Biosynthesize, physicochemical characterization and biological investigations of chitosan-Ferula gummosa essential oil (CS-FEO) nanocomposite

Tailored gelatin methacryloyl-based hydrogel with near-infrared responsive delivery of Qiai essential oils boosting reactive oxygen species scavenging, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities for diabetic wound healing

The management of diabetic wounds poses a substantial economic and medical burden for diabetic patients. Oxidative stress and persistent bacterial infections are considered to be the primary factors. Qiai essential oil (QEO) exhibits various pharmacological characteristics, including inflammatory-reducing, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, the hydrophobic nature and propensity for explosive release of this substance present constraints on its potential for future applications. Here, we developed a stimulus-responsive hydrogel to overcome the multiple limitations of QEO-based wound dressings. The QEO was encapsulated within graphene oxide (GO) through repeated extrusion using an extruder. Subsequently, QEO@GO nanoparticles were incorporated into a Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel. The QEO@GO-GelMA hydrogel demonstrated controlled release ablation, photothermal antibacterial effects, and contact ablation against two representative bacterial strains. It effectively reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, promoted angiogenesis, and decreased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), thereby accelerating the healing process of diabetic wounds. In addition, in vitro and in vivo tests provided further evidence of the favorable biocompatibility of this multifunctional hydrogel dressing. Overall, the QEO@GO-GelMA hydrogel provides numerous benefits, encompassing antimicrobial properties, ROS-scavenging abilities, anti-inflammatory effects, and the capacity to expedite diabetic wound healing. These attributes make it an optimal choice for diabetic wound management.

Chitosan/oxidized Konjac Glucomannan films incorporated with Zanthoxylum Bungeanum essential oil: A novel approach for extending the shelf life of meat

In this study, a novel edible composite film was prepared by chitosan, konjac glucomannan oxidized with ozone for 60 min (OKGM), and Zanthoxylum Bungeanum essential oil (ZEO). The chitosan/OKGM film was fortified with ZEO to assess the physical properties, structure, antioxidant and antibacterial abilities, and pork preservation systematically. Compared to the control group, the addition of 1 % ZEO increased tensile strength by 18.92 % and decreased water solubility, water vapor permeability, and moisture content by 10.05 %, 6.60 %, and 1.03 %, respectively. However, the treatment with ZEO (1.5 % and 2 %) decreased mechanical properties and increased the water vapor permeability. The ultraviolet barrier, antioxidant, and antibacterial abilities of composite films were enhanced by increasing the ZEO addition. Moreover, the COZ-1 film was used to protect the freshness of pork with slow-release behavior of ZEO. The results showed that addition of ZEO significantly decreased the pH value, total viable count, redness, total volatile basic nitrogen, and thiobarbituric acid and increased the hardness of pork after preservation for 10 days. Therefore, the chitosan/OKGM loaded with ZEO film can potentially be used as food packaging, providing new ideas for the research on active packaging materials.

Wormwood-infused porous-CaCO3 for synthesizing antibacterial natural rubber latex

Wormwood leaf is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with a high medicinal value and long application history and its essential oil is a high-purity plant oil extracted from Wormwood leaf. Pharmacological research reveals that Wormwood leaf and Wormwood essential oil are a broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral drug, which can inhibit and kill many bacteria and viruses. We loaded wormwood extract on porous calcium carbonate (Porous-CaCO3) and introduced it and Wormwood essential oil into Natural rubber latex (NRL), thus synthesizing NRL composites with excellent vitro and in vivo antibacterial effect, cell compatibility and mechanical properties. This NRL material can delay the light aging and thermal oxidation of some mechanical properties, which provides a broader avenue for its commercialization.

Synthesis of β-acids loaded chitosan-sodium tripolyphosphate nanoparticle towards controlled release, antibacterial and anticancer activity

The development of nanoparticles loaded with natural active ingredients is one of the hot trends in the pharmaceutical industry. Herein, chitosan was selected as the base material, and sodium tripolyphosphate was chosen as the cross-linking agent. Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with β-acids from hops were prepared by the ionic cross-linking method. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that chitosan nanoparticles successfully encapsulated β-acids. The loading capacity of chitosan nanoparticles with β-acids was 2.00 %-18.26 %, and the encapsulation efficiency was 0.58 %-55.94 %. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), particle size, and zeta potential results displayed that the nanoparticles revealed a sphere-like distribution with a particle size range of 241-261 nm, and the potential exhibited positive potential (+14.47-+16.27 mV). The chitosan nanoparticles could slowly release β-acids from different simulated release media. Notably, the β-acids-loaded nanoparticles significantly inhibited Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923 (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli ATCC25922 (E. coli). Besides, β-acids-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were cytotoxic to colorectal cancer cells (HT-29 and HCT-116). Therefore, applying chitosan nanoparticles can further expand the application of β-acids in biomedical fields.

Comparison effects of Ferula gummosa essential oil and Beta-pinene Alginate nanoparticles on human melanoma and breast cancer cells proliferation and apoptotic index in short term normobaric hyperoxic model

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and melanoma is the most dreadful type of skin cancer. Due to the side effects of chemotherapy drugs, the development of new herbal nano-medicines has been considered.

METHODS

This study first investigated the chemical composition of Ferula gummosa essential oil using GC-MS analysis; β-pinene, with 61.57%, was the major compound. Next, alginate nanoparticles containing β-pinene and the essential oil with particle sizes of 174 ± 7 and 137 ± 6 nm were prepared. Meanwhile, their zeta potentials were 12.4 ± 0.7 and 28.1 ± 1 mV. Besides, the successful loading of β-pinene and the essential oil in nanoparticles was confirmed using ATR-FTIR analysis. After that, their effects on viability and apoptotic index of human melanoma and breast cancer cells were investigated in normoxia and normobaric hyperoxia (NBO) conditions.

RESULTS

The best efficacy on A-375 and MDA-MB-231 cells was achieved by alginate nanoparticles containing the EO at hyperoxic and normoxia conditions; IC50 76 and 104 µg/mL. Besides, it affected apoptosis-involved genes; as Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was higher than 1, conditions for induction of apoptosis were obtained. Higher sensitivity was observed in the A-375 cell line treated with Alg-EO in the NBO model.

CONCLUSIONS

Alginate nanoparticles containing F. gummosa EO could be considered for further investigation in anticancer studies. Also, it may be expected that NBO can be a new strategy for delaying cancer progression and improving nanotherapy efficacy.

Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Biomaterials

The science related to biomaterials and tissue engineering accounts for a growing part of our knowledge. Surface modifications of biomaterials, their performance in vitro, and the interaction between them and surrounding tissues are gaining more and more attention. It is because we are interested in finding sophisticated materials that help us to treat or mitigate different disorders. Therefore, efficient methods for surface analysis are needed. Several methods are routinely applied to characterize the physical and chemical properties of the biomaterial surface. Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) techniques are able to measure the information about molecular composition simultaneously from biomaterial and adjacent tissue. That is why it can answer the questions connected with biomaterial characteristics and their biological influence. Moreover, this kind of analysis does not demand any antibodies or dyes that may influence the studied items. It means that we can correlate surface chemistry with a biological response without any modification that could distort the image. In our review, we presented examples of biomaterials analyzed by MSI techniques to indicate the utility of SIMS, MALDI, and DESI-three major ones in the field of biomaterials applications. Examples include biomaterials used to treat vascular system diseases, bone implants with the effects of implanted material on adjacent tissues, nanofibers and membranes monitored by mass spectrometry-related techniques, analyses of drug-eluting long-acting parenteral (LAPs) implants and microspheres where MSI serves as a quality control system.