Type 2 diabetes mellitus is commonly associated with various comorbidities that aggravate the disease’s overall impact on health. The most prevalent comorbidities of diabetes include obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, and kidney diseases. Incretin mimetics, also known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, mimic incretin hormones to stimulate insulin release in response to food intake. These medications help lower blood glucose by increasing insulin production, reducing glucagon secretion, slowing stomach emptying, and promoting satiety. A key advantage of incretin mimetics is their ability to reduce blood glucose levels without causing hypoglycemia, making them a safer option for many patients. They also promote weight loss, which is particularly beneficial for patients with both obesity and diabetes. Incretin mimetics are typically administered once or twice daily and are often used in combination with other treatments such as metformin or insulin. Evidence suggests that these drugs may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, an important consideration given the heightened cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes. Additionally, incretin mimetics may help preserve pancreatic beta-cell function, potentially slowing the progression of diabetes. However, these drugs are costly and may be unaffordable for low-income individuals. Commonly reported side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which tend to decrease over time. While there have been reports of pancreatitis, current research indicates that incretin mimetics do not increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Educating patients on proper use and potential side effects is crucial to ensure safe and effective treatment with incretin mimetics.

Fermented plant extracts have recently become popular ingredients in various cosmetic and dermal applications, mainly because of their superior biological activities. In fermentation by microorganisms, the concentration of the useful compound is increased or new phytochemicals are introduced, enhancing their biological activity in anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, wound-healing, anti-melanogenic, and antioxidant applications. The fermented state of Panax ginseng shows higher anti-wrinkle and whitening effects than its non-fermented counterpart. Black ginseng promotes collagen synthesis and inhibits melanogenesis after fermentation. Fermented extracts of Magnolia denudata, organic Indica rice bran, and unpolished Black rice also show very good antioxidant and skin-whitening activities. Hyaluronic acid, kojic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, and ascorbic acid are acids produced by the fermentation of natural products, forming smaller molecules size that are more effective than high molecular size and able to penetrate deeply into the skin, maintaining its microbiota balance and providing antioxidant protection. Fermented vitamins include B3, A, and E produced through microbial fermentation with added stability and bioactivity to contribute toward better skin health, promotion of absorption, anti-inflammation, and antioxidant properties. Skin health is modulated by its resident microbiota and their metabolites, among which fermented microorganisms have gained interest as active skincare ingredients. It is known that metabolites from skin-associated bacteria improve skin pigmentation and wrinkle appearance, such as Nitrosomonas eutropha, which oxidizes ammonia produced from sweat into nitric oxide derivatives. Similarly, antimicrobial peptide from Enterococcus faecalis strain proved to be potent against Cutibacterium acnes; hence, anti-acne treatments have been commercialized. In addition, Vitreoscilla filiformis found in hot springs significantly ameliorated symptoms of atopic dermatitis and photoaging while Streptococcus thermophilus enhanced levels of the natural ceramides, thereby enhancing skin barrier and hydration.

The health system is burdened by kidney disease (KD), which has considerable economic consequences. The aging population and the rise in Type 2 diabetes and hypertension are the main contributing causes. KD is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) morbidity, early mortality, and reduced quality of life. Recent studies estimate that more than 850 million people worldwide are affected by kidney-related illnesses each year. Of these, about 3.9 million individuals are going through dialysis or kidney transplantations, neither of which provides an ultimate solution. Alternative therapeutic approaches through medications include the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and Angiotensin II receptor blockers, renin inhibitors, anti-inflammatory medicines, and bioactive phytocompounds isolated from several plants. Plants contain numerous bioactive compounds that are thought to provide a variety of health benefits, including potential nephroprotective properties. In this review, recent advancements in kidney disease (KD) research will be highlighted, including newly identified causes, renal pathophysiological alterations, and current therapeutic approaches.

In recent years, cannabis derivatives have been proposed for the treatment of various medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, epilepsy, sleep disorders, multiple sclerosis, anorexia, schizophrenia, neurodegenerative diseases, nausea, and cancer. While the benefits of cannabis derivatives, primarily cannabinoids, have been demonstrated and continue to be studied, their use presents various challenges associated with their low water solubility, rapid metabolism, erratic and poor bioavailability, and erratic pharmacokinetics, which directly affect their efficacy. In this context, a great deal of research is being carried out to overcome these drawbacks by designing delivery systems capable of improving solubility/bioavailability, potency, and efficacy, while addressing the purity and quality issues required by the pharmaceutical industry. This article aims to critically review the major trends and challenges in designing controlled-release cannabinoid delivery systems and their potential application in the pharmaceutical industry.

