Rational design of ultra-small photoluminescent copper nano-dots loaded PLGA micro-vessels for targeted co-delivery of natural piperine molecules for the treatment for epilepsy

Exposure of quantum dots in the nervous system: Central nervous system risks and the blood-brain barrier interface

Quantum dots currently possess significant importance in the field of biomedical science. Upon introduction into the body, quantum dots exhibit a tendency to accumulate in diverse tissues including the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, it becomes imperative to devote specific attention to their potential toxic effects. Moreover, the preservation of optimal CNS function relies heavily on blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, thereby necessitating its prioritization in neurotoxicological investigations. A more comprehensive understanding of the BBB and CNS characteristics, along with the underlying mechanisms that may contribute to neurotoxicity, will greatly aid researchers in the development of effective design strategies. This article offers an in-depth look at the methods used to reduce the harmful effects of quantum dots on the nervous system, alongside the progression of effective treatments for brain-related conditions. The focal point of this discussion is the BBB and its intricate association with the CNS and neurotoxicology. The discourse commences by recent advancements in the medical application of quantum dots are examined. Subsequently, elucidating the mechanisms through which quantum dots infiltrate the human body and traverse into the brain. Additionally, the discourse delves into the factors that facilitate the passage of quantum dots across the BBB, primarily encompassing the physicochemical properties of quantum dots and the BBB's inherent capacity for self-permeability alteration. Furthermore, a concluding summary is presented, emphasizing existing research deficiencies and identifying promising avenues for further investigation within this field.

Harnessing the power of natural alkaloids: the emergent role in epilepsy therapy

The quest for effective epilepsy treatments has spotlighted natural alkaloids due to their broad neuropharmacological effects. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the antiseizure properties of various natural compounds, with an emphasis on their mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic benefits. Our findings reveal that bioactive substances such as indole, quinoline, terpenoid, and pyridine alkaloids confer medicinal benefits by modulating synaptic interactions, restoring neuronal balance, and mitigating neuroinflammation-key factors in managing epileptic seizures. Notably, these compounds enhance GABAergic neurotransmission, diminish excitatory glutamatergic activities, particularly at NMDA receptors, and suppress proinflammatory pathways. A significant focus is placed on the strategic use of nanoparticle delivery systems to improve the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of these alkaloids, which helps overcome the challenges associated with crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The review concludes with a prospective outlook on integrating these bioactive substances into epilepsy treatment regimes, advocating for extensive research to confirm their efficacy and safety. Advancing the bioavailability of alkaloids and rigorously assessing their toxicological profiles are essential to fully leverage the therapeutic potential of these compounds in clinical settings.

The development of nanocarriers for natural products

Natural bioactive compounds from plants exhibit substantial pharmacological potency and therapeutic value. However, the development of most plant bioactive compounds is hindered by low solubility and instability. Conventional pharmaceutical forms, such as tablets and capsules, only partially overcome these limitations, restricting their efficacy. With the recent development of nanotechnology, nanocarriers can enhance the bioavailability, stability, and precise intracellular transport of plant bioactive compounds. Researchers are increasingly integrating nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems (NDDS) into the development of natural plant compounds with significant success. Moreover, natural products benefit from nanotechnological enhancement and contribute to the innovation and optimization of nanocarriers via self-assembly, grafting modifications, and biomimetic designs. This review aims to elucidate the collaborative and reciprocal advancement achieved by integrating nanocarriers with botanical products, such as bioactive compounds, polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular vesicles. This review underscores the salient challenges in nanomedicine, encompassing long-term safety evaluations of nanomedicine formulations, precise targeting mechanisms, biodistribution complexities, and hurdles in clinical translation. Further, this study provides new perspectives to leverage nanotechnology in promoting the development and optimization of natural plant products for nanomedical applications and guiding the progression of NDDS toward enhanced efficiency, precision, and safety. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.

Neuroprotective Effects of Black Pepper and Its Bioactive Compounds in Age-Related Neurological Disorders

Age-related neurological disorders (ANDs), including neurodegenerative diseases, are multifactorial disorders whose risk increases with age. The main pathological hallmarks of ANDs include behavioral changes, excessive oxidative stress, progressive functional declines, impaired mitochondrial function, protein misfolding, neuroinflammation, and neuronal cell death. Recently, efforts have been made to overcome ANDs because of their increased age-dependent prevalence. Black pepper, the fruit of Piper nigrum L. in the family Piperaceae, is an important food spice that has long been used in traditional medicine to treat various human diseases. Consumption of black pepper and black pepper-enriched products is associated with numerous health benefits due to its antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective properties. This review shows that black pepper's major bioactive neuroprotective compounds, such as piperine, effectively prevent AND symptoms and pathological conditions by modulating cell survival signaling and death. Relevant molecular mechanisms are also discussed. In addition, we highlight how recently developed novel nanodelivery systems are vital for improving the efficacy, solubility, bioavailability, and neuroprotective properties of black pepper (and thus piperine) in different experimental AND models, including clinical trials. This extensive review shows that black pepper and its active ingredients have therapeutic potential for ANDs.

Biodegradable nanoparticles for the treatment of epilepsy: From current advances to future challenges

Epilepsy is the second most prevalent neurological disease worldwide. It is mainly characterized by an electrical abnormal activity in different brain regions. The massive entrance of Ca²⁺ into neurons is the main neurotoxic process that lead to cell death and finally to neurodegeneration. Although there are a huge number of antiseizure medications, there are many patients who do not respond to the treatments and present refractory epilepsy. In this context, nanomedicine constitutes a promising alternative to enhance the central nervous system bioavailability of antiseizure medications. The encapsulation of different chemical compounds at once in a variety of controlled drug delivery systems gives rise to an enhanced drug effectiveness mainly due to their targeting and penetration into the deepest brain region and the protection of the drug chemical structure. Thus, in this review we will explore the recent advances in the development of drugs associated with polymeric and lipid-based nanocarriers as novel tools for the management of epilepsy disorders.

Traditional herbal medicine and nanomedicine: Converging disciplines to improve therapeutic efficacy and human health

Traditional herbal medicine (THM), an ancient science, is a gift from nature. For thousands of years, it has helped humans fight diseases and protect life, health, and reproduction. Nanomedicine, a newer discipline has evolved from exploitation of the unique nanoscale morphology and is widely used in diagnosis, imaging, drug delivery, and other biomedical fields. Although THM and nanomedicine differ greatly in time span and discipline dimensions, they are closely related and are even evolving toward integration and convergence. This review begins with the history and latest research progress of THM and nanomedicine, expounding their respective developmental trajectory. It then discusses the overlapping connectivity and relevance of the two fields, including nanoaggregates generated in herbal medicine decoctions, the application of nanotechnology in the delivery and treatment of natural active ingredients, and the influence of physiological regulatory capability of THM on the in vivo fate of nanoparticles. Finally, future development trends, challenges, and research directions are discussed.

Piperine-Loaded Glycyrrhizic Acid- and PLGA-Based Nanoparticles Modified with Transferrin for Antitumor : Piperine-Loaded Glycyrrhizic Acid- and PLGA-Based Nanoparticles

The purpose of this study was to enhance the antitumor effect of piperine by constructing the nanoparticles modified with transferrin (Tf-PIP-NPs) and evaluating their efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The Tf-PIP-NPs were prepared by the solvent evaporation method, and their properties were characterized. The effects of Tf-PIP-NPs on cytotoxicity, cell uptake, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated in HepG2 cells, MDA-MB-231 cells, and 4T1 cells. In a 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model, the antitumor efficacy of Tf-PIP-NPs was assessed in terms of tumor volumes, changes in body weight, HE staining, and immunohistochemical analysis. With a mean particle size of 112.2 ± 1.27 nm, the zeta potential of (- 28.0 ± 1.6 mV) Tf-PIP-NPs were rapidly internalized by tumor cells after 1 h through the transferrin receptor (TfR)-mediated endocytosis pathway, significantly inducing cellular apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential loss. Although Tf-PIP-NPs had no significant difference with PIP-NPs in tumor volume inhibition due to the presence of tumor microenvironment, it could significantly upregulate the expression of related pro-apoptotic proteins and induce tumor necrosis. We used the self-assembly properties of glycyrrhizic acid (GL) and polymer-PLGA to encapsulate piperine and modified with the transferrin, which provided a promising approach to improve the antitumor efficacy for anticarcinogen.

Dynamic nanoassemblies for imaging and therapy of neurological disorders

The past decades have witnessed an increased incidence of neurological disorders (NDs) such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ischemic stroke, and epilepsy, which significantly lower patients' life quality and increase the economic and social burden. Recently, nanomedicines composed of imaging and/or therapeutic agents have been explored to diagnose and/or treat NDs due to their enhanced bioavailability, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and targeting capacity. Intriguingly, dynamic nanoassemblies self-assembled from functional nanoparticles to simultaneously interfere with multiple pathogenic substances and pathological changes, have been regarded as one of the foremost candidates to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of NDs. To help readers better understand this emerging field, in this review, the pathogenic mechanism of different types of NDs is briefly introduced, then the functional nanoparticles used as building blocks in the construction of dynamic nanoassemblies for NDs theranostics are summarized. Furthermore, dynamic nanoassemblies that can actively cross the BBB to target brain lesions, sensitively and efficiently diagnose or treat NDs, and effectively promote neuroregeneration are highlighted. Finally, we conclude with our perspectives on the future development in this field.

Piperine: Chemical, biological and nanotechnological applications

Piperine (PIP) is an alkaloid present in several species of piper, mainly Piper nigrum Linn. and P. longum, among other species. The present article provides a comprehensive review of PIP research in the last years concerning its chemical properties, synthesis, absorption, metabolism, bioavailability and toxicity. The reviewed PIP literature has shown many pharmacological properties, such as antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-parasitic activity of PIP. However, its low solubility and absorption make its application challenging. This review also includes advances in the development of nanosystems containing PIP, including liposomes, micelles, metal nanoparticles, nanofibers, polymeric nanoparticles, and solid-lipid nanoparticles. Finally, we discuss different in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate the biological activity of this drug, as well as some methods for the synthesis of nanosystems and their physical characteristics.