A simulation study of an applied approach to enhance drug recovery through electromembrane extraction

Preparation of bacterial cellulose-based antibacterial membranes with prolonged release of drugs: Emphasis on the chemical structure of drugs

Bacterial cellulose (BC) based antibacterial membranes were synthesized, including BC-cefoperazone (BC-CEF) and BC-cefoperazone sodium (BC-CEF/Na). To examine the various drug loading processes, the structure, morphology, and physical-chemical characteristics of membranes were evaluated. Results demonstrated that both types of medicines were successfully absorbed into membranes, and membranes displayed identical morphology and FT-IR peaks. BC-CEF showed lower crystalline of XRD, which was likely caused by the combination of carboxyl and hydroxyl. However, there were no drug peaks seen in the membranes, indicating no alteration of ribbon crystallization of BC. Two types of antibacterial membranes have significantly distinct drug-loading traits and drug-releasing profiles. The drug loading rate of CEF (46.4 mg/g) was significantly greater than CEF/Na (30.3 mg/g). The cumulative drug-releasing profiles showed that only BC-CEF continues to release drugs for a lengthy period up to 48 h and exhibited good antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. coli until 48 h. The cytotoxicity assay demonstrated the great biocompatibility of all membranes. Findings indicated that BC-CEF has the potential use as a prolonged biocide in the biomedical. The idea that BC membranes can naturally incorporate the carboxyl groups from antibiotics is also innovative and can be useful in developing of drug delivery systems.

Functionalities of electrochemical fluoroquinolone sensors and biosensors

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are a class of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents that are used to treat variety of infectious diseases. This class of antibiotics was being used for patients exhibiting early symptoms of a human respiratory disease known as the COVID-19 virus. As a result, this outbreak causes an increase in drug-resistant strains and environmental pollution, both of which pose serious threats to biota and human health. Thus, to ensure public health and prevent antimicrobial resistance, it is crucial to develop effective detection methods for FQs determination in water bodies even at trace levels. Due to their characteristics like specificity, selectivity, sensitivity, and low detection limits, electrochemical biosensors are promising future platforms for quick and on-site monitoring of FQs residues in a variety of samples when compared to conventional detection techniques. Despite their excellent properties, biosensor stability continues to be a problem even today. However, the integration of nanomaterials (NMs) could improve biocompatibility, stability, sensitivity, and speed of response in biosensors. This review concentrated on recent developments and contemporary methods in FQs biosensors. Furthermore, a variety of modification materials on the electrode surface are discussed. We also pay more attention to the practical applications of electrochemical biosensors for FQs detection. In addition, the existing challenges, outlook, and promising future perspectives in this field have been proposed. We hope that this review can serve as a bedrock for future researchers and provide new ideas for the development of electrochemical biosensors for antibiotics detection in the future.

Using chitosan, hyaluronic acid, alginate, and gelatin-based smart biological hydrogels for drug delivery in oral mucosal lesions: A review

AIMS

Oral mucosal diseases can lead to pain, difficulty speaking and eating, psychological distress, and cancer. Topical drug delivery using biological macromolecules, specifically hydrogels, is gaining interest due to the drawbacks of conventional treatments for oral mucosal lesions.

SCOPE

Biological hydrogels made from natural polymers and their derivatives, such as chitosan, hyaluronic acid, alginate, and gelatin, represent promising alternatives to conventional oral medication delivery methods. Topical drug delivery is beneficial for oral mucosal lesions as it can directly target the affected area, especially with the development of smart stimuli-responsive hydrogels, which allow for more controlled drug release. Biological hydrogels have already been used to deliver drugs like lidocaine and nystatin. This review summarizes the current research on applying smart natural polymer-based hydrogels for drug delivery in oral mucosal lesions.

CONCLUSION

Smart biological hydrogels show great promise as topical drug delivery systems for oral mucosal lesions, offering sustained drug release, increased therapeutic efficacy, and minimized systemic complications. Technological advancement is expected to lead to the development of more effective and safer drug delivery systems. The potential benefits of biological polymer-based hydrogels make them an exciting area of research for oral mucosal lesion treatment.

