Mahfoozur Rahman

Classical to Current Approach for Treatment of Psoriasis: A Review

Psoriasis is a genetic predisposition with T-cell mediated autoimmune inflammatory skin disorder, characterized by cutaneous inflammation, increased epidermal proliferation, hyperkeratosis, angiogenesis, and abnormal keratinization that affects up to 2 - 3% of the population worldwide. Common therapies that are used for the treatment of psoriasis include topical, systemic, phototherapy, combination, herbal therapy and novel molecules. Topically used agents include Vit D, calcipotriol, corticosteroids, dithranol and retinoids etc. Systemically used agents include methotrexate and cyclosporine etc. Phototherapy includes UV-B, Psoralen plus ultraviolet therapy and excimer laser etc. These therapies have a number of potential problems, such as limited in efficacy, inconvenience, organ toxicity, carcinogenic and broadband immunosuppression. In natural treatment a variety of natural agents such as methanolic extracts of duzhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.), yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis,) linseed oil, fish oil, and Indigo naturalis etc., that modulates T cell and cytokine action at various steps along with the pathogenic sequence have been developed. But till now there is no more in vivo, dose and its efficacy data has been established. Current therapy includes biologicals, small molecules inhibitor and enzyme inhibitors etc, which serve as novel therapeutic options for psoriasis treatment. All these avoid the side effects of the prebiologically developed systemic agents including hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and bone marrow suppression. Currently, Denilukin diftitox, Efalizumab, Alefacept, Ustekinumab and Etanercept are approved by the FDA, and others molecules are at clinical stage. Patents issued by the US office are also included in current psoriasis treatment scenario. In the United States, biologicals are widely used for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. But because of the high cost of medication and their availability in injection form, it remains to be seen how widely these agents will be utilized worldwide. Still, developing countries prefer conventional drugs.

Sedative, antiepileptic and antipsychotic effects of Viscum album L. (Loranthaceae) in mice and rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Viscum album L. is claimed in traditional medical practice, to be useful in the treatment of epilepsy and insomnia in Himachal Pradesh, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS The effect of Viscum album L. on epilepsy, psychosis and sedative activity was evaluated in mice and rats using standard procedure. RESULTS The aqueous leaf extract of Viscum album L. prolonged the pentobarbital induced sleeping time and reduced the locomotor activity in actophotometer. This suggests that reduced locomotor activity facilitate GABAergic transmission. In addition the extract reduced MES, INH and PTZ-induced convulsions which suggest that there may be possibility of blocking Na(+) channels, opening of Cl(-) channels or enhancing the GABAergic system. The extract decreased the apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior and potentiates the HAL-induced cataleptic score which suggests the extract possess antidopaminergic activity. CONCLUSION The results obtained in present study suggested that title plant exhibited sedative, antiepileptic and antipsychotic activity in mice and rats.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential of a novel steroidal derivative from Bryophyllum pinnatum

A new steroidal derivative, urs Stigmast-4, 20 (21), 23-trien-3-one and other four compounds were isolated from the leaves of Bryophyllum pinnatum. The structure of this new steroid was elucidated and established by standard spectroscopic methods. Carrageenan induced paw edema model was used for anti-inflammatory and acetic acid induced model used for analgesic activity. This new steroidal compound was found to be active in reducing inflammation (% inhibition 87.29 and 84.45 respectively) when compared with diclofenac. Further, it showed 75.72% protection in analgesic activity in acetic acid induced writhing test in mice. In conclusion the % inhibition against carrageenan induced rat paw edema and % protection against acetic acid induced writhings showed by new compound revealed that the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of aqueous extract B. pinnatum are mainly due to the presence of this steroidal compound.

