Improved in vitro and in vivo Anti-Candida albicans Activity of Cymbopogon nardus Essential Oil by Its Incorporation into a Microemulsion System

From plants to particles: herbal solutions and nanotechnology combating resistant vulvovaginal candidiasis

Despite having current advanced therapy, vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) remains a common yet debated healthcare-associated topic worldwide due to multi-drug resistance Candida species. In our review, we outlined and highlighted upcoming values with scope of existing and emerging information regarding the possibility of using various natural molecules combined with modern technology that shows promising anti-candida activity in VVC. Furthermore, in this review, we compiled herbal drug molecules and their nanocarriers approach for enhancing the efficacy and stability of herbal molecules. We have also summarized the patent literature available on herbal drug molecules and their nanoformulation techniques that could alternatively become a new innovative era to combat resistance VVC.

Microemulsions: An Encapsulation Strategy to Increase the Thermal Stability of D-limonene

D-limonene, derived from citrus essential oils, holds significant therapeutic potential but faces challenges due to its high volatility, especially in pharmaceutical formulations. This study investigates microemulsions as a promising delivery system for volatile compounds, emphasizing their thermal protection for D-limonene. The formulation development was guided by a pseudo-ternary phase diagram and involved assays with different surfactants. Microemulsions were achieved solely with Labrasol® (Gattefossé Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil), encompassing concentrations of 7.1% to 30.8% D-limonene, 28.6% to 57.1% Labrasol®, and 20.0% to 64.3% water. All formulations were homogeneous, transparent, and presented low viscosity, with adequate D-limonene content, indicating that the production is feasible at room temperature. While the formulations demonstrated robust physical stability under mechanical stress, they exhibited destabilization at temperatures exceeding 50 °C. In terms of oxidative stability, pure D-limonene exhibited an induction period of 4.88 min, whereas microemulsions extended this period by four to eight times. Notably, the induction period of the microemulsions remained practically unchanged pre and post-heating (70 °C), suggesting the formulation's ability to enhance the D-limonene thermal stability. This highlights the value of oxidative stability analysis as a quicker tool than conventional oxidative tests, while affirming microemulsions as a viable encapsulation strategy for D-limonene protection against elevated temperatures.

Deleterious Effects of Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Essential Oil on Life Cycle and Midgut of the Natural Predator Ceraeochrysa claveri (Navás, 1911) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Cymbopogon nardus (citronella) essential oil (EO) has been widely used in the cosmetic and food industry due to its repellent and fumigant properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate its effects on the life cycle and midgut morphology of the natural predator Ceraeochrysa claveri. Larvae were fed on sugarcane borer eggs (Diatraea saccharalis) pretreated with citronella EO solutions (1-100 µg/mL in methanol, 5 s) or solvent and air-dried at room temperature for 30 min. Larval and pupal stage duration, the percentage of emergence of the insect, and malformed insects were recorded. One day after adults emerged from their cocoons, adult insects were used to obtain their midgut and analyzed using light microscopy. The chemical composition of C. nardus EO revealed that citronellal (25.3%), citronellol (17.9%), geraniol (11.6%), elemol (6.5%), δ-cadinone (3.6%), and germacrene D (3.4%) were the predominant compounds. Exposure to the EO produced a significant change in development duration for third instar and prepupa of the insect. The observed alterations in the lifecycle included prepupae with no cocoon formation, dead pupa inside the cocoon, and malformed adults. Several injuries in the midgut epithelium of exposed adults were registered, such as detachment of columnar cells leaving only swollen regenerative cells fixed on the basement membrane, and the formation of epithelial folds. In summary, these data suggest that C. nardus oil has adverse effects on the life cycle and midgut morphology of a beneficial predator.

