Aim: Chitosan-coated polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles of voriconazole (VChNP) were developed to increase residence time and provide sustained drug release locally to treat recurrent lung-fungal infection. Materials & methods: VChNP has been developed using a simple, unique technique and characterized. Pharmacokinetics, lung deposition with time and gamma imaging were conducted with optimized formulations. Results: The deposition of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled VChNP in lung was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Gamma-scintigraphic images showed that Tc-99m-labeled VChNP had better pulmonary retention for longer period than that of noncoated formulation. Drastic improvement in pharmacokinetic profile of VChNP than noncoated formulation was observed. Conclusion: Thus, VChNP may be useful for effective pulmonary delivery with improved bioavailability. Such chitosan-coated nanoparticles may open up a new avenue for efficacious treatment of lung-fungal infection. Graphical abstract

Background: Cancer is, at present, among the leading causes of morbidity globally. Despite advances in treatment regimens for cancer, patients suffer from poor prognoses. In this context, the availability of vast natural resources seems to alleviate the shortcomings of cancer chemotherapy. The last decade has seen a breakthrough in the investigations related to the anticancer potential of dietary phytoconstituents. Interestingly, a handsome number of bioactive principles, ranging from phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, stilbenes, and terpenoids to organosulphur compounds have been screened for their anticancer properties. Among the phenylpropanoids currently under clinical studies for anticancer activity, eugenol is a promising candidate. Eugenol is effective against cancers like breast, cervical, lung, prostate, melanomas, leukemias, osteosarcomas, gliomas, etc., as evident from preclinical investigations. Objective: The review aims to focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms of eugenol for cancer prevention and therapy. Methods: Based on predetermined criteria, various scholarly repositories, including PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct were analyzed for anticancer activities of eugenol. Results: Different biochemical investigations reveal eugenol inducing cytotoxicity, inhibiting phases of the cell cycles, programmed cell death, and auto-phagocytosis in studied cancer lines; thus, portraying eugenol as a promising anticancer molecule. A survey of current literature has unveiled the molecular mechanisms intervened by eugenol in exercising its anticancer role. Conclusion: Based on the critical analysis of the literature, eugenol exhibits vivid signaling pathways to combat cancers of different origins. The reports also depict the advancement of novel nano-drug delivery approaches upgrading the therapeutic profile of eugenol. Therefore, eugenol nanoformulations may have enormous potential for both the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Docetaxel (DTX) is found to be very effective against glioma cell in vitro. However, in vivo passage of DTX through BBB is extremely difficult due to the physicochemical and pharmacological characteristics of the drug. No existing formulation is successful in this aspect. Hence, in this study, effort was made to send DTX through blood–brain barrier (BBB) to brain to treat diseases such as solid tumor of brain (glioma) by developing DTX-loaded nanoliposomes. Primarily drug-excipients interaction was evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy. The DTX-loaded nanoliposomes (L-DTX) were prepared by lipid layer hydration technique and characterized physicochemically. In vitro cellular uptake in C6 glioma cells was investigated. FTIR data show that the selected drug and excipients were chemically compatible. The unilamellar vesicle size was less than 50 nm with smooth surface. Drug released slowly from L-DTX in vitro in a sustained manner. The pharmacokinetic data shows more extended action of DTX from L-DTX in experimental rats than the free-drug and Taxotere®. DTX from L-DTX enhanced 100% drug concentration in brain as compared with Taxotere® in 4 h. Thus, nanoliposomes as vehicle may be an encouraging strategy to treat glioma with DTX.

A relationship between obesity and type 2 diabetes is now generally well accepted. This relationship represents several major health hazards including morbid obesity and cardiovascular complications worldwide. Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by impaired insulin release and insulin resistance. Lipids play an important physiological role in skeletal muscle, heart, liver and pancreas. Deregulation of fatty acid metabolism is the main culprit for developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A predominant predisposing factor to developing obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is the permanent elevation of free fatty acids in plasma followed by impaired utilization of lipids by muscle. Diabetes-induced inflammation and oxidative stress have also vital role for development of insulin resistance in diabetic patients. The present review is intended to describe the correlation between lipids, obesity and insulin resistance based on current literature, in order to elucidate involved molecular mechanisms in depth.