization of a DDS to its adhesion to biological membranes, its interaction with biomolecules, and its intracellular behavior) are countless and exponentially growing, allowing for the expectation that in the next few years the development of completely new tools and protocols will truly advance drug delivery research.
  • 298
  • 22 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Fluoride Toxicity
The practice of community water fluoridation used prophylactically against dental caries increased concern of adverse fluoride effects. Millions of people living in endemic fluorosis areas suffer from various pathological disturbances. Authors assessed the publications on fluoride toxicity until June 2020. Authors present evidence that fluoride is an enzymatic poison, inducing oxidative stress, hormonal disruptions, and neurotoxicity. Fluoride in synergy with aluminum acts as a false signal in G protein cascades of hormonal and neuronal regulations in much lower concentrations than fluoride acting alone. Our review shows the impact of fluoride on human health. We suggest focusing the research on fluoride toxicity to the underlying integrative networks. Ignorance of the pluripotent toxic effects of fluoride might contribute to unexpected epidemics in the future.
  • 939
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Fluoroquinolones Used in Therapy
Antibacterial fluoroquinolones (FQs) are frequently used in treating infections. However, the value of FQs is debatable due to their association with severe adverse effects (AEs). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued safety warnings concerning their side-effects in 2008, followed by the European Medicine Agency (EMA) and regulatory authorities from other countries.
  • 452
  • 17 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Food Polyphenols and Type II Diabetes Mellitus
Type II diabetes mellitus and its related complications are growing public health problems. Many natural products present in our diet, including polyphenols, can be used in treating and managing type II diabetes mellitus and different diseases, owing to their numerous biological properties. Anthocyanins, flavonols, stilbenes, curcuminoids, hesperidin, hesperetin, naringenin, and phenolic acids are common polyphenols found in blueberries, chokeberries, sea-buckthorn, mulberries, turmeric, citrus fruits, and cereals. These compounds exhibit antidiabetic effects through different pathways.
  • 608
  • 22 May 2023
Topic Review
Food–Drug Interactions with Fruit Juices
Fruit juices contain a large number of phytochemicals that, in combination with certain drugs, can cause food–drug interactions that can be clinically significant and lead to adverse events. The mechanisms behind such interactions are in most cases related to phytochemical interference with the activity of cytochrome P450 metabolizing enzymes (CYPs) or drug transporters. Moreover, alterations in their activity can have a clinical relevance if systemic exposure to the drug is decreased or increased, meaning that the pharmacological drug effects are suboptimal, or the drug will cause toxicity. In general, the common pharmacokinetic parameters found to be altered in food–drug interactions regarding fruit juices are the area under the concentration–time curve, bioavailability, and maximum plasma concentration. In most cases, the results from the drug interaction studies with fruit juices provide only limited information due to the small number of subjects, which are also healthy volunteers. Moreover, drug interactions with fruit juices are challenging to predict due to the unknown amounts of the specific phytochemicals responsible for the interaction, as well as due to the inter-individual variability of drug metabolism, among others. Therefore, this work aims to raise awareness about possible pharmacological interactions with fruit juices. 
  • 1.3K
  • 29 May 2021
Topic Review
Formulation Strategies to Improve Pharmacokinetics Profile
The oral route is the most common and practical means of drug administration, particularly from a patient’s perspective. However, the pharmacokinetic profile of oral drugs depends on the rate of drug absorption through the intestinal wall before entering the systemic circulation. However, the enteric epithelium represents one of the major limiting steps for drug absorption, due to the presence of efflux transporters on the intestinal membrane, mucous layer, enzymatic degradation, and the existence of tight junctions along the intestinal linings. These challenges are more noticeable for hydrophilic drugs, high molecular weight drugs, and drugs that are substrates of the efflux transporters. Another challenge faced by oral drug delivery is the presence of first-pass hepatic metabolism that can result in reduced drug bioavailability. Over the years, a wide range of compounds have been investigated for their permeation-enhancing effect in order to circumvent these challenges. There is also a growing interest in developing nanocarrier-based formulation strategies to enhance the drug absorption.
  • 537
  • 26 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Four Atraphaxis Species
Atraphaxis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae, with approximately 60 species. Species of Atraphaxis are much-branched woody plants, forming shrubs or shrubby tufts, primarily inhabiting arid zones across the temperate steppe and desert regions of Central Asia, America, and Australia. Atraphaxis species have been used by diverse groups of people all over the world for the treatment of various diseases.
  • 180
  • 26 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Frankincense Extracts
Boswellia serrata counts among the most intensively studied anti-inflammatory medicinal plants with more than 650 publications recorded in the PubMed literature database up to now. In folk medicine lipophilic frankincense extracts are used as alternatives to anti-inflammatory steroidal drugs (i.e., glucocorticoids) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the treatment of diseases associated with inflammation like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
  • 671
  • 11 May 2021
Topic Review
From the Discovery of Targets to Delivery Systems
Metals are indispensable for the life of all organisms, and their dysregulation leads to various disorders due to the disruption of their homeostasis. Nowadays, various transition metals are used in pharmaceutical products as diagnostic and therapeutic agents because their electronic structure allows them to adjust the properties of molecules differently from organic molecules. Therefore, interest in the study of metal–drug complexes from different aspects has been aroused, and numerous approaches have been developed to characterize, activate, deliver, and clarify molecular mechanisms. The integration of these different approaches, ranging from chemoproteomics to nanoparticle systems and various activation strategies, enables the understanding of the cellular responses to metal drugs, which may form the basis for the development of new drugs and/or the modification of currently used drugs.
  • 205
  • 26 Jul 2023
Topic Review
FUBCs in gram negative bacteremia
Bloodstream infections still constitute an outstanding cause of in-hospital morbidity and mortality, especially among critically ill patients. Follow up blood cultures (FUBCs) are widely recommended for proper management of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida spp infections. On the other hand, their role is still a matter of controversy as far as Gram negative bacteremias are concerned. We revised, analyzed, and commented on the literature addressing this issue, to define the clinical settings in which the application of FUBCs could better reveal its value.
  • 568
  • 29 Dec 2020
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