Cyclodextrins (CDs) have revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry with their ability to enhance the stability, solubility, and bioavailability of a wide range of active substances. These cyclic oligosaccharides, with a unique hydrophilic exterior and hydrophobic cavity, form inclusion complexes with poorly soluble drugs, improving their pharmacokinetic profiles and therapeutic efficacy. This review explores the multifaceted roles of cyclodextrins in pharmaceutical formulations, ranging from oral, ophthalmic, parenteral, and topical applications to their emerging use in targeted therapies, gene delivery, and treatment of neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases. Cyclodextrins not only improve drug solubility and controlled release but also reduce toxicity and side effects, leading to safer and more effective treatments. Recent advancements, such as cyclodextrin-based nanoparticles, offer promising pathways for cancer therapy, chronic disease management, and personalized medicine. As research continues, cyclodextrins remain at the forefront of innovation in drug delivery systems, ensuring better patient outcomes and expanding the possibilities of modern therapeutics.

Many studies have suggested that the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is involved in an extensive spectrum of human pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiomyopathy, obesity, and diabetes. Further, healthy aging and longevity appear to be closely related to NAD⁺ and its related metabolites, including nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). As a dietary supplement, NR appears to be well tolerated, having better pharmacodynamics and greater potency. Unfortunately, NR is a reactive molecule, often unstable during its manufacturing, transport, and storage. Recently, work related to prebiotic chemistry discovered that NR borate is considerably more stable than NR itself. However, immediately upon consumption, the borate dissociates from the NR borate and is lost in the body through dilution and binding to other species, notably carbohydrates such as fructose and glucose. The NR left behind is expected to behave pharmacologically in ways identical to NR itself. This review provides a comprehensive summary (through Q1 of 2023) of the literature that makes the case for the consumption of NR as a dietary supplement. It then summarizes the challenges of delivering quality NR to consumers using standard synthesis, manufacture, shipping, and storage approaches. It concludes by outlining the advantages of NR borate in these processes.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have largely been investigated during the last decades for their outstanding properties, such as biocompatibility and biodegradability, with wide applications in the pharmaceutical field, among which the formation of inclusion complexes (ICs) with natural or synthetic lipophilic compounds. This review prioritizes the research of recent years (2022–2025), being focused on (1) systematization of the research of ICs based on the structure of the secondary metabolite, namely (i) polyphenols (PPs), (ii) terpenes and terpenoids (TTs), and (iii) alkaloids (Alks); (2) for each type of inclusion complex, the following aspects have been discussed: benefits of complexation, composite materials, and in vitro/in vivo and theoretical studies; and (3) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, risks, limitations, and perspectives of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with secondary metabolites.

The current strategy for treating osteomyelitis includes surgical procedures for complete debridement of the formed biofilm and necrotic tissues, systemic and oral antibiotic therapy, and the clinical use of cements and three-dimensional scaffolds as bone defect fillers and delivery systems for therapeutic agents. The aim of our research was to formulate a low-cost hybrid nanoparticulate biomaterial using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), in which we incorporated the therapeutic agent (ciprofloxacin), and to deposit this material on titanium plates using the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique. The deposited material demonstrated antibacterial properties, with all analyzed samples inhibiting the growth of tested bacterial strains, confirming the release of active substances from the investigated biocomposite. The poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-ciprofloxacin (PLGA-CIP) nanoparticle scaffolds displayed a prolonged local sustained release profile over a period of 45 days, which shows great promise in bone infections. Furthermore, the burst release ensures a highly efficient concentration, followed by a constant sustained release which allows the drug to remain in the implant-adjacent area for an extended time period.

