Ram Kumar Sahu

Background: Helminth infections caused by parasitic worms due to poor sanitation are a major public health problem. As the infections are often asymptomatic but can lead to malnutrition and growth problems, and also because of resistance to anthelmintics, effective treatments are crucial. Traditional herbal remedies, which are particularly important in resource-poor regions, such as northeast India, play an important role in addressing this challenge. Objective: The study focuses on anthelmintic herbal remedies and aims to explore and analyze the indigenous herbal treatments in Northeast India. The review combines a comprehensive review of literature, field studies, and traditional knowledge and provides insights into plant species, preparation techniques and research studies that have been reported. Methods: The information presented was assessed using a variety of electronic resources, including ScienceDirect, Wiley, Elsevier, Springer, Google Scholar, and PubMed (National Library of Medicines). Results: The focus of this review is on the phytochemicals present in these herbal remedies from Northeastern India, which play a pivotal role in their efficacy against parasitic worms. The analysis explores the mechanisms of action behind these remedies and sheds light on the scientific basis of traditional therapies. It emphasizes the merging of ancient and modern research and emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing. Conclusion: This review highlights the scope for effective anthelmintic therapies and explores the synergy between synthetic compounds and natural phytometabolites that offer the potential for effective interventions. This ethnopharmacological review not only scientifically validates traditional wisdom but also demonstrates the value of indigenous approaches in the treatment of modern health issues.

Context: Overexposure to oxidants and UV radiation triggers enzymatic reactions that contribute to skin aging, in part through increased tyrosinase activity. Herbal materials such as star anise (Illicium verum Hook.f.) offer promising potential as tyrosinase inhibitory agents for skin applications. I. verum contains bioactive compounds (e.g., trans-anethole, limonene, and pinene) reported to attenuate skin aging. Aims: To assess the chemical composition and anti-tyrosinase activity of I. verum through in vitro enzymatic assays and in silico molecular docking studies. Methods: The essential oil and extract of I. verum were analyzed using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS, respectively. Tyrosinase inhibition was assessed through an in vitro enzymatic assay for each sample, with kojic acid as a positive control. Each phytochemical compound was further assessed for anti-tyrosinase activity through in silico molecular docking studies targeting the tyrosinase (5M8P) protein, as well as its physicochemical and ADME properties. Results: Twenty secondary metabolites were found in the I. verum oil, with the major compounds being trans-anethole (32.36%); meanwhile, ten compounds were detected in I. verum extract. The tyrosinase inhibition assay revealed an IC50 value of 216.27 ± 2.18 µg/mL for the essential oil, 12484 ± 147.80 µg/mL for the extract, and 46.43 ± 1.74 µg/mL for kojic acid. The molecular docking study revealed that cis-caryophyllene (∆G = -7.72 ± 0.01 kcal/mol) from oil and gingerol (∆G = -5.88 ± 0.16 kcal/mol) from the extract had the best docking score as an inhibitor of tyrosinase (5M8P) compared to other constituents and kojic acid (∆G = -4.56 ± 0.02 kcal/mol). Conclusions: These findings suggest that I. verum contains constituents worthy of further bioassay validation as tyrosinase inhibitors.

Anxiety and depression are psychiatric disorders strongly associated with insomnia. This study aimed to examine the sedative and anxiolytic activities of a 70% ethanol leaf extract of Cassia spectabilis DC (CS70EE) in a mouse model with electric foot shock (EFS)‐induced stress. Male BALB/c mice were subjected to mild EFS (1 mA) for 15 × 1 s for five consecutive days. The stressed mice were administered various doses of CS70EE, diazepam, and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (0.5%) for comparison. The hole cross (HC) and thiopental sodium (TS)‐induced sleep time method was used to assess sedative activity, while the elevated plus maze (EPM) test was used to assess anxiolytic activity. An in silico study was performed to predict the potential of active compounds in the extracts against sedative/anxiolytic target protein. The protein used is γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor‐associated protein (PDB code: 3D32). CS70EE at a dose of 500 mg/kg showed sedative activity in mice by significantly decreasing the number of passages through the hole in the HC test and increasing the TS‐induced sleep duration ( p < 0.05). In the EPM test, stressed mice that were administered the extract (50 and 100 mg/kg) showed a significant increase in the time spent in the open arm ( p > 0.05). Meanwhile, molecular docking study in silico showed that spectaline compounds may play a crucial role in this activity. In conclusion, CS70EE exhibited sedative and anxiolytic effects in mice subjected to EFS‐induced stress.

