Applications of NMR Spectroscopy in Organic Chemistry.

When a scientific book is informative and excellently written, it is not destined to languish on a shelf for occasional reference, but to be read for enjoyment and the acquisition of knowledge. There are a few books in medicine which make the reader feel as if a great teacher is talking to him personally. Professor Boyd's Textbook of Pathology , in its eighth edition (as always) is one of the finest examples of the combination of science and art. This edition is not just a reprint of the 1961 volume. There are extensive changes and additions which bring the reader a skillful blend of modern and traditional in the changing speciality of pathology. The most extensive alterations have been made in the first section, "Principles of Pathology." The first chapter—a factual and philosophical essay on disease and its causes—has been completely rewritten and is a delight to read. The normal cell

Textbook of Pathology.

Current status on development of steroids as anticancer agents.

The exposure to ultraviolet radiations (UVR) is the key source of skin sunburn; it may produce harmful entities, reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to aging. The skin can be treated and protected from the injurious effects of ROS by using various pharmaceutical formulations, such as cream. Cream can be loaded with antioxidants to quench ROS leading to photo-protective effects. Moreover, modern medicines depend on ethnobotanicals for protection or treatment of human diseases. This review article summarizes various in vivo antioxidant studies on herbal creams loaded with phyto-extracts. These formulations may serve as cosmeceuticals to protect skin against injurious effects of UVR. The botanicals studied for dermatologic use in cream form include Acacia nilotica, Benincasa hispida, Calendula officinalis, Camellia sinensis, Camellia sinensis, Nelumbo nucifera, Capparis decidua, Castanea sativa, Coffea arabica, Crocus sativus, Emblica officinalis Gaertn, Foeniculum vulgare, Hippophae rhamnoides, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, Malus domestica, Matricaria chamomilla L., Moringa oleifera, Morus alba, Ocimum basilicum, Oryza sativa, Polygonum minus, Punica granatum, Silybum marianum, Tagetes erecta Linn., Terminalia chebula, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Vitis vinifera. The observed anti-aging effects of cream formulations could be an outcome of a coordinating action of multiple constituents. Of numerous botanicals, the phenolic acids and flavonoids appear effective against UVR-induced damage; however the evidence-based studies for their anti-aging effects are still needed.

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Anti-Aging Potential of Phytoextract Loaded-Pharmaceutical Creams for Human Skin Cell Longetivity

Turmeric, a product of Curcuma longa, has a very long history of being used for the treatment of wounds in many Asian countries. Curcumin, the principal curcuminoid of turmeric, has recently been identified as a main mediator of turmeric’s medicinal properties. However, the inherent limitations of the compound itself, such as hydrophobicity, instability, poor absorption and rapid systemic elimination, pose big hurdles for translation to wider clinical application. We present here an approach for engineering curcumin/gelatin-blended nanofibrous mats (NMs) by electrospinning to adequately enhance the bioavailability of the hydrophobic curcumin for wound repair. Curcumin was successfully formulated as an amorphous nanosolid dispersion and favorably released from gelatin-based biomimetic NMs that could be easily applied topically to experimental wounds. We show synergistic signaling by the released curcumin during the healing process: (i) mobilization of wound site fibroblasts by activating the Wnt signaling pathway, partly mediated through Dickkopf-related protein-1, and (ii) persistent inhibition of the inflammatory response through decreased expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 by fibroblasts. With a combination of these effects, the curcumin/gelatin-blended NMs enhanced the regenerative process in a rat model of acute wounds, providing a method for translating this ancient medicine for use in modern wound therapy. Loading an ancient medicine onto gelatin nanofibres enhances the production of wound-healing and anti-inflammatory agents in rat models. Turmeric, the main spice in curry powder, has been used to clean and manage injuries for thousands of years. Recent studies have identified curcumin as the responsible compound for many of its medicinal properties. Now, Xinyi Dai and Arndt Schilling from Germany's Technical University of Munich and University Medical Center Gottingen and colleagues have improved curcumin's bioavailability by electrospinning it with gelatin into a tissue-mimicking network of cross-linked nanofibres. X-ray measurements showed that this procedure turned normally crystalline curcumin into an amorphous dispersion with good solubility in cellular environments. Trials on rat skins revealed that the amorphous curcumin boosted the metabolism of beneficial fibroblast cells and helped regulate anti-inflammation proteins for significantly faster wound healing. Schematic illustration of nanoformulated curcumin accelerates wound healing. (a) Curcumin nanoformulation through electrospinning greatly enhances its solubility. (b) Topically applied Curcumin/Gelatin nanofibrous mat releases bioactive curcumin to mobilize wound site fibroblasts by enhancing both cell proliferation and migration, a process partially mediated by Dickkopf-related protein-1-regulated Wnt/β-catenin pathway signaling. In the mean time, fibroblasts decreased the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, leading to lasting inhibition of inflammatory response during the healing process. As a result, wound environment turns out to be more in favor of physiological healing, with faster re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, as well as collagen deposition and matuaration from proliferative fibroblasts.

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Nano-formulated curcumin accelerates acute wound healing through Dkk-1-mediated fibroblast mobilization and MCP-1-mediated anti-inflammation

Article history: Received on: 18/10/2012 Revised on: 06/11/2012 Accepted on: 15/11/2012 Available online: 29/11/2012 Wound healing is an integrated cellular and biochemical process of restoring normal structure functions of damaged tissue. Healing is a natural phenomenon by which body itself overcome the damaged to the tissue but the rate of healing is very slow and chance of microbial infection is high. Improvement in healing process can be accomplish either shorten the time required for healing or to minimize the undesired consequences. India has a rich tradition of plant-based knowledge on healthcare system. Several herbs and medicinal plants proved to be a wound healers were identified and formulated for treatment and management of wounds. Various herbal products have been used in management and treatment of wounds over the years. The present review attempt to highlight some herbs and medicinal plants proved to be scientifically used for the treatment of cuts and wounds as a wound healer.

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An overview of medicinal plants as wound healers

Formulation and in vitro evaluation of the topical antiageing preparation of the fruit of Benincasa hispida

Synthesis of some novel androstanes as potential aromatase inhibitors.

Waxes have been used in many cosmetic preparations and pharmaceuticals as formulation aids. Rice bran wax is a byproduct of rice bran oil industry. Present investigation has been aimed to explore the possible utility of rice bran wax as ointment base compared to standard base. The rice bran wax obtained, purified and its physicochemical characteristics were determined. Ointment base acts as a carrier for medicaments. The ointment base composition determines not only the extent of penetration but also controls the transfer of medicaments from the base to the body tissues. Rice bran wax base was compared with standard base for appearance, spreadability, water number, wash ability and diffusibility. The results show that rice bran wax acts as an ointment base as far as its pharmaceutical properties are concerned and it could effectively replace comparatively costlier available ointment bases.

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Prafulla M. Sabale

Papers

An overview of medicinal plants as wound healers

Formulation and in vitro evaluation of the topical antiageing preparation of the fruit of Benincasa hispida

Synthesis of some novel androstanes as potential aromatase inhibitors.

Comparative Evaluation of Rice Bran Wax as an Ointment Base with Standard Base

Steroidal carbonitriles as potential aromatase inhibitors