In this work, a method was developed to screen compounds with enzyme activity inhibition in vitro using chromatographic analysis combined with activity difference analysis (CAADA). The flower buds of Sophora japonica L. (FBSJ) were found to contain abundant flavonoids. These flavonoids were then screened for their high inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase using fingerprint and activity difference analysis. Consistent conclusions were drawn from multiple techniques, including the reported technique, IC₅₀ data, and CAADA. The inhibitory mechanism was further analyzed through enzyme inhibition kinetics, circular dichroism, fluorescence spectrometry, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD). Among the six flavonoid components studied, quercetin was found to act as a competitive inhibitor against α-amylase, while kaempferol showed a mixed manner of inhibition against α-glucosidase. Molecular docking and MD simulations demonstrated that quercetin and kaempferol have higher binding energies and bound more tightly to their targets. In general, flavonols exhibited higher inhibitory activity than their corresponding flavonol glycosides against both α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Quercetin and kaempferol in FBSJ showed potential as inhibitors of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. This study not only presented a novel method for screening compounds with high activity but also provided a theoretical basis for studying the application and mechanism of flavonoids against α-amylase and α-glucosidase in FBSJ.

Bioactive compounds in lemon essential oil possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Although traditional uses of lemon essential oil are well-documented, scientific research evaluating its effects on anthropometric parameters remains limited. This study examines the impact of lemon essential oil on anthropometric measurements, specifically focused on skinfold thickness and body composition. Participants (n = 26) were divided into treatment and control groups using a randomized and double-blinded design. The treatment group received a 5-min abdomen exfoliation and a 30-min modeling massage using sweet almond and lemon essential oils, while the control group underwent an identical procedure without the lemon essential oil. The study spanned 6 weeks, and anthropometric variables, including skinfold thickness, abdominal perimeter, weight, and body mass index (BMI), were assessed before and after each session. Statistical analyses revealed a 3.8% reduction in abdominal perimeter (P = 0.041) and significant improvements in the treatment group’s tricep skinfold thickness (P = 0.046). However, no statistically significant differences were observed in weight or BMI. Notable changes were session-specific, particularly in sessions 3, 5, and 6, suggesting variability in the effects of lemon essential oil. These findings demonstrate that lemon essential oil may enhance the effectiveness of massage-based interventions aimed at body contouring or skin condition improvement in weight management and wellness programs. However, limitations should be considered when interpreting these findings, including the small sample size and focus on female participants. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of lemon essential oil to modulate anthropometric measurements and advance the understanding of essential oils in healthcare and wellness applications.

Lentiviral vectors are useful vectors for stable transduction and permanent expression in dividing and non-dividing cells. In particular, third-generation lentiviral vectors have been engineered to be significantly safer than their second-generation counterparts, incorporating several safety features not present in earlier versions. For example, the tat gene, which is essential for the replication of wild-type human immunodeficiency virus type 1, has been deleted, and vector packaging functions have been distributed across three separate plasmids, further enhancing safety. In both research and clinical settings, having a reliable and accurate method for titering lentiviral vectors is critical. We have developed a method using the Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Post-transcriptional Regulatory Element as a template for a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, coupled with TRIzol lysis buffer for ribonucleic acid isolation. This method yielded results comparable to those from a commonly used commercial kit, offering advantages of speed, cost-effectiveness, and accuracy. It presents a viable, economical alternative for both research and clinical laboratories.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal malignancy of the digestive tract, accounting for 1% of all digestive tract malignancies. GISTs occur most frequently in the stomach, followed by the small intestine and colorectum, and rarely in the mesentery, omentum, and retroperitoneum. Avapritinib’s approval for GISTs in 2020 marks a milestone in precision oncology, showing its significant antitumor activity against the resistant platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha D842V mutation. It has a manageable safety profile, with dose adjustments for mitigating side effects without reducing efficacy. Avapritinib-induced subdural hematomas are rare but potentially lethal complications. Our patient had a metastatic small bowel GIST and liver metastases and began avapritinib treatment in January 2024. He had a stable condition until early May. He presented with acute encephalopathy, altered mentation, and left subdural hematoma, which was suspected to be caused by avapritinib, resulting in its discontinuation. Despite receiving diligent care, the patient’s condition did not improve, and he eventually died.