Advancement in multifunctional nanoparticles for the effective treatment of cancer

Introduction: Nanotechnology has gained wider importance for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. Multifunctional or theranostic agents are emerging as promising therapeutic paradigms, which provide attractive vehicles for both image and therapeutic agents. Nanosystems are capable of diagnosis, specific targeted drug therapy and monitoring therapeutic response. Due to their well-developed surface nature, nanomolecules are easy to anchor with multifunctional groups. Areas covered: The present review aims to give an extensive account on the progress of multifunctional nanoparticles throughout the blooming research with regards to their clinical application in cancer. This paper discusses graphene, a newly developed multifunctional vehicle in nanotechnology. Furthermore, it focuses on the development of tumor cells, the advantages of novel multifunctional nanoparticles over traditional methods and the use of nanoparticles in cancer therapy. In addition, patents issued by the US office are also included. Expert opinion: Despite numerous advantages, multifunctional nanoparticles are still at an infancy stage. Many great achievements have been attained in this field to date, but many challenges still remain. A problem that limits the use of multifunctional nanoparticles is toxicity. If this toxicity can be overcome then the advancement in nanocomposite material science will be well on the way to a prospective treatment of cancer.

Cancer targeted metallic nanoparticle: targeting overview, recent advancement and toxicity concern.

The targeted delivery of theranostic agents to the cancer cells is one of the major challenges and an active field of research in the development of cancer chemotherapeutic approaches. Theranostic metallic nanoparticles (TMNPs) have garnered increasing attention in recent years as a novel tool for theranostic application such as imaging, diagnosis, and therapeutic delivery of active agents to tumour specific cells. This paper attempts to unveil the multidimensional theranostic aspects of multifunctional metallic nanoparticles (MNPs)including passive and active targeting (HER2, Folate, Angiogenesis etc.) as well as the RES escaping approach. Special attention is given to the theranostic application of MNPs in oncology. Patents issued by the US office in this nanotechnological arena are also included emphasising the importance of MNPs in current cancer treatment/imaging research scenario. Keeping in mind the blooming research in clinical application directed nanotechnology; toxicity concerns related with MNPs are. also discussed, in element.

Emergence of Nanomedicine as Cancer Targeted Magic Bullets: Recent Development and Need to Address the Toxicity Apprehension

Multi drug resistance and non specific targeting is a major problem with conventional therapy. To overcome this problem, nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as an important tool to deliver conventional drugs, recombinant proteins, vaccines and more recently, nucleotides. NPs modify the drug release pattern, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME) and therapeutic response. This review focuses on the potential of nanotechnology in cancer and discusses the different nanoparticulate drug-delivery systems including quantum dot, iron oxide nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, silica nanoparticles, dendrimer, graphene and polymeric nanoparticles with their applications in therapeutics, diagnostics, and imaging pattern. Further, the recent development and progress of theranostic nanoparticles in the treatment of cancer and toxicity associated with nanoparticles is also covered here.

Nanoporous metal organic frameworks as hybrid polymer-metal composites for drug delivery and biomedical applications.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), porous hybrid polymer-metal composites at the nanoscale, are recent innovations in the field of chemistry; they are novel polymeric materials with diverse biomedical applications. MOFs are nanoporous materials, consisting of metal ions linked together by organic bridging ligands. The unique physical and chemical characteristics of MOFs have attracted wider attention from the scientific community, exploring their utility in the field of material science, biology, nanotechnology and drug delivery. The practical feasibility of MOFs is possible owing to their abilities for biodegradability, excellent porosity, high loading capacity, ease of surface modification, among others. In this regard, this review provides an account of various types of MOFs, their physiochemical characteristics and use in diverse disciplines of biomedical sciences - with special emphasis on drug delivery and theranostics. Moreover, this review also highlights the stability and toxicity issues of MOFs, along with their market potential for biomedical applications.

Omega-3 fatty acids as pharmacotherapeutics in psoriasis: current status and scope of nanomedicine in its effective delivery.

