Pyran-based heterocycles are promising for anticancer drug discovery.

Abstract. Piroxicam is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other inflammatory diseases. Upon oral administration, it is reported to cause ulcerative colitis, gastrointestinal irritation, edema and peptic ulcer. Hence, an alternative delivery system has been designed in the form of transethosome. The present study describes the preparation, optimization, characterization, and ex vivo study of piroxicam-loaded transethosomal gel using the central composite design. On the basis of the prescreening study, the concentration of lipids and ethanol was kept in the range of 2-4% w/v and 0-40% v/v, respectively. Formulation was optimized by measuring drug retention in the skin, drug permeation, entrapment efficiency, and vesicle size. Optimized formulation was incorporated in hydrogel and compared with other analogous vesicular (liposomes, ethosomes, and transfersomes) gels for the aforementioned responses. Among the various lipids used, soya phosphatidylcholine (SPL 70) and ethanol in various percentages were found to affect drug retention in the skin, drug permeation, vesicle size, and entrapment efficiency. The optimized batch of transethosome has shown 392.730 μg cm −2 drug retention in the skin, 44.312 μg cm −2 h −1 drug permeation, 68.434% entrapment efficiency, and 655.369 nm vesicle size, respectively. It was observed that the developed transethosomes were found superior in all the responses as compared to other vesicular formulations with improved stability and highest elasticity. Similar observations were noted with its gel formulation.

The aim of the present study is to design a mucoadhesive nano-carrier system which retains at the site of application and maximizes the therapeutic potential of anticancer drug as well as reduces their systemic side effects. In the present study PVA nanofibers of Docetaxel were prepared using electrospinning machine. The resulting nanofibers were characterized through various parameters such as surface morphology, drug loading, in-vitro drug release, tensile strength, mucoadhesiveness, drug permeability, degree of swelling and anticancer activities against selective cell lines to establish their therapeutics potential. On the basis of various evaluation results, we may conclude that the current approach comprising polymeric nanofibers can be successfully used for local delivery of anticancer drug.

Though these vesicular systems offer a good potential for rational drug delivery, a thoughtfully designed process is required to optimize the process variables involved. Industrial scale production of efficacious, safe, cost effective and stable formulations of both these delivery systems appears to be a pre-requisite to ensure their utility as the trans-dermal vehicles.

Withanolides are a group of naturally occurring oxygenated ergostane type steroids, having lactone in side chain and 2-en-1-one system in the ring. Withanolides are present in medicinal plants of Solanaceae family. Formulations based on these medicinal plants are widely used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. Withanolides have shown a wide range of pharmacological activities including hypno¬sedative, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, angiogenesis inhibitor, anticholinesterase, antioxidant, antibacterial and above all, antitumour. Withaferin A is the best studied withanolide as far as pharmacological investigations are concerned. The present review summarises the investigative work carried out on bioactive withanolides.

Electrospinning is a simple unit operation process by which polymeric nanofibers with diameters ranging from a few nanometers to hundreds of micrometers can be fabricated using an electrostatically operated jet of polymer solution or polymer melt. Nanofibers because of their interesting features, such as surface-to-volume ratio, high surface area, microporosity, and nonwoven structure, provide numerous opportunities to design novel carrier systems for large commodities of therapeutics. Physicochemical properties of nanofibers depend on several process and formulation parameters, such as applied voltage, flow rate, polymer selection, and concentration of polymer used. The applications of nanofibers in drug delivery are nearly unbounded. This review summarizes the most recent work done on the various physicochemical parameters of electrospinning and polymers used in making wide varieties of nanofibers along with their role in developing more effective, novel drug delivery systems.

The developed formulation led to enhanced dispersibility and bioavailability of DHA due to the formation of nanodroplets.

Studies from past years have observed various enzymes that are artificial, which are issued to mimic naturally occurring enzymes based on their function and structure. The nanozymes possess nanomaterials that resemble natural enzymes and are considered an innovative class. This innovative class has achieved a brilliant response from various developments and researchers owing to this unique property. In this regard, numerous nanomaterials are inspected as natural enzyme mimics for multiple types of applications, such as imaging, water treatment, therapeutics, and sensing. Nanozymes have nanomaterial properties occurring with an inheritance that provides a single substitute and multiple platforms. Nanozymes can be controlled remotely via stimuli including heat, light, magnetic field, and ultrasound. Collectively, these all can be used to increase the therapeutic as well as diagnostic efficacies. These nanozymes have major biomedical applications including cancer therapy and diagnosis, medical diagnostics, and bio sensing. We summarized and emphasized the latest progress of nanozymes, including their biomedical mechanisms and applications involving synergistic and remote control nanozymes. Finally, we cover the challenges and limitations of further improving therapeutic applications and provide a future direction for using engineered nanozymes with enhanced biomedical and diagnostic applications.