Bulletin of Advanced Drug Delivery and Therapeutics

POLYHERBAL AQUEOUS GEL FORMULATIONS CONTAINING GUAVA, ALOE VERA, AND ACACIA LEAVES FOR ORAL ULCER MANAGEMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Narender Boggula — 2026-06-15

Oral ulcers are among the most common disorders affecting the oral mucosa and are characterized by localized epithelial destruction, inflammation, pain, and impairment of normal oral functions. These lesions significantly affect patients’ quality of life by interfering with eating, speaking, swallowing, and maintaining oral hygiene. Although conventional therapies such as corticosteroids, antiseptics, analgesics, and antibiotics provide symptomatic relief, their long-term use may be associated with adverse effects, recurrence, microbial resistance, and inadequate healing. Consequently, there has been growing interest in herbal and polyherbal formulations as safer and more effective alternatives for oral ulcer management. Among medicinal plants, Psidium guajava (guava), Aloe vera, and Acacia species have received considerable attention owing to their extensive traditional use and scientifically validated pharmacological properties. These plants contain diverse phytoconstituents including flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols, polysaccharides, alkaloids, and terpenoids that exhibit antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, immunomodulatory, and wound-healing activities. The combination of these botanicals in an aqueous gel formulation offers a synergistic therapeutic approach by targeting multiple pathological mechanisms involved in ulcer development and healing. Aqueous gels further enhance therapeutic efficacy through prolonged mucosal retention, ease of application, improved patient compliance, and localized drug delivery. This review comprehensively discusses the etiology and pathophysiology of oral ulcers, limitations of conventional treatments, phytochemical and pharmacological profiles of guava, aloe vera, and acacia, scientific rationale for polyherbal combinations, formulation approaches, evaluation parameters, preclinical and clinical evidence, safety considerations, and future perspectives. The available evidence suggests that polyherbal aqueous gels containing guava, aloe vera, and acacia leaves represent a promising, cost-effective, and patient-friendly strategy for oral ulcer management.

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF HERBAL SHAMPOOS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Venkateswara Rao Pragada — 2026-06-15

Herbal shampoos have emerged as an important segment of cosmetic and cosmeceutical products owing to increasing consumer preference for natural, safe, and environmentally sustainable personal care products. Unlike conventional synthetic shampoos, herbal shampoos incorporate plant-derived ingredients that provide cleansing, conditioning, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hair-growth-promoting properties. Numerous medicinal plants such as Emblica officinalis (amla), Sapindus mukorossi (reetha), Acacia concinna (shikakai), Azadirachta indica (neem), Aloe vera, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Eclipta alba (bhringraj), and Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) have been traditionally employed in hair care due to their beneficial phytochemical constituents. The formulation of herbal shampoos requires careful selection of herbal extracts, surfactants, conditioning agents, preservatives, thickeners, and fragrances to achieve desirable physicochemical properties and consumer acceptability. Evaluation parameters such as pH, viscosity, foam volume, foam stability, wetting ability, dirt dispersion, surface tension, and stability testing are essential for ensuring product quality and efficacy. Herbal shampoos offer several advantages, including reduced chemical exposure, biodegradability, improved scalp health, and multifunctional therapeutic effects. However, challenges related to standardization, quality control, phytochemical variability, and regulatory compliance continue to affect their commercial development. Recent advances in phytochemical analysis, extraction technologies, and cosmeceutical research have significantly enhanced the scientific basis of herbal shampoo formulations. This review comprehensively discusses the formulation strategies, herbal ingredients, evaluation methods, quality considerations, and future prospects of herbal shampoos, highlighting their growing significance in modern hair-care science.

RECENT ADVANCES IN LANSOPRAZOLE SUSTAINED-RELEASE TABLET FORMULATIONS AND EVALUATION: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Suchitra Duddagi — 2026-06-15

Lansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) extensively used in the management of acid-related gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, Zollinger–Ellison syndrome, and Helicobacter pylori-associated infections. Despite its therapeutic efficacy, the drug exhibits several formulation challenges, such as acid instability, short plasma half-life, and variable bioavailability. These limitations have prompted extensive research into sustained-release (SR) tablet formulations aimed at prolonging drug release, enhancing gastric protection, improving patient compliance, and maintaining therapeutic plasma concentrations over extended periods. Recent advances in pharmaceutical technology have facilitated the development of innovative sustained-release systems utilizing hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers, matrix tablets, osmotic delivery systems, multiparticulate formulations, gastro-retentive platforms, and nanotechnology-assisted approaches. These systems have demonstrated significant improvements in drug stability, controlled release behavior, pharmacokinetic performance, and clinical outcomes. Various formulation strategies employ polymers such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), ethyl cellulose, Eudragit derivatives, carbopol, and sodium alginate to achieve desired release profiles. Comprehensive evaluation techniques including physicochemical characterization, dissolution studies, stability assessments, swelling behavior, kinetic modeling, and in vivo investigations are crucial for ensuring formulation quality and performance. This review critically discusses the physicochemical properties of lansoprazole, formulation approaches for sustained-release tablets, recent technological advancements, evaluation methodologies, regulatory considerations, challenges, and future perspectives. The article highlights contemporary research trends and provides a comprehensive overview for researchers and formulation scientists involved in the development of advanced oral controlled-release drug delivery systems.

ADENO-ASSOCIATED VIRUS-MEDIATED OTOF GENE THERAPY: ADVANCES, CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Rithwik M — 2026-06-15

Hearing loss is a prevalent sensory disorder, and gene therapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy, particularly through adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery of the OT OF gene. This systematic literature review examines the current state of AAV-based OTOF gene therapy, with a focus on recent advancements, existing challenges, and future research directions. We synthesize findings from published studies to address key questions regarding the efficacy of different AAV vector platforms, the influence of immune responses on therapeutic outcomes, and the technical considerations associated with inner ear gene delivery. In addition, the review explores broader applications of AAV-mediated gene therapy across other genetic disorders, providing valuable context for its potential use in audiological treatments. Through a comprehensive analysis of the literature, we identify critical knowledge gaps, including the relationship between gene-editing approaches and hearing restoration, as well as the neural circuit mechanisms that contribute to auditory function recovery. Current evidence demonstrates encouraging preclinical outcomes, particularly in animal models of otoferlin-related hearing loss; however, significant challenges remain. These include immune-mediated barriers, limitations in vector capacity and transduction efficiency, and the need for optimized delivery strategies. The review concludes with recommendations for future research, emphasizing the development of improved vector systems, refinement of intracochlear delivery techniques, comprehensive long-term safety evaluations, and translational studies to facilitate the progression from preclinical investigations to clinical application. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive foundation for researchers and clinicians seeking to advance effective gene therapies for hereditary hearing loss.

CHITOSAN-COATED POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Sri Ram Sailesh R — 2026-06-15

Alzheimer's disease remains a formidable therapeutic challenge, largely due to the blood brain barrier restricting drug access to the central nervous system. We systematically synthesize preclinical evidence on chitosan-coated polymeric nanoparticles as a non invasive intranasal delivery platform for targeted Alzheimer's therapy. Our central hypothesis is that the mucoadhesive and permeation-enhancing properties of chitosan coatings can significantly improve brain bioavailability and neurotherapeutic efficacy of both synthetic drugs and natural compounds. We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published from 2010 onward, extracting data on nanoparticle physicochemical properties, cellular uptake, neuroimmune modulation, and pharmacokinetics. The retrieved studies exhibited substantial heterogeneity in core materials but consistently demonstrated that chitosan-coated systems enhanced brain targeted delivery. For instance, a mannose-functionalized chitosan-coated PLGA system co-delivering cannabidiol and BDNF plasmid achieved a zeta potential of +31.7 mV and particle size of 306 nm, while a chitosan-coated liposomal donepezil system showed the highest cellular uptake efficiency of 66.8%. Neuroimmune modulation was evidenced by curcumin-encapsulated chitosan-coated PLGA nanoparticles reducing tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels to 70% of the positive control in BV-2 microglial cells. Furthermore, in vivo studies with synaptic acid-loaded chitosan-solid lipid nanoparticles in amyloid-betainduced mice reported a 1.7-fold increase in drug half-life and improved cognition. However, critical translational gaps emerged: standardized muco adhesion metrics in primary human nasal epithelial cells under flow conditions were absent, comprehensive profiling of microglial and astrocytic polarization shifts in aged models was not performed, and no direct proteomic comparison of cerebrospinal fluid-derived versus plasma-derived protein corona was retrieved. Moreover, ex vivo hippocampal slice studies linking synaptic plasticity to nanoparticle exposure were lacking, and circadian glymphatic clearance mapping in freely moving animals remained unreported.