Major advantages of transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) include avoiding of drug degradation in hepatic and gastrointestinal, predetermining release rate and blood drug level, reducing administration frequency and adverse reactions, and increasing patient compliance. But its application was limited by stratum corneum barrier and low skin permeability of drugs. Terpene penetration enhancers are low toxic and can improve the skin permeability and enhance the permeating veloc both of hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. Terpenes can also significantly enhance the cumulative release amount of drug at its low concentration comparing with other synthetic penetration enhancers, and play an important role in the TDDS. This review presented the source, classification, mechanism and applications of terpenes, combined use with other enhancers and methods. Optimization, evaluation and prospective applications of terpene penetration enhancers were also discussed.
Animals ; Drug Carriers ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Humans ; Skin Absorption ; Terpenes ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics

Trichinosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by the nematode Trichinella spiralis. Anthelmintics are used to eliminate intestinal adults as well as tissue-migrating and encysted larvae. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ivermectin and myrrh obtained from the aloe-gum resin of Commiphora molmol on experimental trichinosis. Ninety albino mice were orally infected with 300 T. spiralis larvae. Drugs were tested against adult worms at day 0 and day 5 and against encysted larvae on day 15 and day 35 post-infection (PI). Mature worms and encysted larvae were counted in addition to histopathological examination of muscle specimens. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, and creatinine values were estimated. Significant reductions in mean worm numbers were detected in ivermectin treated mice at day 0 and day 5 PI achieving efficacies of 98.5% and 80.0%, while efficacies of myrrh in treated mice were 80.7% and 51.5%, respectively. At days 15 and 35 post-infection, ivermectin induced significant reduction in encysted larval counts achieving efficacies of 76.5% and 54.0%, respectively, while myrrh efficacies were 76.6% and 35.0%, respectively. AST, ALT, urea, and creatinine levels were reduced, while total proteins were increased in response to both treatments compared to their values in the infected non-treated mice. Ivermectin use for controlling T. spiralis could be continued. Myrrh was effective and could be a promising drug against the Egyptian strains of T. spiralis with results nearly comparable to ivermectin.
Animals ; Antiparasitic Agents/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Ivermectin/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Mice ; Terpenes/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; *Trichinella spiralis ; Trichinellosis/*drug therapy

Studies were conducted under pot conditions to determine the comparative efficacy of carbofuran at 1 mg a.i./kg soil, bavistin at 1 mg a.i./kg soil, neem (Azadirachta indica) seed powder at 50 mg/kg soil, green mould (Trichoderma harzianum) at 50.0 ml/kg soil, rhizobacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) at 50.0 ml/kg soil against root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita-wilt fungus, Fusarium oxysporum disease complex on green gram, Vigna radiata cv ML-1108. All the treatments significantly improved the growth of the plants as compared to untreated inoculated plants. Analysis of data showed that carbofuran and A. indica seed powder increased plant growth and yield significantly more in comparison to bavistin and P. fluorescens. Carbofuran was highly effective against nematode, bavistin against fungus, A. indica seed powder against both the pathogens and both the bioagents were moderately effective against both the pathogens.
Animals ; Benzimidazoles ; administration & dosage ; Carbamates ; administration & dosage ; Carbofuran ; administration & dosage ; Fusarium ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; Glycerides ; administration & dosage ; Pest Control ; methods ; Phaseolus ; drug effects ; microbiology ; parasitology ; Plant Diseases ; microbiology ; parasitology ; Terpenes ; administration & dosage ; Tylenchoidea ; drug effects ; microbiology ; pathogenicity

OBJECTIVETo develop a HPLC method for determination of triptolide in tripterygium total terpenoids tablets.

METHODA Lichrospher CN column was used with ethanol and water for gradient elution. The detection wavelength was set at 255 nm.

RESULTThe linear relationship of the concentrations and peak areas was good in range of 0.742-59.4 microg x mL(-1) (r = 0.9998). The average recovery was 99.2%, RSD% = 1.7%.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, rapid and accurate and can be used for quality control of the tablets.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Diterpenes ; analysis ; Epoxy Compounds ; Phenanthrenes ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Tablets ; Terpenes ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo select the optimum extraction process of Zhanjin Ruji.

METHODTo observe influence of extraction time upon the extraction rate of volatile oil, the orthogonal test was adopted to observe the extraction process by alcohol from the extraction rate and content of the total saponins in Radix Notoginseng.

RESULTThe three kinds of herbs including Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Resina Olibani and Myrrha were extracted with water for 3 hours, 95% of volatile oil can be distilled. The three kinds of herbs including Radix Notoginseng, Herba Lycopodii and Radix Gentianae Macrophyllac were extracted by alcohol. Four factors such as alcohol concentration(A), extraction times(B), extraction time(C), and solvent amount(D), had not significant effect on the content of total saponins in Radix Notoginseng in herbal extraction, but factor A and B had significant effect on the extraction rate. The optimum extraction process was as follows extracted with 5 times the amount of the solvent volum 60% alcohol for 3 times and with each time for 1 hour. Three times experiments showed that the extraction rate was 26.5% and the content of the total saponins in Radix Notoginseng was 17.28% mg.g-1.

CONCLUSIONThe above experimental results can provide experimental basis for deciding the extraction process of Zhanjin Ruji.

Angelica sinensis ; chemistry ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Gentiana ; chemistry ; Lycopodium ; chemistry ; Materia Medica ; administration & dosage ; Oils, Volatile ; isolation & purification ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Terpenes ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the apoptosis effect induced by D-limonene on BGC-823 gastric cancer cells.

METHODSThe expression of p53, bc1-2 in BGC-823 cells and qualitative, quantitative index of cell apoptosis were detected with MTT, electron microscopy, flow cytometry and immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSD-limonene could induce the formation of apoptotic bodies in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The expression of bcl-2 protein decreased and p53 protein increased in BGC-823 cells treated with D-limonene, compared with the control cells.

CONCLUSIOND-limonene exerts its cytotoxic effect on BGC-823 gastric cancer cells by inducing apoptosis.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclohexenes ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Terpenes ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism