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Ziziphus jujuba Mills, 'annab' in Iran, 'ber' in India or 'pomme sourette' in France, is a species whose fruit (known warmly as 'the fruits of life' in China) has been consumed for centuries for its nutritional value. The food industry used it as a food additive and flavoring. The dry seeds, the crude leaves and the stem bark are still used in ethnopharmacology to treat digestive disorders and gastric ulcers as antitussive, laxative and hypotensive drugs; even now, it is used in China to treat children who suffer from typhoid fever, furuncle and ecthyma. In Taiwan, the dry seeds for the variety spinosa (Suan Zao Ren) are the second most commonly prescribed and used phytomedicine for insomnia. Its popularity and production have increased worldwide in recent years, especially in Europe. The European Pharmacopoeia Commission has been unable to elaborate upon the EP monograph on Ziziphi spinosae semen as was planned. The EMA has not made its recommendations yet. Is it still a gap in the scientific knowledge? Or is difficult for traditional Chinese medicinal herbs to fulfill the style and quality parameters that are required? Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Aerial parts and the root of Marrubium vulgare L. (white horehound) have been traditionally used in Europe and in southern and eastern Mediterranean countries. During colonization, the plant was introduced in America to great levels of popularity because of the simplicity of its growing; it was especially popular in Mexico and Brazil, where it has been known as 'maromba', 'marroio' or 'marroio-branco'. Ethnopharmacological uses of M. vulgare include treating respiratory diseases such as acute or chronic bronchitis, colds and asthma. The plant is also used in cases where there is a lack of appetite or dyspepsia and for diagnosed type II diabetes. It has even been used for antihypertensive therapy. For decades, scientists have carried out extensive research trying to explain these and other pharmacologic actions. It is time to systematize and critically analyse the quality of results found to date. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Successful therapy for chronic diseases affecting the posterior segment of the eye requires sustained drug concentrations at the site of action for extended periods of time. To achieve this, it is necessary to use high systemic doses or frequent intraocular injections, both associated with serious adverse effects. In order to avoid these complications and improve patient's quality of life, an experimental study has been conducted on the preparation of a new generation of biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (50:50) (PLGA) polymer microspheres (MSs) loaded with Dxm, vitamin E and/or human serum albumin (HSA). Particles were prepared according to a S/O/W encapsulation method and the 20-40μm fraction was selected. This narrow size distribution is suitable for minimally invasive intravitreal injection by small calibre needles. Characterisation of the MSs showed high Dxm loading and encapsulation efficiency (> 90%) without a strong interaction with the polymer matrix, as revealed by DSC analysis. MSs drug release studies indicated a small burst effect (lower than 5%) during the first five hours and subsequently, drug release was sustained for at least 30days, led by diffusion and erosion mechanisms. Dxm release rate was modulated when solid state HSA was incorporated into MSs formulation. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the protein maintained its integrity during the encapsulation process, as well as for the release study. MSs presented good tolerance and lack of cytotoxicity in macrophages and HeLa cultured cells. After 12months of storage under standard refrigerated conditions (4±1°C), MSs retained appropriate physical and chemical properties and analogous drug release kinetics. Therefore, we conclude that these microspheres are promising pharmaceutical systems for intraocular administration, allowing controlled release of the drug.

Despite the wide variety of pharmacological activities described for the Marrubium vulgare L. herb, amazingly, only one clinical trial can be found in scientific literature. It was designed for the evaluation of its antidiabetic activity. Worse, the outcomes of this trial were contradictory to what previous in vivo mice assays had concluded. Therefore, should Marrubium vulgare be ruled out due to its lack of therapeutic potential in diabetes? The authors suggest a reevaluation of the clinical trial methodology to establish valid and final results.

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