Herb/Dietary Supplements (HDS) are the most popular Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) modality used by cancer patients and the only type which involves the ingestion of substances which may interfere with the efficacy and safety of conventional medicines. This study aimed to assess the level of use of HDS in cancer patients undergoing treatment in the UK, and their perceptions of their effects, using 127 case histories of patients who were taking HDS. Previous studies have evaluated the risks of interactions between HDS and conventional drugs on the basis on numbers of patient using HDSs, so our study aimed to further this exploration by examining the actual drug combinations taken by individual patients and their potential safety. Three hundred seventy-five cancer patients attending oncology departments and centres of palliative care at the Oxford University Hospitals Trust (OUH), Duchess of Kent House, Sobell House, and Nettlebed Hospice participated in a self-administered questionnaire survey about their HDS use with their prescribed medicines. The classification system of Stockley’s Herbal Medicine’s Interactions was adopted to assess the potential risk of herb-drug interactions for these patients. 127/375 (34 %; 95 % CI 29, 39) consumed HDS, amounting to 101 different products. Most combinations were assessed as ‘no interaction’, 22 combinations were categorised as ‘doubt about outcomes of use’, 6 combinations as ‘Potentially hazardous outcome’, one combination as an interaction with ‘Significant hazard’, and one combination as an interaction of “Life-threatening outcome”. Most patients did not report any adverse events. Most of the patients sampled were not exposed to any significant risk of harm from interactions with conventional medicines, but it is not possible as yet to conclude that risks in general are over-estimated. The incidence of HDS use was also less than anticipated, and significantly less than reported in other areas, illustrating the problems when extrapolating results from one region (the UK), in one setting (NHS oncology) in where patterns of supplement use may be very different to those elsewhere.

Essential oils (EO) are used as a natural remedy to treat various chronic diseases, although clinical evidence is lacking. In this context, we have endeavored to measure the percentage of chemical composition and biological efficacy of Psidium guajava (guava) leaf essential oil in treating oral infections and oral cancer. The essential oil obtained from hydrodistillation of P. guajava L. leaves was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The activities of selected oral pathogens Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutants) were studied in vitro and in silico. MTT assay was used to test for anticancer activity against human oral epidermal carcinoma (KB). GC–MS showed that the main components of PGLEO were limonene (38.01%) and β-caryophyllene (27.98%). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.05–0.1% were demonstrated against C. albicans and S. mutans. Antimicrobial activity against C. albicans and S. mutans, as shown by molecular linkage analysis, revealed that the main metabolites, limonene and β-caryophyllene, potentially inhibited the receptors of C. albicans and S. mutans. PGLEO showed significant (p < 0.001) anticancer activity (45.89%) at 200 µg/mL compared to doxorubicin (47.87%) with an IC₅₀ value of 188.98 µg/mL. The outcomes of the present study suggest that PGLEO has promising antimicrobial and anticancer activities and could be a useful source for developing a natural therapeutic agent for oral infections and oral cancer.

The objective of the study was to develop a transdermal nanoformulation of hesperidin (HSP) against Proteus vulgaris (P. vulgaris). Based on the low water solubility of HSP, we prepared HSP-enabled AuNPs stabilized with xanthan gum (XA), referred to as HSP@XA@AuNPs. The HSP@XA@AuNP formulation was evaluated for particle size (43.16 nm), PDI (0.565), zeta potential (−31.9 mV), and entrapment efficiency (56.7%). The HSP@XA@AuNPs gel was developed by incorporating selected formulation grades into a 1% Carbopol gel base and characterized by physical evaluation and rheological studies. The color of the HSP@XA@AuNP gel was light pink, and the texture was very smooth and non-greasy. The gel was shown to be odorless. A field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) was used to investigate the shape of HSP@XA@AuNPs further. The drug release was 73.08% for the HSP@XA@AuNPs and 86.26% for the HSP@XA@AuNPs gel in 500 min. The prepared gel showed antimicrobial activity against P. vulgaris with an MIC of 1.78 μg/mL. In conclusion, the HSP@XA@AuNPs gel could be an advanced modality for treating P. vulgaris.

