A water-based topical Chinese traditional medicine (Zicao) for wound healing developed using 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

Carrageenan-based sustainable biomaterials for intelligent food packaging: A review

This article explores the use of carrageenan-based biomaterials in developing sustainable and efficient intelligent food packaging solutions. The research in this field has seen a notable surge, evident from >1000 entries in databases such as Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct between 2018 and 2023. Various film preparation techniques are explored, including solvent casting, layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly, and electrospinning. Solvent casting is commonly used to incorporate active compounds, while LbL assembly and electrospinning are favored for enhancing mechanical properties and solubility. Carrageenan's film-forming characteristics enable the production of transparent films, ideal for indicator films that facilitate visual inspection for color changes indicative of pH variations, crucial for detecting food spoilage. Surface properties can be modified using additives like plant extracts to regulate moisture interaction, affecting shelf life and food safety. These materials' antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes are highlighted, demonstrating their efficacy against pathogens such as E. coli.

Observation of therapeutic effect of lamp irradiation combined with purple gromwell oil gauze on alleviating intestinal colic in patients

BACKGROUND

Intestinal colic is a common complication in patients who have undergone radical surgery for colorectal cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine has advantages, including safety and stability, for the treatment of intestinal colic. Lamp irradiation for abdominal ironing has been applied in the treatment of many gastrointestinal diseases. Purple gromwell oil has the effects of clearing heat, cooling blood, reducing swelling, and relieving pain.

AIM

To investigate the impact of lamp irradiation combined with purple gromwell oil gauze on ameliorating intestinal colic in patients after radical surgery for colorectal cancer.

METHODS

A total of 120 patients who experienced postoperative intestinal colic complications after radical surgery for colorectal cancer and who were admitted to Foshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital between June 2019 and March 2023 were enrolled as study subjects. The patients were divided into a control group (60 patients) and an observation group (60 patients) based on treatment method. The control group was treated with lamp irradiation, while the observation group was treated with lamp irradiation and external application of purple gromwell oil gauze. The clinical efficacy, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score, duration of symptoms, and rate of adverse reaction occurrence were further compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The general effective rate in the observation group was 95.00%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (86.67%, P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in the duration of symptoms between the groups (P > 0.05). After 1, 2, 3, and 4 d of treatment, the duration of symptoms in both groups were decreased, and the duration in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (96.54 ± 9.57 vs 110.45 ± 11.23, 87.26 ± 12.07 vs 104.44 ± 11.68, 80.45 ± 16.21 vs 99.44 ± 14.95, 73.18 ± 15.58 vs 92.17 ± 14.20; P < 0.05). After 1, 3, 5, and 7 d of treatment, the NRS scores in both groups were decreased, and the NRS scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (3.56 ± 0.41 vs 4.04 ± 0.58, 3.07 ± 0.67 vs 3.74 ± 1.02, 2.52 ± 0.76 vs 3.43 ± 0.85, 2.03 ± 0.58 vs 3.03 ± 0.82; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of adverse reaction occurrence between the groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The use of lamp irradiation combined with purple gromwell oil gauze in patients with intestinal colic after radical surgery for colorectal cancer can reduce symptom duration, alleviate intestinal colic, and improve treatment efficacy, and this approach is safe. It is worth promoting the use of this treatment in clinical practice.

Shikonin and Alkannin inhibit ATP synthase and impede the cell growth in Escherichia coli

Naturally occurring naphthoquinones, shikonin and alkannin, are important ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine Zicao. These constituents are reported to have many therapeutic uses, such as wound healing; scar treatment; and anti-inflammation, anti-acne, anti-ulcer, anti-HIV, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. The primary objective of this investigation was to explore the effect of shikonin and alkannin on Escherichia coli ATP synthase and its cell growth. Shikonin caused complete (100 %) inhibition, and alkannin caused partial (79 %) inhibition of wild-type E. coli ATP synthase. Both caused partial (4 %-27 %) inhibition of ATP synthase with genetically modified phytochemical binding site. The growth inhibition of strains expressing normal, deficient, and mutant ATP synthase by shikonin and alkannin, corroborated the inhibition observed in isolated normal wild-type and mutant ATP synthase. Trivial inhibition of mutant enzymes indicated αR283D, αE284R, βV265Q, and γT273A are essential for formation of the phytochemical binding site where shikonin and alkannin bind. Further, shikonin was a potent inhibitor of ATP synthase than alkannin. The antimicrobial properties of shikonin and alkannin were tied to the binding at phytochemical site of microbial ATP synthase. Selective targeting of bacterial ATP synthase by shikonin and alkannin may be an advantageous alternative to address the antibiotic resistance issue.

