Gel formulations of Merremia mammosa (Lour.) accelerated wound healing of the wound in diabetic rats

Insights into the mechanisms of diabetic wounds: pathophysiology, molecular targets, and treatment strategies through conventional and alternative therapies

Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent cause of mortality worldwide and can lead to several secondary issues, including DWs, which are caused by hyperglycemia, diabetic neuropathy, anemia, and ischemia. Roughly 15% of diabetic patient's experience complications related to DWs, with 25% at risk of lower limb amputations. A conventional management protocol is currently used for treating diabetic foot syndrome, which involves therapy using various substances, such as bFGF, pDGF, VEGF, EGF, IGF-I, TGF-β, skin substitutes, cytokine stimulators, cytokine inhibitors, MMPs inhibitors, gene and stem cell therapies, ECM, and angiogenesis stimulators. The protocol also includes wound cleaning, laser therapy, antibiotics, skin substitutes, HOTC therapy, and removing dead tissue. It has been observed that treatment with numerous plants and their active constituents, including Globularia Arabica, Rhus coriaria L., Neolamarckia cadamba, Olea europaea, Salvia kronenburgii, Moringa oleifera, Syzygium aromaticum, Combretum molle, and Myrtus communis, has been found to promote wound healing, reduce inflammation, stimulate angiogenesis, and cytokines production, increase growth factors production, promote keratinocyte production, and encourage fibroblast proliferation. These therapies may also reduce the need for amputations. However, there is still limited information on how to prevent and manage DWs, and further research is needed to fully understand the role of alternative treatments in managing complications of DWs. The conventional management protocol for treating diabetic foot syndrome can be expensive and may cause adverse side effects. Alternative therapies, such as medicinal plants and green synthesis of nano-formulations, may provide efficient and affordable treatments for DWs.

Nanoemulsions as a Promising Carrier for Topical Delivery of Etodolac: Formulation Development and Characterization

This research primarily focuses on the development of innovative topical nanoemulsions for etodolac, aimed at surmounting its inherent limitations. The preparation of etodolac nanoemulsions is accomplished through a combination of high shear homogenization and ultrasonication methods. The optimization of the formulation components is systematically conducted using the design of experiments methodology. The droplet size (DS), polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ZP) of the optimized formulation were assessed using the differential light scattering (DLS) technique. Surface morphology examinations were conducted using electron microscopy, while interactions between excipients and the drug were analyzed through FTIR analysis. Additionally, in vitro release and ex vivo permeability studies were carried out. Furthermore, anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in the context of a carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats. The DS, PDI, and ZP of the optimal formulation were 163.5 nm, 0.141, and -33.1 mV, respectively. The in vitro release profile was assessed as a sustained release by following a non-Fickian drug transport. The flux of etodolac nanoemulsions and coarse dispersions were 165.7 ± 11.7 µg/cm2 h and 59.7 ± 15.2 µg/cm2 h, respectively. Enhanced edema inhibition was observed at 13.4%, 36.5%, and 50.65% for the 6th, 8th, and 24th hours, respectively. Taken together, these results confirmed that nanoemulsions are promising carriers for the topical delivery of etodolac.

Wound healing potential of Acacia catechu in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice using in vivo and in silico approach

Background and aim

Acacia catechu Wild. (Fabaceae) barks are traditionally used in the treatment of diabetes and wounds. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the wound healing potential of the alcoholic extract of A. catechu (EAC) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Experimental procedures

EAC was first subjected to phytochemical estimations and standardization using (-) epicatechin as marker with the help of HPLC. Diabetes was induced in mice using streptozotocin and the wound healing potential of EAC was evaluated using excision and incision wound models on topical and oral treatment. Various biochemical parameters, in vivo antioxidants, cytokine profiling, VEGF, and histopathological examination were also performed. Further, molecular docking studies were performed using ligand (-) epicatechin on human inducible nitric oxide synthase.

