Honey is a viscous, hygroscopic liquid in nature. It has the ability to treat wounds, wrinkles, aging, and inflammation. This study’s objective was to create and characterize a nanoemulsion containing honey and evaluate its stability.

A pseudo-ternary phase diagram was retraced with several concentrations of the Smix, water, and liquid paraffin oil to formulate nanoemulsions containing honey. From the results of pre-formulation stability studies, formulation HNE-19, with a hydrophilic lipophilic balance value of 10, and a surfactant and oil ratio of 1:1, was selected as the most stable formulation. HNE-19 and base (B-19) were further subjected to thermodynamic studies of heating and cooling cycles and centrifugation. HNE-19 and its respective base B-19 were characterized for physical changes, droplet size analysis, pH measurements, turbidity, viscosity, and rheological parameters for a period of 90 days.

Results showed that the nanoemulsion containing honey was clear and milky white. There was no evidence of phase separation in HNE-19 and B-19 after the thermodynamic study. The droplet size of fresh HNE-19 was 91.07 nm with a zeta potential of −38.5 mV. After three months, the droplet size and zeta potential were 197.06 nm and −32.5 mV respectively. The observed pH was between 5.8 and 6.7, which corresponds with the pH of the skin. HNE-19 showed non-Newtonian flow and pseudo-plastic behaviour.

Stability and characterization showed that the nanoemulsion containing honey is a remarkable topical delivery formulation and could be evaluated comparatively with conventional topical applications against skin-related diseases like wounds, wrinkles, aging, and inflammations.

Natural products have been used effectively to treat different ailments since the advent of human history. Angiosperms contain numerous bioactive molecules that have been applied as medicines to treat various human diseases, including cancer. Jamun (Syzygium cumini) is an angiosperm belonging to the Myrtaceae family. This comprehensive review on Jamun includes information collected from Google Scholar, SciFinder, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and other websites on the internet, giving an account of its botanical profile, chemical composition, and medicinal properties. Ethnomedicinally, various parts of Jamun are used to treat various conditions and have been administered since ancient times in Ayurveda to treat arthritis, obesity, urinary diseases, asthma, bowel spasms, stomach pain, flatulence, diabetes, and dysentery. Several scientific studies also have demonstrated the pluripotent medicinal properties of Jamun, including anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, antiretinitis, antipyretic, antidiarrheal, antinociceptive, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, diuretic, cardioprotective, chemopreventive, gastroprotective, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, wound healing, anthelmintic, and radioprotective. Jamun contains alkaloids, anthraquinones, catechins, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, phenols, tannins, and saponins. Numerous active phytochemicals have been isolated from its roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Jamun increases glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase expression and reduces lipid peroxidation levels to exert its beneficial effects on important organs and tissues. Jamun also protects against DNA damage induced by toxic agents including metals, chemicals and ionizing radiation. Jamun activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha and gamma and increases fatty acid and glucose metabolism. Additionally, Jamun suppresses various genes at the molecular level. Thus, the scientific evaluation of Jamun is a step forward in validating its traditional use to treat various disorders and may pave the way for translational research for its medicinal use.

Partial hepatectomy is a first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. Within 2 weeks following partial hepatectomy, specific molecular pathways are activated to promote liver regeneration. Nevertheless, residual microtumors may also exploit these pathways to reappear and metastasize. Therapeutically targeting molecules that are differentially regulated between normal cells and malignancies, such as fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1), appears to be an effective approach. The potential functions of FGL1 in both regenerative and malignant cells are discussed within the ambit of this review. While FGL1 is normally elevated in regenerative hepatocytes, it is normally downregulated in malignant cells. Hepatectomy does indeed upregulate FGL1 by increasing the release of transcription factors that promote FGL1, including HNF-1α and STAT3, and inflammatory effectors, such as TGF-β and IL6. This, in turn, stimulates certain proliferative pathways, including EGFR/Src/ERK. Hepatectomy alters the phase transition of highly differentiated hepatocytes from G0 to G1, thereby transforming susceptible cells into cancerous ones. Activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway by FGL1 allele loss on chromosome 8, a tumor suppressor area, may also cause hepatocellular carcinoma. Interestingly, FGL1 is specifically expressed in the liver via HNF-1α histone acetylase activity, which triggers lipid metabolic reprogramming in malignancies. FGL1 might also be involved in other carcinogenesis processes such as hypoxia, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, immunosuppression, and sorafenib-mediated drug resistance. This study highlights a research gap in these disciplines and the necessity for additional research on FGL1 function in the described processes.

