International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Medicinal Plants

PHLORIZIN- NATURAL SGLT- INHIBITION AND BEYOND EXPLORING ITS MULTIFACETED HEALTH BENEFITS

2026-05-11T05:07:26+0530

Phlorizin is a naturally occurring dihydrochalcone glycoside predominantly found in the bark, roots, and leaves of apple trees. It is historically significant as the first identified natural inhibitor of sodium-glucose co-transporters (SGLTs), specifically SGLT1 and SGLT2, which are responsible for glucose absorption in the intestine and reabsorption in the kidneys. The discovery of phlorizin played a crucial role in advancing the understanding of glucose transport mechanisms and served as a foundation for the development of modern antidiabetic drugs, particularly SGLT2 inhibitors used in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition to its antihyperglycemic activity, phlorizin demonstrates a wide range of biological and therapeutic properties. These include antioxidant effects that help reduce oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory actions that mitigate chronic inflammation, and cardioprotective benefits that support heart health. Furthermore, it has shown nephroprotective effects by protecting kidney function and anti-obesity potential through modulation of metabolic processes. Despite its promising pharmacological profile, the direct clinical application of phlorizin is limited due to its poor oral bioavailability, rapid degradation in the gastrointestinal tract, and associated gastrointestinal side effects. These limitations have restricted its use as a therapeutic agent in its natural form. However, the structural modification of phlorizin has led to the development of more stable and effective derivatives, such as selective SGLT2 inhibitors, which are now widely used in clinical practice for diabetes management and have demonstrated additional benefits in cardiovascular and renal diseases. In conclusion, phlorizin remains a compound of great scientific importance due to its role in drug discovery and its diverse biological activities. Ongoing research continues to explore its mechanisms of action, improve its pharmacokinetic properties, and expand its therapeutic potential. Future advancements may enable the development of more efficient phlorizin-based compounds with enhanced clinical applicability and broader health benefits.

Resveratrol Activation of SIRT1–PGC-1α–Mitochondrial Biogenesis, Nrf2–Keap1–Redox Signaling, and AMPK–mTOR–Autophagy Pathways in Parkinson’s Disease

2026-05-05T13:18:31+0530

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by selective destruction of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and miscalculated 7-synuclein folds. Current treatment measures are mostly symptomatic and fail to prevent the progression of the disease, hence the need to find disease-modifying interventions. It is beginning to be accumulated that the pathogenesis of PD occurs by the interaction of three mutually dependent pathological mechanisms including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and impaired proteostasis, to create a self-amplifying neurodegenerative loop undermining the efficacy of single-target therapy. Therefore, growing scientific interest has been drawn to modulators that are able to effectively deal with several pathways and reestablish cellular homeostasis. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol that is a derivative of grapes and berries, has emerged as a potential candidate owing to its ability to influence simultaneously the evolutionary-preserved stress-response mechanisms involved in PD. The review summarises existing data on the neuroprotective mechanism of resveratrol through the concurrent activation of the SIRT1PGC1-axis, Nrf2Keap1 redox signaling pathway, and AMPK-mTOR autophagy pathways. SIRT1 activation with resveratrol enhances PGC -1 -mediated mitochondrial biogenesis, which restores bioenergetic efficiency and enhances mitochondrial quality control. At the same time, resveratrol increases Nrf2 signaling, leading to strong up-regulation of antioxidant and phase II detoxification enzymes, which eliminate the harmful generation of reactive oxygen species caused by the malfunction of dysfunctional mitochondria and distorted dopamine production. Simultaneously, resveratrol enhances AMPK activity and suppresses mTOR, thus abating autophagic repression and leading to the removal of the toxic aggregates of alpha-synuclein and destroyed organelles. Notably, these signaling networks are not performing in isolation; they have much crosstalk, providing a neuroprotective synergist program that targets the fundamental pathological causes of PD. Preclinical studies invariably indicate that resveratrol has been shown to suppress dopaminergic neurodegeneration and enhance motor functioning, but its clinical application has been limited by its inability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and lack of bioavailability. These pharmacokinetic setbacks could be overcome by the development of formulation regimes and the synthesis of resveratrol analogs. Together, resveratrol is an attractive disease-modifying multi-target therapeutic agent for Parkinson's.

An Overview Study Related To Effect Of Nutraceutical Herbal Products In Insomnia Disease

2026-05-11T04:58:40+0530

The general population frequently experiences sleep difficulties, which can lead to health issues like anxiety and insomnia. A variety of alternative plant-based therapies are used to treat anxiety and sleeplessness in addition to conventional medications and psychological therapy. In addition to evaluating the safety and effectiveness of these medications and clarifying any potential mechanisms of action, this study sought to locate and analyze the most recent information on the use of herbal remedies for treating anxiety and insomnia as collated from clinical studies. The procedure involved searching the databases of the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and 2010 to 2020. In addition to specific herbal remedies by both their common and scientific names, the search phrases "sleep disorder," "insomnia," "sedative," "hypnotic," "anxiety," "anxiolytic," and "clinical trial" were paired with the term’s "herbs" and "medicinal plants." The length of treatment, the kinds of study participants, the mode of administration, and the treatment technique all affect how effective medicinal plants are. To further investigate the mechanisms of action, more preclinical research and clinical trials with a suitable, standardized design are required. Our research leads us to the conclusion that valerian, passionflower, and ashwagandha are the three plants with the greatest promise; the combination of valerian with hops and passionflower produced the best outcomes in the clinical trials.

Revolutionising Herbal Medicine: Nanoparticle-Mediated Enhancement of Phytoconstituent Bioavailability and Therapeutic Efficacy

2026-05-11T05:21:30+0530

The interest in herbal medicine has been revived in the world because of its therapeutic effects, safety record and its historic application in traditional healthcare systems. Nevertheless, phytoconstituents tend to be restricted to clinical use due to low bioavailability, solubility, fast metabolism, and unstable behaviour in physiological conditions. Nanotechnology has seen the light of day as a potential solution to these constraints by allowing the creation of enhanced drug delivery systems referred to as herbal nanoparticles. Such nano-engineered systems as phytosomes, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and polymeric nanoparticles improve the pharmacodynamics of the compounds of plant origin and their pharmacokinetics. Herbal nanoparticles can greatly increase the efficacy of the therapy, decrease systemic toxicity, and deliver the drug into a specific location by increasing solubility, preventing degradation, improving controlled release, and targeting localised delivery. This review presents an extensive discussion of phytoconstituent classification, problems related to bioavailability, and principles of designing nano-enabled delivery systems. It also brings out the processes through which nanoparticles enhance drug absorption and distribution, as well as the various clinical uses of nanoparticles in the treatment of cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. Also, the major issues, including nanotoxicity, stability, mass production and regulatory issues, are addressed critically. The prospects are focusing on the importance of artificial intelligence, personalised phytotherapy, and the necessity of strong clinical validation and regulatory standards. In general, herbal nanomedicine is a paradigm shift that allows the reconciliation of traditional medicine with contemporary pharmaceutical innovation, which is less harmful, more effective, and specific therapy.