Search Results (4,518)

Despite their vital physiological roles, oxidative imbalance caused by reactive oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, and chlorine species damages essential body macromolecules such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids through oxidative stress. This stress is strongly associated with cancer, inflammation, neurological and cardiovascular disorders, and other chronic human diseases. Therefore, antioxidants, natural or synthetic, that counteract oxidative damage are important, with increasing interest in their use within the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. However, due to toxicity concerns with the synthetic variants, natural antioxidants are increasingly preferred. Extremophile-derived antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutases, catalases, peroxidases, carotenoids, and melanin, are of renewed interest due to their remarkable stability, robustness, and potency under extreme conditions of temperature, pH, and salinity. These make them better than many mesophile-derived antioxidants and excellent candidates for cost-effective biotechnological, research, and industrial processes that require high operational efficiency. This review summarises key classes of selected enzymatic and pigment antioxidants, their mechanisms of action, and their industrial relevance, with a focus on extremophilic microalgae, bacteria, and fungi. The benefits of extremophilic antioxidants are discussed alongside their current applications and existing challenges, including the need to develop efficient delivery systems, scalability issues, and limited characterisation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Drug repositioning has emerged as a promising strategy to address the innovation crisis in pharmaceutical development. While artificial intelligence enables efficient in silico hypothesis generation, clinical translation remains challenging. This study aims to evaluate the role of Real-World Evidence (RWE) in validating AI-generated drug-repositioning candidates. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted in PubMed using a predefined search strategy integrating drug repositioning, artificial intelligence, and real-world data. After multi-stage screening, 22 original research articles were included for analysis. Results: Network-based algorithms and natural language processing dominated AI-driven hypothesis generation. Validation using Electronic Health Records and insurance databases enabled retrospective assessment of drug efficacy across large populations. Successful applications were identified in neurodegenerative, metabolic, infectious, autoimmune, and psychiatric diseases. Conclusions: The integration of AI-based analytics with RWE provides a promising framework for the preliminary verification of computational predictions, potentially informing the translational pathway toward clinical practice. However, the effectiveness of this approach remains dependent on data quality and the specific therapeutic context, requiring further standardization of clinical data. Full article

Health-promoting foods are attracting growing interest as complements to pharmacological interventions, particularly when incorporated into bioactive-enriched functional foods. The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) plays a key socio-economic role in arid and semi-arid regions, and is widely recognized for its high nutritional value, functional attributes, and therapeutic potential. Date fruits and their processing by-products, particularly the seeds, are a rich source of essential nutrients, dietary fiber, and diverse phytochemicals with documented antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties. This narrative review summarizes the latest evidence from experimental, preclinical, and emerging clinical studies on the nutritional composition, phytochemical profile, and biofunctional properties of dates and their derivatives, with particular emphasis on seeds as a significant processing by-product. Recent advances in their valorization for food applications, including bakery products, dairy products, beverages, meat products, confectionery, and active packaging, are critically discussed, as are their emerging uses in the pharmaceutical and related industries. Particular attention is given to their potential to improve the nutritional quality, functional performance, sensory attributes, and shelf life of food products. Overall, date fruits and their by-products are cost-effective, natural, and sustainable ingredients for developing value-added functional foods. Their efficient valorization offers promising strategies for reducing waste, implementing circular economy principles, and meeting the increasing consumer demand for healthier products. This review highlights the need for multidisciplinary research and innovation to advance sustainable by-product utilization, improve agro-industrial waste management, and expand the range of high-value applications for date fruits and seeds, thereby contributing to global food security, economic development, and improved public health. Full article

Supercritical CO₂ (S-CO₂) extraction is one of the most employed techniques for the extraction of bioactive compounds for its safety, effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and good environmental compliance. Smyrnium olusatrum L. (Apiaceae) is an aromatic plant of great interest due to its potential applications in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and oleochemical fields. Its bioactivity is caused by furanosesquiterpenes, mainly represented by isofuranodiene (IFD). The extraction of this compound is usually achieved through Soxhlet or hydrodistillation. However, the latter usually leads to the thermal Cope rearrangement of IFD into its isomer curzerene, resulting in low recovery. This study reported for the first time the optimization of S-CO₂ extraction of IFD from S. olusatrum schizocarps. Pressure (MPa), extraction time (min), and static mode (%) were varied while the temperature was maintained at 45 °C to avoid IFD thermal degradation. The optimized process (50 MPa, 60 min, 25% static mode) provided an extraction yield and an IFD recovery of 8.50 and 0.94% and avoided the thermal degradation of the compound. This study demonstrated that S-CO₂ extraction is a valuable alternative to conventional hydrodistillation (extraction yield and IFD recovery of 2.64 and 0.77%) and Soxhlet (extraction yield and IFD recovery of 9.49 and 0.85%) to recover IFD from S. olusatrum. Full article