Essential oil and nanocarrier-based formulations approaches for vaginal candidiasis

An exclusive site for local drug delivery is the vagina, especially for vaginal infections. The fungus Candida albicans causes vaginal infection known as vulvovaginal candidiasis, a highly prevalent and recurrent gynaecological disease among women. Vaginal candidiasis affects over 75% of women at a certain point in their life and has a recurrence rate of 40-50%. Medicinal plants provide some very effective phytoconstituents which when delivered as nanosystems have enhanced therapeutic action and efficacy by alteration in their characteristics. Antifungal drugs are used to treat these conditions, alternative medicine is required for prophylaxis and improved prognosis. The current review focuses on the research carried out on various nanocarrier-based approaches and essential oil-based formulations for vaginal candidiasis.

Impact of Cavitation Jet on the Structural, Emulsifying Features and Interfacial Features of Soluble Soybean Protein Oxidized Aggregates

A cavitation jet can enhance food proteins' functionalities by regulating solvable oxidized soybean protein accumulates (SOSPI). We investigated the impacts of cavitation jet treatment on the emulsifying, structural and interfacial features of soluble soybean protein oxidation accumulate. Findings have shown that radicals in an oxidative environment not only induce proteins to form insoluble oxidative aggregates with a large particle size and high molecular weight, but also attack the protein side chains to form soluble small molecular weight protein aggregates. Emulsion prepared by SOSPI shows worse interface properties than OSPI. A cavitation jet at a short treating time (<6 min) has been shown to break the core aggregation skeleton of soybean protein insoluble aggregates, and insoluble aggregates into soluble aggregates resulting in an increase of emulsion activity (EAI) and constancy (ESI), and a decrease of interfacial tension from 25.15 to 20.19 mN/m. However, a cavitation jet at a long treating time (>6 min) would cause soluble oxidized aggregates to reaggregate through an anti-parallel intermolecular β-sheet, which resulted in lower EAI and ESI, and a higher interfacial tension (22.44 mN/m). The results showed that suitable cavitation jet treatment could adjust the structural and functional features of SOSPI by targeted regulated transformation between the soluble and insoluble components.

Interactions between Natural Products-A Review

Plant-based natural products have been used as a source for therapeutics since the dawn of civilization. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of the world's population relies on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare. Numerous natural extracts, widely known in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda medicine and other practices, have led to the modern discovery and development of new drugs. Plants continuously interact with their environment, producing new compounds and ever-changing combinations of existing ones. Interestingly, some of the compounds have shown lower therapeutic activity in comparison to the extract they were isolated from. These findings suggest that the higher therapeutic activity of the source extract was due to the synergistic effect of several compounds. In other words, the total therapeutic potential of the extract cannot be explained only by the sum of its parts alone. In traditional medicine, most herbal remedies are based on a mixture of plants, and it is the interaction between different constituents that amplifies their therapeutic potential. Considering the significant influence traditional medicine has on human healthcare, knowing and studying the synergistic effect of compounds is paramount in designing smart therapeutic agents.

Recent Advances in the Application of Essential Oils as Potential Therapeutic Candidates for Candida-Related Infections

Candidiasis (oral, vulvovaginal, or systemic bloodstream infections) are important human fungal infections associated with a high global prevalence in otherwise healthy adults but are also opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. With the recent discovery of the multidrug resistant—and often difficult to treat—Candida auris, as well as the rising costs associated with hospitalisations and the treatment of infections caused by Candida species, there is an urgent need to develop effective therapeutics against these pathogenic yeasts. Essential oils have been documented for many years as treatments for different ailments and are widely known and utilised in alternative and complementary therapies, including treating microbial infections. This review highlights knowledge from research on the effects of medicinal plants, and in particular, essential oils, as potential treatments against different Candida species. Studies have been evaluated that describe the experimental approaches used in investigating the anticandidal effects of essential oils (in vivo and in vitro), the established mode of action of the different compounds against different Candida species, the effect of a combination of essential oils with other compounds as potential therapies, and the evidence from clinical trial studies.

