Ivan Sergeevich Ivanov, Diana Alexandrovna Akhmedova, Yulia Anatolyevna Koroleva, Denis Olegovich Shatalov

Preservatives in eye drops, while not always necessary, can lead to undesirable effects. Developing preservative-free solutions demands special measures for sterility, utilizing multidose or monodose primary packaging. This review explores the merits and drawbacks of these packaging types. A literature search on PubMed, Google Scholar, and EMBASE until December 2023, using MESH terms, yielded 28 studies on multidose ampoules and 24 on monodose packaging. Heterogeneous data revealed advantages and disadvantages concerning patient use and manufacturing. Chronologically presenting the development of eye drop packaging, this study finds Droptainer® simple but unable to maintain sterility. Comod®, 3K®, ABAK®, Novelia®, and Ophthalmic Squeeze Dispenser show high sterility probability, with Comod® and ABAK® having a contamination risk. Novelia® excels with long-term sterility and better control. Ophthalmic Squeeze Dispenser, FDA-approved, boasts a smaller carbon footprint. Unit-dose systems preserve sterility and offer design flexibility. Proposing an alternative, blister technology maintains sterility, is convenient and safe, and holds promise for recycling. This comprehensive assessment aids in understanding the evolving landscape of eye drop packaging, emphasizing the importance of sterility, convenience, and environmental impact.

Sciences of Pharmacy

Subha Ranjan Das

The genesis and evolution of cancer are known to be significantly influenced by mitochondria, and recent studies have indicated that mitochondrial modifications may potentially contribute to the emergence of treatment resistance. Additionally, drug-resistant cancer cells may also display modifications in mitochondrial metabolism, such as changes in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are biological byproducts of mitochondrial respiration. These changes can alter the cell's sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs and contribute to drug resistance. The expression of specific genes or proteins that are crucial in the control of cell growth and survival may be altered by mitochondrial mutations, which may also contribute to medication resistance. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring, biologically active substances found in plants that have been demonstrated to offer a variety of health advantages, including anti-cancer effects. It has been demonstrated that phytochemicals target these altered mitochondrial pathways in cancer cells, increasing the potency of chemotherapy medications and overcoming drug resistance. For instance, it has been demonstrated that some phytochemicals, including curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin, can block the function of mitochondrial membrane proteins that lead to drug resistance in cancer cells. Other phytochemicals, including berberine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), have been demonstrated to directly interfere with mitochondrial activity, inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. Overall, the capacity of phytochemicals to modify the functioning of cancer cell mitochondrial drug-resistance systems is a viable strategy for the creation of novel anti-cancer treatments.

Sciences of Pharmacy

Namrata Santosh Naware, Shreya Sakharam Ambatkar, Tanmay Sanjay Kamble, Sonal Bangar, Kiran Babu Uppar, Kshitij Shirke, Mukesh Patil, Ashish Jain

Any product generated from food sources that offer additional health advantages over and above the essential nutritional content present in foods is referred to as a nutraceutical under the broad umbrella term. The catechins in Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) namely (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin, and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which can be used as nutraceuticals in food or as a component of food items has been discussed. Catechins being polyphenols and antioxidants are found to have a wide range of therapeutic application like weight loss, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and a few more therapeutic applications, through various mechanisms like stimulating AMP-activated protein kinase, enhanced apoptosis, decreased expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. The most recent method for extracting catechins include combining the extraction processing of PEF or IPL with Subcritical water extraction. Food additives have been mixed with green tea extracts to develop a desired formulation like chewing gum and capsule. As green tea catechins are a beneficial phytoconstituents to improve overall health, its prospects include formulation of a gelatin gummy formulation which will improve its palatability by masking the bitter taste. Gelatin gummy formulation can be carried conveniently and will provide easy access to the consumer as compared to green tea. Furthermore, we found a scope to develop an analytical method for EGCG and carry out its validation by HPLC which will be more reliable and cost-efficient in comparison to the existing UHPLC methods for EGCG.

Sciences of Phytochemistry

Bedanta Bhattacharjee, Rajashri Bezbaruah, Damanbhalang Rynjah, Arzoo Newar, Sindhuja Sengupta, Padmanath Pegu, Nikita Dey, Shekhar Chandra Bora, Dhunusmita Barman

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a novel technology with boundless significance that can be used in the medical sector that offers noninvasive in-vivo applications without damaging the living tissues. CAPs can be obtained by curtailing the concentration of high-energetic electrons per phase and by freezing molecules/atoms (devoid of charge) in plasma utilizing gas circulation and atmospheric air, which includes a variety of charged and neutral reactive entities, UV rays, electric currents, and fields, etc. that have an influence on cellular material in a multitude of diverse manners. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), produced by the plasma, essentially cause biological and therapeutically advantageous plasma effects. CAP plasma has several important biological functions, including the deactivation of pathogens, induction of tissue restoration and cell propagation, the annihilation of cells by triggering apoptosis, etc. Several fundamental concepts are defined, even if the precise process of the effect of plasma on biomolecules is still not properly identified. Depending on the biological synthesis of RNS and ROS in reactions to plasma emissions, the present review described several aspects of plasma therapy in neuroscience, particularly in anti-glioblastoma, neuro-differentiation, and neuroprotection and also the various applications of CAP in medical fields where it is used in the therapy of SARS-CoV-2, cancer therapy, and chronic and acute wounds. Furthermore, the proliferation in stem cells, dental medicines, dermatology, and a brief insight into CAP devices and their risk factors was highlighted.

Sciences of Pharmacy

Ajeng illastria Rosalina, Erny Sagita, Iskandarsyah Iskandarsyah

Novasome technology is a novel encapsulation-based drug delivery method that is more effective and efficient than standard liposome systems. It is composed of a mixture of surfactant, cholesterol, and free fatty acids, which produce superior vesicle characteristics for drug delivery. Various studies have investigated the optimal combination of surfactant type, free fatty acid type, and their ratio, as well as the formulation factors that can significantly affect the vesicle characteristics. The novasome technology has demonstrated its potential for delivering a range of substances, including terconazole, fenticonazole, zolmitriptan, and vaccines. Novasomes can be produced using various methods, such as the thin film hydration (TFH) method, injection method, and vortex method combined with a suitable size reduction method. Future research can focus on exploring the potential of novasome technology for delivering a wider range of drugs and vaccines and developing more efficient and effective methods for producing novasome vesicles.

Sciences of Pharmacy