Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, the most prevalent viral infection that typically lasts for a lifetime, is associated with frequent outbreaks of oral and genital lesions. Oral herpes infection is mainly associated with HSV-1 through oral contact, while genital herpes originates due to HSV-2 and is categorized under sexually transmitted diseases. Immunocompromised patients and children are more prone to HSV infection. Over the years, various attempts have been made to find potential targets for the prevention of HSV infection. Despite the global distress caused by HSV infections, there are no licensed prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines available on the market against HSV. Nevertheless, there are numerous promising candidates in the pre-clinical and clinical stages of study. The present review gives an overview of two herpes viruses, their history, and life cycle, and different treatments adopted presently against HSV infections and their associated limitations. Majorly, the review covers the recent investigations being carried out globally regarding various vaccine strategies against oral and genital herpes virus infections, together with the recent and advanced nanotechnological approaches for vaccine development. Consequently, it gives an insight to researchers as well as people from the health sector about the challenges and upcoming solutions associated with treatment and vaccine development against HSV infections.

Viruses are widely recognized as the primary cause of infectious diseases around the world. The ongoing global pandemic due to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 further added fuel to the fire. The development of therapeutics becomes very difficult as viruses can mutate their genome to become more complex and resistant. Medicinal plants and phytocompounds could be alternative options. Isoquinoline and their related alkaloids are naturally occurring compounds that interfere with multiple pathways including nuclear factor-κB, mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase, and inhibition of Ca²⁺-mediated fusion. These pathways play a crucial role in viral replication. Thus, the major goal of this study is to comprehend the function of various isoquinoline and related alkaloids in viral infections by examining their potential mechanisms of action, structure-activity relationships (SAR), in silico (particularly for SARS-CoV-2), in vitro and in vivo studies. The current advancements in isoquinoline and related alkaloids as discussed in the present review could facilitate an in-depth understanding of their role in the drug discovery process.

Background:: The topical drug delivery system has gained more attention in recent years as compared to oral and parenteral drug delivery. However, owing to the barrier function of the skin’s topmost layer, only a few drug molecules can be administered by this route. Therefore, encapsulating the drugs in glycerosomes is one potential solution to this problem. Glycerosomes are vesicular drug delivery systems primarily made up of large concentrations of glycerol, phospholipid, water, and other active ingredients. Objective:: The main aim of this review is to summarize the most recent information on the encapsulated vesicular system used in cosmetic preparations, specifically glycerosomes made from both synthetic and naturally occurring plant bioactive substances. Purpose:: Glycerosomes offer many benefits, including increased efficacy, better stability, improve absorption, drug targeting at specific sites, and delivering the same at a predetermined rate. Method:: The mechanism behind the penetration of glycerosomes is the hydration and lipid fluidization of skin, fabricated by glycerol. Result:: Numerous methods have been reported for the formulation of glycerosomes, including the thin film hydration method, reverse-phase evaporation, solvent spherule, detergent removal method, and so on. Conclusion:: Researchers are currently investigating the potential of glycerosomes as nanocarriers for natural bioactive and synthetic drugs. This review describes the structure of glycerosomes, preparation techniques, applications, distinctions from liposomes, and benefits of glycerosomes.

COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 has changed the world scenario and caused mortality around the globe. Patients who recovered from COVID-19 have shown neurological, psychological, renal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematological complications. In some patients, complications lasted more than 6 months. However, significantly less attention has been given to post-COVID complications. Currently available drugs are used to tackle the complications, but new interventions must address the problem. Phytochemicals from natural sources have been evaluated in recent times to cure or alleviate COVID-19 symptoms. An edible plant, Solanum nigrum, could be therapeutic in treating COVID-19 as the AYUSH ministry of India prescribes it during the pandemic. S. nigrum demonstrates anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antiviral action to treat the SARS-CoV-2 infection and its post-complications. Different parts of the plant represent a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines and prevent multi-organ failure by protecting various organs (liver, kidney, heart, neuro, and lung). The review proposes the possible role of the plant S. nigrum in managing the symptoms of COVID-19 and its post-COVID complications based on in silico docking and pharmacological studies. Further systematic and experimental studies are required to validate our hypothesis.

Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. Ex. Benth (family: Fabaceae) is traditionally used as a folk remedy for diabetes in Central Africa. The present study was intended to evaluate the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potential of hydroethanolic leaf extract (HEAA) and its fractions (n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate) at different concentrations (100–500 μg/ml) to justify its role in diabetes. The leaf extract (HEAA) and its ethyl acetate fraction (EFAA) showed maximum scavenging effect (60.43 ± 0.11, 50.87 ± 0.31) at 500 µg/ml, respectively. However, in enzyme inhibitory assays, the HEAA extract and EFAA among the fractions exhibited maximum inhibition against α‑amylase (61.69 ± 0.05, 53.87 ± 0.33), α‑glucosidase (63.34 ± 0.12, 58.46 ± 0.90) and pancreatic lipase (51.77 ± 0.15, 49.87 ± 0.31), respectively, at 500 µg/ml when compared with standard. The IC₅₀ values of HEAA and EFAA against α‑amylase (3.35 and 4.48, respectively), α‑glucosidase (3.36 and 4.04, respectively) and pancreatic lipase (4.47 and 5.07, respectively) are also significant. The results suggest that HEAA possesses good antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potential, which in turn might be responsible for its antidiabetic effect. Graphical Abstract