Biobased hybrid semiconducting composites are attracting significant attention as sustainable alternatives to traditional inorganic photocatalysts for environmental remediation and energy-related applications. Recent research progress in biobased hybrid photocatalytic systems is critically reviewed to outline their design strategies, photocatalytic mechanisms, and environmental applications. These composites integrate bioderived polymers with metal oxide semiconductors, forming hybrid architectures that improve interfacial contact at the molecular level, enhance charge transfer efficiency, and impart higher structural flexibility. The polymer matrix not only provides mechanical adaptability and functional surface groups, but also serves as an environmentally friendly support that can modulate surface electronic states and influence the photoinduced electron–hole dynamics in the inorganic phase. By controlling the molecular interactions between the polymer chains and metal oxide surfaces, these hybrids can mitigate key limitations of conventional metal oxides, such as rapid electron–hole recombination and restricted visible-light absorption. This review first summarizes the fundamental electronic and structural properties of widely employed metal oxide semiconductors and highlights their intrinsic limitations in photocatalytic processes. It then examines the role of biopolymers from the perspective of molecular structure, charge transport pathways, and interfacial interaction mechanisms with the inorganic component. Various synthesis strategies—including sol–gel, hydrothermal, in situ nanoparticle generation, green synthesis, and surface functionalization—are discussed, with emphasis on their ability to tune the nanoscale morphology and interfacial chemistry of the hybrids. Applications of these biohybrid systems in dye degradation, pharmaceutical pollutant removal, heavy metal reduction, and antimicrobial photocatalysis are analyzed alongside mechanistic insights into charge separation efficiency and band alignment at the molecular interface. Furthermore, challenges related to long-term stability, reproducibility, scalability, and performance in real wastewater matrices are also addressed. Overall, this review provides a thorough discussion on the design principles, photocatalytic mechanism, and environmental applications of biobased hybrid semiconductors, while emphasizing future opportunities for the development of efficient and sustainable photocatalytic systems. Full article

Microalgae and cyanobacteria have emerged as platforms for producing recombinant biologics, vaccine antigens, and bioactive compounds of pharmaceutical interest. However, their translation beyond proof-of-concept remains limited by light-field heterogeneity, gas–liquid mass-transfer constraints, product instability, and matrix complexity, all of which affect recovery, selectivity, and batch comparability. This review synthesizes and organizes published evidence using a process-engineering framework organized around product class, product localization, upstream–downstream coupling, and photobioreactor scale-up. It further considers the role of Quality by Design (QbD), model-informed development, techno-economic assessment (TEA), and life cycle assessment (LCA) in route selection and quality-oriented process development. Across the reported routes, the dominant burden shifts from disruption and clarification in intracellular products to extracellular stability and time-to-capture in secreted products, whereas biomass-based formulations are governed by potency and stabilization consistency, and analog-rich metabolites by profile control and selective fractionation. Current limitations include the scarcity of models that incorporate quality attributes as explicit outputs, the incomplete representation of regulated manufacturing burdens in TEA and LCA, and the lack of minimal, reproducible analytical panels adapted to product class and matrix. By framing these organisms as pharmaceutical process platforms rather than as hosts assessed only by titer, this review provides an engineering basis for scale-up, route prioritization, and controllable manufacturing. Full article