The World Health Organization Reporting System for lung cytopathology is the first international system that was developed to standardize the reporting of lung cytopathology specimens across all settings of cytopathology practice. The system is composed of five diagnostic categories, which apply to all lung cytopathology specimen types. Each category contains cytomorphologic criteria, an estimated risk of malignancy, and clinical management recommendations. International uniformity in the reporting of lung cytopathology will refine the communication between cytopathologists and clinicians and ultimately improve patient care. Furthermore, standardizing the cytomorphologic criteria for each lesion will improve reproducibility among cytopathologists and highlight areas in lung cytopathology that require further research. The system also provides best practice recommendations for the selection of ancillary tests to aid in the diagnosis of each lesion, or group of lesions, keeping in mind that resources will vary across different practice settings. The goal of this review is to summarize the cytomorphologic criteria, potential diagnostic pitfalls, ancillary testing, estimated risk of malignancy, and clinical management recommendations for each diagnostic category.

After 3-years (144 week) of double-blind treatment in Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients in two ongoing phase 3 studies, tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) showed similar efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), with improved renal and bone safety. In this study, we aimed to report the 5-year results from 2 years into the open-label TAF treatment phase.

All participants completing the 144-week double-blind treatment were eligible to receive open-label TAF 25 mg once daily up to week 384. Serial analysis of viral suppression (hepatitis B virus DNA <29 IU/mL), alanine aminotransferase normalization, serological responses, and safety outcomes at year 5 (week 240) was performed.

The open-label phase included 93% (311/334) of the enrolled participants, which included 212 who switched from double-blind TAF to open-label TAF (TAF-TAF) and 99 who switched from double-blind TDF to open-label TAF (TDF-TAF). Baseline characteristics were comparable. Week 240 viral suppression rates were similar between groups [93.4% vs. 93.9%; difference: −1.5%, (95% CI: −6.4 to −3.5), p=0.857]. Alanine aminotransferase normalization and serological response rates were higher in the TAF-TAF group than in the TDF-TAF group. The frequencies of adverse events and laboratory abnormalities were low and similar between groups. Both groups had similar small numerical declines from baseline in estimated glomerular filtration rate at year 5 (week 240, −2.85 mL/min vs. −3.29 mL/min, p=0.910). The greater declines in renal and bone parameters in the TDF-TAF group through week 144 improved after switching to TAF.

The 5-year TAF treatment efficacy was high and similar to that of 3-year TDF followed by 2-year TAF in Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients. Favorable effects on bone and renal parameters were sustained with TAF treatment alone and were observed following the switch from TDF to TAF.

Previous studies suggest that taurine supplementation may attenuate atherosclerosis by reducing lipid levels. However, energy drinks containing taurine have been shown to increase blood pressure, a key risk factor for atherosclerosis. Thus, the role of taurine in atherosclerosis remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the effect of taurine on the development of atherosclerotic plaques.

Plasma taurine levels were measured in 105 patients with varying degrees of coronary heart disease and in 40 healthy individuals using 1,2-13C2-taurine-based ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS). Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE−/−) C57BL/6J mice, fed a high-fat diet and subjected to left carotid artery ligation with cannula insertion, received taurine or saline for four consecutive days. Healthy control mice were fed a normal chow diet and underwent a sham operation. Serum taurine levels, lipid indicators, and arterial histology in the individual mice were examined.

Plasma taurine levels were significantly higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction (4.04 ± 0.24 μg/mL) compared to healthy controls (3.52 ± 0.22 μg/mL). Taurine treatment significantly decreased plaque areas in the carotid artery, reduced Masson’s Trichrome staining, and lowered the ratio of anti-α-SMA to anti-CD68 staining in ApoE−/− mice. Additionally, taurine treatment increased the levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 in the cultured vascular endothelial cells in vitro.

These findings suggest that taurine supplementation may reduce both the size and stability of atherosclerotic plaques. Therefore, dietary taurine supplements should be used with caution.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a cost-efficient technique for the management of thyroid nodules. Changes in the World Health Organization classification of thyroid tumors can influence reliability of cytology. The 2023 Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology has adapted cytological nomenclature to these changes. The aim of this paper was to analyze the management of atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) in our institution.

Retrospective review of thyroid FNAC diagnosed with AUS in a single hospital between 2014 and 2022. We analyzed the management of patients and the risk of malignancy associated with AUS.