Natural products derived from medicinal plants and microbes might act as a game-changer in breast cancer: a comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical studies

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent neoplasm among women. Genetic and environmental factors lead to BC development and on this basis, several preventive - screening and therapeutic interventions have been developed. Hormones, both in the form of endogenous hormonal signaling or hormonal contraceptives, play an important role in BC pathogenesis and progression. On top of these, breast microbiota includes both species with an immunomodulatory activity enhancing the host's response against cancer cells and species producing proinflammatory cytokines associated with BC development. Identification of novel multitargeted therapeutic agents with poly-pharmacological potential is a dire need to combat advanced and metastatic BC. A growing body of research has emphasized the potential of natural compounds derived from medicinal plants and microbial species as complementary BC treatment regimens, including dietary supplements and probiotics. In particular, extracts from plants such as Artemisia monosperma Delile, Origanum dayi Post, Urtica membranacea Poir. ex Savigny, Krameria lappacea (Dombey) Burdet & B.B. Simpson and metabolites extracted from microbes such as Deinococcus radiodurans and Streptomycetes strains as well as probiotics like Bacillus coagulans and Lactobacillus brevis MK05 have exhibited antitumor effects in the form of antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity, increase in tumors' chemosensitivity, antioxidant activity and modulation of BC - associated molecular pathways. Further, bioactive compounds like 3,3'-diindolylmethane, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, rutin, resveratrol, lycopene, sulforaphane, silibinin, rosmarinic acid, and shikonin are of special interest for the researchers and clinicians because these natural agents have multimodal action and act via multiple ways in managing the BC and most of these agents are regularly available in our food and fruit diets. Evidence from clinical trials suggests that such products had major potential in enhancing the effectiveness of conventional antitumor agents and decreasing their side effects. We here provide a comprehensive review of the therapeutic effects and mechanistic underpinnings of medicinal plants and microbial metabolites in BC management. The future perspectives on the translation of these findings to the personalized treatment of BC are provided and discussed.

Shikonin as a WT1 Inhibitor Promotes Promyeloid Leukemia Cell Differentiation

This study aims to observe the differentiating effect of shikonin on Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1)-positive HL-60 cells and investigate the fate of the differentiated leukemia cells. WT1 overexpression unaffected cell viability but promoted resistance to H₂O₂-induced DNA injury and cell apoptosis. The binding of shikonin to the WT1 protein was confirmed by molecular docking and drug affinity reaction target stability (DARTS). Shikonin at the non-cytotoxic concentration could decrease the WT1 protein and simultaneously reduced the CD34 protein and increased the CD11b protein in a dose-dependent manner in normal HL-60 cells but not in WT1-overexpressed HL-60 cells. Shikonin unaffected HL-60 cell viability in 48 h. However, it lasted for 10 days; could attenuate cell proliferation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and self-renewal; prevent the cell cycle; promote cell apoptosis. In a mouse leukemia model, shikonin could decrease the WT1 protein to prevent leukemia development in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, we also confirmed preliminarily the protein-protein interactions between WT1 and CD34 in molecular docking and CO-IP assay. Our results suggest that: 1. shikonin can down-regulate the WT1 protein level for leukemia differentiation therapy, and 2. the interaction between WT1 and CD34 proteins may be responsible for granulocyte/monocyte immaturity in HL-60 cells.