NAD⁺ is known classically as a metabolite that participates in catabolic and anabolic pathways throughout the metabolism that is taught to students in introductory biochemistry courses. However, non-classical studies starting over a decade ago found that NAD⁺ is also involved in higher order functions, in part because of its involvement in the activation of SIRTs and the support of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. Many studies since have suggested that NAD⁺ is involved in an extensive spectrum of human pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiomyopathy, obesity, and diabetes, Further, healthy aging and longevity appear to be closely related to NAD⁺ and its related metabolites, including NAR and NMN. Together, these studies show that this system has value as a dietary supplement to improve general health overall, as well as mitigating specific disease conditions. Accordingly, many are now recommending the consumption of materials in this system as dietary supplements. Nicotinamide riboside (NAR) appears to have special value in this regard. It appears to be better tolerated than other molecules in this system, as well as better pharmacodynamics and greater potency. Unfortunately, NAR is a reactive molecule, often unstable during its manufacturing, transport, and storage. Indeed, HPLC analyses of many commercial samples of NAR shows that they contain substantial amounts of material that are not, in fact, NAR. In some of these commercial preparations, NAR is a minority component. Therefore, more stable derivatives of NAR that are easily converted upon consumption into NAR are therefore desired. Recently work related to prebiotic chemistry provided the borate derivative of NAR. NARB is considerably more stable than NAR itself. However, immediately upon consumption, the borate dissociates from NARB, and is lost in the body through dilution and binding to other species, notably carbohydrates such as fructose and glucose. The NAR left behind is expected to behave pharmacologically in ways identical to NAR itself. This review provides a comprehensive summary (through Q1 of 2023) of literature that makes the case for the consumption of NAR as a dietary supplement. It then summarizes the challenges of delivering quality NAR to consumers using standard synthesis, manufacture, shipping, and storage approaches. It concludes by outlining the advantages of NAR-borate in these processes.

Background/Objectives Galeopsis spp. (Lamiaceae) are widely distributed across extensive areas in Romania, being used mainly for their sedative, neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, astringent, and diuretic properties. The paper reports for the first time the investigation of the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and phenolic acid profile in the roots, aerial parts, and leaves from three wild-grown Galeopsis spp. (G. bifida Boenn., G. speciosa Mill., and G. tetrahit L.), along with their antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory potentials. Methods: The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet/mass spectrometry (HPLC/UV/MS) method was used for the identification and quantification of key phenolic acids. The spectrophotometric method was applied for the determination of TPC, TFC, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities and also the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) was employed for the assessment of in situ antioxidant (DPPH assay) and AChE inhibitory potentials. Results: Galeopsis spp. exhibit significant polyphenol accumulation. Chlorogenic acid was the most abundant compound, with the highest levels detected in G. tetrahit leaves (22,347.907 ± 1117.395 μg/g), followed by G. tetrahit aerial parts (11,678.509 ± 583.925 μg/g) and G. speciosa leaves (8712.628 ± 435.631 μg/g). G. tetrahit leaves had the highest DDPH radical scavenging activity, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 0.458 ± 0.03 mg/mL, demonstrating a markedly stronger antioxidant effect. Leaves consistently showed the strongest DPPH activity across all species, with G. speciosa leaves also displaying a low IC₅₀ value of 0.789 ± 0.03 mg/mL, comparable to G. tetrahit. Aerial parts exhibited an intermediate effect, with G. bifida aerial parts showing an IC₅₀ of 8.102 ± 0.49 mg/mL, while G. tetrahit aerial parts demonstrated stronger activity at 1.511 ± 0.11 mg/mL. AChE inhibition activity increased progressively from the roots to aerial parts to leaves, with leaves consistently exhibiting the strongest inhibitory effects across all Galeopsis spp. G. tetrahit leaves had the strongest inhibition, with an IC₅₀ of 4.002 ± 0.32 mg/mL, followed by G. speciosa leaves (6.92 ± 0.14 mg/mL) and G. bifida leaves (6.97 ± 0.68 mg/mL). Conclusions: Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the phenolic acid content, in vitro antioxidant activity, and neuroprotective potential of three Galeopsis spp. (G. bifida, G. speciosa, and G. tetrahit) from the southwestern Romanian flora.