Diabetes has always been a matter of concern to health experts as well as the community due to the increasing number of patients with diabetes and the severe consequences it may cause. Many attempts have been made to discover new treatment options for diabetes, and herbal medicines are currently considered to have great potential. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect ofCamellia flavaflower extract on the degeneration of the islets of Langerhans and insulin resistance in an alloxan-induced hyperglycemia model in Swiss albino mice. Hyperglycemic conditions were induced by alloxan (55 mg/kg, i.v.). The animals were then treated with glibenclamide (10 mg/kg, p.o.) and flower extract at doses of 1.09 and 2.19 g/kg, p.o. The results showed that the blood glucose, AUC, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR levels of two groups of mice receiving flower extract were considerably lower than those of the hyperglycemic untreated group (p < 0.05). The body weights of these two groups were also lower than the untreated group on the last day of the experiment, though the differences were not significant (p > 0.05). However, this was not observed when assessing insulin levels as well as relative organ weights. In biochemical tests, creatinine and AST and ALT concentrations were evaluated. There was no significant variation in creatinine and AST concentrations between the five experimental groups, whereas mice treated with glibenclamide and flower extract at both doses showed a remarkable decline in ALT concentration (p < 0.05). The hepatic histomicrographs were consistent with ALT results, while the H&E staining of kidneys showed no difference between groups. Histomicrographs of the pancreas revealed that the treatment groups using glibenclamide and flower extract had larger islets of Langerhans than those of the alloxan-treated group. Based on these results, this study demonstrated thatCamellia flavaflower extract exerted several beneficial effects, including blood sugar level reduction, weight loss promotion, and organ protection, hence making it a new potential herbal medication for the management of diabetes.

Background/Objectives: Vitexin and isovitexin are bioactive flavonoids with promising pharmacological effects; however, they have poor bioavailability. Microencapsulation with biodegradable polymers is a promising strategy for improving their stability, bioavailability, and biocompatibility. This study aimed to optimize the formulation parameters to obtain microspheres with desired properties in terms of size, loading ratio, and vitexin–isovitexin release. Methods: Microspheres were prepared using alginate as the core matrix and a chitosan outer layer. A Design of Experiment approach using response surface methodology was employed. The hypoglycemic effects of the obtained microspheres were evaluated. Results: The formulation using 1.17% low-viscosity alginate, 7.60% calcium chloride, 5.78% Tween 80, and 5.00% Span 80 resulted in microspheres with optimal mean size (10.78 µm), high loading ratio (22.45%) and encapsulation efficiency (68.92%). The in vitro release of vitexin–isovitexin from microspheres was completed within 24 h in controlled manner. The microspheres were found to be non-toxic in vivo and exhibited hypoglycemic effects after 21 days at doses equivalent to 30 and 60 mg/kg of vitexin–isovitexin. The potential mechanisms might involve increasing the size of Islets of Langerhans and improving pancreatic β-cell function and insulin resistance, as observed in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Conclusions: This work successfully developed alginate–chitosan-based microspheres for the controlled release of vitexin–isovitexin while maintaining their bioactivities.

Background/Objectives: Vitexin and isovitexin are bioactive flavonoids with promising pharmacological effects; however, they have poor bioavailability. Microencapsulation with biodegradable polymers is promising strategy for improving their stability, bioavailability, and biocompatibility. This study aimed to optimize the formulation parameters to obtain microspheres with desired properties in terms of size, loading ratio, and vitexin-isovitexin release. Methods: Microspheres were prepared using alginate as core matrix and a chitosan outer layer. Design of experiments approach using response surface methodology was employed. The hypoglycemic effects of obtained microspheres were evaluated. Results: The formulation using 1.17% low-viscosity alginate, 7.60% calcium chloride, 5.78% Tween 80, and 5.00% Span 80 resulted in microspheres with optimal mean size (10.78 µm), high loading ratio (22.45%) and encapsulation efficiency (68.92%). The in vitro release of vitexin-isovitexin from microspheres was completed within 24 hours in controlled manner. The microspheres were found to be non-toxic in vivo and exhibited hypoglycemic effects after 21 days at doses equivalent to 30 and 60 mg/kg of vitexin-isovitexin. These effects were attributed to increasing in the size of Islets of Langerhans, improving in pancreatic β-cell function and insulin resistance, as observed in alloxan-induced diabetic mices. Conclusions: This work successfully developed alginate-chitosan-based microspheres for the controlled release of vitexin-isovitexin while maintaining their bioactivities.

Nowadays, stress is becoming increasingly common, especially among those who experience violence and face an increased risk of developing mood disorders. As the need to find effective treatments for anxiety and depression is increasing, the use of herbal medicine is receiving more attention due to its perceived safety and therapeutic benefits. In this study, a social defeat model was developed using female mice to evaluate the anxiety-reducing and memory-improving effects of herbal incense containing agarwood (Aquilaria crassna), cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), and star anise (Illicium verum). A socially defeated state was induced on female mice by 10-day exposure to aggressive male mice. Female mice were then treated with herbal incense for 10 days. The treatment groups showed improved time spent in the interaction zone (social interaction test) and open arms (elevated plus maze test) as well as a percentage of novel object recognition, yet a decrease in immobility time (forced swim test). Additionally, treated mice showed reduced plasma corticosterone. These results indicated that herbal incense showed protective effects against stress and memory reduction. This study suggests that herbal incense containing agarwood, cinnamon, and star anise may offer an effective way to treat anxiety-related disorders. Further research is needed to pinpoint the active compounds and understand the mechanisms behind these therapeutic effects.

Chronic stress and anxiety highlight the need for safer natural alternatives to conventional therapies with severe adverse effects, yet the combined behavioral and biochemical effects of vitexin and its structural isomer, isovitexin, remain insufficiently investigated. This study evaluated the effects of a vitexin–isovitexin mixture in both crude and microencapsulated forms under acute and repeated restraint stress. In vitro radical-scavenging activity was assessed via the DPPH assay. In vivo, male Swiss albino mice subjected to acute (4 h) and repeated (4 h × 7 days) restraint stress received oral administration of the mixture (30 mg/kg) 30 min before each stress session, followed by behavioral testing and biochemical analysis; molecular docking was used as an exploratory approach to assess predicted structural compatibility with selected stress-related targets. In vitro, the mixture exhibited DPPH radical-scavenging activity. In vivo, the effects differed between the acute and repeated stress models, with significant changes in several behavioral outcomes, serum cortisol, and GSH levels, whereas MDA and TST responses were less consistent. Molecular docking suggested predicted structural compatibility of vitexin and isovitexin with SERT, 5-HT1A, GABAA, the glucocorticoid receptor, and Keap1. Overall, the VTX-iVTX mixture showed variable effects on stress-related behavioral and biochemical outcomes, with microencapsulation showing effects comparable to the crude form in most parameters and more pronounced effects in selected outcomes.