Green β-cyclodextrin-based corrosion inhibitors: Recent developments, innovations and future opportunities

β-Cyclodextrin-based compounds are used to develop and innovate materials that protect against corrosion due to their sustainability, low cost, environmental friendliness, excellent water solubility and high inhibition efficiency. However, corrosion potentials of β-CD-based compounds were not reviewed with the modern trends. The essence of the problem is that a deep understanding of the development and innovation of β-CD-based compounds as corrosion inhibitors is very important in creating next-generation materials for corrosion protection. In this review, the fundamental behaviour, importance, developments and innovations of β-CD modified with natural and synthetic polymers, β-CD grafted with the organic compounds, β-CD-based supramolecular (host-guest) systems with organic molecules, polymer β-CD-based supramolecular (host-guest) systems, β-CD-based graphene oxide materials, β-CD-based nanoparticle materials and β-CD-based nanocarriers as corrosion inhibitors for various metals were reviewed and discussed with recent research works as examples. In addition, the corrosion inhibition of β-CD-based compounds for biocorrosion, microbial corrosion and biofouling was reviewed. It was found that (i) these compounds are sustainable, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and highly water-soluble and have high inhibition efficiency; (ii) the molecular structure of β-CD makes it an excellent molecular container for corrosion inhibitors compounds; (iii) the β-CD is excellent core to develop the next generation of corrosion inhibitors. It is recommended that (i) β-CD compounds would be synthesized by green methods, such as using biological sustainable catalysts and green solvents, green methods include irradiation or heating, energy-efficient microwave irradiation, mechanochemical mixing, solid-state reactions, hydrothermal reactions and multicomponent reactions; (ii) this review will be helpful in creating, enhancing and innovating the next green and efficient materials for future corrosion protection in high-impact industries.

Structure and release properties of pyrethroid/sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin intercalated into layered double hydroxide and layered hydroxide salt

The aim of this study was to realize the intercalation of the pyrethroid pesticides beta-cypermethrin (BCT) and lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) into ZnAl-layered double hydroxides (LDH) and NiZn-layered hydroxide salt (LHS). BCT (LCT)/SBECD-LDH and BCT (LCT)/SBECD-LHS hybrids were obtained with the aid of sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin (SBECD) through one step method. The hybrids were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). The hybrids based on LHS had larger basal spacing than those on LDH. The LDH-hybrids prepared in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) had larger basal spacing than those in ethanol. These results were discussed in terms of the matrix structure and solvent properties. The supramolecular structure of the hybrid was reasonably proposed. Furthermore, the release properties of BCT (LCT) from the hybrids were investigated and discussed in two media. The release rate in pH = 5.0 was slower than that in pH = 6.8. The accumulated release amount of pesticide in pH = 5.0 was lower than that in pH = 6.8. LHS-hybrids synthesized in ethanol exhibit a sustainable release property. These depend on the inclusion complexes’ arrangement and release medium. The release kinetic processes could be described by pseudo-second order and parabolic diffusion models. The release behavior can be controlled by adjusting the synthesis conditions and the releasing media. This provides the guidance for the application of SBECD and LDH (LHS) in pesticide formulation.

Formulation Strategies and Therapeutic Applications of Shikonin and Related Derivatives

Shikonin and its derivatives are excellent representatives of biologically active naphthoquinones. A wide range of investigations carried out in the last few decades validated their pharmacological efficacy. Besides having magnificent therapeutic potential, shikonin and its derivatives suffer from various pharmacokinetic, toxicity, and stability issues like poor bioavailability, nephrotoxicity, photodegradation, etc. Recently, various research groups have developed an extensive range of formulations to tackle these issues to ease their path to clinical practice. The latest formulation approaches have been focused on exploiting the unique features of novel functional excipients, which in turn escalate the therapeutic effect of shikonin. Moreover, the codelivery approach in various drug delivery systems has been taken into consideration in a recent while to reduce toxicity associated with shikonin and its derivatives. This review sheds light on the essential reports and patents published related to the array of formulations containing shikonin and its derivatives.

Technological evolution of cyclodextrins in the pharmaceutical field

We herein disclose how global cyclodextrin-based pharmaceutical technologies have evolved since the early 80s through a 1998 patents dataset retrieved from Derwent Innovation Index. We used text-mining techniques based on the patents semantic content to extract the knowledge contained therein, to analyze technologies related to the principal attributes of CDs: solubility, stability, and taste-masking enhancement. The majority of CDs pharmaceutical technologies are directed toward parenteral aqueous solutions. The development of oral and ocular formulations is rapidly growing, while technologies for nasal and pulmonary routes are emerging and seem to be promising. Formulations for topical, transdermal, vaginal, and rectal routes do not account for a high number of patents, but they may be hiding a great potential, representing opportunity research areas. Certainly, the progress in materials sciences, supramolecular chemistry, and nanotechnology, will influence the trend of that, apparently neglected, research. The bottom line, CDs pharmaceutical technologies are still increasing, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years.

