Diabetic ulcer is a serious complication of diabetes. Compared with that of healthy people, the skin of patients with a diabetic ulcer is more easily damaged and difficult to heal. Without early intervention, the disease will become increasingly serious, often leading to amputation or even death. Most current treatment methods cannot achieve a good wound healing effect. Numerous studies have shown that a nanocomposite hydrogel serves as an ideal drug delivery method to promote the healing of a diabetic ulcer because of its better drug loading capacity and stability. Nanocomposite hydrogels can be loaded with one or more drugs for application to chronic ulcer wounds to promote rapid wound healing. Therefore, this paper reviews the latest progress of delivery systems based on nanocomposite hydrogels in promoting diabetic ulcer healing. Through a review of the recent literature, we put forward the shortcomings and improvement strategies of nanocomposite hydrogels in the treatment of diabetic ulcers.

Tumor is a serious threat to human health, with extremely high morbidity and mortality rates. However, tumor treatment is challenging, and the development of antitumor drugs has always been a significant research focus. Plant polysaccharides are known to possess various biological activities. They have many pharmacological properties such as immunomodulation, antitumor, antiviral, antioxidative, antithrombotic, and antiradiation effects, reduction of blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and protection from liver injury. Among these effects, the antitumor effect of plant polysaccharides has been widely studied. Plant polysaccharides can inhibit tumor proliferation and growth by inhibiting tumor cell invasion and metastasis, inducing cell apoptosis, affecting the cell cycle, and regulating the tumor microenvironment. They also have the characteristics of safety, high efficiency, and low toxicity, which can alleviate, to a certain extent, the adverse reactions caused by traditional tumor treatment methods such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Therefore, this paper systematically summarizes the direct antitumor effects of plant polysaccharides, their regulatory effects on the tumor microenvironment, and intervening many common high-incidence tumors in other ways. It also provides data support for the administration of plant polysaccharides in modern tumor drug therapy, enabling the identification of new targets and development of new drugs for tumor therapy.

Background: In recent decades, the prevalence of asthma has substantially increased worldwide. Advances in phytochemistry and phytopharmacology have clarified the active ingredients and biological activities of medicinal plant products for treating asthma, and the role of herbal therapies in asthma treatment has become increasingly evident. However, most plant extracts have low solubility and poor stability of bioactive components, resulting in low bioavailability and loss of efficacy. Owing to these shortcomings, the clinical use of many herbal extracts is limited.Objective: To summarise and analyse the characteristics of herbal nanoformulations and their application in asthma treatment. The objective of this review article is to address the emerging trends of herbal nanoformulations for an effective treatment of asthma.Methods: Various research and review articles from reputed international journals were referred to and compiled.Results: The nano-sized herbal formulations improve the solubility and bioavailability of herbal medicines and contribute to the sustained release of drugs, thus, increasing the therapeutic applications of herbal extracts. The review present different types of herbal nanoformulations, including micelles, nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, lipid-based liquid crystalline nanoparticles and nanoemulsions, which are potential nanodrugs for asthma treatment.Conclusions: Herbal nanoformulations have shown great prospects for the treatment of asthma in recent years. More safety and toxicity data are still needed to promote their development and application.

The rapid pace of modern life has contributed to a significant decline in sleep quality, which has become an urgent global public health issue. Melatonin, an endogenous hormone that regulates circadian rhythms, is vital in maintaining normal sleep cycles. While oral melatonin supplementation is widely used, transdermal delivery systems present advantages that include the avoidance of first-pass metabolism effects and enhanced bioavailability. In this study, a novel melatonin transdermal delivery system was successfully developed using a thermosensitive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) [p(NVCL)]-based carrier. The p(NVCL) polymer was synthesized through free radical polymerization and characterized for its structural properties and phase transition temperature, in alignment with skin surface conditions. Orthogonal optimization experiments identified 3% azone, 3% menthol, and 4% borneol as the optimal enhancer combination for enhanced transdermal absorption. The formulation demonstrated exceptional melatonin loading characteristics with high encapsulation efficiency and stable physicochemical properties, including an appropriate pH and optimal moisture content. Comprehensive in vivo evaluation using normal mouse models revealed significant sleep quality improvements, specifically a shortened sleep latency and extended non-rapid eye movement sleep duration, with elevated serum melatonin and serotonin levels. Safety assessments including histopathological examination, biochemical analysis, and 28-day continuous administration studies confirmed excellent biocompatibility with no adverse reactions or systemic toxicity. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging provided direct evidence of enhanced transdermal absorption and superior biodistribution compared to oral administration. These findings indicate that the p(NVCL)-based melatonin transdermal gel system offers a safe, effective and convenient non-prescription option for sleep regulation, with promising potential for clinical translation as a consumer sleep aid.