Numerical simulation of effect of hybrid nanofluid on heat transfer and flow of the Newtonian pulsatile blood through 3D occluded artery: Silver and gold nanoparticles

The study of blood flow in obstructed arteries is a significant focus in computational fluid dynamics, particularly in the field of biomedicine. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the impact of pulsating blood velocity on heat transfer within biological systems, with a specific focus on blood flow in obstructed arteries. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive 3D model representing a straight, constricted blood vessel has been developed. This model incorporates periodic, unsteady, Newtonian blood flow along with the presence of gold and silver nanoparticles. Leveraging the Finite Element Method (FEM), the Navier-Stokes and energy equations have been rigorously solved. Through the investigation, it is aim to shed light on how alterations in the pulsation rate and the volume fraction of nanoparticles influence both temperature distribution and velocity profiles within the system. The present study findings unequivocally highlight that the behavior of pulsatile nanofluid flow significantly impacts the velocity field and heat transfer performance. However, it is imperative to note that the extent of this influence varies depending on the specific volume fractions involved. Specifically, higher volume fractions of nanofluids correlate with elevated velocities at the center of the vessel and decreased velocities near the vessel walls. This pattern also extends to the temperature distribution and heat flux within the vessel, further underscoring the paramount importance of pulsatile flow dynamics in biomedicine and computational fluid dynamics research. Besides, results revealed that the presence of occlusion significantly affects the heat transfer and fluid flow.

A Chitosan-Based Fluorescent Probe Combined with Smartphone Technology for the Detection of Hypochlorite in Pure Water

Using chitosan as a raw material, 1,8-naphthimide as the fluorescent chromophore, and sulfur-containing compounds as the recognition groups, a novel naphthimide-functionalized chitosan probe, CS-BNS, for the detection of ClO- was successfully synthesized. The modification of chitosan was verified by SEM, XRD, FTIR, mapping, 13C-NMR, TG and the structure of the probe molecule was characterized. The identification performance of the probes was studied using UV and fluorescence spectrophotometers. The results show that CS-BNS exhibits a specific response to ClO- based on the oxidative reaction of ClO- to the recognition motifs, as well as a good resistance to interference. And the probe has high sensitivity and fast response time, and can complete the detection of ClO- in a pure water system within 60 s. The probe can also quantify ClO- (y = 30.698x + 532.37, R2 = 0.9833) with a detection limit as low as 0.27 μM. In addition, the combination of the probe with smartphone technology enables the visualization and real-time monitoring of ClO-. Moreover, an identification system for ClO- was established by combining the probe with smartphone technology, which realized the visualization and real-time monitoring of ClO-.

CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) blockade in cancer treatment

CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is a member of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) superfamily and is specific for CXC chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12, also known as SDF-1), which makes CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. CXCR4 interacts with its ligand, triggering downstream signaling pathways that influence cell proliferation chemotaxis, migration, and gene expression. The interaction also regulates physiological processes, including hematopoiesis, organogenesis, and tissue repair. Multiple evidence revealed that CXCL12/CXCR4 axis is implicated in several pathways involved in carcinogenesis and plays a key role in tumor growth, survival, angiogenesis, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Several CXCR4-targeting compounds have been discovered and used for preclinical and clinical cancer therapy, most of which have shown promising anti-tumor activity. In this review, we summarized the physiological signaling of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis and described the role of this axis in tumor progression, and focused on the potential therapeutic options and strategies to block CXCR4.

Study on the preparation of molecularly imprinted ZrO2-TiO2 photocatalyst and the degradation performance of hydroquinone

In this paper, molecularly imprinted Zr-doped TiO2 photocatalysts (MIP-ZrO2-TiO2) were prepared by the molecularly imprinted sol-gel method for the photocatalytic degradation study of hydroquinone (HQ) as the target pollutant. For the effectiveness of the MIP-ZrO2-TiO2 catalyst in degrading HQ, the effects of Zr doping ratio, imprinted molecule dosage, calcination conditions, and pollutant concentration on its photocatalytic activity were investigated. XRD, TEM, XPS, and other techniques were used to evaluate the materials, and the findings revealed that MIP-ZrO2-TiO2 films with imprinted HQ were successfully produced on the ZrO2-TiO2 surface. The optimal preparation conditions were n(Ti):n(Zr) = 100:8, m(HQ) = 1.5 g, 550 °C for the calcination temperature, and 2 h for the calcination duration. The optimum reaction conditions were 10 mg/L HQ concentration, 1 g/L catalyst dose, and a pH of 6.91. According to the findings of photocatalytic tests, during 30 min of UV lamp (365 nm) irradiation, the degradation rates of MIP-ZrO2-TiO2, ZrO2-TiO2, and TiO2 for HQ were 90.58%, 83.94%, and 58.30%, respectively. The findings revealed that the doping of Zr metal and the addition of imprinted molecules improved the photocatalytic activity of TiO2, which can be used for the efficient treatment of low concentrations of hard-to-degrade hydroquinone.