Patent monitoring allows the identification of relevant technologies and trends to prioritize research, development, and investment in both, academia and industry. We expect the scope of this approach to be applied in the pharmaceutical field beyond CDs technological applications.

Preparation of a shikonin-based pH-sensitive color indicator for monitoring the freshness of fish and pork

A novel intelligent pH-responsive color indicator was prepared by adsorbing a natural naphthoquinone pigment, shikonin, onto cellulose paper. FTIR results indicated that shikonin was crosslinked with the cellulose of the indicator paper. The addition of shikonin increased antioxidant activity, thermal stability, and water resistance properties of the paper. The indicator changed the color from red to dark blue, depending on the pH of buffer solutions. Also, the indicator showed high stability after 4 months of storage and maintained high sensitivity to pH changes. This indicator was used to monitor fish and pork freshness during storage at room temperature, and the results showed a high correlation between the color change of the indicator and the pH change of the sample. The shikonin-adsorbed indicator with stable and sensitive color change depending on pH can be used in the intelligent food packaging applications to monitor the quality of packaged food in real-time.

An integrated data filtering and identification strategy for rapid profiling of chemical constituents, with Arnebiae Radix as an example

Profiling the chemical components of complicated herbal extracts using traditional analytical methods is time-consuming and laborious. In this study, an integrated data filtering and identification strategy was developed to efficiently identify the chemical constituents in Arnebiae Radix. The post-acquisition data processing steps with this strategy were as follows: (1) data acquisition by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS); (2) background subtraction on the basis of the total ion chromatogram (TIC) to obtain the background-subtracted ion chromatogram; (3) construction of a diagnostic ion database based on the measured MS/MS fragment ions of reference standards and auxiliary diagnostic information according to literatures; (4) mass defect filtering (MDF) to filter the background-subtracted ion chromatogram; and (5) rapid structural identification in the MDF-processed ion chromatogram on the basis of the diagnostic ion database and further structural confirmation by analysing the retention time, fragment behaviour, and online databases (Chemspider, PubChem, and SciFinder). In this study, the herbal medicine Arnebiae Radix was used to illustrate this strategy. A total of 96 compounds were efficiently exposed and characterized from Arnebiae Radix samples obtained from 20 sources, and 13 of these compounds were confirmed by comparison with the reference standards. Thirty components with a low abundance, that remained undetected in the TIC, were identified in the MDF-processed ion chromatogram. Nine of these compounds had not been identified from Arnebiae Radix previously, and were tentatively screened as unknowns. The chemical components in traditional Chinese medicine preparations are considered to be the material basis for the effectiveness of this medical system, and are closely related to the pharmacological activities of the drugs. The pharmacodynamics of these drugs are known to be influenced by the synergistic effects of various components. Therefore, comprehensive profiling of the chemical compositions of herbal extracts is essential for systematic elucidation of the pharmacodynamics of these medicines.

Impact of cyclodextrin derivatives on systemic release of duloxetine HCl via buccal route

Aim: The aim of this work was to develop buccoadhesive tablets for the systemic delivery of duloxetine HCl (DXT) using more soluble derivatives of β-cyclodextrin, i.e. hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBEβCD) and to investigate enhanced cellular uptake of inclusion complexed drug.Materials and methods: Freeze dried and spray dried complexes of both cyclodextrin derivatives with DXT (1:1 molar) were prepared and characterized with DSC, FTIR, and PXRD techniques. C971 and PC, on the basis of swelling behavior, erosion and in vitro residence time, were selected for further study at different levels (-1, 0, +1) to optimize the formulation in terms of enhanced drug release and ex vivo permeation.Results: SBEβCD based complexes show more aqueous solubility of DXT (0.782 and 0.958 mM) and more complexation efficiency compared to HPβCD at 25 °C and 37 °C, respectively. Apparent stability constant was reported to be higher (1109.94 and 1693.25 M^-1) for DXT-SBEβCD at 25 °C and 37 °C, respectively, than the corresponding values for DXT-HPβCD systems. Enhanced cellular uptake using fibroblast cells was revealed for complexed drug compared to free drug .Conclusion: Both cyclodextrin derivatives are able to enhance drug release and permeation in vitro and ex vivo.