Background/Objectives: Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) produced via hot-melt extrusion (HME) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing represent a promising strategy for improving the performance of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, the integrated HME-FDM workflow is inherently energy-intensive, and sustainability considerations are rarely incorporated into formulation and process optimization. The present study aimed to develop and optimize indomethacin (IND) ASDs using a systematic Design of Experiment (DoE) framework that integrates electrical energy consumption as a quantitative response alongside pharmaceutical performance attributes. Methods: Polymer–plasticizer miscibility was screened using hot-stage microscopy, followed by filament preparation via HME. A factorial DoE was applied to optimize drug loading and extrusion temperature considering electrical energy consumption, extrusion yield, encapsulation efficiency, and residual crystallinity. Solid-state characterization was performed using DSC and XRD. The optimized filament was subsequently subjected to geometry screening and a second DoE to optimize platform temperature, nozzle temperature, and printing speed with respect to printing time, electrical energy consumption, and drug assay. Results: Complete drug amorphization was achieved within a defined thermal window, with residual crystallinity governed by kinetic dissolution constraints at lower extrusion temperatures. Electrical energy demand during both HME and FDM was strongly influenced by thermal setpoints and process duration. Multi-response overlay analysis identified sustainability-oriented operating windows for both stages. Experimental validation confirmed close agreement between predicted and observed responses, demonstrating simultaneous reduction in electrical demand and maintenance of dose accuracy and solid-state stability. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that electrical energy consumption can be systematically embedded as a quantitative design variable in pharmaceutical process optimization. The proposed dual-stage DoE strategy establishes a rational framework for developing 3D-printed ASD dosage forms that balance molecular performance and environmental efficiency. Full article

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), as persistent organic pollutants, are widely present in various aquatic environments. Their long-term presence in aquatic environments poses a potential threat to ecosystems and human health. This study established an efficient, green, and cost-effective photocatalytic method using P25 titanium dioxide (P25TiO₂) to simultaneously degrade five representative PPCPs (methyl paraben (MeP), carbamazepine (CBZ), bisphenol A (BPA), diclofenac (DFC), and triclosan (TCS), while elucidating the reaction mechanisms. Under sunlight irradiation, degradation rates for all five PPCPs reached 100%, achieving near-complete mineralization with total organic carbon (TOC) removal rates exceeding 95%. This demonstrates the system’s exceptional capability to not only degrade the parent compounds but to thoroughly convert them into benign inorganic substances. We systematically investigated the effects of catalyst concentration, initial pollutant concentration, light intensity, pH, and various common inorganic anions (chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, phosphate) and humic acid (HA) on the degradation process. Additionally, mechanistic studies indicated that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are the primary active species in the system. The degradation rate differences among various persistent organic pollutants (DFC > BPA > TCS > CBZ > MeP) primarily stem from variations in the reactivity of different functional groups within their molecular structures toward ·OH. In summary, this study provides a promising and practical solution for treating complex medical wastewater containing five typical PPCPs. Full article

The synthesis of sustainable and promising biomaterials for biomedical applications has recently gained increasing importance. In this study, a hybrid hydrogel was synthesized from empty palm date bunches through the blending of natural (carboxymethyl cellulose) and synthetic polymers (polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone) using both traditional and microwave-assisted methods. The aim was to investigate the ability of the hydrogel to immobilize and control the release of bovine serum albumin (BSA), a model protein widely used in pharmaceutical biotechnology. The effect of key parameters such as pH, temperature and hydrogel dosage on protein immobilization was investigated. Optimal results were observed at a pH of 7.4, a temperature of 37 °C and a dosage of 2 g/L—such conditions are very close to the human physiological environment. Kinetic and isotherm models indicated that the immobilization process adhered to pseudo-second-order kinetics and was well-fitted to the Langmuir isotherm. This implied a monolayer adsorption mechanism on a comparatively homogeneous surface. The release studies demonstrated a time-dependent and diffusion-controlled trend, with BSA attaining equilibrium release at 150 min. Overall, the results underline the potential of the microwave-synthesized plant-based hydrogel as a promising material for controlled drug delivery and other biomedical applications due to its efficiency and sustainability. Full article

