Eugenol is a hydroxyphenyl propene, naturally occurring in the essential oils of several plants belonging to the Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, and Myristicaceae families. It is one of the major ...

Antimicrobial activity of eugenol and essential oils containing eugenol: A mechanistic viewpoint.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of gums involving the degeneration of periodontal ligaments, creation of periodontal pocket and resorption of alveolar bone, resulting in the disruption of the support structure of teeth. According to WHO, 10-15% of the global population suffers from severe periodontitis. The disease results from the growth of a diverse microflora (especially anaerobes) in the pockets and release of toxins, enzymes and stimulation of body's immune response. Various local or systemic approaches were used for an effective treatment of periodontitis. Currently, controlled local drug delivery approach is more favorable as compared to systemic approach because it mainly focuses on improving the therapeutic outcomes by achieving factors like site-specific delivery, low dose requirement, bypass of first-pass metabolism, reduction in gastrointestinal side effects and decrease in dosing frequency. Overall it provides a safe and effective mode of treatment, which enhances patient compliance. Complete eradication of the organisms from the sites was not achieved by using various surgical and mechanical treatments. So a number of polymer-based delivery systems like fibers, films, chips, strips, microparticles, nanoparticles and nanofibers made from a variety of natural and synthetic materials have been successfully tested to deliver a variety of drugs. These systems are biocompatible and biodegradable, completely fill the pockets, and have strong retention on the target site due to excellent mucoadhesion properties. The review summarizes various available and recently developing targeted delivery devices for the treatment of periodontitis.

Advanced drug delivery approaches against periodontitis

Fibrous materials have garnered much interest in the field of biomedical engineering due to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio, porosity, and tunability. Specifically, in the field of tissue engineering, fiber meshes have been used to create biomimetic nanostructures that allow for cell attachment, migration, and proliferation, to promote tissue regeneration and wound healing, as well as controllable drug delivery. In addition to the properties of conventional, synthetic polymer fibers, fibers made from natural polymers, such as proteins, can exhibit enhanced biocompatibility, bioactivity, and biodegradability. Of these proteins, keratin, collagen, silk, elastin, zein, and soy are some the most common used in fiber fabrication. The specific capabilities of these materials have been shown to vary based on their physical properties, as well as their fabrication method. To date, such fabrication methods include electrospinning, wet/dry jet spinning, dry spinning, centrifugal spinning, solution blowing, self-assembly, phase separation, and drawing. This review serves to provide a basic knowledge of these commonly utilized proteins and methods, as well as the fabricated fibers’ applications in biomedical research.

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Protein-based fiber materials in medicine: A review

Biopolymers are materials synthesised or derived from natural sources, such as plants, animals, microorganisms or any other living organism. The use of these polymers has grown significantly in recent years as industry shifts away from unsustainable fossil fuel resources and looks towards a softer and more sustainable environmental approach. This review article covers the main classes of biopolymers: Polysaccharides, proteins, microbial-derived and lignin. In addition, an overview of the leading biomedical applications of biopolymers is also provided, which includes tissue engineering, medical implants, wound dressings, and the delivery of bioactive molecules. The future clinical applications of biopolymers are vast, due to their inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability and low immunogenicity. All properties which their synthetic counterparts do not share.

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Cellulose Nanofibers and Other Biopolymers for Biomedical Applications. A Review

Chitosan biomaterials application in dentistry.

Introduction: Natural pharmaceutical excipients have been applied extensively in the past decades owing to their safety and biocompatibility. Zein, a natural protein of plant origin offers great benefit over other synthetic polymers used in controlled drug and biomedical delivery systems. It was used in a variety of medical fields including pharmaceutical and biomedical drug targeting, vaccine, tissue engineering, and gene delivery. Being biodegradable and biocompatible, the current review focuses on the history and the medical application of zein as an attractive still promising biopolymer.Areas covered: The current review gives a broadscope on zein as a still promising protein excipient in different fields. Zein- based drug and biomedical delivery systems are discussed with special focus on current and potential application in controlled drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering.Expert opinion: Zein as a protein of natural origin can still be considered a promising polymer in the field of dr...

