Exosomes act as emerging transdermal drug delivery vehicles with high deformability and excellent permeability, which can be used to deliver various small-molecule drugs and macromolecular drugs and increase the transdermal and dermal retention of drugs, improving the local efficacy and drug delivery compliance. At present, there are many studies on the use of plant exosome-like nanoparticles (PELNVs) as drug carriers. In this review, the source, extraction, isolation, and chemical composition of plant exosomes are reviewed, and the research progress on PELNVs as drug delivery systems in transdermal drug delivery systems in recent years has elucidated the broad application prospect of PELNVs.

Malassezia are commensal and lipid-dependent yeasts in human skin, but they also have a pathogenic lifestyle associated with several common skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, eczema and so on. Symptoms include red, itchy, and inflamed skin. We studied the growth characteristics and biochemical analyses of M.furfur, which showed that the protein contents were greater in 24h extracts, then used them to infect C57BL/6 mouse resulting skin rupture. Polygalaxanthone III (POL), a more effective anti-inflammatory ingredient in Polygala japonica Houtt., was applied externally to the ulceration and achieved wounds heal quickly. POL could not inhibit Malassezia action tested by the inhibition zone test, but affected the lipid droplets formation in HaCaT cells. The wound healed molecular mechanisms may involve in STAT3 pathway according to the Weston Blotting results of skin tissues. Malassezia’s role in skin health is far from certain and there's no clean solution, so to understand Malassezia associated skin diseases development in general and sought for solutions is very important.

Malassezia is a genus of commensal and lipid-dependent yeasts in human skin which also have a pathogenic lifestyle associated with several common skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis and eczema. Symptoms include red, itchy, and inflamed skin. We studied the growth characteristics and biochemical analyses of M. furfur which showed that the protein contents were greater in extracts taken at 24 h. These were then used to infect C57BL/6 mice, resulting in skin rupture. Polygalaxanthone III (POL), a more effective anti-inflammatory ingredient in Polygala japonica Houtt., was applied externally to the ulceration and successfully healed the wounds quickly. POL could not inhibit Malassezia activity as tested by the inhibition zone test, but affected the formation of lipid droplets in HaCaT cells. The wound-healing molecular mechanisms may be involved in the STAT3 pathway according to the Western blot results of skin tissues. Malassezia’s role in skin health is far from certain, and there is no clear solution, so understanding the development of Malassezia-associated skin diseases in general and seeking solutions are very important.

Polygala japonica Houtt. (PJ), a member of the Polygala L. family that is suggested to exhibit detoxification properties in traditional Chinese medicine, is often used to treat upper respiratory tract infections. The anti-inflammatory effects of four main components of PJ (POL, PS-XLIX, PS-E, and PS-F) were examined using the LPS(0.3 mu g.mL(-1))-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage model. The levels of NO, ROS, and iNOS were examined to analyze the anti-inflammatory activity of POL. Additionally, the levels of extracellular inflammation-related cytokines and chemokines were measured using quantibody array. The KEGG pathway analysis was performed to examine the anti-inflammatory mechanism of POL. The levels of NO in the POL-pretreated group were significantly downregulated when compared with those in the PS-E-pretreated, PS-F-pretreated, and PS-XLIX-pretreated groups. POL significantly inhibited the changes of iNOS, ROS, and inflammatory factors caused by LPS stimulation (p < 0.001). The expression levels of IL21 and GM-CSF were examined using qPCR, while those of JAK-STAT signaling pathway-related proteins in the LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages were analyzed using western blotting. POL significantly downregulated the expression of IL-21 and GM-CSF. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of POL is mediated through the JAK-STAT pathway. Thus, this study demonstrated that POL is an anti-inflammatory component of PJ and elucidated its mechanism. (C) 2021 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Japanese Pharmacological Society.

Researches on drug delivery system (DDS) have made incredible progress, but there are still problems such as insufficient targeting and undesirable treatment efficiency. To improve the above problems, a stem cell-based DDS was developed. Stem cell and its derivatives (cell membranes, extracellular vesicles/exosomes) have been used as important drug delivery vehicles in the treatment of a number of human key diseases, such as genetic diseases, cancer and so on. For stem cells highly express chemokine receptors such as CCR2 and CXCR4, which can specifically bind to chemokines or cytokines produced in tissue injury sites, so they exhibit centripetal and homing properties, which is the reason why they are employed as DDS vehicles. Stem cell-based DDS effectively enhance the targeting and efficiency of drugs with low immunogenicity. We review the extremely prominent superiority of stem cells and its derivatives as drug delivery vehicles. Especially summarize the different targeting strategies and the major application in anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, tissue repair and regenerative medicine fields. The challenges of stem cell-based targeted DDS are still how to enhance their targeting, selectivity, effectiveness, reducing immunogenicity, and fully exerting its immunomodulatory effects. We think stem cell and its derivatives-based DDS will demonstrate their significant prospects in the future.