Emerging pharmaceutical contaminants, including sulfonamide antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole (SMX), persist in natural water bodies at ng L⁻¹ to µg L⁻¹ concentrations and are inadequately removed by conventional wastewater treatment technologies, posing significant ecological and public health risks. Porphyrin-based quantum catalysts activated by peroxymonosulfate (PMS) represent a promising advanced oxidation strategy for the remediation of such recalcitrant micro-pollutants. However, the precise molecular mechanisms governing their catalytic activity remain incompletely understood. In this study, we present a comprehensive mechanistic investigation of SMX oxidation catalyzed by Mn (III) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (Mn-TPP) in the presence of PMS, employing spin-unrestricted density functional theory (DFT) at the Becke, 3-parameter, Lee–Yang–Parr (B3LYP-D3BJ) level of theory with dispersion corrections. Full Gibbs free energy profiles for the catalytic cycle were constructed through geometry optimizations using the LACVP basis set on Mn and 6-31G(d,p) on all non-metal atoms, followed by single-point energy calculation at the 6-311+G(d,p) level, incorporating the SMD implicit solvation model to stimulate aqueous environment conditions. The results demonstrate that the oxidation of Mn TPP by PMS to generate the key high-valent intermediate Mn(V)=O(TPP)⁺ is thermodynamically and kinetically favorable. The activation barrier for Mn(V)=O(TPP)⁺ formation via PMS activation is ΔG† = 17.2 kcal mol⁻¹ (SMD water, 298 K), confirming that this step is kinetically accessible under ambient environmental conditions. Subsequent SMX oxidation processes proceed via concerted radical and non-radical mechanistic pathways, with the most thermodynamically favorable route exhibiting a strongly exergonic reaction-free energy (ΔGr), indicating that significant mineralization of the target pollutant is thermodynamically accessible. The transition state analysis reveals spin density localization characteristic of the Mn-Oxo species, establishing a direct correlation between quantum confinement effects, electronic structure and the observed catalytic selectivity and oxidation stability of the Mn-TPP system. These mechanistic insights provide quantitative molecular-level design parameters, including activation barriers, spin state requirements, and electronic structure descriptors for the rational optimization of next-generation porphyrin-based quantum catalysts capable of efficiently degrading persistent pharmaceutical contaminants in complex aqueous matrices. Full article

Amines are indispensable structural motifs in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, functional materials, and beyond, driving continuous demand for efficient synthetic methods. While established strategies like cross-coupling and reductive amination are prevalent, traditional batch processes often suffer from limitations in mixing, heat/mass transfer, safety, and scalability. Flow chemistry emerges as a powerful process intensification technology, offering enhanced transport properties, precise parameter control, and improved safety profiles, thereby presenting a highly efficient approach for amine synthesis. This review systematically summarizes representative advances in flow chemistry for amination reactions from 2015 onward. It encompasses a broad range of enabling scenarios (e.g., heterogeneous, thermally activated, and enzymatic amination, among others), analyzed through the lens of process intensification. This review also examines the development of novel continuous-flow amination processes and the study of reaction kinetics leveraging flow chemistry. By providing a consolidated reference on the field’s evolution over the past decade, this review aims to guide researchers toward developing more efficient, sustainable, and scalable flow-based amination processes. Full article

This study presents a novel, integrated membrane–resin hybrid platform for the high-efficiency purification of N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid, NANA) from complex microbial fermentation broths. By synergistically combining four sequential stages—ceramic microfiltration (50 nm), ultrafiltration (3 kDa), nanofiltration (150 Da), and dual-resin purification (macroporous adsorption + cation-exchange)—the process achieves stepwise removal of cells, proteins, pigments, monovalent salts, and divalent metal ions without using organic solvents or high-salt buffers. Critically, each stage demonstrates high target recovery: 76.2% (CM), 67.3% (UF), and 77.5% (NF), with near-quantitative retention (>95%) during resin treatment due to NANA’s low hydrophobicity and electrostatic repulsion at pH 6.8. Following optimised acidification crystallisation (acetic acid dosage = 3 × concentrate volume; sialic acid concentrate concentration = 333.49 g/L), the final product reaches 97.9% purity with a crystalline yield of 78.6%. This scalable, green purification strategy eliminates major bottlenecks in downstream processing and enables industrial-scale production of pharmaceutical-grade sialic acid, with broad applicability to other high-value acidic biomolecules. Full article