Background and Aims: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) refers to a diverse array of healthcare practices that lie outside conventional Western medicine, including herbal remedies, spiritual healing, and traditional therapies. CAM use has become increasingly prevalent worldwide, driven by cultural, religious, and socioeconomic factors, including in Saudi Arabia. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of CAM use in Saudi Arabia and examine the patterns of its utilization across various populations.Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA framework to identify studies investigating the prevalence and patterns of CAM use among diverse populations in Saudi Arabia. Databases searched included Cochrane, Clinicaltrials.gov, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PubMed.Results: Seven cross‐sectional studies, with a total of 4112 participants were included. The studies encompassed a wide range of populations, from adolescents to adults with chronic illnesses. The pooled prevalence of CAM use was calculated to be 0.515 (95% CI [0.373–0.657]) using a random‐effects model, showing that 51.5% of the Saudi population engages in CAM practices. Significant heterogeneity was observed across the included studies, likely due to differences in population demographics, CAM definitions, and study methodologies.Conclusion: The findings emphasize the cultural and religious impact on CAM use and its significance in healthcare delivery. Future research should focus on standardizing CAM definitions, exploring the efficacy of popular therapies, and integrating CAM into conventional healthcare to provide holistic and culturally sensitive care.Review Registration ID: PROSPERO CRD42024608257.

Diabetes and its complications, such as delayed wound healing, are increasing at an alarming rate in India, putting an enormous strain on the country’s limited healthcare resources. Hence, the present study proposes to screen/identify the possible mechanisms and to study the effect of the flavonoid-enriched fraction of Selaginella bryopteris extract against human keratinocyte cell lines (HaCaT) and streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic wounds in a male Wistar rat model. Chemical profiling was performed by an MTT assay. The obtained GC–MS analysis results showed the presence of amentoflavone, gallic acid, imidazole, palmitic acid, catechine, L-fucitol, lupeol, and myo-inositol as the major bioactive phytoconstituents. S. bryopteris induces the generation of ROS, the condensation of chromatin in the nucleus, and changes in the membrane potential of mitochondria in HaCaT cell lines. An S. bryopteris-dependent induction of apoptosis-mediated cell death in HaCaT cell lines was confirmed by an AO/PI analysis. Mitochondrial depolarization was reflected in JC-1 staining of cells. The wound size was reduced and epithelialization was enhanced. Keratinocyte migration decreased interleukins, TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-6 and the expression of pro-apoptotic (p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and Bax) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) genes in a dose-dependent manner. Keratinocyte migration increased antioxidant enzyme levels (CAT, SOD, MDA, and GSH). Wound healing is facilitated through the mitochondria-mediated apoptosis pathway, revealing a new area of diabetic wound therapy.

Different parts of Ficus religiosa are the common components of various traditional formulations for the treatment of several blood disorders. The new-fangled stem buds’ powder was extracted with 80% ethanol and successively fractionated by chloroform and methanol. Chloroform and methanol fractions of Ficus religiosa (CFFR and MFFR) were tested for antiplatelet, antithrombotic, thrombolytic, and antioxidant activity in ex vivo mode. The MFFR was particularly investigated for GC-MS and toxicity. The antiplatelet activity of the CFFR, MFFR, and standard drug aspirin at 50 μg/mL was 54.32%, 86.61%, and 87.57%, and a significant delay in clot formation was noted. CFFR at different concentrations did not show a significant effect on the delay of clot formation, antiplatelet, and free radical scavenging activity. The most possible marker compounds for antiplatelet and antioxidant activity identified by GC-MS in the MFFR are salicylate derivatives aromatic compounds such as benzeneacetaldehyde (7), phenylmalonic acid (13), and Salicylic acid (14), as well as Benzamides derivatives such as carbobenzyloxy-dl-norvaline (17), 3-acetoxy-2(1H)-pyridone (16), and 3-benzylhexahydropyrrolo [1,2-a] pyrazine-1,4-dione (35). A toxicity study of MFFR did not show any physical indications of toxicity and mortality up to 1500 mg/kg body weight and nontoxic up to 1000 mg/kg, which is promising for the treatment of atherothrombotic diseases.