Topic Review
Cataracts
A cataract is an ophthalmic disorder characterized by the opacification of the lens and occurs commonly in older people. Age-related cataract is a significant cause of blindness affecting the quality of life worldwide. An imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidant potential of ocular tissue is considered responsible for structural modifications of crystallins, the protein constituents of the lens, which eventually leads to cataracts. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two major carotenoids which are concentrated in the human lens. Many preclinical and clinical studies provide compelling evidence for a protective role of dietary carotenoids in age-related cataracts.
  • 3.9K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Pomegranate in the Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
The pomegranate fruit is made of white to deep purple seeds that are enclosed in a white, spongy, astringent membrane, also known as pericarp, covered by a thick red skin and a crown-shaped calyx. It contains a variety of beneficial ingredients, including flavonoids, ellagitannin, punicalagin, ellagic acid, vitamins, and minerals. Pomegranates possess numerous health benefits, and their use in disease treatment has been widely recognized since antiquity.
  • 3.6K
  • 06 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Sesquiterpene Lactones
Sesquiterpene lactones, a vast group of terpenoids isolated from Asteraceae family species, exhibit a wide variety of biological activities and several of them are already available on the medicines market, such as artemisinin. Here are presented and discussed the most recent and impactful results in vivo, preclinical and clinical studies, involving a selection of ten sesquiterpene lactones (alantolactone, arglabin, costunolide, cynaropicrin, helenalin, inuviscolide, lactucin, parthenolide, thapsigargin and tomentosin) and some of their derivatives.
  • 3.5K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum Epling and Játiva is a psychoactive Mexican mint used for centuries by Mazatec Indian shamans or curanderos of north-eastern Oaxaca, Mexico, for divinatory and religious purposes and physical healing.
  • 3.2K
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Toxic Ingredients in Skin Lightening Cosmetics
Skin lightening is defined as "the practice of using chemicals or any other product with depigmenting potential in an attempt to lighten skin tone or improve the complexion; these goals are achieved by decreasing the concentration of melanin to achieve a reduction in the physiological pigmentation of the skin". Products used to achieve this purpose are known as depigmenting, skin-lightening, skin-bleaching, skin-brightening or skin-evening agents. Skin-whitening products containing highly toxic active ingredients (in particular mercury derivatives, hydroquinone and corticosteroids) are easily found on the market; the use of these depigmenting agents can be followed by a variety of adverse effects, with very serious and sometimes fatal complications, and is currently an emerging health concern in many countries. 
  • 3.0K
  • 26 May 2022
Topic Review
Polymers for Pharmaceutical Coating
Coating the solid dosage form, such as tablets, is considered common, but it is a critical process that provides different characteristics to tablets. It increases the value of solid dosage form, administered orally, and thus meets diverse clinical requirements. As tablet coating is a process driven by technology, it relies on advancements in coating techniques, equipment used for the coating process, evaluation of coated tablets, and coated material used. Although different techniques were employed for coating purposes, which may be based on the use of solvents or solvent-free, each of the methods used has its advantages and disadvantages, and the techniques need continued modification too. During the process of film coating, several inter-and intra-batch uniformity of coated material on the tablets is considered a critical point that ensures the worth of the final product, particularly for those drugs that contain an active medicament in the coating layer. Meanwhile, computational modeling and experimental evaluation were actively used to predict the impact of the operational parameters on the final product quality and optimize the variables in tablet coating. The efforts produced by computational modeling or experimental evaluation not only save cost in optimizing the coating process but also saves time.
  • 2.9K
  • 13 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Natural Phenols
Phenols are widespread in nature, being the major components of several plants and essential oils. Natural phenols’ anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, pharmacological and nutritional properties are, nowadays, well established. Hence, given their peculiar biological role, numerous studies are currently ongoing to overcome their limitations, as well as to enhance their activity.
  • 2.8K
  • 29 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Methotrexate
Methotrexate (MTX), a structural analogue of folic acid, that inhibits cell division (mainly in the S phase of the cell cycle) is commonly used for the treatment of many cancers as well for severe and resistant forms of autoimmune pathologies and inflammatory disorders. This paragraph of clinical overview presents state of knowledge with regards to different pathways of MTX active transport system, mechanisms of action and its applications as immunosuppressive drug and anticancer agent.  
  • 2.8K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Factors Affecting Hair Health
Hair health is associated with personal distress and psychological well-being. Even though hair loss (alopecia) does not affect humans’ biological health, it affects an individual’s social well-being. So, treatment for hair problems and improving hair health are obligatory. 
  • 2.8K
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Chromatographic Techniques in Pharmaceutical Analysis
High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an incredibly universal tool, especially when combined with different detectors, such as UV-Visible spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), and fluorescence detection for numerous active ingredients in different pharmaceutical formulations without interferences from other excipients. TLC, in combination with densitometry, is a very efficient tool for the determination of biologically active substances present in pharmaceutical preparations. In addition, TLC coupled to densitometry and mass spectrometry could be suitable for preliminary screening and determination of the biological activity (e.g., antioxidant properties, thin layer chromatography (TLC) by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method) of plant materials. Gas chromatography, coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS, GC-MS/MS), is of particular importance in the testing of any volatile substances, such as essential oils. LC, coupled to NMR and MS, is the best solution for identifying and studying the structure of unknown components from plant extracts, as well as degradation products (DPs). Thanks to size-exclusion chromatography, coupled to multi-angle light scattering, the quality control of biological pharmaceuticals is possible.
  • 2.8K
  • 26 Apr 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 106