Tipada Samseethong

Objectives: To evaluate the pain-relief efficacy for non-bacterial sore throat by comparing ibuprofen alone with ibuprofen combined with lozenges containing amylmetacresol 0.6 mg (AMC) and 2,4-dichlorobenzyl alcohol 1.2 mg (DCBA). Methods: In this randomized, open-label trial, sore throat patients meeting inclusion criteria were recruited from drugstores. Patients received either ibuprofen alone or ibuprofen with AMC/DCBA lozenges. Pain scores were recorded at 0, 30, 60, 120, and 360 minutes, and on days 3 and 5. Efficacy was measured by total pain relief score (TOTPAR) and pain relief difference over 360 minutes and on day 3. Safety and patient satisfaction were assessed on day 3. Key findings: TOTPAR and pain relief differences were not significant at all measured times, with P = 0.77 and 0.68, respectively. Over 95% of patients in both treatments reported no pain on day 3. The pain reduction time for ibuprofen with AMC/DCBA lozenge was 0–30 minutes, while for ibuprofen alone, it was 0–60 minutes, showing a significant difference in comparison to 0–15 minutes (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in safety and patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Combining AMC/DCBA lozenges with ibuprofen in community pharmacies enhances sore throat management by providing faster relief without affecting overall efficacy. This study highlights the potential of lozenges to complement standard care, improve satisfaction, and reduce antibiotic reliance.

Capsaicin is a crucial molecule from chili that is approved by the Thai FDA for relieving joint and muscle pain. However, skin irritation causes 40% of patients to withdraw from treatment. To assess the effect of the niosome formulation on reducing side effects, this prospective study compared the safety outcomes of 0.025% capsaicin-loaded niosome (CLN), capsaicin-gel (CG), and placebo in 75 healthy volunteers. The physicochemical characteristics of CLN formulation were evaluated before applying to volunteers. CLN exhibits an average vesicle size of 246.70 nm with 238.06 ± 11.26 µg/mL of capsaicin. CG is a commercial product. Capsaicin formulations were blindly administered to the upper arm of the volunteers three times a day at 4-hour intervals. The safety outcomes were measured by skin erythema and melanin content using a colorimeter and pain score before and after application at times 0, 4, 8, and 24 hours after the first administration for the skin before application (baseline), and placebo. CLN significantly increased skin erythema with scores of 8.39 ± 1.88 and 6.46 ± 2.15 when applied at 0 and 4 hours. In contrast, CG achieved significant increases for all 3 times of applications, with scores of 9.87 ± 2.08, 7.99 ± 2.32, and 6.78 ± 1.47 when applied at 0, 4, and 8 hours respectively. CG treatment significantly increased erythema scores after 24 hours compared to the baseline and placebo (P<0.01), while CLN had no effect. CG and CLN showed a significant increase in pain after 24 hours when compared to the baseline (P<0.05). The study suggests that CLN could be safer for the capsaicin-loaded formulation, causing less irritation and potentially reducing melanin content.

Boesenbergia rotunda has been used as an antiobesity agent by suppressing adipogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the biological activity of B. rotunda on preadipocyte cells and to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using B. rotunda extract in a capsaicin-loaded body-firming formulation. The antiadipogenesis of B. rotunda ethanolic extract was evaluated in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells. After the application of the B. rotunda extract-loaded body-firming formulation on the skin of volunteers for 28 d, thigh circumference, melanin index, and skin erythema were investigated. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of B. rotunda was not toxic toward 3T3-L1 cells at concentrations lower than 20 µg/mL, with antiadipogenesis of the B. rotunda extract occurring at a concentration of 1 µg/mL. The B. rotunda extract containing panduratin A was mixed with capsaicin body-firming products and successfully permeated into and through the skin. Applying this formulation to the thighs of the volunteers two times a day for 21 days led to a significant reduction in thigh circumference and melanin index. A slight elevation in skin erythema was observed, but there was no significant increase in redness or pain. In conclusion, the B. rotunda extract contained bioactive compounds that inhibited antiadipogenesis. The formulations containing B. rotunda extract and capsaicin showed potential as effective body-firming products.