Overview on zein protein: a promising pharmaceutical excipient in drug delivery systems and tissue engineering

Lemongrass oil (LGO) is a volatile oil extracted from the leaves of Cymbopogon citratus that has become one of the most important natural oils in the pharmaceutical industry because of its diverse pharmacologic and clinical effects However, LGO suffers from low aqueous solubility, which could lead to a reduced effect Moreover, the instability of its major active constituent, citral, could lead to volatilization, reaction with other formulation ingredients, and consequently, skin irritation To surmount these problems, this research aims to formulate lemongrass-loaded ethyl cellulose nanosponges with a topical hydrogel with an enhanced antifungal effect and decreased irritation The minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal fungicidal concentration of LGO against Candida albicans strain ATC 100231, determined using the broth macrodilution method, were found to be 2 and 8 μL/mL, respectively The emulsion solvent evaporation technique was used for the preparation of the nanosponges The nanosponge dispersions were then integrated into carbopol hydrogels (04%) Nine formulations were prepared based on a 32 full factorial design employing the ethyl cellulose:polyvinyl alcohol ratio and stirring rate as independent variables The prepared formulations were evaluated for particle size, citral content, and in vitro release Results revealed that all the nanosponge dispersions were nanosized, with satisfactory citral content and sustained release profiles Statistical analysis revealed that both ethyl cellulose:polyvinyl alcohol ratio and stirring rate have significant effects on particle size and percentage released after 6 hours; however, the effect of the stirring rate was more prominent on both responses The selected hydrogel formulation, F9, was subjected to surface morphological investigations, using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, where results showed that the nanosponges possess a spherical uniform shape with a spongy structure, the integrity of which was not affected by integration into the hydrogel Furthermore, the selected formulation, F9, was tested for skin irritation and antifungal activity against C albicans, where results confirmed the nonirritancy and the effective antifungal activity of the prepared hydrogel

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Design and formulation of a topical hydrogel integrating lemongrass-loaded nanosponges with an enhanced antifungal effect: in vitro/in vivo evaluation.

There has been an increasing demand for the development of nanocarriers targeting multiple diseases with a broad range of properties. Due to their tiny size, giant surface area and feasible targetability, nanocarriers have optimized efficacy, decreased side effects and improved stability over conventional drug dosage forms. There are diverse types of nanocarriers that have been synthesized for drug delivery, including dendrimers, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymersomes, polymer–drug conjugates, polymeric nanoparticles, peptide nanoparticles, micelles, nanoemulsions, nanospheres, nanocapsules, nanoshells, carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles, etc. Several characterization techniques have been proposed and used over the past few decades to control and predict the behavior of nanocarriers both in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we describe some fundamental in vitro, ex vivo, in situ and in vivo characterization methods for most nanocarriers, emphasizing their advantages and limitations, as well as the safety, regulatory and manufacturing aspects that hinder the transfer of nanocarriers from the laboratory to the clinic. Moreover, integration of artificial intelligence with nanotechnology, as well as the advantages and problems of artificial intelligence in the development and optimization of nanocarriers, are also discussed, along with future perspectives.

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Nanocarrier Drug Delivery Systems: Characterization, Limitations, Future Perspectives and Implementation of Artificial Intelligence

Objective: Periodontitis is one of the most important chronic inflammatory dental diseases arising from the destructive actions caused by a variety of pathogenic organisms presented in the oral cavity. The aim of this study is the preparation and in vitro evaluation of films for the local treatment of periodontal pockets. Methods: The prepared films contained either metronidazole (Mtr), for its antimicrobial effect in periodontal diseases, using a mixture of polymers namely hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, Carbopol 934 or locally applied Pentoxifylline (PTX), for its anti-inflammatory activity, using chitosan. All films were prepared using solvent casting technique and were evaluated for their physical characteristics, drug content uniformity, surface pH, swelling behavior, mechanical properties and in vitro release. Further characterization was done on the selected formulations using differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy for surface structure. Clinical evaluation tests were al...

Metronidazole and Pentoxifylline films for the local treatment of chronic periodontal pockets: preparation, in vitro evaluation and clinical assessment.

Purpose
Oral candidiasis may be manifested in the oral cavity as either mild or severe oral fungal infection. This infection results from the overgrowth of Candida species normally existing in the oral cavity in minute amounts based on many predisposing factors. Several aspects have spurred the search for new strategies in the treatment of oral candidiasis, among which are the limited numbers of new antifungal drugs developed in recent years. Previous studies have shown that thyme and clove oils have antimycotic activities and have suggested their incorporation into pharmaceutical preparations. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of the incorporation and characterization of essential oils or their extracted active ingredients in Orabase formulations.

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Gihan S Labib

Papers

Overview on zein protein: a promising pharmaceutical excipient in drug delivery systems and tissue engineering

Design and formulation of a topical hydrogel integrating lemongrass-loaded nanosponges with an enhanced antifungal effect: in vitro/in vivo evaluation.

Nanocarrier Drug Delivery Systems: Characterization, Limitations, Future Perspectives and Implementation of Artificial Intelligence

Metronidazole and Pentoxifylline films for the local treatment of chronic periodontal pockets: preparation, in vitro evaluation and clinical assessment.

Innovation of natural essential oil-loaded Orabase for local treatment of oral candidiasis