Posted by admin on Jan 31, 2019 in |
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) mediates reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) through its potential to accept excess cholesterol from extrahepatic tissues, and delivers it to the liver for breakdown and excretion. HDL also has pleiotropic properties such as anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation, and capacity to remove oxidized sterols and phospholipids from the circulation. HDL is composed of apolipoprotein A-I, the major lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A-II, the minor lipoprotein. For HDL to carry out reverse cholesterol transport, it has to transform to make it suitable for acceptance of cholesterol and phospholipids. Therefore, in this review, we explore the composition and the various sizes of HDL. Further, we review the biosynthesis and remodeling of HDL by various proteins, enzymes and receptors such as ATP-binding cassette transporter class B-1 (ABCA1), endothelial lipase (EL), scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase LCAT), and phospholipids transfer protein (PLTP). Finally, we describe the pathways involved in the removal of cholesterol from the peripheral tissue and the current therapeutic strategies to increase levels...
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Posted by admin on Jan 31, 2019 in |
Orphan drugs are medicines or vaccines intended to treat, prevent or diagnose a rare disease (viz., Huntington’s disease, myoclonus disease, Tourette syndrome, etc.). The definition of rare diseases varies across jurisdictions but typically considers disease prevalence, severity, and existence of alternative therapeutic options. A rare disease is not universal and depends on the legislation and policies adopted by each region or country. In the last 35 years, ODA (Orphan Drug Act, 1983) has been adopted in several countries worldwide (USA, Australia, European Union, Japan, etc.) and has successfully promoted R and D investments to develop new pharmaceutical products for the treatment of rare diseases. The incidences of such diseases have been increasing at a greater pace than the speed with which drugs are researched and developed to treat such diseases. One of the major reasons is that the pharmaceutical industry is not very keen to research the development of orphan drugs as these drugs do not capture a bigger market. This is the current scenario in-spite of the various...
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Posted by admin on Jan 31, 2019 in |
This study aimed to introduce antibacterial nanofibers, produced by electrospinning as a novel technique in constructing nanostructured materials. In the electrospinning technique, a high voltage is applied to a polymer solution to overcome the surface tension. A charged polymer jet is ejected to a grounded electrode. As the solvent is evaporated, the electrospun fiber with diameter from micrometer to nanometer is formed. One of the most important features of electrospun nanofibers stated in this paper is their activity as effective carriers of antibacterial substances, which leads to the use of them in many fields such as food packaging, drug delivery, wound healing, filtration, and food sciences. An electrospun nanofiber containing antimicrobial agents indicates excellent antibacterial functions against a wide spectrum of bacteria and sustain the antibacterial activity over a long period. In general, several aspects of antibacterial nanofibers, including synthesize, applications, types of antibacterial agents combined with them such as essential oils, herbal bioactive components, metals, drugs, and peptides have been...
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Posted by admin on Jan 31, 2019 in |
This review summarizes the health benefits of Tender Coconut Water (TCW). TCW is a natural, healthy, nutritious drink from coconut tree widely grown in tropical countries. Indonesia is the larger country with the largest coconut growing country in the world. The active compounds in TCW include methionine, L-arginine, cytokines, selenium, vitamin C, and Zn, Mn and Cu. L-arginine is present in TCW significantly reduce the free radical generation, TCW Also contains vitamin C that significantly reduces lipid peroxidation when Introduced in rats. L-arginine was able to increase glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in rat exposed to plumbum. Cytokinin is a potent antioxidant against free radical-induced cell damage. Selenium is one of the micronutrients that form the enzyme GPx. Methionine is an amino acid containing sulfur that can be used as a source of thiols and plays a role in the synthesis of glutathione. The TCW of 5-7 months of age is about 500-750 mL; depending on the maturity and varieties of coconut. The older the coconut, the less water it...
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Posted by admin on Jan 31, 2019 in |
Enzymes are the protein molecule that acts as a catalyst for various biological reactions. The enzymes have a major role in designing the dose of the drug. Enzymes have a vital role as metabolizer of the xenobiotic. The activity or the mode of action of enzymes determines the bioavailability of drugs. The presystemic metabolism of the drug monitored by the gut wall and hepatic enzymes can increase or decrease the bioavailability. The drastic presystemic metabolism of the drug may reduce the amount of the drug reaches into the systemic circulation. Means enzymes are one of the keys that control the therapeutic action. It can be assumed that an increase in drug concentration followed by an oral administration of the drug can be achieved by inhibiting the metabolizing enzymes. A study has been conducted on this which claims so many therapeutic applications of enzyme inhibition. The principle of enzyme inhibition can be used for treating various diseases like mammary cancer various infectious diseases and even for chemoprevention. The enzyme inhibition achieves a greater increase in the bioavailability of drugs. Thus, inhibiting the metabolizing enzyme can be...
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