A matrix dispersion based on phospholipid complex system: preparation, lymphatic transport, and pharmacokinetics

Raloxifene hydrochloride (RH) suffers from low oral bioavailability due to its low water-solubility and first-pass metabolism. Therefore, a novel phospholipid complex of RH (RHPC) and a matrix dispersion based on phospholipid complex (RHPC-MD) were successfully prepared and optimized. Several methods were used to validate the formation of RHPC and RHPC-MD, such as differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, particle size, and zeta potential, meanwhile, their octanol-water partition coefficient, solubility, and dissolution in vitro were also evaluated. To investigate the absorption mechanism of RHPC in vivo, the RHPC was administered to the chylomicron flow blockage rat model. Interestingly, as we expected, a significant reduction in RHPC absorption (67%) (**p< .01) in presence of cycloheximide (CXI) inhibitor was observed, thus confirming the RHPC could be absorbed by lymphatic transport in vivo. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the relative oral bioavailability of RHPC as well as RHPC-MD was 223% and 329%, respectively, when comparing with the commercial RH tablets. These outcomes suggested that the current study provided an attractive formulation to enhance the oral bioavailability of RH and stimulated to further research the absorption mechanism of RHPC in vivo.

Characterization of in vitro and in vivo bioactivity of a ferulic acid-2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex

Ferulic acid (FA) belongs to the family of phenolic acids and exhibits a wide variety of biological activities. However, the bioavailability of FA is not optimal, owing to its limited aqueous solubility. Several methods have been developed to increase FA bioavailability and enhance its cytoprotective effects. Complexing FA with cyclodextrins (CDs) may provide an alternative method to approach these goals. In this study, we prepared an FA-2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD (FA-HP-β-CD) complex, at a 1:1 M ratio of FA to HP-β-CD, which was characterized by ¹H NMR, two-dimensional rotating frame spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Aqueous solubility of FA was improved after complexing with HP-β-CD. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experimental results indicated that the FA-HP-β-CD complex had greater bioactivity than FA alone. Therefore, we can conclude that the limitations of FA usage due to low aqueous solubility and bioavailability can be overcome by creating an HP-β-CD inclusion complex with the hydrophobic FA.

Characterization, solubility and antibacterial activity of inclusion complex of questin with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

To increase the water solubility of questin and broaden its application in preventing and treating Vibrio diseases in aquaculture, an inclusion complex of questin with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was prepared by stirring and coevaporation strategy. The results of thin-layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum confirmed the inclusion of questin into HP-β-CD. The aqueous solubility of questin in the inclusion complex reached (62.63 ± 1.21) µg/mL, which was 110 times of questin's original solubility. The preliminary agar diffusion method indicated that questin-HP-β-CD inclusion complex showed enhanced antibacterial activity against Vibrio harveyi compared with free questin. This finding provided a reliable basis for the further application of questin as aquatic antibacterial agent.

β-Sitosterol-2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex: Characterization and inhibitory effect on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes

β-Sitosterol (Sit) has been used as a functional food additive. Among its many beneficial effects, this phytosterol plays a role in controlling obesity by inhibiting the adipogenesis process of pre-adipocytes. However, the highly lipophilic character of Sit limits its bioavailability. In the present study, 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was used to form a complex with Sit, namely the Sit-HP-β-CD inclusion complex, and the inhibitory effect of this complex on adipogenesis in the 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cell line was investigated. The results of DSC, TLC, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and 2D ROESY showed that the Sit-HP-β-CD inclusion complex was successfully synthesized. In addition, the inhibitory effect of the Sit-HP-β-CD inclusion complex on adipogenesis was evaluated using the Oil Red O staining method and western blot analysis after a 14-day adipogenesis induction in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. The results showed that the Sit-HP-β-CD inclusion complex had a higher efficiency than Sit in reducing intracellular lipid accumulation and the expression levels of PPARγ and FAS in 3T3-L1 cells, suggesting that the inhibitory effect on adipogenesis was improved by the formation of the Sit and HP-β-CD complex.