Nutraceutical cranberry powder extract (CBPE) has distinct polyphenols inhibiting colon cancer growth and proliferation. However, its oral therapeutic efficacy is hindered because of its low permeability. This study aims to formulate chitosan surface-modified PLGA nanoparticles (CS-PLGA NPs) for encapsulating CBPE and modulating its release rate, permeation, cell targeting, and, therefore, its cytotoxicity. A full 2³ factorial design is employed to scrutinize the effect of lactide/glycolide ratio, PLGA weight, and stabilizer concentrations on entrapment efficiency percentage (EE%), particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ZP). The optimum formula (F4) shows spherical particles with a relatively high EE% (72.30 ± 2.86%), an appropriate size of 370.10 ± 10.31 nm, PDI; 0.398 ± 0.001, and ZP; −5.40 ± 0.21 mV. Alongside the ATR-FTIR outcomes, the chitosan surface-modified formula (CS-F4) demonstrates a significant increase in particle size (417.67 ± 6.77 nm) and a shift from negative to positive zeta potential (+21.63 ± 2.46 mV), confirming the efficiency of surface modification with chitosan. The intestinal permeability of F4 and CS-F4 is significantly increased by 2.19- and 3.10-fold, respectively, compared to the CBPE solution, with the permeability coefficient (P_app) being 2.05 × 10⁻⁴ cm/min and 2.91 × 10⁻⁴ cm/min, for F4 and CS-F4, respectively, compared to the CBPE solution, 9.36 × 10⁻⁵ cm/min. Moreover, CS-F4 evidences significant caspase-3 protein level expression stimulation and significant inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) protein expression levels, confirming the superiority of CS-F4 for targeting HT-29 cells. Briefly, CS-PLGA NPs could be regarded as a prosperous delivery system of CBPE with enhanced permeation, cell targeting, and antitumor efficacy.

This review’s objectives are to provide an overview of the various kinds of biopolymer hydrogels that are currently used for bone tissue and periodontal tissue regeneration, to list the advantages and disadvantages of using them, to assess how well they might be used for nanoscale fabrication and biofunctionalization, and to describe their production processes and processes for functionalization with active biomolecules. They are applied in conjunction with other materials (such as microparticles (MPs) and nanoparticles (NPs)) and other novel techniques to replicate physiological bone generation more faithfully. Enhancing the biocompatibility of hydrogels created from blends of natural and synthetic biopolymers can result in the creation of the best scaffold match to the extracellular matrix (ECM) for bone and periodontal tissue regeneration. Additionally, adding various nanoparticles can increase the scaffold hydrogel stability and provide a number of biological effects. In this review, the research study of polysaccharide hydrogel as a scaffold will be critical in creating valuable materials for effective bone tissue regeneration, with a future impact predicted in repairing bone defects.

Brain damage caused by cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) can lead to handicapping. So, the present study aims to evaluate the prophylactic and therapeutic effects of geraniol in the form of intranasal polymeric mixed micelle (PMM) on the central nervous system in cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. A 3² factorial design was used to prepare and optimize geraniol PMM to investigate polymer and stabilizer different concentrations on particle size (PS) and percent entrapment efficiency (%EE). F3 possessing the highest desirability value (0.96), with a PS value of 32.46 ± 0.64 nm, EE of 97.85 ± 1.90%, and release efficiency of 59.66 ± 0.64%, was selected for further pharmacological and histopathological studies. In the prophylactic study, animals were classified into a sham-operated group, a positive control group for which I/R was done without treatment, and treated groups that received vehicle (plain micelles), geraniol oil, and geraniol micelles intranasally before and after I/R. In the therapeutic study, treated rats received geraniol oil and micelles after I/R. Evaluation of the effect of geraniol on behavior was done by activity cage and rotarod and the analgesic effect tested by hot plate. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by measuring interleukin β6, cyclooxygenase-2, hydrogen peroxide, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Histopathogical examination of cerebral cortices was also done to confirm the results of a biochemical assay. Geraniol nanostructured polymeric mixed micelles showed an enhanced neuro-protective effect compared to geraniol oil, confirming that PMM via intranasal route could be an efficient approach for delivering geraniol directly to the brain through crossing the blood–brain barrier.

Curcumin is a dietary compound with accrued evidence of antiviral activity. Poor solubility and permeation renders curcumin a good applicant for incorporation into proniosomes. The intent of this study was to formulate curcumin proniosomal gel for topical application and the evaluation of its in-vitro, ex-vivo activities against Herpes Simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), as well as molecular docking studies on HSV-1 thymidine kinase proteins. Coacervation phase separation tactic, using 2³ full factorial design, was used in the preparation of different proniosomes. Cytotoxicity of the selected formulae (F4 and F8) was evaluated on the Vero cell line. Optimal formulae (F4 and F8) showed entrapment efficiency of 97.15 ± 2.47% and 95.85 ± 2.9%, vesicle size of 173.7 ± 2.26 nm and 206.15 ± 4.17 nm and percentages curcumin released after 3 h of 51.9 ± 1.4% and 50.5 ± 1.1%, respectively. Ex-vivo permeation studies demonstrated that the optimal formulae markedly improved the dermal curcumin delivery. Curcumin proniosomal gel formulae exhibited 85.4% reduction of HSV-1 replication. The ability of curcumin to interact with the key amino acids in the enzyme binding sites of 1KI7, 1KI4, and 1E2P, as indicated by its docking pattern, rationalized its observed activity. Therefore, curcumin proniosomes could be considered as a successful topical delivery system for the treatment of HSV-1.