Morella salicifolia (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Verdc. Polhill is a plant species in the family Myricaceae. Traditionally, it has been used to treat various illnesses, including tonsillitis, throat infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, dysentery, headache, inflammation, respiratory disorders, malaria, joint pain, chest congestion, rheumatism, trypanosomiasis, fever, abdominal pain, nervous disorders and diabetes. This review aims to provide in-depth, up-to-date information on the medicinal potential of M. salicifolia, highlighting its benefits, challenges and possible future opportunities. The information regarding M. salicifolia was gathered from various reliable databases using the term “Morella salicifolia” and encompassing the time period from 2000 to 2025. The information obtained from the databases was analyzed manually and subsequently used to write this review. It was found that M. salicifolia exhibits substantial variations in pharmacological activities attributed to the diversity of phytochemicals among the plant parts. The plant’s geographical location, maturity, season of sample collection, extracting solvents and extraction techniques are among the factors that influence the discrepancies in phytoconstituents, which are responsible for pharmacological effects. This review demonstrates that M. salicifolia is a promising medicinal plant with therapeutic potential, offering opportunities for use in healthcare to mitigate various medical conditions. However, multidisciplinary collaboration and clinical verification are required to transform traditional knowledge into modern therapeutic practice.

In the present work, a pH-sensitive magnetite hybrid hydrogel was prepared as a potential oral dual drug delivery system. The magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were in situ incorporated into the pH-sensitive hydrogel containing xanthan gum (XG) and poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PAHEA), which was prepared via a free radical polymerization. Ultimately, anticancer drugs, namely 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and curcumin (CUR), were successfully loaded into the developed magnetite hybrid hydrogel. The swelling studies showed minimal swelling of the system at pH 1.2 and significant swelling at pH 7.4. The drug quantities incorporated per gram of dry magnetite hybrid hydrogel were determined to be 48.2 +/- 0.8 mg g(-1) for 5-FU and 38.5 +/- 0.5 mg g(-1) for CUR. The sequential drug release studies revealed that the prepared dual drug delivery system retained the incorporated drugs in the simulated gastric environment and significantly released them in the simulated intestinal environment of the gastrointestinal tract. The drug release mobility at pH 7.4 followed non-Fickian diffusion for 5-FU and Super Case II transport for CUR. The cytotoxicity investigation of the magnetite hybrid hydrogel, with and without drugs, using the MTT assay towards normal cells (MCF-10A) showed good cytocompatibility, with cell viability exceeding 75%. However, the drug-loaded magnetite hybrid hydrogel showed remarkable cytotoxicity against cancer cells (MCF-7), with cell viability being below 35%. These results suggest that the prepared magnetic hybrid hydrogel could serve as a promising site-specific drug delivery system for the prolonged oral dual release of 5-FU and CUR in cancer therapy.

In this study, a nanocomposite hydrogel containing dextran (Dex), 4-acryloylmorpholine (AcM), 2-amido-2-methyl-1-propanesulphonic acid (AMPS), and silver nanoparticles (SNPs) was made by a microwave-assisted free radical polymerization method. The material was characterized by advanced analytical techniques and evaluated as a vehicle for the oral co-delivery of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (CPT) in cancer treatment. The drugs were encapsulated in the matrix from an aqueous solution. Subsequently, a release study was performed in pH 1.2 medium, as simulated gastric fluid and in pH 7.4 medium, as simulated intestinal fluid. The drug encapsulation efficiencies were 84.1

This study reports the preparation of pectin‐ graf t‐poly(4‐acryloylmorpholine) silver nanocomposite hydrogel (Pec‐ g ‐PAcM‐AgNPs) as a dual drug delivery system (DDDS) for sustained release of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) and curcumin (CUR). The matrix material was made in aqueous medium and characterized by various techniques. Higher swelling and drug release were observed at pH 7.4 than at pH 1.2. The drug loading efficiency of the nanocomposite was determined to be 39.1 mg g −1 for 5‐FU and 42.8 mg g −1 for CUR. About 93.9% of 5‐FU and 72.2% of CUR were released from the nanocomposite at pH 7.4 during 24 h. The drug release kinetics and mechanism were best fitted to the first‐order kinetic and Higuchi square rootmodels, respectively. The release of 5‐FU and CUR adhered to the Fickian and non‐Fickian diffusion mechanism, respectively. The cell viability of the drug‐loaded nanocomposite was above 85%, indicating cytocompatibility of the developed polymer matrix. The results highlight the potential of the prepared nanocomposite as a suitable DDDS for enhancing bioavailability of 5‐FU and CUR in the gastrointestinal tract for cancer therapy.