Bacterial cellulose-based composites as vehicles for dermal and transdermal drug delivery: A review

In recent years, a significant amount of drugs have been taken orally, which are not as effective as desired. To solve this problem, bacterial cellulose-based dermal/transdermal drug delivery systems (BC-DDSs) with unique properties such as cell compatibility, hemocompatibility, tunable mechanical properties, and the ability to encapsulate various therapeutic agents with the controlled release have been introduced. A BC-dermal/transdermal DDS reduces first-pass metabolism and systematic side effects while improving patient compliance and dosage effectiveness by controlling drug release through the skin. The barrier function of the skin, especially the stratum corneum, can interfere with drug delivery. Few drugs can pass through the skin to reach effective concentrations in the blood to treat diseases. Due to their unique physicochemical properties and high potential to reduce immunogenicity and improve bioavailability, BC-dermal/transdermal DDSs are widely used to deliver various types of drugs for disease treatment. In this review, we describe the different types of BC-dermal/ transdermal DDSs, along with a critical discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of these systems. After the general presentation, the review is focused on recent advances in the preparation and applications of BC-based dermal/transdermal DDSs in various types of disease treatment.

Engineering Metal-Organic-Framework (MOF)-Based Membranes for Gas and Liquid Separation

Separation is one of the most energy-intensive processes in the chemical industry, and membrane-based separation technology contributes significantly to energy conservation and emission reduction. Additionally, metal-organic framework (MOF) materials have been widely investigated and have been found to have enormous potential in membrane separation due to their uniform pore size and high designability. Notably, pure MOF films and MOF mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are the core of the "next generation" MOF materials. However, there are some tough issues with MOF-based membranes that affect separation performance. For pure MOF membranes, problems such as framework flexibility, defects, and grain orientation need to be addressed. Meanwhile, there still exist bottlenecks for MMMs such as MOF aggregation, plasticization and aging of the polymer matrix, poor interface compatibility, etc. Herein, corresponding methods are introduced to solve these problems, including inhibiting framework flexibility, regulating synthesis conditions, and enhancing the interaction between MOF and substrate. A series of high-quality MOF-based membranes have been obtained based on these techniques. Overall, these membranes revealed desired separation performance in both gas separation (e.g., CO₂, H₂, and olefin/paraffin) and liquid separation (e.g., water purification, organic solvent nanofiltration, and chiral separation).

Quantitative model for predicting the electroosmotic flow in dual-pole nanochannels

Developing and assessing nanofluidic systems is time-consuming and costly owing to the method's novelty; hence, modeling is essential to determine the optimal areas for implementation and to grasp its workings. In this work, we examined the influence of dual-pole surface and nanopore configuration on ion transfer simultaneously. To achieve this, the two trumpet and cigarette configuration were coated with a dual-pole soft surface so that the negative charge could be positioned in the nanopore's small aperture. Subsequently, the Poisson-Nernst-Planck and Navier-Stokes equations were simultaneously solved under steady-state circumstances using varied values physicochemical properties for the soft surface and electrolyte. The pore's selectivity was S Trumpet > S Cigarette ${S}_{{\rm{Trumpet}}} &gt; {S}_{{\rm{Cigarette}}}$ , and the rectification factor, on the other hand, was R f Cigarette < R f Trumpet ${R}_{{f}_{{\rm{Cigarette}}}} &lt; {R}_{{f}_{{\rm{Trumpet}}}}$ , when the overall concentration was very low. When the ion partitioning effect is taken into account, we clearly show that the rectifying variables for the cigarette configuration and the trumpet configuration can reach values of 45 and 49.2, when the charge density and mass concentration were 100 mol/m³ and 1 mM, respectively. By using dual-pole surfaces, the controllability of nanopores' rectifying behavior may be modified to produce superior separation performance.

