Purpose: Gentiopicroside (GPS), an adequate bioactive candidate, has a promising approach for enhancing wound healing due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Its poor aqueous solubility negatively affects oral absorption accompanied by low bioavailability due to intestinal/hepatic first-pass metabolism. Our aim in this study is to fabricate GPS into appropriate nanocarriers (PLGA nanospheres, NSs) to enhance its solubility and hence its oral absorption would be improved. Methods: Normal and ODS silica gel together with Sephadex LH20 column used for isolation of GPS from Gentiana lutea roots. Crude GPS would be further processed for nanospheres fabrication using a single o/w emulsion solvent evaporation technique followed by in vitro optimization study to examine the effect of two formulation variables: polymer (PLGA) and stabilizer (PVA) concentrations on the physical characterizations of prepared NSs. Possible GPS-PLGA chemical and physical interactions have been analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The optimum GPS-PLGA NSs have been chosen for antimicrobial study to investigate its inhibitory action on Staphylococcus aureus compared with unloaded GPS NSs. Also, a well-designed in vivo study on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats has been performed to examine the wound healing effect of GPS-PLGA NSs followed by histological examination of wound incisions at different day intervals throughout the study. Results: The optimum GPS PLGA NSs (F5) with well-controlled particle size (250.10± 07.86 nm), relative high entrapment efficiency (83.35± 5.71), and the highest % cumulative release (85.79± 8.74) have increased the antimicrobial activity as it exhibited a higher inhibitory effect on bacterial growth than free GPS. F5 showed a greater enhancing impact on wound healing and a significant stimulating effect on the synthesis of collagen fibers compared with free GPS. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that loading GPS into PLGA NSs is considered a promising strategy ensuring optimum GPS delivery for potential management of wounds.

Cosmetic and personal care products are considered an essential part of our daily care routine; hence, these products must be stable and safe for human use. This study aimed to assess the quality and safety of the most common cosmetic preparations. To select the products to be tested, a cross-sectional survey was distributed featuring the most used types and brands of products. Based on 447 responses from both males and females with different ages and education levels, 21 products from different brands were selected and tested in terms of microbial load, heavy metal content, and organoleptic properties. Microbial contamination was investigated using the aerobic plate count method. Lead (Pb), aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and arsenic (As) impurities were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The products included sunblock, lip balm, hand cream, hair cream, shampoo, cleanser, baby oil, baby powder, bar soap, hair dye, makeup, deodorant, hair serum, shaving gel, and toothpaste. Microbial contamination was found in 14 of the products, ranging between 1467.5 and 299.5 cfu/ml. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus species. Most of the tested products showed metal impurities, with toothpaste having the highest concentrations of Pb, Cr, As, Cu and Ni. The samples did not show lumps or discoloration, did not have characteristic odors, and had pH values ranging from 6.90 to 8.10. The continuous usage of such products could lead to serious negative consequences. As a result, ensuring the quality of cosmetic products is critical. Regulatory authorities are required to enforce strict legislation on cosmetic manufacturing to assess and ensure the quality and safety of the products before they reach consumers.