Mosquitoes transmit several infectious diseases, including malaria. Due to the increasing resistance of mosquitoes to synthetic insecticides and the non-selective nature of these chemicals, larviciding has emerged as an effective and environmentally safer method of mosquito control. This study focused on the larvicidal activity of the essential oils (EOs) isolated from Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) stalks and leaves collected in Morogoro, Tanzania, against Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.) larvae. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and characterized by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC–MS). Larvicidal bioassays were performed on laboratory-reared larvae, and mortality data were analysed using probit analysis to determine LC50 and LC90 values at 95

Traditional chemotherapeutic approaches for cancer treatment often face challenges, such as limited bioavailability and efficacy of anticancer drugs due to a lack of specificity and quick metabolism. In this study, a nanocomposite hydrogel, namely pectin-graft-poly(4-acryloylmorpholine-co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulphonic acid) embedded with silver nanoparticles (Pec-g-poly(AcM-co-AMPS)-SNPs) was developed as a dual drug delivery system for cancer treatment. The nanocomposite and the neat gel without silver nanoparticles (SNPs) were characterized using various techniques and evaluated for their efficiencies for the co-delivery of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and doxorubicin (DOX) as model anticancer drugs. The nanocomposite and the neat gel exhibited pH-responsive swelling behavior, and comparatively higher swelling was observed for the nanocomposite, with maximum swelling at pH 7.4. The swelling process obeyed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. A similar observation was made regarding the release of the drugs, with significantly higher release at pH 7.4. About 83.9% of 5-FU and 73.3% of DOX were released from the nanocomposite at pH 7.4 during 8 h. The drug release profile adhered to the first-order kinetic and the Higuchi-square root models. The transport of the incorporated drugs out of the nanocomposite matrix into the dissolution medium was observed to be a Fickian diffusion process. The developed nanocomposite has been proven to be cytocompatible, as demonstrated by the cytotoxicity study carried out using MCF-10A cells, suggesting its suitability for oral co-delivery of 5-FU and DOX for combating cancer.

The bioavailability of curcumin (CUR), a highly lipophilic and commonly used anticancer drug, is mainly affected by its poor solubility in aqueous environment and quick metabolism. These challenges can be met by employing delivery systems. Nanocomposite materials have been used as delivery systems to enhance the solubility and dissolution rate of the drug. This study aims to develop dextran-graft-poly(4-acryloylmorpholine) silver nanocomposite using a microwave -assisted method to evaluate its drug -release efficiency and antimicrobial activity. The materials were characterized by FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDS, XRD, HR-TEM, TGA, and BET techniques. Drug loading and release efficiency were evaluated using CUR as the model drug. The swelling and drug release studies were conducted in buffer solutions of pH 1.2 and 7.4. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were employed to evaluate the antibacterial activity. The cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay against the breast MCF-10. Higher swelling and drug release were observed at pH 1.2 than 7.4. Nanocomposite hydrogel exhibited antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains. Cytotoxicity study proved the safety of the developed matrix. The results suggest the developed nanocomposite hydrogel to be a promising polymer matrix for the sustained release of CUR for cancer treatment that requires infectious control.

Effective drug release is of utmost importance in the medical field for treating various diseases, particularly cancer. Nanocomposite hydrogels remain the best materials for enhancing the bioavailability and therapeutic levels of drugs as they enable sustained, targeted, or controlled drug release. In this work, a nanocomposite hydrogel containing locust bean gum (LBG), poly(4-acryloylmorpholine) (PAcM), and silver nanoparticles (SN) has been made using an eco-friendly microwave (MW)-assisted method and characterized by various advanced techniques. The material is evaluated for its potential as a polymer matrix towards delivering 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an anticancer drug in the gastrointestinal tract, and inhibiting bacterial growth. The pH-dependency of the nanocomposite material towards swelling and drug release and its antibacterial characteristics have been compared with the neat gel in order to understand the role of SN in enhancing the performance of the materials. The results indicated both polymer materials exhibit a pH-dependent release of 5-FU with a higher release at pH 1.2, simulated gastric fluid, than at pH 7.4, simulated intestinal fluid. About 72 % of the loaded drug was released from the nanocomposite, as compared to 44 % from the neat gel at pH 1.2 during the observation period of 3 h. The drug release process could be best explained by the first-order kinetic model and Fickian diffusion transport mechanism. The nanocomposite exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The biocompatibility of the drug-loaded nanocomposite was demonstrated by a cytotoxicity study, which showed higher than 80 % viability of healthy IEC-6 cells. The results indicate the suitability of the developed nanocomposite material as a polymer matrix for sustained release of 5-FU for cancer therapy and also as an antibacterial agent to fight against bacterial infections.