In vitro anticancer and antibacterial performance of biosynthesized Ag and Ce co-doped ZnO NPs

The great potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) for biomedical applications is attributed to their physicochemical properties. In this work, pure and Ag and Ce dual-doped ZnO NPs were synthesized through a facile and green route to examine their cytotoxicity in breast cancer and normal cells. The initial preparation of dual-doped nanoparticles was completed by the usage of taranjabin. The synthesis of Ag and Ce dual-doped ZnO NPs was started with preparing the Ce:Ag ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4. The cytotoxicity effects of synthesized nanoparticles against breast normal cells (MCF-10A) and breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) were examined. The hexagonal structure of synthesized nanoparticles was observed through the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images exhibited the spherical shape and smooth surfaces of prepared particles along with the homogeneous distribution of Ag and Ce in ZnO with high-quality lattice fringes without any distortions. According to the cytotoxic results, the effects of Ag/Ce dual-doped ZnO NPs on breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells were significantly more than of pure ZnO NPs, while dual-doped and pure nanoparticles remained indifferent towards breast normal (MCF-10A) cells. In addition, we investigated the antimicrobial activity against harmful bacteria.

Blue energy generation by the temperature-dependent properties in funnel-shaped soft nanochannels

Salinity energy generation (SEG) studies have only been done under isothermal conditions at ambient temperature. The production of salinity energy can be improved under non-isothermal conditions, albeit preserving the energy efficiency. In the current study, the effects of gradients of temperature and concentration on the salinity energy generation process were examined simultaneously. Based on the temperature-dependent properties resulting from both temperature and concentration gradients, a numerical study was carried out to determine the maximum efficiency of salinity energy generation in funnel-shaped soft nanochannels. It was presumed that a dense layer of negative charge, called a polyelectrolyte layer (PEL), is coated on the walls of the nanochannels. Co-current and counter-current modes were used to obtain temperature and concentration gradients. Under steady-state conditions, the Poisson-Nernst-Planck, Stokes-Brinkman, and energy equations were numerically solved using equivalent approaches. The results revealed that by increasing the temperature and concentration ratios in both co-current and counter-current modes of operation, the salinity energy generation increased appreciably. The salinity energy generation increased from 30 to 80 pW upon increasing the temperature ratio from 1 to 8 at a constant concentration ratio of 1000 in counter-current mode. As verified from this analysis, low-grade heat sources (<100 °C) provide considerable energy conversion in PEL grafted nanofluidic confinement when placed between electrolyte solutions of different temperatures.

A simulation study of an electro-membrane extraction for enhancement of the ion transport via tailoring the electrostatic properties

Membrane technology with advantages such as reduced energy consumption due to no phase change, low volume and high mass transfer, high separation efficiency for solution solutions, straightforward design of membranes, and ease of use on industrial scales are different from other separation methods. There are various methods such as liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, precipitation, and membrane processes to separate contaminants from an aqueous solution. The liquid membrane technique provides a practical and straightforward separation method for metal ions as an advanced solvent extraction technique. Stabilized liquid membranes require less solvent consumption, lower cost, and more effortless mass transfer due to their thinner thickness than other liquid membrane techniques. The influence of the electrostatic properties, derived from the electrical field, on the ionic transport rate and extraction recovery, in flat sheet supported liquid membrane (FSLM) and electro flat sheet supported liquid membrane (EFSLM) were numerically investigated. Both FSLM and EFSLM modes of operation, in terms of implementing electrostatic, were considered. Through adopting a numerical approach, Poisson-Nernst-Planck, and Navier-Stokes equations were solved at unsteady-state conditions by considering different values of permittivity, diffusivity, and viscosity for the presence of electrical force and stirrer, respectively. The most important result of this study is that under similar conditions, by increasing the applied voltage, the extraction recovery increased. For instance, at EFSLM mode, by increasing the applied voltage from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text], the extraction recovery increased from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, it was also observed that the presence of nanoparticles has significant effects on the performance of the SLM system.