Plumbago zeylanica L. (Plumbaginaceae) commonly known, as chitrak is pharmacologically important plant. Various studies have been undertaken to assess the pharmacological potential of different parts of the plant namely like roots, stem, flower, and leaves as antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antifertility, antiulcer, antifungal and wound healing. The intention of the present review is to deliver a concise account on its ethnobotanical uses, phytochemistry with an in-depth study of its phytoconstituents, facts and prospects of its potential pharmacological activities of this golden plant. An extensive literature survey was undertaken through different online platforms viz. Google Scholar and online databases namely PubMed, Science Direct and Springer. All papers based on traditional medicinal uses and pharmacological properties were included. Sixty three research articles and review articles were found to be apt for inclusion into the review. About 150 articles were retrieved for the purpose. The elaborative results vindicated that Plumbago zeylanica L. holds significant prospects in major health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, ulcer, liver problems, obesity, wound healing, cancer etc.

This review mainly focus on targeted drug delivery to the colon is extremely desirable for local treatment of inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis, crohn's disease, amoebiasis, colonic cancer as well as for systemic delivery of protein and peptide drugs. The colon is a site where local delivery allows topical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and systemic delivery of drug can take place. Treatment of colon can be made effective if the drug can be targeted directly into the colon because drug release and absorption should not be take in abdomen and the small intestine and bioactive agents should not be degraded and to allow drug release into the colon. Drug targeting to the colonic area is not only associated with the treatment of colonic ailment locally but also delivering drugs such as protein and peptide for their systemic effects which are degraded and bioavailability is very depressed due to the instability in the GI Tract.

Background: In dermatology, the topical application of liposomes has proven to be of therapeutic value. Many drugs encapsulated into liposomes have shown enhanced skin penetration. Methods: Liposomes are lipid based spherical vesicles. In structure and composition, they resembles cell membrane. Because of their amphipathic nature, they can be used as carriers for hydrophilic as well as lipophilic therapeutic agents. These liposomal systems can easily get integrated with the skin lipids and maintain the desired hydration conditions to improve drug penetration and localization in the skin layers. Results: Considering the need for topical delivery and the promising potential of liposomes, an attempt has been made to explore the recent advances of liposome-based formulations in dermatological applications. Conclusion: The review summarizes the recent findings of liposome-based formulations for dermal delivery of drugs.

The present study aims to develop a combination of Nigella sativa seed oil (NSO) and virgin coconut oil (VCO)‐loaded liposomal gel as a topical drug delivery system for vitiligo. A 3 × 3 factorial design approach was adopted to study the effect of variables on liposome characteristics and performance. A total of nine batches were formed. The cholesterol: phospholipid (wt/wt) and drug (NSO:VCO) ratios (vol/vol) were marked as two independent variables, X1 and X2. The dependent variables selected were entrapment efficiency, vesicle size, and polydispersity index. Liposomes were fabricated by thin‐film hydration technology. A carbopol gel matrix was used to embed the optimized liposome vesicles, which were then tested for pH, viscosity, ability to spread, and stability. Better stability for topical drug delivery systems was demonstrated by the incorporation of liposomes in gel prepared from cross‐linked polyacrylate. In vitro drug release, ex vivo drug permeation and drug retention were compared between liposomal and conventional preparations. Skin permeation and skin retention studies demonstrated that the prepared liposomal gel significantly extended the penetration of drugs into the skin and retained more drugs in the skin when compared to liposomal dispersion and conventional gel formulations. The stability of the developed liposomal gel was assured at 5 ± 3°C and 25 ± 2°C. From the studies described above, it is concluded that liposomal gel is the best‐suited formulation among all the preparations examined. The enhanced epidermal localization and accumulation of therapeutic moiety on the disease site could improve the effectiveness of the treatment.

Background In the present study, an HPTLC (high-performance thin-layer chromatography) method was developed for the quantitative determination and validation of the curcumin in the methanolic fraction of Curcuma longa L. For achieving good separation of curcumin, the mobile phase of chloroform:methanol (97:3) was used. The densitometric analysis of curcumin was performed at 420 nm in reflection/absorption mode. Results Linearity of the method was obtained in the range of 100‒600 ng per spot. During analysis, the methanolic fraction of the C. longa showed the presence of a quantifiable amount of curcumin. The content of curcumin was found to be 1.5% (per dry weight). Conclusions The method is specific, simple, precise, and accurate. The obtained data can have used for the routine analysis of the reported biomarkers in crude drugs and extracts. The quantification and the method validation of curcumin have not yet been reported in C. longa which can be utilized for the proper standardization of the plant.