Drug distribution relies heavily on polymers, which also offer a variety of benefits like controlled release, targeted release, prolonged release, etc. Due to their low toxicity and great safety, biodegradable polymers are highly preferred. The exopolysaccharide known as pullulan is generated from a fungus known as Aureobasidium pullulan . It has many different qualities, including biodegradability, appropriate adhesion, antioxidant, film-forming capacity, blood compatibility, mucosal adhesion, etc. However, its application in the pharmaceutical industry is restricted by its insolubility in organic solvents, mechanical characteristics, and lack of macromolecule-carrying ability groups. This review provides an overview of the modifications made to pullulan, including periodate oxidation, etherification, esterification, sulfation, urethane derivatization, PEG incorporation, and cationization, to enhance its solubility in organic solvents, mechanical properties, pH sensitivity, drug delivery, anticoagulant, and antimicrobial properties. Pullulan has nine active hydroxyl groups in its structure that react chemically that can be used for physicochemical modification to produce pullulan derivatives. A key area of pullulan research has been pullulan modification, which has demonstrated enhanced solubility, pH-sensitive targeting, broadened horizons for delivery systems, anticoagulation, and antibacterial properties.

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This study evaluated the influence of the extract of Eugenia uniflora in adhesion to human buccal epithelial cells (HBEC) biofilm formation and cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) of Candida spp. isolated from the oral cavity of kidney transplant patients. To evaluate virulence attributes in vitro, nine yeasts were grown in the presence and absence of 1000 μg/mL of the extract. Adhesion was quantified using the number of Candida cells adhered to 150 HBEC determined by optical microscope. Biofilm formation was evaluated using two methodologies: XTT (2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2 H -tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide) and crystal violet assay, and further analyzed by electronic scan microscopy. CSH was quantified with the microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons test. We could detect that the extract of E. uniflora was able to reduce adhesion to HBEC and CSH for both Candida albicans and non- Candida albicans Candida species. We also observed a statistically significant reduced ability to form biofilms in biofilm-producing strains using both methods of quantification. However, two highly biofilm-producing strains of Candida tropicalis had a very large reduction in biofilm formation. This study reinforces the idea that besides growth inhibition, E. uniflora may interfere with the expression of some virulence factors of Candida spp. and may be possibly applied in the future as a novel antifungal agent.

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Anxiety and depression are prevalent among cancer patients, with significant negative impact. Many patients prefer herbs for symptom relief to conventional medications which have limited efficacy/side effects. We identified single-herb medicines that may warrant further study in cancer patients. Our search included PubMed, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Embase, and Cochrane databases, selecting only single-herb randomized controlled trials between 1996 and 2016 in any population for data extraction, excluding herbs with known potential for interactions with cancer treatments. One hundred articles involving 38 botanicals met our criteria. Among herbs most studied (≥6 randomized controlled trials each), lavender, passionflower, and saffron produced benefits comparable to standard anxiolytics and antidepressants. Black cohosh, chamomile, and chasteberry are also promising. Anxiety or depressive symptoms were measured in all studies, but not always as primary endpoints. Overall, 45% of studies reported positive findings with fewer adverse effects compared with conventional medications. Based on available data, black cohosh, chamomile, chasteberry, lavender, passionflower, and saffron appear useful in mitigating anxiety or depression with favorable risk-benefit profiles compared to standard treatments. These may benefit cancer patients by minimizing medication load and accompanying side effects. However, well-designed larger clinical trials are needed before these herbs can be recommended and to further assess their psycho-oncologic relevance.

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Humans consume a wide range of foods, drugs, and dietary supplements that are derived from plants and which modify the functioning of the central nervous sytem (CNS). The psychoactive properties of these substances are attributable to the presence of plant secondary metabolites, chemicals that are not required for the immediate survival of the plant but which are synthesized to increase the fitness of the plant to survive by allowing it to interact with its environment, including pathogens and herbivorous and symbiotic insects. In many cases, the effects of these phytochemicals on the human CNS might be linked either to their ecological roles in the life of the plant or to molecular and biochemical similarities in the biology of plants and higher animals. This review assesses the current evidence for the efficacy of a range of readily available plant-based extracts and chemicals that may improve brain function and which have attracted sufficient research in this regard to reach a conclusion as to their potential effectiveness as nootropics. Many of these candidate phytochemicals/extracts can be grouped by the chemical nature of their potentially active secondary metabolite constituents into alkaloids (caffeine, nicotine), terpenes (ginkgo, ginseng, valerian, Melissa officinalis, sage), and phenolic compounds (curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, Hypericum perforatum, soy isoflavones). They are discussed in terms of how an increased understanding of the relationship between their ecological roles and CNS effects might further the field of natural, phytochemical drug discovery.

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The last years have seen a significant increase in the use of herbal medicines and their preparations all over the world. Adulterations with synthetic drugs are common problems with phytopharmaceutical products and this can potentially cause adverse effects. In consequence, it is important to determine the presence of synthetic drugs in herbal medicines to ensure their efficacy and safety. In this study, guarana derivatives were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE), and the results were compared with those obtained by the HPLC technique. In order to obtain adequate fingerprints, and search for adulterants, caffeine was used as the marker compound. This separation method was applied to analyze the seed powder and commercial tablets of Paulinia cupana Mart. The methodology performance was evaluated in terms of specificity, sensitivity and precision. The results are in agreement with those obtained by the HPLC method. Furthermore, the analysis time of the CE method is up to two times shorter than the respective parameter in HPLC and solvent consumption is more than 100-fold less.

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