Therapeutic potential of curcumin and its nanoformulations for treating oral cancer

Green Nanotechnology: Naturally Sourced Nanoparticles as Antibiofilm and Antivirulence Agents Against Infectious Diseases

The escalating threat of infectious diseases, exacerbated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and biofilm formation, necessitates innovative therapeutic strategies. This review presents a comprehensive exploration of the potential of nanoparticles synthesized from natural sources, including plant extracts, microbial products, and marine compounds, as antimicrobial agents. These naturally derived nanoparticles demonstrated significant antibiofilm and antivirulence effects, with specific examples revealing their capacity to reduce biofilm mass by up to 78% and inhibit bacterial quorum sensing by 65%. The integration of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and chitosan, facilitates nanoparticle stability and enhances antimicrobial efficacy, while green synthesis protocols reduce environmental risks. Notably, the review identifies the potential of silver nanoparticles synthesized using green tea extracts, achieving 85% inhibition of polymicrobial growth in vitro. Despite these promising results, challenges such as standardization of synthesis protocols and scalability persist. This study underscores the transformative potential of leveraging naturally sourced nanoparticles as sustainable alternatives to conventional antimicrobials, offering quantitative insights for their future application in combating mono- and polymicrobial infections.

Supramolecular delivery systems for polyphenols: A green approach to predict in vivo permeability through an in vitro setup

The use of in vitro markers able to reproduce the in vivo permeability and diffusivity of orally administered drugs, could represent an innovative starting point for the formulation of delivery systems, in particular for low soluble and low permeable drugs belonging to BCS class II and IV. Considering the great interest in the green pharmaceutical approaches and the increasing use of natural molecules as novel therapeutic drugs, in this study, rutin, hesperidin and curcumin have been selected as lipophilic model drugs to investigate their possible enhancement of their permeability and bioavailability after oral administration. As the low solubility of the three drugs hinders their application, β-cyclodextrins (CD), amphiphilic natural moieties able to form stable inclusion complexes, have been considered to promote their solubilization. Notably, hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HPBCD) and methyl-β-CD (MBCD), have been selected and the formation of the inclusion complexes with a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 has been detected through phase-solubility studies and rationalized via docking calculations, revealing a strong complexation and an increased hydrophilicity of the systems. The diffusion experiments performed through the novel UV-Vis localized spectroscopy method confirmed a the extremely high stability of the CD-drugs complexes, especially in the cease of curcumin, which makes this as the predominant chemical specie to diffuse and permeates. The PermeaPad® plate, an in vitro cell-free assay, allowed to investigate the permeability behavior of the drugs, demonstrated that the type of β-cyclodextrins can influence the permeability through the biomimetic membrane, reflecting the effect of the unstirred water layer (UWL). Moreover, in the case of curcumin, the spectroscopic-mathematical approach suggested the formation of nano-supramolecular systems, detected by DLS, supporting the precision of the fitting model.

Epidemiology, Diagnostics, and Therapy of Oral Cancer-Update Review

Oral cavity and lip cancers are the 16th most common cancer in the world. It is widely known that a lack of public knowledge about precancerous lesions, oral cancer symptoms, and risk factors leads to diagnostic delay and therefore a lower survival rate. Risk factors, which include drinking alcohol, smoking, HPV infection, a pro-inflammatory factor-rich diet, and poor oral hygiene, must be known and avoided by the general population. Regular clinical oral examinations should be enriched in an oral cancer search protocol for the most common symptoms, which are summarized in this review. Moreover, new diagnostic methods, some of which are already available (vital tissue staining, optical imaging, oral cytology, salivary biomarkers, artificial intelligence, colposcopy, and spectroscopy), and newly researched techniques increase the likelihood of stopping the pathological process at a precancerous stage. Well-established oral cancer treatments (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy) are continuously being developed using novel technologies, increasing their success rate. Additionally, new techniques are being researched. This review presents a novel glance at oral cancer-its current classification and epidemiology-and will provide new insights into the development of new diagnostic methods and therapies.

Co-Delivery of Docetaxel and Curcumin Functionalized Mixed Micelles for the Treatment of Drug-Resistant Breast Cancer by Oral Administration

Background

Chemotherapeutic drugs have some drawbacks in antineoplastic therapy, mainly containing seriously toxic side effects caused by injection and multi-drug resistance (MDR). Co-delivery with two or more drugs via nanomicelles is a promising strategy to solve these problems. Oral chemotherapy is increasingly preferred owing to its potential to enhance the life quality of patients.