Validation of an innovative analytical method for simultaneous quantification of curcumin and fluconazole using high-performance liquid chromatography from nanostructured lipid carriers

Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a public health problem with a high incidence among female patients. Currently, there is an increase in the identification of Candida spp. resistant to current therapy, making it necessary to search for new therapeutic alternatives. The synergistic potential of curcumin with fluconazole is described in the literature. However, due to its high lipophilicity, it is necessary to use drug-delivery systems to adequately explore its potential, among which is the nanostructured lipid carrier. However, to date, there is no validated method of high-performance liquid chromatography for simultaneous determination of fluconazole and curcumin in the literature. Thus, the present work developed a high-performance liquid chromatography method for simultaneous determination of fluconazole and curcumin co-encapsulated in nanostructured lipid carrier which was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization (Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) - Q2 (R1) and the Food and Drug Administration - Guidance for Bioanalytical Method. The method was applied to determine the encapsulation efficiency and drug-loading of curcumin and fluconazole in nanostructured lipid carriers. The developed method proved to be selective, precise, accurate, and robust for the simultaneous determination of both drugs, enabling the quantification of encapsulation efficiency and drug-loading of curcumin and fluconazole in nanostructured lipid carriers.

Interventional Efects of the Topical of "Sanse Powder" Essential Oils Nanoemulsion on Knee Osteoarthritis in Rats by Targeting the ERS/TXNIP/NLRP3 Signaling Axis

Purpose: Our recent research is dedicated to finding effective drugs for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) from traditional Chinese medicine and trying to make full use of modern science and technology to uncover the mechanisms and targets behind them. Synovial inflammation is one of the key pathological features of KOA, and a growing number of researchers realize that early intervention of synovial inflammation may be able to reverse disease progression. The close association of traditional natural products with modern nanotechnology may be important for improving the anti-synovitis efficacy. The purpose of our research was to explore the anti-synovitis mechanism of NEs-SP-EO that might be associated with the ERS/TXNIP/NLRP3 signalling axis. Methods: Chemical composition of "Sanse Powder" essential oil (SP-EO) and NEs-SP-EO were analyzed by GC-MS. NEs-SP-EO were prepared and characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and transmission electronic microscopy. The CCK8 assay for cell viability of NEs-SP-EO was performed on fibroblast-like synovial cells (FLSs) and the inflammatory environment was stimulated by LPS to explore the therapeutic mechanisms in vitro. Experiments of NEs-SP-EO in vivo were performed in male SD rats. Results: The GC-MS results showed that 30 compounds were present in SP-EO and 11 components of NEs-SP-EO were identified. The results also showed that the formulation of NEs-SP-EO exhibited suitable particle size, negative charge, and stable system. In vitro and vivo testing, NEs-SP-EO produced anti-synovitis efficacy by reduced the induction of the ERS/TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling axis as well as regulating the overproduction of IL-1β, IL-18. Conclusion: We have developed a new type of essential oil nanoemulsion from "Sanse Powder" and demonstrated that it can managing synovitis of KOA. Besides, we have initially explored the anti-inflammatory mechanism that may be related to the ERS/TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling axis.

Highlights in poloxamer-based drug delivery systems as strategy at local application for vaginal infections

Infectious diseases related to the vagina include diseases caused by the imbalance of the vaginal flora and by sexually transmitted infections. Some of these present themselves as a public health problem due to the lack of efficient treatment that leads to their complete cure, and others due to the growing resistance to drugs used in therapy. In this sense, new treatment strategies are desirable, with vaginal administration rout being a great choice since can bypass first-pass metabolism and decrease drug interactions and adverse effects. However, it is worth highlighting limitations related to patient's discomfort at application time. Thereby, the use of poloxamer-based drug delivery systems is desirable due its stimuli-sensitive characteristic. Therefore, the present review reports a brief overview of poloxamer properties, biological behavior and advances in poloxamer applications in controlled drug release systems for infectious diseases related to the vagina treatment and prevention.