In recent years, hormone therapy has been shown to be a remarkable treatment option for cancer. Hormone treatment for gynecological cancers involves the use of medications that reduce the level of hormones or inhibit their biological activity, thereby stopping or slowing cancer growth. Hormone treatment works by preventing hormones from causing cancer cells to multiply. Aromatase inhibitors, anti-estrogens, progestin, estrogen receptor (ER) antagonists, GnRH agonists, and progestogen are effectively used as therapeutics for vulvar cancer, cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer. Hormone replacement therapy has a high success rate. In particular, progestogen and estrogen replacement are associated with a decreased incidence of gynecological cancers in women infected with human papillomavirus (HPV). The activation of estrogen via the transcriptional functionality of ERα may either be promoted or decreased by gene products of HPV. Hormonal treatment is frequently administered to patients with hormone-sensitive recurring or metastatic gynecologic malignancies, although response rates and therapeutic outcomes are inconsistent. Therefore, this review outlines the use of hormonal therapy for gynecological cancers and identifies the current knowledge gaps.

Boerhavia diffusa is a great tropical plant and is widely used for various traditional purposes. In the present study, we examined the influence of solvents (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and infusion (water)) on chemical composition and biological capabilities of B. diffusa. An UHPLC-HRMS method was used to determine the chemical characterization. The biological ability was examined for antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory and anti-cancer effects. To evaluate antioxidant effects, different chemical methods (ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum) were applied. With regard to enzyme inhibitory properties, cholinesterases, amylase, glucosidase and tyrosinase were used. The MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line was chosen to determine anticancer activity. Based on the UHPLC-HRMS analysis, 37 specialized metabolites were dereplicated and identified in the studied extracts. Results revealed the presence of 15 hydroxybenzoic, hydroxycinnamic, acylquinic acids, and their glycosides, one rotenoid, seven flavonoids, 12 fatty acids and two other glycosides. Among the tested extracts, the methanol extract showed a stronger antioxidant ability compared with other extracts. The methanol extract also showed the best inhibitory effects on tyrosinase and glucosidase. In the anti-cancer evaluation, the methanol extract showed stronger anticancer effects compared with water extract. In summary, our observations can contribute to the establishment of B. diffusa as a potential candidate for functional applications in the preparation.

Background: Various routes of drug administration are available for psoriasis treatment. However, there is an urgent need for novel and improved therapeutic options. Hence, our study aimed to develop a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) gel of hesperidin (HPD) using a systemic QbD approach for an effective treatment of psoriasis. Methods: Initially, HPD-NLC was optimized with independent variables (drug content, amount of liquid lipid, total lipid, and surfactant concentration) using Box–Behnken Design to assess dependent variables (particle size, size distribution, and entrapment efficiency). HPD-NLC was developed using the high-shear homogenization technique. The characteristics of nanoformulation such as particle size, morphology [transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)], crystallinity [powder X-ray diffraction (XRD)], and chemical interactions [Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)], the drug entrapment efficiency (%EE), and the drug release were investigated. Franz-diffusion cell was utilized to perform in vitro diffusion study, and an imiquimod-induced psoriasis model was used for in vivo study. Results: The optimized HPD-NLC exhibited a spherical shape with particle size of 125.7 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.36, and entrapment efficiency of 52.26% w/w. Further, different techniques validated the reduced crystallinity of the hesperidin. The in vitro diffusion study highlighted the sustained and anomalous diffusion of the drug from NLC gel. In the in vivo study, the HPD-NLC-Gel-treated group displayed normal skin with minimal keratosis, while the drug-loaded gel group exhibited signs of hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis signs. Conclusions: HPD-NLC gel showed promising advancement in nanotechnology-based psoriasis treatment and the results of this study open the door for the application of topical HPD-NLC-Gel clinically.

This study aimed to formulate a pharmaceutical dosage form containing omeprazole (OMP) and curcumin (CURC) to treat experimental peptic ulcers. OMP and CURC were preliminarily complexed with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin for enhancing their solubilization. After that, the combined complex (CURC/OMP) was loaded to alginate beads to sustain their release and then coated with chitosan. Finally, we tested the anti-ulcerogenic impact of the best formula versus free OMP or OMP-only-loaded beads. The formulated spherical beads’ diameter ranged from a minimum value of 1.5 ± 0.08 mm to 2.6 ± 0.24 mm; the swelling results ranged from 400.00 ± 8.5% to 800.00 ± 6.2%. The entrapment efficiency was in a range from 60.85 ± 1.01% to 87.44 ± 1.88%. The optimized formula (F8) showed a maximum EE% (87.44 ± 1.88%), swelling (800.00 ± 6.2%), and diameter in the range of 2.60 ± 0.24, with a desirability of 0.941. In the first hour following the administration of the free drug complex, 95% of OMP and 98% of CURC were released. This is unacceptable for medications that require a delayed release in the stomach. The initial drug release from hydrogel beads was 23.19% for CURC and 17.19% for OMP after 2 h and 73.09% for CURC and 58.26% for OMP after 12 h; however, after 24 h, 87.81% of CURC and 81.67% of OMP had been released. The OMP/CURC beads showed a more stable particle size (0.52 ± 0.01 mm) after 6 weeks. In conclusion, the OMP/CURC hydrogel beads give stronger anti-ulcer effectiveness compared to free OMP, CURC-only beads, and OMP-only-loaded beads, indicating a prospective application for managing peptic ulcers.

Plumeria rubra (L.) is a traditional folkloric medicinal herb used to treat cardiovascular disorders. The present investigation was methodically planned to investigate the pharmacological foundations for the therapeutic effectiveness of P. rubra in cardiovascular illnesses and its underlying mechanisms. Ex vivo vaso-relaxant effects of crude leaf extract of P. rubra were observed in rabbit aorta ring preparations. Hypotensive effects were measured using pressure and force transducers connected to the Power Lab data acquisition system. Furthermore, P. rubra displayed cardioprotective properties in rabbits when they were exposed to adrenaline-induced myocardial infarction. In comparison to the intoxicated group, the myocardial infarction model showed decreased troponin levels, CK-MB, LDH, ALT, ALP, AST, and CRP, as well as necrosis, apoptosis, oedema, and inflammatory cell enrollment. P. rubra has revealed good antioxidant properties and prolonged the noradrenaline intoxicated platelet adhesion. Its anticoagulant, vasorelaxant, and cardioprotective effects in both in vivo and ex vivo investigations are enabled by blocking L-type calcium channels, lowering adrenaline, induced oxidative stress, and tissue tear, justifying its therapeutic utility in cardiovascular disorders.