Psoriasis is a multifactorial autoimmune skin disorder based on irregularities of the T- cell function. The abnormal keratinocyte hyper proliferation in psoriasis arises due to the activation of T-cells which produces rich amount of arachidonic acid leads to generation of various proinflammatory mediators like PGs, LTs, cytokines and adhesion molecules via MAPK/AP-1, EARK1/2 and protein kinase-C (PKCs) activation pathways. Incorporation of naturally occuring bioactives like, omega (ω)-3 fatty acids (i.e., EPA and DHA) in a dose dependent manner results in inhibition of various pro-inflammatory mediators and metabolization of EPA and DHA leads to dampening of inflammation and higher resolution of the skin abnromalities. These all due to the promotion of the synthesis of ω-3 PUFA-derived lipid mediators viz namely resolvins and protectins. These have been widely used alone or in combination with other drugs in the treatment of psoriasis. Despite of their meritorious visages, the use of these bioactives is associated with several hiccups like higher unstability and vulnerable to degradation due to lipid peroxidation, poor and incosistent bioavilability by oral and topical administration. The potential use of nanomedicines in the delivery of such bioactives has gained wider attention owing to their promising bioavailability enhancement characteristics, improved stability and better efficacy. The present review gives an extensive account on ω-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) starting from seedling to apex, including biosynthesis, metabolites, and its mechanism of action in psoriasis. Moreover, barriers in the effective delivery of ω-3 fatty acids and how nanomedicines can be fit in the scope of its therapeutic delivery in psoriasis have also been addressed. Despite numerous advantages, application of EPA-DHA as ω-3 fatty acids therapeutics in the management of psoriasis are still at an initial stage. Nanomedicines approach to achieve high bioavailable delivery with safety and stability of ω-3 fatty acids showing the promising area for the future in psoriasis management.

Colloidal Drug Delivery Systems in Vaccine Delivery

Vaccines play a vital role in the field of community medicine to combat against several diseases of human existence. Vaccines primarily trigger the acquired immune system to develop long-lasting immunity against pathogens. Conventional approaches for vaccine delivery lacks potential to target a particular antigen to develop acquired immunity by specific antibodies. Recent advancements in vaccine delivery showed that inclusion of adjuvants in vaccine formulations or delivery of them in a carrier helps in achieving desired targeting ability, reducing the immunogenicity and significant augmentation in the immune response. Colloidal carriers (liposomes, niosomes, microspheres, proteosomes, virosomes and virus like particles (VLPs), antigen cochleates, dendrimers and carbon nanotubes) have been widely explored for vaccine delivery. Further, surface engineering of these carriers with ligands, functional moieties and monoclonal antibodies tend to enhance the immune recognition potential of vaccines by differentiation of antigen specific memory T-cells. The current review, therefore, provides an updated account on the recent advancements in various colloidal delivery systems in vaccine delivery, outlining the mechanism of immune response initiated by them along with potential applications and marketed instances in an explicit manner.

Development of Polysaccharide based Colon Targeted Drug Delivery System: Design and Evaluation of Assam Bora rice Starch based Matrix Tablet

The aim of this study was to develop a novel colon targeted matrix tablet containing Metronidazole (MTZ) as model drug. Matrix tablets were prepared using Assam Bora rice starch, which is essentially a natural polymer, by wet granulation technique. The granules prepared were subjected to evaluation for angle of repose, bulk density, compressibility index, Hausners ratio, total porosity, and drug content. The developed tablets were also analysed for thickness, diameter, weight variation tests, tablet crushing strength, friability, and in vitro release studies. The granules displayed satisfactory flow properties, compressibility, Hausners ratio and drug content. Almost all the tablet formulations showed acceptable pharmacotechnical properties and complied with the in-house developed specifications for the tested parameters. Drug release study confirmed to the initial fast release in the acidic environment of surface adhered drug followed by slow release in alkaline media subsequently leading to fast and major drug release in the caecal content. Furthermore, the release of drug was unaffected by the hostile environment of GIT which can be ascribed to microbial degradation, promptly followed by enzymatic degradation. Curve fitting proved that the drug release from the tablets followed the Higuchi model. In vitro bacterial inhibition studies illustrated that the released drugs were able to diffuse through agar medium, inhibiting MTZ sensitive Bacteroides fragilis. The selected MTZ matrix tablets (F1-F6) had zones of inhibition paralleling those of the marketed formulation.