Across diverse cultures, herbal remedies have been used to alleviate oral discomfort and maintain dental hygiene. This review presents studies on herbal remedies with remarkable antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, anticaries, analgesic, and healing properties. The manuscripts demonstrate the depth of scientific inquiry into herbal remedies used for the management of various oral and dental health conditions. These include gingivitis, oral ulcers, mucositis, periodontitis, oral pathogens, carcinoma, xerostomia, and dental caries. Researchers have investigated the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of plant-derived compounds and their extracts evaluated their interactions with oral pathogens and inflammatory processes. The convergence of traditional knowledge and rigorous scientific investigation offers a compelling narrative, fostering a deeper understanding of herbal remedies as viable alternatives to conventional dental interventions. This work has the potential to provide patients with access to gentle, yet effective solutions, and simultaneously offer dental health professionals the opportunity to enrich their knowledge, and ability to provide personalized, holistic care. This review highlights the symbiotic relationship between herbal medicine and scientific understanding, emphasizing the importance of disseminating this knowledge to benefit both practitioners and patients, enabling evidence-based decision-making in dental care. The exploration of herbal remedies offers a promising alternative, potentially mitigating some of these side effects while promoting oral health in a more natural and holistic manner.

Cisplatin (CIS) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent against different cancers. The use of CIS is associated with acute lung injury (ALI) and other adverse effects, and oxidative stress and inflammation were implicated in its toxic effects. Candesartan (CAN), an angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor blocker, showed beneficial effects against oxidative stress and inflammation. Therefore, this study investigated the potential of CAN to prevent CIS-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and lung injury in rats, pointing to the involvement of TLR4/NF-κB, JAK1/STAT3, PPARγ, and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. The rats received CAN (5 mg/kg) for 10 days and were challenged with a single dose of CIS (7 mg/kg) on day 7. CIS caused injury to the alveoli and the bronchial tree, increased lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, myeloperoxidase, TLR-4, NF-κB p65, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and caspase-3, and decreased cellular antioxidants and IL-6 in the lungs of rats. CAN effectively prevented tissue injury, suppressed TLR-4/ NF-κB signaling, and ameliorated oxidative stress, inflammatory markers, and caspase-3 in CIS-administered rats. CAN enhanced antioxidants and IL-10, decreased Ang II, increased Ang (1–7), suppressed the phosphorylation of JAK1 and STAT3, and upregulated SOCS3 in CIS-administered rats. These effects were associated with the downregulation of Keap1 and enhanced Nrf2, GCLC, HO-1, and PPARγ. In conclusion, CAN prevented CIS-induced lung injury by attenuating oxidative stress, suppressing TLR-4/NF-κB and JAK1/STAT3 signaling, Ang II, and pro-inflammatory mediators, and upregulating PPARγ, and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of the adverse effects of the antineoplastic agent cisplatin (CIS). Oxidative stress, inflammation, and necroptosis are linked to the emergence of lung injury in various disorders. This study evaluated the effect of the macrolide antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) on oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and necroptosis in the lungs of CIS-administered rats, pinpointing the involvement of PPARγ, SIRT1, and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. The rats received AZM for 10 days and a single dose of CIS on the 7th day. CIS provoked bronchial and alveolar injury along with increased levels of ROS, MDA, NO, MPO, NF-κB p65, TNF-α, and IL-1β, and decreased levels of GSH, SOD, GST, and IL-10, denoting oxidative and inflammatory responses. The necroptosis-related proteins RIP1, RIP3, MLKL, and caspase-8 were upregulated in CIS-treated rats. AZM effectively prevented lung tissue injury, ameliorated oxidative stress and NF-κB p65 and pro-inflammatory markers levels, boosted antioxidants and IL-10, and downregulated necroptosis-related proteins in CIS-administered rats. AZM decreased the concentration of Ang II and increased those of Ang (1-7), cytoglobin, PPARγ, SIRT1, Nrf2, and HO-1 in the lungs of CIS-treated rats. In conclusion, AZM attenuated the lung injury provoked by CIS in rats through the suppression of inflammation, oxidative stress, and necroptosis. The protective effect of AZM was associated with the upregulation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling, cytoglobin, PPARγ, and SIRT1.

Mangiferin, a polyphenol of natural occurrence predominantly present in Mangifera indica, has attracted significant interest because of its multiplicity of pharmacological activities, of which its neuroprotective activity is of particular interest. Herein, the review delves into the biosynthetic mechanisms, structural properties, and action mechanisms responsible for the therapeutic value of mangiferin in neurological disorders. Of special note is that mangiferin has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activities, which are responsible for its effectiveness in reducing cognitive impairments and neuronal damage in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, stroke, epilepsy, depression, anxiety, and general cognitive decline. Though being of low bioavailability, more recent approaches such as chemical derivatization, nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery, and intranasal delivery have the promise to enhance its central nervous system (CNS) delivery. By combining preclinical and mechanistic studies, the review herein highlights the potential of mangiferin as a multitherapeutic neuroprotectant and addresses new approaches to facilitate its clinical application.

Purpose: Frozen embryos transfer (ET) may improve the live-birth and reduce rates of ovarian hyperstimulation in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. Morphological criteria are the classical way for embryo selection, yet recently, many biochemical and genetic markers have been developed. This study aimed to compare fresh and frozen ET using the mtDNA/gDNA ratio of embryo secretome and the possibility of using this ratio as a predictive marker of PCOS pregnancy rate. Subjects and Methods: One hundred PCOS patients undergoing IVF were chosen according to Rotterdam criteria and divided into two groups. Group I (50 with fresh ET), group II (50 with frozen ET), and otherwise 33 apparently healthy women as a control group with fresh ET. We then carried out absolute quantification of embryo culture media mtDNA and gDNA by real-time PCR. Results: mtDNA/gDNA ratio was significantly low in PCOS embryo culture media in comparison with control. Additionally, while the mtDNA/gDNA ratio was significantly high in pregnant PCOS embryo culture media, it was high, though not statistically significant, in the fresh ET than frozen ET group. mtDNA/gDNA ratio sensitivity and specificity in PCOS embryo culture media as a predictive value of pregnancy rate were (86% and 96%, respectively). Conclusion: mtDNA/gDNA ratio measurement in PCOS embryo culture media is a novel marker that can be clinically applied as a predictive value of the quality of the morphologically good embryo.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious problem that results from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complications. Recent studies have highlighted that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) dysregulation is a notable feature in patients with SLE. As a result, this research was designed to investigate lncRNA CASC2 and miR-155 levels as non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers in SLE patients, including those with and without nephritis, and to investigate their effectiveness in assessing disease severity and predicting LN. Our study included 60 patients with SLE who were subclassified into (30 non-LN and 30 LN groups), along with 30 control subjects. Quantification of lncRNA CASC2 and miR-155 in serum samples from the Egyptian population was carried out with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The disease activity index (SLEDAI) for SLE was evaluated, and the analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was implemented. Increased levels of lncRNA CASC2 were observed in SLE patients compared to healthy controls, with even higher levels observed in the LN group versus the non-LN patients’ group. Conversely, miR-155 was noted to be down-regulated in SLE patients relative to controls, and its levels were lower in the LN group relative to the non-LN patients’ group. The elevated expression of lncRNA CASC2 and reduced expression of miR-155 were both correlated to the severity of the disease. The current study illustrated that both lncRNA CASC2 and miR-155 could act as valuable non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for SLE and predicting LN among SLE patients, as well as their abilities to detect the disease severity and progression.