Cytotoxic effect of fucoidan extracted from Sargassum cinereum on colon cancer cell line HCT-15

The present study was aimed to investigate the antioxidant and cytotoxicity activity against HCT-15 of fucoidan from Sargassum cinereum. Purification of fucoidan was done by DEAE cellulose and dialysis. Physicochemical characterization of fucoidan was analysed by calorimetric assay, FT-IR, HPLC and NMR. The extracted fucoidan contains 65.753% of fucose and 3.7±1.54% of sulphate respectively. HPLC results showed that the fucoidan contains the monosaccharide composition such as fucose, galactose, mannose and xylose. Antioxidant effect of fucoidan in Sargassum Cinereum was determined by DPPH. The maximum DPPH activity was found at the concentration of 100μg, where as the crude extract showed the scavenging activity was 63.58±0.56%. Cytotoxicity effect was done by MTT assay. Fucoidan extract caused about 50% of cell death after 24h of incubation with 75±0.9037μg/ml against HCT-15.

Maesa indica: a nutritional wild berry rich in polyphenols with special attention to radical scavenging and inhibition of key enzymes, α-amylase and α-glucosidase

The present study was aimed to evaluate the nutritional, antioxidant properties and inhibition of the key enzyme such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase from the fruits of Maesa indica. The results revealed that M. indica fruits possess an enormous amount of protein (45.68 mg/g), carbohydrates (25.12 mg/g) and mineral elements. The acetone extract were capable of hunting radicals by providing electrons and break chain reaction, especially in ABTS·+ (3719.23 µmol TE/g extract), OH· (66.50 %) and NO· (81.50 %) radical scavenging assays. The methanol extract showed a strong inhibition towards α-amylase and α-glucosidase (IC50 of 37.80 and 23.74 µg/mL, respectively). HPLC analysis enumerate that both extracts illustrates the presence of polyphenolic compounds namely quercetin, caffeic acid, rutin and chlorogenic acid.

Antidiabetic activity of Syzygium calophyllifolium in Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide induced Type-2 diabetic rats

The study was initiated to determine the antidaibetic activity of Syzygium calophyllifolium in Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide (STZ-NA) induced diabetic rats. The rats were treated with 100 and 200mg/kg of the Syzygium calophyllifolium bark methanol extract (SCBM) and compared with the diabetic, normal and standard glibenclamide groups. The blood glucose level and body weight of the rats in different groups were monitored at regular intervals. The serum, blood biochemical and histopathological parameters of liver, kidney and pancreas were also analyzed. In vivo antioxidants like SOD, CAT, GST, GSH and GR levels were estimated in liver and kidney. SCBM (100mg/kg) extract could reduce the blood glucose level from the 15th day itself (213.67mg/dL) and the best reduction was observed till the end of the study with 259.25mg/dL (200mg/kg). Initial decrease in body weight was recovered after drug treatment and an increase in body weight was observed on the 4th week. The haematological parameters like total haemoglobin, packed cell volume percentage, total WBC and RBC content were found normal compared to that of normal untreated rats. Glibenclamide was also equally effective. The higher dose of SCBM extract could normalize the triglycerides, HDL, cholesterol and VLDL constituents in blood serum to the levels almost similar to that of normal rats. The results of the in vivo antioxidant levels showed that there are no significant difference in SOD, GSH and GR levels in all the groups compared to the normal control. SCBM and SMBM at 200mg/kg dose were much effective over the lower dose. The histology revealed that SCBM 200mg/kg could protect the cellular architecture of liver kidney and pancreas. The results from the study confirm ethnopharmacological significance of the plant and could be taken further for the development of an effective pharmaceutical drug against diabetes.

α-Terpineol, a monoterpene alcohol, complexed with β-cyclodextrin exerts antihyperalgesic effect in animal model for fibromyalgia aided with docking study

The anti-hyperalgesic effect of the complex containing α-terpineol (αTPN) and β-cyclodextrin (βCD) was analyzed in a non-inflammatory chronic muscle pain model, as well as its mechanism of action through docking study for a possible interaction with receptors. The αTPN-βCD complex was prepared and characterized through the thermogravimetry/derivate thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The model of chronic muscle pain was induced by two injections of pH 4.0 saline (20 μl) into the left gastrocnemius 5 days apart. After confirming hyperalgesia, male mice were treated with αTPN-βCD (25, 50 or 100 mg/kg; p.o.) or vehicle (saline 0.9%, p.o.) daily for 10 days. 1 h after the mechanical hyperalgesia, motor performance was evaluated. In addition, the systemic administration of naloxone and ondansetron tested the analgesic effect on the active opioid and serotonin receptors, respectively. The characterization tests indicated that αTPN was efficiently incorporated into βCD. The oral treatment with αTPN-βCD, at all doses tested, produced a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the mechanical hyperalgesia, without causing any alteration in the force and in motor performance. This analgesic effect was reversed by the systemic administration of naloxone or ondansetron. These findings are corroborated by the docking study described in the present study, which verified a possible interaction of αTPN-βCD with opioid (MU, Kappa, Delta) and 5-HT receptors. Thus, it can be concluded that αTPN-βCD reduced the hyperalgesia followed by the chronic muscle pain model, probably evoked by the descending inhibitory pain system, specifically by opioid and serotoninergic receptors.

