Methods: A flower-shaped nanoparticles of piperine adjuvant simvastatin were prepared by using chitosan (Ch)-neem gum (NG) as a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) forming agent, and the anti-microbial effect of nanoformulations with and without piperine was evaluated. A solvent-anti-solvent method was used to form the nanoparticles, and a 32-factorial design was employed to analyze the impact of chitosan and neem gum concentration on the size of the nanoparticles and entrapment efficiency of simvastatin and piperine followed by their release profile and kinetics.

Results: Nanoparticles showed high drug entrapment efficiency (simvastatin: 96.4-99.7%, piperine: 64.8- 99.4%) with sizes ranging from 341.3-629.1 nm. Drug release exceeded 50% in 3 hours and 99% in 8 hours, following Hixon-Crowell and Baker’s Lonsdale models. Antimicrobial assays revealed activity against Staphylococcus aureus but not Candida albicans. The results of the anti-microbial assay indicated that the PECbased NPs stabilized piperine adjuvant simvastatin showed anti-microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus but did not exhibit anti-fungal activity against Candida albicans.

Conclusion: Piperine-adjuvant simvastatin Ch-NG-PEC nanoparticles demonstrate potential as a dualtreatment agent for hypercholesterolemia and bacterial infections.]]> https://www.benthamscience.com/article/1509882026-06-01 Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a major global health challenge, driving chronic hepatitis C (CHC) progression to severe liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Directacting antivirals (DAAs) have transformed HCV treatment by achieving high sustained virological response (SVR) rates. However, limitations such as resistance, reinfection, and restricted accessibility emphasize the urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches. Among HCV therapeutic targets, the NS3/4A protease is critical for viral replication and immune evasion, positioning it as a prime focus for innovative drug discovery.

Methods: A comprehensive computational approach was adopted to evaluate flavonoids, natural compounds with known antiviral and anticancer properties, as potential inhibitors of the HCV NS3/4A protease. A curated flavonoid library was subjected to virtual screening using molecular docking techniques. Top-ranked flavonoids were further assessed based on binding affinity, dissociation constants, and key protein-ligand interactions. Pharmacokinetic profiling, molecular dynamics simulations, MM/PBSA energy calculations, and principal component analysis were performed to validate the most promising candidate.

Results: The top ten scoring flavonoids demonstrated strong binding affinities and stable interactions with key catalytic residues of the NS3/4A protease. CID 100943380 emerged as the most promising candidate, exhibiting favorable pharmacokinetic properties and sustained stability throughout molecular dynamics simulations. MM/PBSA and PCA analyses further confirmed its robust binding and conformational stability.

Discussion: The findings highlight flavonoids as promising inhibitors of NS3/4A protease, supporting their potential for further antiviral development.

Conclusion: This investigation identifies 10 flavonoids with high potential as NS3/4A protease inhibitors, providing a basis for future biological validation and safer drug development.]]> https://www.benthamscience.com/article/1536792026-06-01 Background: Self-medication is widely discussed regarding over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, as well as some prescription drugs, especially antibiotics. There are virtually no studies on selfmedication with cardiovascular drugs.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of self-medication and adherence to prescribed treatment in patients with Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) seeking advice at a cardiology dispensary.

Methods: Our cross-sectional study included all patients aged 50 years or older (n=300) who repeatedly visited an outpatient clinic for CVD from December 14, 2023, to August 07, 2024. The information on previously prescribed and actually taken medicinal drugs by the patient was recorded during the visit. Patient-reported adherence was evaluated using a specific scale.

Results: Self-medication was detected in 120 patients (40%) who either replaced or added drugs to the therapy prescribed by their attending physician. The most common recorded practice was self-prescription of medicinal drugs (106 cases, 88.3%), especially prescription drugs (72 of 106 patients, 67.9%). In 17 patients, self-medication led to inappropriate administration of the drug. In 7 patients (41.2%), self-medication resulted in potentially dangerous combinations of drugs. In 4 patients (23.5%), self-medication resulted in inadequate replacement of the drug, and in 6 patients (35.3%), duplication of drugs was noted. The majority of patients (76.3%) exhibited various violations of compliance with medical recommendations. Among patients practicing self-medication, there were more partially nonadherent patients, and in the subgroup without selfmedication, there were more completely nonadherent patients (p=0.008).

Discussion: Self-medication is potentially associated with several risks, including delayed professional consultation, incorrect self-diagnosis, severe adverse reactions, dangerous drug-drug interactions, masking of severe conditions, and the risk of drug abuse. Existing literature predominantly focuses on self-medication with over-the-counter drugs. This study demonstrates that in the Russian Federation, self-medication (including the use of cardiovascular drugs) is remarkably prevalent. More than a third of the surveyed patients independently added new medications to their physician’s regimen or substituted prescribed ones. Moreover, more than half of the self-medications were for prescription drugs.

Conclusion: Self-medication, as one of the options for nonadherence, was employed by 40% of CVD patients. In some cases, this has led to the emergence of potentially dangerous drug combinations.