AUS represented 7.5% of all thyroid FNAC diagnoses (273 patients). In 74.1% of the patients, FNAC was repeated, and 54.9% of the lesions were downgraded. Surgical resection of the nodule was performed in 38.2% of the patients, mostly after a repeat FNAC with upgrading. Ninety-one percent of the patients downgraded in the repeat FNAC did not undergo surgery. The risk of malignancy of the AUS category after repeat FNAC was 26.1%. AUS diagnosis was due to nuclear atypia in 32% of the patients, and we found a significant association between nuclear atypia and upgrading in repeat FNAC. Of the 96 patients who underwent surgery in our series, 42 had malignant lesions, including noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasms with papillary-like features.

The clinical management of AUS patients includes repeat FNAC, which is strongly correlated with the risk of malignancy. Nuclear atypia seems to be more predictive of malignancy than architectural patterns.

The application of antifibrotic drugs to treat patients with chronic liver diseases who are receiving antiviral therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been established. Here, we aimed to assess the impact of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Fuzheng Huayu (FZHY) on the occurrence of HCC in patients with hepatitis B virus-related compensated cirrhosis receiving the antiviral drug entecavir (ETV).

A multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed. Compensated liver cirrhosis patients were divided into the ETV+FZHY group or the ETV group according to treatment. The cumulative incidence of HCC was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests. Propensity score matching was used for confounding factors. Stratified analysis and Cox regression were used to determine the effects of FZHY on the occurrence of HCC and liver function decompensation.

Out of 910 chronic hepatitis B patients, 458 were in the ETV+FZHY group and 452 were in the ETV group. After propensity score matching, the 5-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 9.8% in the ETV+FZHY group and 21.8% in the ETV group (p<0.01). The adjusted hazard ratio for HCC was 0.216 (0.108, 0.432) when FZHY treatment was >36 months. Age, diabetes, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, albumin, hepatitis B e-antigen, and fibrosis 4 score were associated with the occurrence of HCC. FZHY decreased the risk of HCC in patients aged >45 years with a hepatitis B virus DNA level of ≥2,000 IU/l.

Adjunctive FZHY treatment reduced HCC occurrence in patients with hepatitis B virus cirrhosis who were treated with ETV, possibly due to the antifibrotic properties of FZHY.

This review aims to highlight the growing burden of lifestyle diseases in India and explore the potential of herbal-based nutraceuticals as complementary or alternative management approaches. It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to managing these diseases, acknowledging the potential of traditional remedies alongside modern medicine. Specifically, the article addresses several key points. It describes the rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases in India, providing a clear understanding of the current health landscape. Additionally, it introduces the concept of herbal-based nutraceuticals and their potential benefits in managing these diseases, offering alternative solutions. The article provides evidence-based information on popular herbal remedies such as turmeric, Ashwagandha, Indian gooseberry, Aloe vera, Neem, flaxseed, cinnamon, and green tea, offering specific examples and potential benefits. It highlights the growing awareness and increasing consumption of herbal-based nutraceuticals in India, reflecting a shift in public perception towards natural remedies. Finally, the article calls for further research to validate the efficacy and safety of these products in managing lifestyle diseases, ensuring responsible use, and promoting scientific validation.

China accounts for nearly half of liver cancer deaths globally. A better understanding of the current liver cancer mortality will be helpful to establishing priorities for intervention and to decreasing the disease burden of liver cancer. The study aimed to explore and predict the mortality burden of liver cancer in China.

Data were extracted from the Disease Surveillance Point system of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2008 to 2020. Crude and age-standardized liver cancer mortality rates were reported by sex, urban or rural residence, and region. Trends in liver cancer mortality rates from 2008 to 2020 were estimated as average annual percentage change (AAPC). The changing trend of live cancer mortality in the future is also predicted.

In 2020, the crude mortality of liver cancer was 25.57/100,000, and males and people lived in rural areas had higher age-standardized liver cancer mortality rates than females and people lived in people in urban areas. Crude mortality and age-standardized mortality rates in southwest provinces (Guangxi, Sichuan, Tibet) and in a northeast province (Heilongjiang) were higher than that in other provinces, and age-specific mortality rates increased with age. From 2008 to 2020, liver cancer mortality rates decreased, but people under 50 years of age had a higher AAPC than those over 50 years of age, possibly because of the adoption of hepatitis B virus vaccination in newborns and children. Furthermore, the mortality of liver cancer in 2021–2030 is predicted to have a downward trend.

Liver cancer mortality rates declined in China from 2008 to 2020. Future interventions to control liver cancer mortality need to focus on people of male sex, older age, and living in rural areas or less developed provinces.