The presence of pharmaceutical residues, such as ibuprofen, in aquatic environments poses a growing environmental challenge due to their persistence and potential ecotoxicological effects. In this study, a novel biohybrid composite based on pyrolysed rice husk (biochar) modified with Bacillus cereus cells was developed for the efficient removal of ibuprofen from aqueous solutions. The material was comprehensively characterised using SEM, BET, TGA, CHN analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy. Pyrolysis significantly increased the surface area (up to 300 m² g⁻¹) and porosity compared to raw rice husk, while bacterial immobilisation introduced additional functional groups, enhancing surface heterogeneity. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated a clear improvement in adsorption capacity in the order of rice husk < biochar < composite. The maximum Langmuir adsorption capacities were 4.86, 11.68, and 13.73 mg g⁻¹ for rice husk, biochar, and the composite, respectively. Isotherm modelling indicated that ibuprofen adsorption was best described by the Langmuir and the Freundlich models, suggesting a combination of monolayer adsorption and heterogeneous surface interactions. Isotherm analyses (D–R energy values < 9 kJ mol⁻¹) indicate that ibuprofen removal occurs predominantly through physisorption, governed by π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and surface heterogeneity rather than chemisorption. Kinetic studies revealed rapid adsorption behaviour, with pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models providing the best fit (R² up to 0.997). The Weber–Morris model confirmed that intraparticle diffusion contributed to the process but was not the sole rate-limiting step. The enhanced performance of the composite is attributed to synergistic effects between physicochemical adsorption on the porous carbon matrix and interactions with bacterial cell wall functional groups. The developed composite represents a low-cost, sustainable, and highly effective material for ibuprofen removal from contaminated water. Full article

Polymers are fundamental components of modern pharmaceutical manufacturing, serving critical roles as excipients, binders, coatings, and matrices for controlled drug delivery systems. However, the conventional production of pharmaceutical polymers relies heavily on petrochemical feedstocks, energy-intensive processes, and hazardous solvents, leading to significant environmental and economic burdens. In recent years, increasing regulatory pressure, environmental awareness, and sustainability goals have driven the pharmaceutical industry toward greener manufacturing strategies. This review critically examines sustainable green polymer production for pharmaceutical applications, with a focus on both environmental and economic impacts. The review discusses the role of polymers in pharmaceutical manufacturing, outlines the limitations of conventional polymer synthesis, and highlights the relevance of green chemistry principles in addressing these challenges. Key green polymer synthesis techniques, including biopolymer production, enzymatic polymerization, microwave-assisted synthesis, supercritical CO₂ processing, and the use of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents, are systematically evaluated. Additionally, life-cycle assessment (LCA) approaches are explored to assess the environmental performance of green polymer processes in comparison with traditional methods. Beyond environmental sustainability, this review emphasizes the importance of pharmacoeconomic evaluation in determining the feasibility of adopting green polymers at an industrial scale. Cost–benefit analyses, manufacturing cost comparisons, long-term economic advantages, and health–economic outcomes are discussed in the context of pharmaceutical supply chains. Regulatory perspectives, industrial implementation challenges, and future directions are also addressed. Overall, this review highlights sustainable polymer innovation as a critical pathway toward environmentally responsible, economically viable, and future-ready pharmaceutical manufacturing. Full article

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are the main by-product generated by the coffee industry, with an estimated annual production of approximately 7 million tons. Although commonly treated as waste, SCG constitute a valuable source of phenolic compounds, particularly chlorogenic acid, which has been associated with antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. These bioactive compounds are of interest as functional ingredients for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. However, their recovery by conventional extraction methods often depends on volatile, flammable, or toxic organic solvents. In this context, hydrophobic eutectic solvents (HES) have emerged as a greener and more sustainable alternative. In the present study, phenolic compounds were extracted from SCG using HES combined with microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). Sixteen terpene-based HES formulated with fatty acids and fatty alcohols were evaluated. Among them, camphor:dodecanoic acid and borneol:dodecanoic acid gave the highest total phenolic contents. Process optimization showed that the borneol:dodecanoic acid system, under 12% water content, a 1:10 solid-to-liquid ratio, 57 °C, and 120 min, reached 80.94 ± 4.44 mg GAE g⁻¹ by MAE. HPLC analysis revealed chlorogenic, caffeic, and ferulic acids as the main phenolic compounds, while the extracts also displayed high antioxidant activity. Overall, these findings demonstrate that HES-MAE is a promising and sustainable strategy for the recovery of value-added phenolics from SCG. Full article