Results and conclusion

Phytochemically, EAC showed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and saponins, while the content of (-) epicatechin was reported to be 7.81% w/w. The maximum healing of wounds (91.84 ± 1.10%) was observed in mice treated with a combination of both topical (10% gel) and oral (extract at 200 mg/kg) followed by topically and orally treated groups respectively after 14 days of treatment. These groups also showed significant restoration of altered biochemical parameters, antioxidant enzymes and cytokines. The molecular docking studies confirmed the role of (-) epicatechin in stabilizing the human inducible nitric oxide synthase with inhibitor showing binding energy of -8.31 kcal/mol. The present study confirmed the role of (-) epicatechin as a major marker in diabetic wound healing potential of A. catechu.

An Overview of Cellulose Derivatives-Based Dressings for Wound-Healing Management

Presently, notwithstanding the progress regarding wound-healing management, the treatment of the majority of skin lesions still represents a serious challenge for biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Thus, the attention of the researchers has turned to the development of novel materials based on cellulose derivatives. Cellulose derivatives are semi-synthetic biopolymers, which exhibit high solubility in water and represent an advantageous alternative to water-insoluble cellulose. These biopolymers possess excellent properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, sustainability, non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity, thermo-gelling behavior, mechanical strength, abundance, low costs, antibacterial effect, and high hydrophilicity. They have an efficient ability to absorb and retain a large quantity of wound exudates in the interstitial sites of their networks and can maintain optimal local moisture. Cellulose derivatives also represent a proper scaffold to incorporate various bioactive agents with beneficial therapeutic effects on skin tissue restoration. Due to these suitable and versatile characteristics, cellulose derivatives are attractive and captivating materials for wound-healing applications. This review presents an extensive overview of recent research regarding promising cellulose derivatives-based materials for the development of multiple biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, such as wound dressings, drug delivery devices, and tissue engineering.

Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Heliotropium bacciferum Forssk extract and wound healing activity of its topical formulation in rat

Wound healing is a dynamic process that occurs in the tissue under the skin. During this process, oxidative stress biomarkers are excessively produced, which finally lead to inflammation and cellular damage. In this study, efforts have been made to evaluate the antioxidant effect and wound healing activity topical formulation containing Heliotropium bacciferum Forssk extract. The in vitro antioxidant properties were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The herbal ointments (2.5% w/w and 5% w/w) were prepared from the hydroalcoholic extract of H. bacciferum Forssk and administrated on the induced wounds in Wistar rats. The chromatic assay, percentage of wound contraction, and histopathological studies were used for evaluating the wound healing activity. For the evaluation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalase (CAT) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) levels were examined. The DPPH method showed tremendous radical scavenging activities at the corresponding concentrations with EC₅₀ value of 80μg/mL. Topical application of the ointment (5% w/w) showed the highest wound contraction in comparison to the positive control (treated with CICALFATE™) and the control group (treated with normal saline). Similarly, the histological study of the group treated with the extract ointment (5% w/w) showed full collagen tissue deposition with a complete epidermal regeneration. The results of the assessment of GSH levels as well as CAT and SOD activities in the treated group (5% w/w) confirmed the scavenging property of the extract ointment. Our findings indicated the proper wound healing impact of the topical formulation of H. bacciferum Forssk due to its notable antioxidant capacity.

Research Progression of the Genus Merremia: A Comprehensive Review on the Nutritional Value, Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicity

The genus Merremia Dennst. ex Endl. (Convolvulaceae) is a rich source of structurally diverse phytochemicals with therapeutic relevance. This review presents the first comprehensive, up-to-date information and research progression on the nutritional value, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of the genus Merremia. Using the key search term “Merremia”, relevant documents and information were retrieved from electronic databases. Relevant documents were uploaded in RStudio with installed bibliometric software packages and used for data retrieval, tabulation, and network visualization. Bibliometric analysis revealed that ca. 55% of the studies related to Merremia were published in the last decade, which can be grouped into four thematic areas: (i) drug formulation, (ii) taxonomy, (iii) chemical analysis, and (iv) treatment of diseases. Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities studies showed that species in the genus are promising medicinal plants with various pharmaceutical potentials. However, clinical studies to validate the efficacy of the reported bioactivities and the mechanisms underlying the various activities are lacking and should constitute a future research focus. Additionally, reports on the nutritional and antinutritional constituents of Merremia species revealed that the species meet high nutritional quality criteria for animals and are therefore suitable for inclusion in livestock diets. The few available investigations on toxicity indicated that most Merremia species are safe for human and animal use but not with prolonged chronic administration.