Curcumin is the primary polyphenol in turmeric’s curcuminoid class. It has a wide range of therapeutic applications, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, and anticancer effects against various cancers, but has poor solubility and low bioavailability. Objective: To improve curcumin’s bioavailability, plasma concentration, and cellular permeability processes. The nanocurcumin approach over curcumin has been proven appropriate for encapsulating or loading curcumin (nanocurcumin) to increase its therapeutic potential. Conclusion: Though incorporating curcumin into nanocurcumin form may be a viable method for overcoming its intrinsic limitations, and there are reasonable concerns regarding its toxicological safety once it enters biological pathways. This review article mainly highlights the therapeutic benefits of nanocurcumin over curcumin.

In this focused progress review, the most widely accepted methods of transdermal drug delivery are hypodermic needles, transdermal patches and topical creams. However, microneedles (MNs) (or microneedle arrays) are low-invasive 3D biomedical constructs that bypass the skin barrier and produce systemic and localized pharmacological effects. In the past, biomaterials such as carbohydrates, due to their physicochemical properties, have been extensively used to manufacture microneedles (MNs). Due to their wide range of functional groups, carbohydrates enable the design and development of tunable properties and functionalities. In recent years, numerous microneedle products have emerged on the market, although much research needs to be undertaken to overcome the various challenges before the successful introduction of microneedles into the market. As a result, carbohydrate-based microarrays have a high potential to achieve a future step in sensing, drug delivery, and biologics restitution. In this review, a comprehensive overview of carbohydrates such as hyaluronic acid, chitin, chitosan, chondroitin sulfate, cellulose and starch is discussed systematically. It also discusses the various drug delivery strategies and mechanical properties of biomaterial-based MNs, the progress made so far in the clinical translation of carbohydrate-based MNs, and the promotional opportunities for their commercialization. In conclusion, the article summarizes the future perspectives of carbohydrate-based MNs, which are considered as the new class of topical drug delivery systems.

A medication’s approximate release profile should be sustained in order to generate the desired therapeutic effect. The drug’s release site, duration, and rate must all be adjusted to the drug’s therapeutic aim. However, when designing drug delivery systems, this may be a considerable hurdle. Electrospinning is a promising method of creating a nanofibrous membrane since it enables drugs to be placed in the nanofiber composite and released over time. Nanofiber composites designed through electrospinning for drug release purposes are commonly constructed of simple structures. This nanofiber composite produces matrices with nanoscale fiber structure, large surface area to volume ratio, and a high porosity with small pore size. The nanofiber composite’s large surface area to volume ratio can aid with cell binding and multiplication, drug loading, and mass transfer processes. The nanofiber composite acts as a container for drugs that can be customized to a wide range of drug release kinetics. Drugs may be electrospun after being dissolved or dispersed in the polymer solution, or they can be physically or chemically bound to the nanofiber surface. The composition and internal structure of the nanofibers are crucial for medicine release patterns.

Polymeric nanocomposites have been outstanding functional materials and have garnered immense attention as sustainable materials to address multi-disciplinary problems. MXenes have emerged as a newer class of 2D materials that produce metallic conductivity upon interaction with hydrophilic species, and their delamination affords monolayer nanoplatelets of a thickness of about one nm and a side size in the micrometer range. Delaminated MXene has a high aspect ratio, making it an alluring nanofiller for multifunctional polymer nanocomposites. Herein, we have classified and discussed the structure, properties and application of major polysaccharide-based electroactive hydrogels (hyaluronic acid (HA), alginate sodium (SA), chitosan (CS) and cellulose) in biomedical applications, starting with the brief historical account of MXene’s development followed by successive discussions on the synthesis methods, structures and properties of nanocomposites encompassing polysaccharides and MXenes, including their biomedical applications, cytotoxicity and biocompatibility aspects. Finally, the MXenes and their utility in the biomedical arena is deliberated with an eye on potential opportunities and challenges anticipated for them in the future, thus promoting their multifaceted applications.

Delayed wound healing is a serious complication of diabetes and a main reason for foot amputation. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a main active constituent of honeybee propolis with reported appealing pharmacological activities. In the current study, CAPE was loaded onto PEG–PLGA nanoparticles and showed a particle size of 198 ± 7.3 nm and polydispersity index of 0.43 ± 0.04. An in vivo study was performed to appraise the wound-healing activity of CAPE-loaded PEG–PLGA nanoparticles (CAPE-NPs) in diabetic rats. Wound closure was significantly accelerated in rats treated with CAPE-NPs. This was confirmed via histological examinations of skin tissues that indicated expedited healing and enhanced collagen deposition. This was accompanied by observed antioxidant activity as evidenced by the prevention of lipid peroxidation and the exhaustion of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. In addition, CAPE-NPs showed superior anti-inflammatory activity as compared with the regular formula of CAPE, as they prevented the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as tumor necrosis-alpha (TNF-α). The pro-collagen actions of CAPE-NPs were highlighted by the enhanced hyroxyproline content and up-regulation of Col 1A1 mRNA expression. Furthermore, the immunohistochemial assessment of skin tissues indicated that CAPE-NPs enhance proliferation and angiogenesis, as shown by the increased expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and platelet-derived growth factor subunit B (PDGF-B). In conclusion, CAPE-loaded PEG–PLGA nanoparticles possess potent healing effects in diabetic wounds. This is mediated, at least partially, by its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-collagen as well as angiogenic activities.

Andrographolide (AG), a major active constituent of Andrographis paniculata, is known to hinder proliferation of several types of cancer cells. However, its poor solubility and cellular permeability restrict its use in clinical applications. In this study, AG-loaded phytosomes (AG-PTMs) were formulated and optimized with respect to particle size using l-α-phosphatidylcholine (PC):AG ratio and sonication time (ST) as independent variables. The optimized formula was prepared at 1:2.7 for AG:PC molar ratio and 4.9 min for ST and exhibited a particle size of 243.7 ± 7.3 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.310 and entrapment efficiency of 72.20 ± 4.53. Also, the prepared formula showed a slow release of AG over 24-h period. The antiproliferative activity of AG-PTMs was investigated against the liver cancer cell line HepG2. AG-PTMs significantly repressed the growth of HepG2 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 4.02 ± 0.14 µM. AG uptake by HepG2 cells was significantly enhanced in incubations containing the optimized formula. AG-PTMs also caused G2-M cell cycle phase arrest and increased the fraction of apoptotic cells in pre-G1 phase. These effects were associated with induction of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, AG-PTMs significantly upregulated mRNA expression of BAX and downregulated that of BCL2. Furthermore, AG-PTMs significantly enhanced the concentration of caspase-3 in comparison to raw AG. These data indicate that the phytosomal delivery of AG significantly inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation through enhanced cellular uptake, arresting cell cycle at the G2-M phase and inducing mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis.