Folic acid engineered sulforaphane loaded microbeads for targeting breast cancer

Bioactive sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables: advances in biosynthesis, metabolism, bioavailability, delivery, health benefits, and applications

Chronic inflammation-induced diseases (CID) are the dominant cause of death worldwide, contributing to over half of all global deaths. Sulforaphane (SFN) derived from cruciferous vegetables has been extensively studied for its multiple functional benefits in alleviating CID. This work comprehensively reviewed the biosynthesis, metabolism, bioavailability, delivery, health benefits, and applications of SFN and its potential mechanisms against CID (e.g., cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, et al.), and neurological disorders based on a decade of research. SFN exerts its biological functions through the hydrolysis of glucosinolates by gut microbiota, and exhibits rapid metabolism and excretion characteristics via metabolization of mercapturic acid pathway. Microencapsulation is an important way to improve the stability and targeted delivery of SFN. The health benefits of SNF against CID are attributed to the multiple regulatory mechanisms including modulating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, immune response, and intestinal homeostasis. The clinical applications of SFN and related formulations show promising potential; however, further exploration is required regarding the sources, dosages, toxicity profiles, and stability of SFN. Together, SFN is a natural product with great potential for development and application, which is crucial for the development of functional food and pharmaceutical industries.

PLGA nanomedical consignation: A novel approach for the management of prostate cancer

The malignancy of the prostate is a complicated ailment which impacts millions of male populations around the globe. Despite the multitude of endeavour accomplished within this domain, modalities that are involved in the ameliorative management of predisposed infirmity are still relent upon non-specific and invasive procedures, thus imposing a detrimental mark on the living standard of the individual. Also, the orchestrated therapeutic interventions are still incompetent in substantiating a robust and unabridged therapeutic end point owing to their inadequate solubility, low bioavailability, limited cell assimilation, and swift deterioration, thereby muffling the clinical application of these existing treatment modalities. Nanotechnology has been employed in an array of modalities for the medical management of malignancies. Among the assortment of available nano-scaffolds, nanocarriers composed of a bio-decomposable and hybrid polymeric material like PLGA hold an opportunity to advance as standard chemotherapeutic modalities. PLGA-based nanocarriers have the prospect to address the drawbacks associated with conventional cancer interventions, owing to their versatility, durability, nontoxic nature, and their ability to facilitate prolonged drug release. This review intends to describe the plethora of evidence-based studies performed to validate the applicability of PLGA nanosystem in the amelioration of prostate malignancies, in conjunction with PLGA focused nano-scaffold in the clinical management of prostate carcinoma. This review seeks to explore numerous evidence-based studies confirming the applicability of PLGA nanosystems in ameliorating prostate malignancies. It also delves into the role of PLGA-focused nano-scaffolds in the clinical management of prostate carcinoma, aiming to provide a comprehensive perspective on these advancements.

Hesperidin-loaded cubogel as a novel therapeutic armamentarium for full-thickness wound healing

Wounds are a physical manifestation of injury to the skin causing it to rupture or tear. The process of wound healing naturally restores skin integrity while minimizing the extent of the damage. Hesperidin (HPN) is a natural polyphenolic flavonoid and is effective in treating wounds due to its ability to reduce inflammation and stimulate angiogenesis. However, its use is limited by its poor physicochemical attributes such as poor solubility in water. Recently, nanoparticles, particularly Cubosomes, are found to be promising candidates for advancing wound-healing therapies, owing to their unique properties. The present study was conducted to develop a hydrogel system based on Cubosomes encapsulating HPN (HPN-Cubogel), with the potential to mitigate full-thickness wounds. The therapeutic efficacy of the formulation assessed in the animal model showed that the HPN-Cubogel formulation group exhibited a wound closure rate of 98.96 ± 1.50% after 14 days post-wounding compared to 89.12 ± 2.6% in the control group suggesting superior wound contraction activity. Collagen synthesis was superior in the formulation compared to the control group, as determined through MT staining. In summary, the HPN-Cubogel formulation was found to be the most effective in enhancing full-thickness wound healing.

Unravelling the potential of mitochondria-targeted liposomes for enhanced cancer treatment

Mitochondria are the primary organelles of cells involved in various physiochemical and biochemical processes. Owing to their crucial role in cellular metabolism, mitochondria are favored therapeutic targets for the treatment and prevention of cancers. Recently, there has been growing interest in the use of mitochondria-specific functional nanoparticles for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to these organelles. Among several nanosystems, liposomes have garnered considerable attention owing to their exceptional drug delivery capabilities, biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of manufacturing and established regulatory guidelines for market approval. In this context, the present review provides a brief insight into the association between mitochondria and tumor formation and advantages of mitochondrial targeting in cancer therapy. Furthermore, it discusses mitochondria-targeting functional liposomes for the treatment of various cancers, such as breast, lung, colon, among others.

Gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods in the landscape of cancer therapy

Cancer is a grievous disease whose treatment requires a more efficient, non-invasive therapy, associated with minimal side effects. Gold nanoparticles possessing greatly impressive optical properties have been a forerunner in bioengineered cancer therapy. This theranostic system has gained immense popularity and finds its application in the field of molecular detection, biological imaging, cancer cell targeting, etc. The photothermal property of nanoparticles, especially of gold nanorods, causes absorption of the light incident by the light source, and transforms it into heat, resulting in tumor cell destruction. This review describes the different optical features of gold nanoparticles and summarizes the advance research done for the application of gold nanoparticles and precisely gold nanorods for combating various cancers including breast, lung, colon, oral, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.

Superparamagnetic Iron-Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized via Green Chemistry for the Potential Treatment of Breast Cancer

In the emerging field of nanomedicine, nanoparticles have been widely considered as drug carriers and are now used in various clinically approved products. Therefore, in this study, we synthesized superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) via green chemistry, and the SPIONs were further coated with tamoxifen-conjugated bovine serum albumin (BSA-SPIONs-TMX). The BSA-SPIONs-TMX were within the nanometric hydrodynamic size (117 ± 4 nm), with a small poly dispersity index (0.28 ± 0.02) and zeta potential of -30.2 ± 0.09 mV. FTIR, DSC, X-RD, and elemental analysis confirmed that BSA-SPIONs-TMX were successfully prepared. The saturation magnetization (M_s) of BSA-SPIONs-TMX was found to be ~8.31 emu/g, indicating that BSA-SPIONs-TMX possess superparamagnetic properties for theragnostic applications. In addition, BSA-SPIONs-TMX were efficiently internalized into breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and T47D) and were effective in reducing cell proliferation of breast cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values of 4.97 ± 0.42 μM and 6.29 ± 0.21 μM in MCF-7 and T47D cells, respectively. Furthermore, an acute toxicity study on rats confirmed that these BSA-SPIONs-TMX are safe for use in drug delivery systems. In conclusion, green synthesized superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles have the potential to be used as drug delivery carriers and may also have diagnostic applications.