Research & Review: Drugs and Drugs Development (e-ISSN: 2582-5720)

Colon-Targeted Curcumin Delivery Systems: Mucoadhesive Approaches, Challenges, and Emerging Multi-Mechanistic Strategies

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Curcumin possesses excellent properties associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer. This makes it a potential therapeutic agent for treating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) and colorectal cancers (CRC). Limitations on the clinical use of curcumin include: its poor solubility in water, its inability to be absorbed by the gut, rapid metabolism, and lack of stability in the GI tract. Therefore, colon-targeted drug delivery systems (CTDDS) are being used to improve the targeted delivery of curcumin at the site of action, as well as to reduce the premature release of curcumin before it reaches the colon. Various strategies have been explored for CTDDS, including pH-dependent, time-dependent, enzyme-responsive, pressure-dependent, and mucoadhesive systems. Additionally, most research geared to finding new CTDDS focuses on the use of multifunctional systems with multiple targeting mechanisms (e.g. mucoadhesion, enzymatic activation, and ROS-sensitive release) to maximize the therapeutic effect and colonic specificity of the drug. This paper reviews the pharmacological significance of curcumin in colonic disorders, difficulties related to its oral administration, main strategies for targeting the colon, as well as recent advances in developing multifunctional delivery systems aimed at enhancing curcumin's use in colonic disease therapy.

Formulation, Optimization and Evaluation of a Novel Polyherbal Effervescent Churna Using Banana Stem, Ginger and Lemon Peel

Joshi Raghavi R, Jogdand Vishakha S, Supekar Amol V, Gangurde Hemant H — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

They worked on creating a type of antacid using natural ingredients like banana stem powder, ginger powder, and lemon peel powder. The goal was to create an effective, easy-to-use herbal alternative to regular antacids for managing heartburn, indigestion, and stomach discomfort. They made an antacid using a granulation method and added ingredients like citric acid and sodium bicarbonate to make it fizz and taste better. Checked the materials and found they contained good stuff like flavonoids, mucilage, and carbohydrates, which could help with healing. They tested three versions of antacid (F1, F2, and F3) to see how well they worked and how they felt. One of the versions worked well. It had good flow, fizzed quickly, tasted okay, and could neutralize stomach acid effectively. Also tested how well it held up over time. Found that it stayed stable with minimal changes. The combination of ingredients and fizz helped it work faster and made patients more likely to use it. This study shows that effervescent herbal antacid could be a natural alternative and a good starting point for more research and development.

Chronotherapeutic Drug Delivery System

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Chronotherapeutic Drug Delivery Systems (CDDS) are designed to align drug release with the body's natural circadian rhythms in order to enhance treatment effectiveness and lessen harmful side effects. Many health conditions, such as asthma, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart diseases, have symptoms and disease activity that change throughout the day in a predictable way. Traditional methods of drug delivery may not take these time-related changes into account; techniques like delayed, pulsatile, or responsive drug release ensure the medicine is available when it is most beneficial. Recent progress in smart polymers, nanotechnology, and personalized medicine has greatly increased the potential of CDDS. This review covers the basic principles, ways of making these systems, available technologies on the market, their uses in treatment, and future opportunities, with a focus on how they can help improve treatment results and patient adherence. Furthermore, these systems offer promising approaches for optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing dosing frequency, minimizing toxicity, improving patient compliance, and supporting individualized treatment strategies across various chronic diseases and conditions.

Vinca Alkaloids as Potent Antineoplastic Agents: Mechanism of Action, Clinical Utility and Toxicity

Sumanpreet Kaur, Ansh Dhot, Sukhmanpreet Kaur, Sandeep Kumar Sharma — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The vinca alkaloids are significant natural anticancer drugs primarily extracted from the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) of the family Apocynaceae. The alkaloids are highly important in modern cancer therapy due to their very potent cytotoxic and antimitotic activity. Vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, vinorelbine, and vinflunine are the major clinically significant Vinca alkaloids. Vinblastine and vincristine are first-generation Vinca alkaloids; the semi-synthetic vinca alkaloids are vindesine and vinorelbine, and the later-generation vinca alkaloid is vinflunine. The compounds are applied in the treatment of several types of malignancies like leukemia, lymphoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, and other solid tumors. The most important mechanism of action of Vinca alkaloids is the interaction with tubulin, the structural protein of microtubules. They bind to β-tubulin and inhibit tubulin polymerization, which in turn prevents the formation of functional microtubules and the mitotic spindle. Therefore, the alignment and separation of the chromosomes are disturbed, arresting the cell cycle at the metaphase stage and causing apoptosis or cell death. This interference with rapidly dividing cells can be harnessed to make Vinca alkaloids valuable chemotherapeutic agents. Although Vinca alkaloids have therapeutic uses, they can have severe side effects. One characteristic toxicity of this class of drugs is peripheral neurotoxicity, especially seen with vincristine. Neutropenia and other haematological side effects may limit the doses of the drugs vinblastine, vindesine, and vinorelbine. Other toxic effects include gastrointestinal disturbances, autonomic dysfunction, anemia, and more. So, it is essential to carefully consider the dose and monitor during treatment. Overall, Vinca alkaloids are still important anticancer agents, and their unique property of inhibiting microtubule formation is still being utilized in the development of newer anticancer drugs and in cancer chemotherapy. Further research in this field could lead to further improvements in efficacy, toxicity, and therapeutic use in oncology.

Molecular Docking and ADMET Analysis of Apigenin from Leucas aspera as a Potential Anti-Osteoporotic Agent

Jhosica B, Kumaran B G, Shalini K C, Sridhar K, K. Premavathi — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Osteoporosis is a gradual metabolic bone disease marked by decreased bone mass, loss of bone microarchitecture, and an increased risk of fracture. Long-term use of standard anti-osteoporotic medicines is frequently accompanied by side effects, necessitating safer treatment alternatives. Medicinal plants high in bioactive chemicals have emerged as viable treatments for osteoporosis. Leucas aspera contains numerous flavonoids, including apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin, which are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and osteoprotectants. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-osteoporotic potential of apigenin from Leucas aspera by in silico molecular docking and pharmacokinetic analyzes. Molecular docking was performed using AutoDock Vina on Cathepsin K (PDB ID: 1ATK), a key enzyme responsible for osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, and compared with other related protein targets. Among the selected flavonoids, apigenin showed the highest binding affinity toward Cathepsin K, indicating a stable ligand-protein interaction and potential inhibitory activity. Pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness properties of apigenin were evaluated using SwissADME, with ADMET and toxicity profiles assessed via pkCSM and ProTox-3.0. Results showed favorable drug-likeness, acceptable pharmacokinetics, and low predicted toxicity. Apigenin may be a promising natural inhibitor of Cathepsin K and a potential therapeutic candidate for osteoporosis, though further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety.