Active compounds from natural sources, particularly snake venoms, are crucial for pharmaceutical development despite challenges in drug discovery. Snake venoms, historically used for medicinal purposes, contain bioactive peptides and enzymes that show therapeutic potential for conditions such as arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic pain, infections and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to examine pharmacological and biomedical innovations by identifying the key research trends, the most studied snake species, and their therapeutic applications. A systematic review of patents related to snake venoms was conducted using the European Patent Office database, Espacenet, covering 2014 to mid-2024. The search employed the keyword “venom,” applying IPC classification A61K38/00, resulting in 31 patents after screening. A PubMed survey on “snake venom derivatives innovations” was conducted to compare the scientific literature volume with the identified patents. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of snake venom-derived products for coagulation disorders, cancer, inflammation, and pain management. Despite challenges in pharmacokinetics and venom variability, advancements in biotechnology offer promise for personalized therapies. The future of snake venom-based treatments appears promising for addressing complex medical conditions.

Passiflora edulis var. edulis is a plant of commercial interest because of it fruits. The seeds, a by-product in the food industry, can be a source of oil for cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. The aims of this work were to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted emulsification conditions for o/w nanoemulsions and to evaluate the emollient activity of the seed oil. The optimum emulsification conditions were established, using the response surface methodology with a Box-Behnken design (BBD). The emollient activity of seed oil of P. edulis var. edulis was evaluated with healthy volunteers using a cutometer for skin moisture and viscoelasticity measurements. The optimal formulation variables (85.34 W of ultrasonic power, 5.96 irradiation time, 70.65% water and a 5:4 oil:surfactant ratio), resulted in considerable improvement in the properties of the ultrasonically formulated nanoemulsions. Finally, the seed oil of P. edulis var. edulis and the nanoemulsion generated by ultrasound presented emollient activity.

6-Methylcoumarin (6MC) is a semisynthetic coumarin with important in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. In order to continue the pre-clinical characterization of this molecule, in vitro intestinal permeability, plasma profile and tissue distribution after oral administration in rats were studied. The permeability of 6MC was evaluated by the Caco-2 cellular model in both the apical-basal (A-B) and basal-apical (B-A) directions. The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution were evaluated in rats after oral and intraperitoneal administration at doses of 200 mg/kg. Transport experiments with Caco-2 cells showed that 6MC presented high permeability at all concentrations evaluated. This finding suggested that 6MC could be transported across the gut wall by passive diffusion. The plasma concentration-time curve showed that the maximum concentration (Cmax) was 17.13 ± 2.90 µg/mL at maximum time (Tmax) of 30 min for the oral route and Cmax 26.18 ± 2.47 µg/mL at 6.0 min for the intraperitoneal administration, with elimination constant of (K_e ) 0.0070 min^-1 and a short life half time of (T_1/2 ) lower that 120 min. The distribution study showed that 6MC has high accumulation in the liver, and widespread distribution in all the organs evaluated.

The cosmetics industry, characterized by innovation and dynamism, is constantly undergoing research, often guided by market trends. Although it covers various sectors, emulsifiers have had a notable impact on its development. Numerous products depend on these components, and continuous research has led to the creation of ever-better products. This Review analyzes emulsifiers for cosmetic use patented between 2013 and 2023, using Espacenet as the main database. Fifty-one patents were examined, considering the annual growth in publications, their geographic distribution, types of emulsifiers, their chemical and physical properties, chemical structures, emulsification mechanisms, and systems formed. An increase in the publication of patents was observed, with some decreases in certain years, highlighting that 86% of the patents come from China. The classification of emulsifiers revealed a predominance of those of natural origin, followed by polymeric, synthetic, and defined molecule compounds. The emulsification mechanisms of each group and the systems they formed according to the patents were also reviewed. In addition, trends in the physical and chemical properties of the emulsifiers were identified. This characterization demonstrates the growth in emulsifier research, which allows for the improvement of emulsions on the market, offering greater stability and functionality to develop superior cosmetic products.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract, fractions and major compounds, which are isolated and identified from Passiflora edulis f. edulis (purple passion fruit) leaves extract. For the isolation of the major compounds, reversed-phase chromatography and normal phase countercurrent chromatography were used. The separation was followed by thin layer chromatography and HPLC-DAD-ELSD. One-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR and ESI-TOF-MS/MS were used for structural elucidation. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated on a TPA multiple dose model of skin chronic inflammation in mice. Additionally, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity assays were performed as possible mechanisms of action studies. The study of the butanolic fraction mainly showed the presence of saponins and flavonoids. Three minor flavonoids were detected; and three known saponins, cyclopassiflosides IX, XI and III were isolated and identified. This is the first unequivocal report of the presence of these compounds in P. edulis f. edulis leaves. The most favourable results of anti-inflammatory activity were obtained for the flavonoid-rich fraction. All the fractions and isolated compounds evaluated, presented high percentages of inhibition of nitric oxide synthase activity.