Vigna unguiculata L. (Cowpea) is a potential legume that has been widely utilized in both culinary and medicinal contexts. This review provides a comprehensive explanation of potential health-beneficial compounds, food, and medicinal uses of V. unguiculata. The plant species contain bioactive compounds of different groups, like alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols, and flavonoids. These compounds were presumed to be responsible for the medicinal potential of the plant, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Various societies across the world have used V. unguiculata as a food and medicine. Many cultures have historically used V. unguiculata as a food and medicine. Apart from being a foodstuff, the plant leaves, seeds, and pods can cure microbial infections, diabetes, various inflammation, digestive problems, and cardiovascular disease. The plant species have a high concentration of crucial biomolecules such as vitamins, protein, amino acids, and minerals, which gives it a significant nutritional profile. In this review, all challenges and possible opportunities for further investigations are highlighted. Generally, V. unguiculata is a promising legume that can be utilized globally as a medicine and food for the improvement of human health.

Galinsoga parviflora (Cav.) is a member of the Asteraceae family traditionally used for treatment of various ailments such as malaria, flu, cold, colorectal cancer, liver problems and inflammation. The medicinal properties of G. parviflora are due to the presence of various secondary metabolites including flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids and tannins. The literature survey revealed that G. parviflora possesses several pharmacological properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and antidiabetic. This review systematically discusses the potential of G. parviflora for managing medical conditions. The information is collected from various online databases such as Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Springer, Web of Science, Plant of the World Online and PubMed. Among other information provided in this review, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities are discussed extensively. Additonally, the potential benefits, challenges and future opportunities are presented.

•Tetradenia riparia is used as a natural medicine by many African societies.•Vernacular names contribute to the extension of the utilization of the plant by various societies.•Both essential oil and extracts have medical potential for the management of medical conditions.•There are significant variations of major components among the different plant parts and plants collected at different areas.•According to scientific data, the pharmacological properties corresponds to the tradition uses of the plant.

Senna singueana (Delile) Lock is a potential medicinal plant commonly used to mitigate various infectious and non-infectious diseases including malaria, typhoid, gonorrhoea, bilharzia, cancer, epilepsy and ulcer. The phytochemical profile of S. singueana indicates the presence of different phytoconstituents corresponding to the pharmacological properties. The pharmacological potentials such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antimalarial and antidiabetics are possessed by S. singueana. This review comprehensively discusses the potential of S. singueana for the mitigation of medical conditions. The information is collected from various online databases such as Google scholar, ScienceDirect, Springer, Web of Science and PubMed. Among other information, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and mechanisms of action are extensively presented. A review concluded by highlighting the challenges and potential future outlooks.

•Ocimum americanum L. is a medicinal plant used by various societies for treatment of both transmitted and non-transmitted diseases.•Its vernacular names increase awareness among societies, and expand its traditional usage.•Both essential oil and plant extracts are employed for treatment of ailments due to the presence of sufficient amounts of phytoconsituents.•Variations of major phytoconsituents depend on the originality of the plant, maturity, extraction techniques and other related factors.•According to the scientific findings, the pharmacological activities support traditional utilization of the plant.

The main objective of this study is to improve the oil-based filtercake removal at the wellbore second interface through chemical method. The reductions in near-well permeability, bonding strength at wellbore second interface and acidizing treatment are the critical problems in oilfield upstream operations. One of the major causes has been identified as drilling fluid filtrate invasion during the drilling operations. This as result leads to near-well reduction in-flow capacity due to high drawdown pressure and wellbore instability. A number of chemical methods such as enzymes, acids, oxidizers, or their hybrids, have been used, however, due to the presence of a number of factors prior to its removal, there are still many challenges in cleaning oil-based filtercake from the wellbore surface. There is a need for development an effective method for improving oil-based filtercake removal. This study presents a novel Alkali-Surfactant (KV-MA) solution developed in the laboratory to optimize the filtercake removal of oil–gas wellbore. The Reynold number for KV-MA solution was found to be 9,068 indicating that turbulent flow regime will dominate in the annulus which enhances the cleaning efficiency. The wettability test established that, contact angle of 14° was a proper wetting agent. The calculated cleaning efficiency was 86.9%, indicating that it can effectively remove the oil-based filtercake. NaOH reacts with the polar components in the oil phase of the oil-based filtercake to produce ionized surface-active species; hence reducing the Interfacial Tension. Surfactant quickens the diffusion of ionized species from the interface to the bulk phase.

•Equisetum arvense L. is a medicinal plant potential for mitigation of various ailments.•The extract from all parts of E. arvense possess significant pharmacological properties.•The nature of bioactive compounds depend on both genetic and geographical factors.•Scientific studies revealed the correspondence of pharmacological properties of E. arvense with its traditional uses.•It is non-toxic medicinal plant, which is promising for medical applications.

This review extensively surveys the biomedical applications of hydrogels containing dextran. Dextran has gained much attention as a biomaterial due to its distinctive properties such as biocompatibility, non-toxicity, water solubility and biodegradability. It has emerged as a critical constituent of hydrogels for biomedical applications including drug delivery devices, tissue engineering scaffolds and biosensor materials. The benefits, challenges and potential prospects of dextran-based hydrogels as biomaterials are highlighted in this review.