Rapid diagnosis and treatment application in the early stages of H. pylori infection plays an important part in inhibiting the transmission of this infection as this bacterium is involved in various gastric pathologies such as gastritis, gastro-duodenal ulcer, and even gastric neoplasia. This review is devoted to a quick overview of conventional and advanced detection techniques successfully applied to the detection of H. pylori in the context of a compelling need to upgrade the standards of the diagnostic methods which are currently being used. Selecting the best diagnostic method implies evaluating different features, the use of one or another test depending on accessibility, laboratories equipment, and the clinical conditions of patients. This paper aims to expose the diagnosis methods for H. pylori that are currently available, highlighting their assets and limitations. The perspectives and the advantages of nanotechnology along with the concept of nano(bio)sensors and the development of lab-on-chip devices as advanced tools for H. pylori detection, differentiation, and discrimination is also presented, by emphasizing multiple advantages: simple, fast, cost-effective, portable, miniaturized, small volume of samples required, highly sensitive, and selective. It is generally accepted that the development of intelligent sensors will completely revolutionize the acquisition procedure and medical decision in the framework of smart healthcare monitoring systems.

In recent years, mulberry has acquired a special importance due to its phytochemical composition and its beneficial effects on human health, including antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory effects. Botanical parts of Morus sp. (fruits, leaves, twigs, roots) are considered a rich source of secondary metabolites. The aim of our study was to highlight the phytochemical profile of each of the botanical parts of Morus tree, their health benefits and applications in food industry with an updated review of literature. Black and white mulberries are characterized in terms of predominant phenolic compounds in correlation with their medical applications. In addition to anthocyanins (mainly cyanidin-3-O-glucoside), black mulberry fruits also contain flavonols and phenolic acids. The leaves are a rich source of flavonols, including quercetin and kaempferol in the glycosylated forms and chlorogenic acid as predominant phenolic acids. Mulberry bark roots and twigs are a source of prenylated flavonoids, predominantly morusin. In this context, the exploitation of mulberry in food industry is reviewed in this paper, in terms of developing novel, functional food with multiple health-promoting effects.

Nowadays, the tendency in pharmaceutical and food industries is to replace synthetic antioxidants with the natural ones. For this reason, there is a growing interest in analyzing natural, healthy and non-toxic additives as potential antioxidants. Some plants, which contain high levels of phenolic compounds, present an increasing interest for medicine due to their ability to scavenge free radicals, along with other pharmacological activities, such as antibacterial activity, wound healing and anti-inflammatory effect, to mention only a few. The aim of this review is to explore the therapeutic potential of Ocimum basilicum and Trifolium pratense in relation with their phytochemical profile and to highlight the pharmacological activity of aqueous or ethanol extracts. Special attention was devoted to the dermal pathology and wound healing effects, in the context of multiple skin conditions such as acne, eczema boils, psoriasis and rashes. Additionally, both extracts (Trifolium sp. and Ocimum sp.) are characterized by high content of antioxidant compounds, which are responsible for the radiance and resistance of the skin and slowing down of the aging process by maintaining estrogen levels. Moreover, the potential combined effect of the mixed extract is pointed out in terms of future applications for wound healing, based on some preliminary results obtained from a “scratch tests” assay performed with respect to human dermal fibroblasts.

Bone metabolism is a complex process which is influenced by the activity of bone cells (e.g., osteocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts); the effect of some specific biomarkers (e.g., parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, osteopontin, osteoprotegerin, osterix, RANKL, Runx2); and the characteristic signaling pathways (e.g., RANKL/RANK, Wnt/β, Notch, BMP, SMAD). Some phytochemical compounds—such as flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols, anthocyanins, terpenoids, polysaccharides, alkaloids and others—presented a beneficial and stimulating effect in the bone regeneration process due to the pro-estrogenic activity, the antioxidant and the anti-inflammatory effect and modulation of bone signaling pathways. Lately, nanomedicine has emerged as an innovative concept for new treatments in bone-related pathologies envisaged through the incorporation of medicinal substances in nanometric systems for oral or local administration, as well as in nanostructured scaffolds with huge potential in bone tissue engineering.

Liposomes continue to attract great interest due to their increased bioavailability in the body and because the substances encapsulated are protected while maintaining their effectiveness. The aim of this study is to obtain “giant” liposomes by lipid film hydration using a preparation formula with two different phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS). Firstly, the macro- and microscopic characterization, total phenols content and antioxidant capacity of the plant Stellaria media (L.) Vill. were assessed. Then, Stellaria media (L.) Vill. extract was encapsulated in both formulations (PCE and PSE) and the liposomes were characterized according to their morphology, size distribution and Zeta potential using optical microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The encapsulation efficiency (EE%) was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and the values of both formulations were compared. PC and PCE liposomes with a diameter between 712 and 1000 nm and PS and PSE liposomes with a diameter between 58 and 1000 nm were obtained. The values EE% of Stellaria media (L.) Vill. extract for PCE and PSE were 92.09% and 84.25%, respectively.

The healing of skin wounds remains an important concern in medicine, especially in chronic wounds caused by various diseases such as diabetes. Using herbs or herbal products to heal skin wounds is a therapeutic challenge for traditional medicine. In this context, the main aim of our work was to highlight the in vitro healing potential of Stellaria media (L.) Vill. (SM) extract using the scratch assay on normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF). The ability to stimulate cell migration and proliferation under the influence of different concentrations of SM extract (range between 12.5 and 200 µg/mL) was determined compared to the control (untreated in vitro-simulated wound) and positive control (allantoin 50 µg/mL). Our results showed that the concentration of 100 µg/mL SM extract applied on the simulated wound recorded the strongest and fastest (24 h) migration (with wound closure) and proliferation of NHDF compared with the control. In addition, the SM extract was characterized in terms of bioactive compounds (total phenols and flavonoids content), antioxidant capacity (FRAP (The Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power) assay and electrochemical method), and antimicrobial activity. The results show that the SM extract contains a considerable amount of polyphenols (17.19 ± 1.32 mg GAE/g dw and 7.28 ± 1.18 mg QE/g dw for total phenol and flavonoid content, respectively) with antioxidant capacity. Antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus) is higher than E. coli at a dose of 15 µg/mL. This study showed that Stellaria media is a source of polyphenols compounds with antioxidant capacity, and for the first time, its wound healing potential was emphasized.