Methods and Results

The study intended to develop mixed micelles using D-α-Tocopherol poly(ethylene glycol) 1000 succinate (TPGS) and soluplus for the co-encapsulation of docetaxel (DTX) and curcumin (CUR), marked as (DTX+CUR)-loaded mixed micelles, treating drug-resistant breast cancer by oral administration. The (DTX+CUR)-loaded mixed micelles had a uniform particle size (~64 nm), high drug loading and encapsulation efficiency, in vitro sustained-release properties and good pH-dependent stability. In vitro cell study, the (DTX+CUR)-loaded mixed micelles displayed the highest cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, cell apoptosis-inducing rates and cell ROS-inducing levels on MCF-7/Adr cells. Notably, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies, (DTX+CUR)-loaded mixed micelles enhanced markedly the oral absorption of DTX compared to pure DTX, with a relative oral bioavailability of 574%. The (DTX+CUR)-loaded mixed micelles by oral administration had the same anticancer efficacy as taxotere by injection in resistant breast cancer bearing mice.

Conclusion

(DTX+CUR)-loaded mixed micelles could provide a potential formulation for treating drug-resistant breast cancers by oral administration.

Enhancing Curcumin's therapeutic potential in cancer treatment through ultrasound mediated liposomal delivery

Improving the efficacy of chemotherapy remains a key challenge in cancer treatment, considering the low bioavailability, high cytotoxicity, and undesirable side effects of some clinical drugs. Targeted delivery and sustained release of therapeutic drugs to cancer cells can reduce the whole-body cytotoxicity of the agent and deliver a safe localized treatment to the patient. There is growing interest in herbal drugs, such as curcumin, which is highly noted as a promising anti-tumor drug, considering its wide range of bioactivities and therapeutic properties against various tumors. Conversely, the clinical efficacy of curcumin is limited because of poor oral bioavailability, low water solubility, instability in gastrointestinal fluids, and unsuitable pH stability. Drug-delivery colloid vehicles like liposomes and nanoparticles combined with microbubbles and ultrasound-mediated sustained release are currently being explored as effective delivery modes in such cases. This study aimed to synthesize and study the properties of curcumin liposomes (CLs) and optimize the high-frequency ultrasound release and uptake by a human breast cancer cell line (HCC 1954) through in vitro studies of culture viability and cytotoxicity. CLs were effectively prepared with particles sized at 81 ± 2 nm, demonstrating stability and controlled release of curcumin under ultrasound exposure. In vitro studies using HCC1954 cells, the combination of CLs, ultrasound, and Definity microbubbles significantly improved curcumin's anti-tumor effects, particularly under specific conditions: 15 s of continuous ultrasound at 0.12 W/cm2 power density with 0.6 × 107 microbubbles/mL. Furthermore, the study delved into curcumin liposomes' cytotoxic effects using an Annexin V/PI-based apoptosis assay. The treatment with CLs, particularly in conjunction with ultrasound and microbubbles, amplified cell apoptosis, mainly in the late apoptosis stage, which was attributed to heightened cellular uptake within cancer cells.

Anticarcinogenic Potency of EF24: An Overview of Its Pharmacokinetics, Efficacy, Mechanism of Action, and Nanoformulation for Drug Delivery

EF24, a synthetic monocarbonyl analog of curcumin, shows significant potential as an anticancer agent with both chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties. It exhibits rapid absorption, extensive tissue distribution, and efficient metabolism, ensuring optimal bioavailability and sustained exposure of the target tissues. The ability of EF24 to penetrate biological barriers and accumulate at tumor sites makes it advantageous for effective cancer treatment. Studies have demonstrated EF24's remarkable efficacy against various cancers, including breast, lung, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancer. The unique mechanism of action of EF24 involves modulation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathways, disrupting cancer-promoting inflammation and oxidative stress. EF24 inhibits tumor growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, mainly through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and by regulating key genes by modulating microRNA (miRNA) expression or the proteasomal pathway. In summary, EF24 is a promising anticancer compound with a unique mechanism of action that makes it effective against various cancers. Its ability to enhance the effects of conventional therapies, coupled with improvements in drug delivery systems, could make it a valuable asset in cancer treatment. However, addressing its solubility and stability challenges will be crucial for its successful clinical application.