Globally, cancer is one of the deadliest diseases, needing a meticulous diagnosis and targeted treatment plan to achieve an initial prognosis, followed by precision and optimization in treatment. Nonselective targeting, difficulty in accurately monitoring treatment end-results, serious drug side-effects, and severity of disease resulting in metastasis are the key flaws of traditional techniques. Nanotechnology and nanoparticles possess special features to completely transform the field of diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A holistic strategy that employs a dual function of diagnosis and therapy while utilizing a nanocarrier is referred to as a nanotheranostic. The nanotheranostic framework was created to surmount a variety of biological and physiological obstacles, effectively delivering the cargo to the intended target location, while simultaneously facilitating therapeutic intervention, surveillance, and validation to demonstrate improved treatment effectiveness. As a result, a nanotheranostic platform can be useful for targeted drug delivery, release, and distribution assessment, in addition to patient classification and survival. Nanotheranostic techniques also lead to reduced drug side-effects compared with conventional therapies. In this review, we outline current studies on nanotheranostics and their advantages over conventional treatment strategies, the applications and challenges/limitations of nanotheranostics, and the mechanisms of targeting in breast and prostate cancers.

Aims: The ripe fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (Cucurbitaceae) is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treatment of diabetes. The ripe fruit is very edible, nutritious and of high sweet taste, while the unripe fruit which is usually very bitter and not edible, has not been widely studied. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of the unripe fruit of S. grosvenorii and to compare it with that of the ripe fruit as well as to determine their possible mechanism of action. Methodology: The method of streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced diabetic animal model in mice was employed and mice with blood glucose greater than 9.0 mmol/l were selected for treatment with unripe fruit extract (UFE) and ripe fruit extract (RFE) for 24 days. Alpha-glucosidase and alpha amylase enzymes inhibitory assays for determination of possible mechanism of action, were performed. Results: The RFE exhibited better efficacy in antidiabetic activity than the UFE, though the later displayed better potency in activity. The RFE, UFE (300 mg/kg) and glibenclamide exhibited significant (P<0.05) percentage blood glucose reduction (PBGR) of 67.04, 60.69 and 62.88%, respectively, in diabetic mice. Alpha glucosidase assay showed median inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 7.60 and 6.62 mg/ml for RFE and UFE, respectively, while the alpha amylase inhibitory assay exhibited percentage inhibition of 84.78 and 95.10% for RFE and UFE (25 mg/ml), respectively. Conclusion: The ripe and unripe extracts of S. grosvenorii exhibited antidiabetic activities, and RFE proved a better efficacious activity than UFE, which showed more potent activity. In addition, the antidiabetic activity is likely being mediated through alpha glucosidase and alpha amylase enzymes inhibition.

Kaurenoic acid (KA), a diterpenoid with various therapeutic potentials, faces challenges in clinical translation due to poor solubility and bioavailability. Nanoliposomal formulations offer a promising solution to these limitations. This study aimed to evaluate the safety profile of both free kaurenoic acid and its nanoliposomal formulation in experimental animals. Nanoliposomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration method. Acute toxicity test was conducted using Swiss albino. Subacute toxicity was evaluated using male Wistar rats. Animals were orally administered KA and kaurenoic acid loaded nanoliposomes (KALNL) at doses of 4, 40, and 400 mg/kg daily for seven consecutive days. Haematological, biochemical analyses as well as histopathological examinations of the liver and kidneys were also performed. Acute toxicity study showed no lethal outcomes or behavioral changes up to 5000 mg/kg for either KA or KALNL, indicating an oral LD50 greater than 5000 mg/kg. Body weight gain remained normal and comparable to controls. The subacute toxicity assessment revealed no mortality, gross pathological findings, or overt toxicity in any of the treated groups in haematological and biochemical parameters. Histopathological examination confirmed preserved hepatic and renal architecture, with no signs of necrosis, fatty degeneration, inflammatory cell infiltration, degeneration, or congestion in the liver and kidney sections, even at higher doses. Both KA and KALNL demonstrated a favorable safety profile during acute and subacute toxicity evaluations in experimental animals, suggesting their potential for further development in therapeutic applications.