The biological permeability and water solubility of drugs can pose substantial obstacles to oral drug delivery, the most common mode of drug administration for improving human health. Solubility determines the amount of drug that can be dissolved in solution, whereas permeability is the ability to permeate across biological membranes, determining therapeutic efficacy and safety. Some biological barriers, such as gastrointestinal pH, enzymes, and mucus, may affect the dissolution or absorption of therapeutic drugs. Physical or chemical approaches can be used to modify the water solubility or enhance the permeability. Moreover, nanocarriers, which can increase drug stability through encapsulation, enhance absorption due to their extensive surface area, and facilitate the targeted administration of medications to certain areas, could be useful for drug delivery systems. Nanoparticles can increase drug solubility by particle size reduction, complexation, and drug encapsulation and increase permeation by retention in tumors, opening of tight junctions, membrane fluidization, or intestinal mucoadhesion. Despite the many advantages of nanoparticle drug formulations, they also have several limitations, such as complicated manufacturing processes, nanotoxicity, and stability issues. In this article, we provide a comprehensive description of nanoparticle tools for maximizing oral drug delivery.

This study is aimed at documenting traditional practices in the use of medicinal plants to overcome cough and cold in three selected regions of East Java Province, by establishing the relative significance, consensus, and scope of all medicinal plants used. The survey on the use of medicinal plants was conducted in one subdistrict in each of the three selected regions in East Java Province, Indonesia. Ethnomedicine data were collected through semistructured interviews, group discussions, and guided field visits from 111 informants. Plant importance is calculated using indices such as use report (UR), family importance value (FIV), and use value (UV). A total of 32 traditional herbs for the treatment of coughs and 20 traditional herbs for the treatment of colds, made of 25 species belonging to 21 genera from 15 families, have been identified as having ethnomedicine significance. The highest FIV (63.96) in the treatment of coughs and colds was reported for Zingiberaceae. The most commonly cited types of medicinal plants are Kaempferia galanga (27 UR; 0.27 UV) for the treatment of coughs and Zingiber officinale (34 UR; 0.486 UV) for the treatment of colds. The findings of this study show the rich tradition of using medicinal plants and cultural knowledge of local communities in three selected regions of East Java Province. Thus, for the potential management and conservation strategy of plant genetic resources, recording traditional knowledge about medicinal plants and their practices is very important. This legacy of awareness about medicinal plants will pave the way for future drug discovery to improve global health care.

This study aims to document plant species used to fight several diseases related to mild COVID‐19 symptoms such as cough, colds, fever, dizziness and diarrhoea in Gorontalo Province, eastern Indonesia. Data were collected from 105 local residents using semistructured questionnaires, open interviews and field surveys. Ethnobotanical indices including use reports (UR), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and fidelity level (FL) were used to analyse the data. A total of 82 plant species from 40 families were recorded. Plectranthus scutellarioides (L.) R.Br. is predominantly used to treat cough, Zingiber officinale Roscoe to treat colds, Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken to treat fever, Allium sativum L. to treat dizziness and Psidium guajava L. to treat diarrhoea. The current research reveals that P. guajava L. is the most popular plant species with a high index value (RFC 0.62, FL 62%). Leaves (46.46%) are the most widely used part of the plant for some of these diseases. Boiling (31.70%) is the main method in preparing medicinal plants, most of which are given orally (77.73%). In addition, no serious side effects caused by the consumption of these medicinal plants in the treatment of several diseases related to mild COVID‐19 symptoms have been reported. Current studies reveal the wealth and wide use of plant species to manage cough, colds, fever, dizziness and diarrhoea in the study area. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used by local residents of Gorontalo Province may help in the treatment of several diseases related to mild COVID‐19 symptoms. Further research on preclinical studies needs to be conducted to provide scientific evidence of this result.

