Association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and oxidative stress has been shown in numerous studies. It has been shown that probiotics could be the effective treatment strategy in improving oxidative stress. This study aimed to determine the effects of a new developed synbiotic yogurt on oxidative stress status in adults with MetS. Forty-four individuals were assigned into two groups and given 300 g of synbiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Chloromyces marcosianos yeast or regular yogurt for 12 weeks in this randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Before and after the intervention, biochemical parameters were assessed. Daily consumption of synbiotic yogurt in adults with MetS showed a statistically significant improvement in the level of glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.01) and total oxidant status (p = 0.006) compared to the regular yogurt. Total Antioxidant Capacity and superoxide dismutase levels increased significantly (p = 0.002 and p = 0.02, respectively) in the intervention group compared to the baseline levels. In adults with MetS, daily consumption of the synbiotic yogurt containing native strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Chloromyces marcosianos yeast for 12 weeks was associated with improvements in oxidative stress status. Trial registration number: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT20220426054667N1) (18/05/2022)

In the present study, arginine–glycine–aspartic acid peptide (RGD) surface functionalized liposomes (Lips) were formulated for the concomitant targeted delivery of two antineoplastic drugs, namely curcumin (Cur) and 5‐fluorouracil (5FU) to breast cancer cells. The Lips’ measured size values where 50–100 nm by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and 169 ± 10.2 nm by dynamic light scattering (DLS), which fall within the desired range required for drug delivery purposes. In this study, we assessed the antineoplastic effects of various liposomal formulations for the codelivery of Cur and 5FU to MCF‐7 breast cancer cells. We evaluated two liposomal formulations (Lip–Cur–5FU) and (Lip–Cur–5FU–RGD). The treatment of MCF‐7 cells with 32 µg/mL of Cur exhibited a significant ( p < 0.0001) drop in cell viability among the three formulations, namely Cur and 5Fu in the free form (Lip–Cur–5FU) and liposomal form (Lip–Cur–5FU–RGD); the least viability rate (9.91% ± 1.65%) corresponded to the RGD functionalized concomitantly Cur and 5Fu loaded Lips (Lip–Cur–5FU–RGD) formulation. On the other hand, liposomal Cur increased the rate of early apoptotic cell by 4.88% without altering the rate of late apoptotic cells. Furthermore, the concomitant treatment of MCF‐7 cells with Cur and 5FU enhanced the overall apoptosis rate, where Cur–5FU in the RGD functionalized‐liposomal form induced the highest (16.8%) apoptosis rate, while other Cur–5FU formulations, free and nonfunctionalized liposomal form, induced lower apoptosis rates (10.4% and 10.9%, respectively). Collectively our results demonstrated that the implementation of RGD‐functionalized Lips for the concomitant delivery of Cur and 5FU enhanced their therapeutic efficacy against this breast cancer model.

In this investigation, gallic acid (GA) and curcumin (Cur) were co-encapsulated into RGD-functionalized liposomes, denoted as GA-Cur-RFL. The synthesized liposomes were characterized, and their anticancer activity was assessed through MTT assays and annexin V/PI apoptosis kit assays conducted on PC-3 prostate cancer cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed liposomes with a uniform morphology, approximately 100 nm in size. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis further indicated a hydrodynamic size of 160.8 ± 2.3 for the liposomes. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that the cytotoxicity of GA exhibited concentration and time dependency. Moreover, the results underscored that Cur significantly enhanced the anticancer effect of GA. Additionally, the functionalization of liposomes with RGD peptide was found to increase the cytotoxicity of liposomes containing both compounds compared to free drugs and drugs encapsulated into simple liposomes. Apoptosis assays yielded compelling results, showcasing a notable improvement in late apoptosis (20% late apoptosis) for GA-Cur-RFL in comparison to non-functionalized nanoliposomes and the free form of compounds (13.6% and 12% late apoptosis, respectively). These findings conclusively demonstrate that the co-administration and delivery of Cur and GA substantially amplify their cytotoxic effects. Importantly, the enhanced apoptosis induction by GA-Cur-RFL in PC-3 cells can be attributed to the RGD modification, facilitating increased cellular absorption of GA and Cur. These insights advance our understanding of the mechanisms involved and hold promise for the development of more effective and targeted cancer therapies.