Chewing Gum in the Preoperative Fasting Period: An Analysis of De-Identified Incidents Reported to Webairs

The role of preoperative fasting is well established in current anaesthetic practice with different guidelines for clear fluids and food. However, chewing gum may not be categorised as either food or drink by some patients, and may not always be specified in instructions given to patients about preoperative fasting. The aim of this paper was to review anaesthesia incidents involving gum chewing reported to webAIRS to obtain information on the risks, if any, of gum chewing during the preoperative fasting period. There were nine incidents involving chewing gum reported between late 2009 and early 2015. There were no adverse outcomes from the nine incidents other than postponement of surgery in three cases and cancellation in one. In particular, there were no reports of aspiration or airway obstruction. Nevertheless, there were five cases in which the gum was not detected preoperatively and was found in the patient's mouth either intraoperatively or postoperatively. These cases of undetected gum occurred despite patient and staff compliance with their current preoperative checklists. While the risk of increased gastric secretions related to chewing gum preoperatively are not known, the potential for airway obstruction if the gum is not detected and removed preoperatively is very real. We recommend that patients should be specifically advised to avoid gum chewing once fasting from clear fluids is commenced, and that a specific question regarding the presence of chewing gum should be added to all preoperative checklists.

A facile electrochemical approach for the deposition of iron–manganese phosphate composite coatings on aluminium

Cathodic electrochemical treatment is a facile approach for the deposition of iron–manganese phosphate composite coatings on Al.

Products with Natural Components to Heal Dermal Burns: A Patent Review

BACKGROUND

Burns are a global public health problem, and non-fatal burn injuries are a leading cause of morbidity. The scale of the problem has led researchers to seek to develop new prod- ucts (both synthetic and natural) for use in the treatment of burn lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine all patents in databases between 2010 and 2015 related to natural prod- ucts for the treatment of burn-related wounds that targeted tissue repair and healing.

METHOD

The search term "burn" and the code A61K36/00 (plant and other natural derivatives used in medicinal prepara- tions) from the international classification of patents were used to identify treatments.

RESULTS

The search was performed in the WIPO, ESPACENET and USPTO databases. The highest number of patent ap- plications was found in the WIPO data base (617), followed by ESPACENET(23) and USPTO(6). The USA and China were the countries with the most patent applications, and 2008 was the year that had the highest number of applications. Patent applications written in Spanish, English and Portuguese and that were published between 2010 and 2015 were se- lected. 559 patent applications in other languages, and 63 that did not result in the creation of new products between 2010 and 2015 were excluded and the remaining 13 patents application were selected for full reading of the text.

CONCLUSION

Through this study we were able to identify and summarize the new active natural compounds that can be used in the treatment of burns, both in terms of tissue recovery and analgesia.

Roll-to-roll embedded conductive structures integrated into organic photovoltaic devices

Highly conductive screen printed metallic (silver) structures (current collecting grids) combined with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are a viable replacement for indium tin oxide (ITO) and inkjet printed silver as transparent electrode materials. To provide successful integration into organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, screen printed silver current collecting grids should be embedded into a substrate to avoid topology issues. In this study micron-thick conductive structures are embedded and integrated into OPV devices. The embedded structures are produced roll-to-roll with optimized process settings and materials. Topology measurements show that the embedded grids are well suited for integration into OPV devices since the surface is almost without spikes and has low surface roughness. JV measurements of OPV devices with embedded structures on a polyethylene terephthalate/silicon nitride (PET/SiN) substrate show an efficiency of 2.15%, which is significantly higher than identical flexible devices with ITO (1.02%) and inkjet printed silver (1.48%). The use of embedded screen printed silver instead of ITO and inkjet printed silver in OPV devices will allow for higher efficiency devices which can be produced with larger design and process freedom.

Prevalence of biofilm-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis in the healthy skin of individuals in Tamil Nadu, India

PURPOSE

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major commensal bacteria. Various strains of S. epidermidis are capable of forming biofilms by attaching to several surfaces. Biofilm-forming ability of this organism is found to be associated with many hospital-acquired infections and can even impair wound healing. S. epidermidis strains producing polysaccharide-biofilms possess the intercellular adhesion (ica) operon while strains forming the protein adhesion-mediated biofilms possess the accumulation associated protein (aap) gene. We screened for biofilm-forming S. epidermidis in the skin of healthy individuals in Tamil Nadu in order to determine the risk of acquiring S. epidermidis infections in hospital settings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Skin swabs were taken from seventy two subjects residing in Chennai with healthy skin who showed no visible signs of skin lesions or allergies. S. epidermidis was isolated from 58 samples out of the 72 collected. The presence of ica operon in S. epidermidis isolates was determined by PCR and biofilm production was examined using quantitative tissue culture plate assay.

RESULTS

Majority of the samples (47/72; 65.3%) showed pure S. epidermidis growth, (14/72; 19.4%) showed pure Staphylococcus aureus growth and the remainder (11/72; 15.3%) showed mixed growth. Biofilm-forming S. epidermidis were found in the majority of samples (53/58; 91.4%) and ica operon was detected in 19 samples out of 58 (32.8%) which is a significantly higher percentage when compared to other studies conducted at different parts of the globe ( P = 0.0003).

CONCLUSION

We inferred that ica operon and biofilm-forming S. epidermidis are common in the healthy skin of individuals in Tamil Nadu. Measures have to be taken to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired S. epidermidis infections.