A novel transdermal delivery route for energy supplements: Electrospun chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol nanofiber patches loaded with vitamin B12

Nanofibrous patches have attracted much attention as a solution to resolve drug delivery challenges. In this study, vitamin B₁₂- loaded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan (Cs) nanofiber patch (NFP) was electrospun and cross-linked by glutaraldehyde (GA). The physicochemical properties of the nanofiber patches were assessed by morphological studies, FTIR analysis, hydrophilicity test, mechanical tests, and in-vitro evaluations including biodegradability, MTT assay, and cumulative release test of vitamin. In-vivo studies were also carried out by measuring vitamin B₁₂ levels in the bloodstream and conducting histopathology studies on the animal models. The results showed that the mean diameter of Cs/PVA/B₁₂ and cross-linked patch were approximately 207 and 256 nm, respectively. Cross-linking of NFP led to the lower, slower, and more continuous release of the vitamin with a slight decrease in biodegradability, and an increase in the mechanical properties of the nanofiber patches. Furthermore, the cytocompatibility assay, MTT, and in vivo results revealed no cytotoxicity of Cs/PVA/B₁₂ NFP towards L929 cell line. No lesion or tissue damage was observed in the skin tissue of the animal models wearing these skin patches. Therefore, B₁₂-loaded NFP can be introduced as a potential candidate for commercial transdermal routes.

Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Artificial Neural Networks Applied to Investigate Quantitative Changes of Selected Soluble Biomarkers, Correlated with H. pylori Infection in Children and Presumable Consequent Delayed Growth

Helicobacter pylori infections causing gastroduodenal disorders are a common medical problem. The aim of this study was to determine the specific motives of infrared spectroscopy (IR) spectra of sera from H. pylori-infected and uninfected children applied to investigate quantitatively-selected soluble biomarkers correlated with H. pylori infection in children and presumable consequent delayed growth. Sera from 41 children infected with H. pylori (Hp(+)) and 43 uninfected (Hp(-)) under the care of the Polish Mother's Hospital in Lodz, Poland, were analyzed. The H. pylori status was confirmed by gastroscopy, ¹³C urea breath testing, and anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies. Infrared spectra were measured using an FTIR/FT-NIR Spectrum 400 spectrometer (PerkinElmer). The IR spectrum was measured in the wavenumber range 3000-750 cm^-1 and subjected to mathematical calculation of the first derivative. Based on the chi-square test, 10 wavenumbers of spectra correlating with H. pylori infection were selected for use in designing an artificial neural network. Ten parts of the IR spectra correlating with H. pylori infection were identified in the W2 and W3 windows associated mainly with proteins and the W4 window related to nucleic acids and hydrocarbons. Artificial neural networks for H. pylori infection were developed based on chemometric data. By mathematical modeling, children were classified towards H. pylori infection in conjunction with elevated levels of selected biomarkers in serum potentially related to growth retardation. The study concludes that IR spectroscopy and artificial neural networks may help to confirm H. pylori-driven growth disorders in children.

Formulation, characterization and in vitro anti-leishmanial evaluation of amphotericin B loaded solid lipid nanoparticles coated with vitamin B12-stearic acid conjugate

Despite the advancement of new anti-leishmanials, amphotericin B (AmB) prevails as one of the most potent agent in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a neglected tropical disease affecting mostly poverty ridden and underdeveloped regions of the globe. Nonetheless, many patients display intolerance to parenteral AmB, notably at higher dosages. Also, conventional AmB presents an apparently poor absorption. Therefore, to improve AmB bioavailability and overcome multiple barriers for oral delivery of AmB, we fabricated a promising vitamin B₁₂-stearic acid (VBS) conjugate coated solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) encapsulated with AmB (VBS-AmB-SLNs) by a combination of double emulsion solvent evaporation and thermal sensitive hydrogel techniques. VBS-AmB-SLNs showed a particle size of 306.66 ± 3.35 nm with polydispersity index of 0.335 ± 0.08 while the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading was observed to be 97.99 ± 1.6% and 38.5 ± 5.6% respectively. In vitro drug release showed a biphasic release pattern and chemical stability of AmB was ensured against simulated gastrointestinal fluids. Cellular uptake studies confirmed complete internalization of the formulation. Anti-leishmanial evaluation against intramacrophage amastigotes showed an enhanced efficacy of 94% which was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than conventional AmB without showing any toxic effects on J774A.1 cells. VBS-AmB-SLNs could serve as a potential therapeutic strategy against VL.