Tarun Virmani

Cannabichromene, a non-psychotropic cannabinoid with antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, is hypothesized to possess antidepressant potential. This study aimed to evaluate cannabichromene’s depression-alleviating effects in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress and unstressed mice using a combination of in silico and in vivo approaches. Initially, gene targets associated with major depressive disorder were identified through GeneCards, while cannabichromene’s target genes were predicted using SwissTargetPrediction. Overlapping targets were visualized using Venny software, and protein–protein interaction networks were constructed with the STRING database. The cannabinoid receptor two genes, encoding the cannabinoid 2 receptor, emerged as a key shared target. Molecular docking studies revealed that cannabichromene exhibited a strong binding affinity to cannabinoid 2 receptors (docking score: − 9.4) compared to cannabidiol (CBD) (− 8.8) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (− 9.1). For in vivo analysis, male Swiss albino mice were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress for 3 weeks to induce depression-like behavior. Cannabichromene (10 and 20 mg/kg) and imipramine (15 mg/kg) were administered for 21 days. Cannabichromene at 20 mg/kg significantly reduced immobility in stressed mice, like imipramine, without affecting locomotor activity. Additionally, both cannabichromene and imipramine reduced elevated plasma nitrite and corticosterone levels and inhibited monoamine oxidase-A activity in the brain. Cannabichromene also reversed stress-induced catalase suppression. In conclusion, cannabichromene revealed a relatively substantial antidepressant character with chronic unpredictable mild stress model of depression in Swiss albino male mice, likely through interaction with cannabinoid 2 receptors encoded by the cannabinoid 2 gene, as ratified via in silico modeling and in vivo findings. This highlights cannabichromene’s potential as a novel therapeutic agent for depression after further in vitro and clinical assessments in other models. Graphical Abstract

Hyperlipidemia, characterized by elevated levels of various lipid fractions in plasma, is a significant risk factor for cardiac conditions such coronary artery syndrome, stroke, and cardiac arrest. Traditional treatments often involve synthetic hypolipidemic drugs (such as statins, fibrates, and niacin) which can have adverse effects (like muscle pain, liver damage, and digestive problems). Consequently, there is a growing interest in natural alternatives for managing hyperlipidemia. Misidentifying or adulterating plant material can compromise the effectiveness of medicinal plants. Evaluating the pharmacognostic parameters is essential in ensuring the authenticity and quality of these plants. Fraxinus micrantha, a plant used traditionally in the Himalayas for its therapeutic properties, was investigated for its potential hypolipidemic effects. The study involved collecting and analyzing the leaves of Fraxinus micrantha for its phytochemical composition and hypolipidemic effects in a Wistar rat model produced by diet rich in fat. A total of six male Albino Wistar rats of weight 190 ± 15 g each were used to construct test, atorvastatin standard, and high-fat diet (HFD) control groups. Organoleptic, microscopic, and physicochemical evaluations confirmed the plant's quality and composition. The extracts at 200 and 400 mg per kilogram of body weight orally were assessed for their impact on lipid profiles, showing that both Fraxinus micrantha aqueous (FMAQ) and methanol extracts (FME) significantly reduced serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels while increasing HDL, with FME showing superior efficacy compared to FMAQ. The study highlights the potential of Fraxinus micrantha as a natural hypolipidemic agent, offering a promising alternative to synthetic drugs.

Apigenin, a potent natural flavonoid, has emerged as a key therapeutic agent due to its multifaceted medicinal properties in combating various diseases. However, apigenin's clinical utility is greatly limited by its poor water solubility, low bioavailability and stability issues. To address these challenges, this review paper explores the innovative field of nanotechnology-based delivery systems, which have shown significant promise in improving the delivery and effectiveness of apigenin. This paper also explores the synergistic potential of co-delivering apigenin with conventional therapeutic agents. Despite the advantageous properties of these nanoformulations, critical challenges such as scalable production, regulatory approvals and comprehensive long-term safety assessments remain key hurdles in their clinical adoption which must be addressed for commercialization of apigenin-based formulations.

Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising field in pharmaceutical research, involving producing unique nanoscale materials with sizes up to 100nm via physiochemical and biological approaches. Nowadays more emphasis has been given to eco-friendly techniques for developing nanomaterials to enhance their biological applications and minimize health and environmental risks. With the help of green nanotechnology, a wide range of green metal, metal oxide, and bimetallic nanoparticles with distinct chemical compositions, sizes, and morphologies have been manufactured which are safe, economical, and environment friendly. Due to their biocompatibility and vast potential in biomedical (antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral, analgesic, anticoagulant, biofilm inhibitory activity) and in other fields such as (nanofertilizers, fermentative, food, and bioethanol production, construction field), green metal nanoparticles have garnered significant interest worldwide. The metal precursors combined with natural extracts such as plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria to get potent novel metal, metal oxide, and bimetallic nanoparticles such as Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Zr, Zn, Ni, Pt, Mg, Ti, Pd, Cd, Bi₂O₃, CeO₂, Co₃O₄, CoFe₂O₄, CuO, Fe₂O₃, MgO, NiO, TiO₂, ZnO, ZrO₂, Ag-Au, Ag-Cr, Ag-Cu, Ag-Zn, Ag-CeO₂, Ag-CuO, Ag-SeO₂, Ag-TiO₂, Ag-ZnO, Cu-Ag, Cu-Mg, Cu-Ni, Pd-Pt, Pt-Ag, ZnO-CuO, ZnO-SeO, ZnO-Se, Se-Zr, and Co-Bi₂O₃. These plant-mediated green nanoparticles possess excellent antibacterial and anticancer activity when tested against several microorganisms and cancer cell lines. Plants contain essential phytoconstituents (polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, alkaloids, etc.) compared to other natural sources (bacteria, fungi, and algae) in higher concentration that play a vital role in the development of green metal, metal oxide, and bimetallic nanoparticles because these plant-phytoconstituents act as a reducing, stabilizing, and capping agent and helps in the development of green nanoparticles. After concluding all these findings, this review has been designed for the first time in such a way that it imparts satisfactory knowledge about the antibacterial and anticancer activity of plant-mediated green metal, metal oxide, and bimetallic nanoparticles together, along with antibacterial and anticancer mechanisms. Additionally, it provides information about characterization techniques (UVvis, FT-IR, DLS, XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, AFM) employed for plant-mediated nanoparticles, biomedical applications, and their role in other industries. Hence, this review provides information about the antibacterial and anticancer activity of various types of plant-mediated green metal, metal oxide, and bimetallic nanoparticles and their versatile application in diverse fields which is not covered in other pieces of literature.

Background: The interplay between breast cancer treatment and osteoporosis has important consequences for anticancer therapy and patient bone health. Many breast cancer therapies involve hormonal treatments that lower estrogen levels, which can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis due to reduced bone mineral density. Aromatase inhibitors, chemotherapy, and surgeries such as oophorectomy can further aggravate bone loss, highlighting the necessity of prioritizing bone health during cancer treatment.Objective: This review is aimed at investigating the complex relationship between breast cancer therapies and bone health by examining the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which anticancer treatments lead to bone loss. It also seeks to assess the effects of various treatment options, such as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and bisphosphonates, on reducing bone loss and maintaining bone health during cancer therapy.Method: The review explores the mechanisms underlying bone loss in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment, focusing on factors such as estrogen depletion, inflammatory cytokines, and changes in bone remodelling processes. Additionally, it evaluates the efficacy of different therapeutic interventions, including pharmacological treatments like bisphosphonates and third‐generation SERMs, in mitigating bone‐related side effects.Results: The findings indicate a critical need to balance the effectiveness of breast cancer treatments with the preservation of bone health. Pharmacological treatments like bisphosphonates and denosumab have been identified as essential for managing bone health in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, third‐generation SERMs show potential in reducing bone loss associated with cancer therapy.

Heavy metals are lethal and hazardous pollutants for the ecosystem owing to their virtues including acute toxicity, prolonged persistence, and bioaccumulation. These contaminants are not only a threat to aquatic/terrestrial biota but also pose serious health issues to humans. Natural and anthropologic processes consistently upsurge heavy metal concentration beyond acceptable limits and mobilization and hence disturb biogeochemical cycles and the food chain, although several conventional strategies including adsorption, chemical precipitation, ion exchange, and membrane separation methods are being employed for the removal of these lethal heavy metals from the ecosystem but failed due to lower efficiency rates and high application charges. The current scenario highly demands advanced biosorption or bioaccumulation processes that slow down heavy metal mobilization within the acceptable limit in the ecosystem. Genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) with desired features are developed through interdisciplinary participation of genomics, molecular microbiology, and bioinformatics that have more potential to bioremediate heavy metals than the native microbes from polluted ecosystems. The study focuses on different sources of heavy metals, their impact on the ecosystem, and the bioremediation of toxic heavy metals via GMMs.