Introduction: Dental caries, caused by oral microbial pathogens, are a global health concern, further exacerbated by the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Bioactive proteins and peptides (BAPs) exhibit potent antimicrobial properties, targeting multiple cellular mechanisms within pathogens, reducing the likelihood of resistance development. Given the antimicrobial potential of BAPs, this study aimed to compare the efficacy of BAPs extracted from cultivated (Pleurotus ostreatus, PoC) and wild (Pleurotus ostreatus, PoW) mushrooms against pathogens responsible for dental caries.Methods: BAPs were extracted from both PoC and PoW using a TCA-acetone method. Antimicrobial activities were tested against seven bacteria and one fungus using agar well diffusion and MIC determination. Antibiofilm activity was assessed via modified CV assay, while DPPH and erythrocyte lysis tests evaluated free radical scavenging.Results: PoC showed superior antimicrobial efficacy, with lower MIC and MBC values, and disrupted biofilm integrity at increasing concentrations. PoW exhibited better antioxidant activity with higher DPPH scavenging, though its antimicrobial efficacy was slightly lower than PoC.Discussion: Both PoC and PoW BAPs inhibited dental pathogens, with PoC showing stronger inhibition against MRSA and nystatin-resistant Candida albicans. This suggests BAPs may target additional cellular mechanisms beyond membranes, PBPs, and ergosterols. Despite PoW’s stronger antioxidant properties, both BAPs had comparable antibiofilm activity. These findings suggest complementary actions of BAPs from PoC and PoW both, in treating dental caries, offering broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits.

In the current study, it was intended to prepare liquisolid tablets of pioglitazone HCl to improve the bioavailability and dissolution time of the drug, as it has low solubility in water. Mathematical formulas were adopted, and the quantities of the carrier (MCC), coating material (colloidal silicon dioxides), and nonvolatile liquid vehicle (Tween 80) were taken. Various ratios of the drug to liquid and carrier to coating had been used in the formulation of liquisolid compacts. The evaluation of the formulated liquisolid compacts was done by performing FTIR, DSC, XRD, and SEM studies. Postcompression parameters, dissolution, stability, and bioavailability were accessed for the optimized formulation. FTIR and DSC studies showed the compatibility of the drugs and excipients. XRD revealed the transition to the amorphous state. It was found that the properties of the newly manufactured liquisolid tablets were within the parameters of what is considered acceptable. The optimized formulation of LST10 showed 99.87 +/- 0.19% (p < 0.05) pioglitazone released within 60 min of dissolution. Dissolution data treatments (Q(15), IDR, RDR, %DE, MDT, f(1), and f(2)) resulted in better drug release than other drugs studied and marketed tablet formulations. The optimized formulation produced had been proven stable when it was subjected to accelerated stability testing. This suggested that the bioavailability of pioglitazone was enhanced, as indicated by the substantial increase in AUC(0-t) (3.06-fold) and C-max (4.18-fold). According to the findings, the selected combination and method significantly increased the dissolution time and bioavailability of pioglitazone. Moreover, this developed method can be used for other drugs with low water solubility.

Cancer, characterized by uncontrolled cell division and potential tissue spread, remains a significant health problem, with breast cancer being the most common in women, accounting for 25% of all cancer cases. Natural compounds have recently gained attention as they can improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. The aim of this study is to shed light on the potential benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the treatment of breast cancer. Overexpression of tyrosine kinase receptors and mutations in the breast cancer gene-1 (BRCA1) and BRCA2 genes lead to breast cancer in women. Based on the findings of papers published in various scientific search engines, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) may reduce the likelihood of developing breast cancer due to their anti-inflammatory properties. According to several studies, women who consume more n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have a lower risk of breast cancer. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids regulate breast cancer by controlling the inflammatory mediators, gene expression transcription factor and signal transducer, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) associated X protein or B-cell lymphoma-2, Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or Protein kinase B, Nuclear factor-κB, and toll-like receptor-4. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered a successful treatment for breast cancer patients when combined with chemotherapy drugs. Doxorubicin is a first-line drug for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Giving doxorubicin and polyunsaturated fatty acids together makes chemotherapy treatments for triple-negative breast cancer work better in the MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. This review highlights the role of PUFAs in modulating cancer-related pathways, offering valuable insights for researchers, clinicians and the pharmaceutical industry in the fight against breast cancer.