Preparation and characterization of magnetic alginate-chitosan hydrogel beads loaded matrine

The potential therapeutic value of the natural plant compounds matrine and oxymatrine in cardiovascular diseases

Matrine (MT) and Oxymatrine (OMT) are two natural alkaloids derived from plants. These bioactive compounds are notable for their diverse pharmacological effects and have been extensively studied and recognized in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in recent years. The cardioprotective effects of MT and OMT involve multiple aspects, primarily including antioxidative stress, anti-inflammatory actions, anti-atherosclerosis, restoration of vascular function, and inhibition of cardiac remodeling and failure. Clinical pharmacology research has identified numerous novel molecular mechanisms of OMT and MT, such as JAK/STAT, Nrf2/HO-1, PI3 K/AKT, TGF-β1/Smad, and Notch pathways, providing new evidence supporting their promising therapeutic potential against cardiovascular diseases. Thus, this review aims to investigate the potential applications of MT and OMT in treating cardiovascular diseases, encompassing their mechanisms, efficacy, and safety, confirming their promise as lead compounds in anti-cardiovascular disease drug development.

Preparation of MSZ Hydrogel and Its Treatment of Colitis

In order to control the release of mesalazine (MSZ) in the gastrointestinal tract to achieve better pharmacological effects in the colon, in this study, MSZ was added to hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) to form a water-soluble HP-β-CD/MSZ inclusion complex. Then, the inclusion compound was loaded into the structure of the bilayer polyelectrolyte complex microsphere formed by alginate (Alg), chitosan (Cs), and kappa carrageenan (κ-Car) as the hydrogel carrier, and the hydrogel beads with colon-specific release MSZ after oral administration were formed. The formed hydrogel beads have different swelling capabilities in different pH media and have the greatest swelling degree under pH 7.4. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of hydrogel beads can reach up to 83.23 and 18.31%, respectively, and the size of hydrogel beads can be reduced to less than 1 mm after drying, so that the size of oral administration can be reached. In vivo experiments also showed that the formed hydrogel beads had a better therapeutic effect on colitis than free drugs, and the microspheres were biodegradable, so the double-layer pH-sensitive microspheres could be effectively used in colon-targeting drug delivery.

Matrine: A review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, clinical application and preparation researches

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

"Dogel ebs" was known as Sophora flavescens Ait., which has been widely utilized in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese Mongolian herbal medicine for thousands of years. Shen Nong's Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing in Chinese pinyin) recorded that it is bitter in taste and cold in nature with the effect of clearing heat and eliminating dampness, insecticide, diuresis. Due to its extensive application in the fields of ethnopharmacological utilization, the pharmaceutical researches of Sophora flavescens Ait.s keeps deepening. Modern pharmacological studies have exhibited that matrine, which is rich in this traditional herbal medicine, mediates its main biological properties.

AIMS OF THE REVIEW

This review aimed at summarizing the latest and comprehensive information of matrine on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, clinical application and preparation researches to explore the therapeutic potential of this natural ingredient. In addition, outlooks and perspective for possible future researches that related are also discussed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Related information concerning matrine was gathered from the internet database of Google scholar, Pubmed, ResearchGate, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library with the keywords including "matrine", "pharmacology", "toxicology" and "pharmacokinetics", "clinical application", etc. RESULTS: Based on literatures, matrine has a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, detoxification and so on. Nevertheless, there are still some doubts about it due to the toxicity and questionable bioavailability that does exist.

CONCLUSIONS

Future researches directions probably include elucidate the mechanism of its toxicity and accurately tracing the in vivo behavior of its drug delivery system. Without doubt, integration of toxicity and efficiency and structure modification based on it are also pivotal methods to enhance pharmacological activity and bioavailability.

Polydopamine functionalized hydrogel beads as magnetically separable antibacterial materials

In the present study, magnetically separable hydrogel beads of ionically cross-linked alginate were functionalized with polydopamine (PDA). The rationale behind this was to enhance the structural stability and antibacterial profile of PDA/Alg/Fe₃O₄ beads (K3). Incorporation of superparamagnetic magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles endowed the hydrogel beads with magnetism. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the successful formation of pure Alg/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles having an inverse spinel structure. Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) confirmed their superparamagnetic behaviour with M_s values of 36.18 and 30.46 emu g⁻¹ at 5 and 300 K, respectively. High resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) images showed alginate capping and the size of the Alg/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (∼8 nm). The successful deposition of PDA granules on the K3 bead surface was verified by field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The PDA functionalization was further justified by VSM, XRD and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). During swelling experiments, K3 beads displayed appreciable structural stability compared to bare/non-functionalized beads. Wettability studies revealed K3 beads to be hydrophilic with a contact angle of ∼55°. Rheological parameters including storage modulus (G′) and shear viscosity of K3 increased upon PDA functionalization. During antibacterial tests, K3 strongly inhibited E. coli, S. typhi, S. aureus and L. monocytogenes in a concentration and time dependent manner. Fluorescence staining experiments showed that K3 could greatly alter the bacterial membrane integrity. Reusability experiments with K3 beads substantiated their effective broad-spectrum antibacterial performance for three consecutive cycles.

Surface functionalization with polydopamine augments the structural stability and antibacterial profile of magnetic hydrogel beads.

Composites of Polymer Hydrogels and Nanoparticulate Systems for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Applications

Due to their unique structures and properties, three-dimensional hydrogels and nanostructured particles have been widely studied and shown a very high potential for medical, therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, hydrogels and nanoparticulate systems have respective disadvantages that limit their widespread applications. Recently, the incorporation of nanostructured fillers into hydrogels has been developed as an innovative means for the creation of novel materials with diverse functionality in order to meet new challenges. In this review, the fundamentals of hydrogels and nanoparticles (NPs) were briefly discussed, and then we comprehensively summarized recent advances in the design, synthesis, functionalization and application of nanocomposite hydrogels with enhanced mechanical, biological and physicochemical properties. Moreover, the current challenges and future opportunities for the use of these promising materials in the biomedical sector, especially the nanocomposite hydrogels produced from hydrogels and polymeric NPs, are discussed.

Costa I, Pio Santos AC, Szszudlowski RG, de Oliveira Silva D. Interaction of chitosan beads with a copper–naproxen metallodrug

A new hybrid material resulting from the interaction of chitosan beads with a copper–naproxen metallodrug was prepared and characterized. The Acrycoat-coated beads were investigated for release behavior in gastric/intestinal pH simulated solutions.

Quantitative analysis of matrine in liquid crystalline nanoparticles by HPLC

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed to quantitatively determine matrine in liquid crystal nanoparticles. The chromatographic method is carried out using an isocratic system. The mobile phase was composed of methanol-PBS(pH6.8)-triethylamine (50 : 50 : 0.1%) with a flow rate of 1 mL/min with SPD-20A UV/vis detector and the detection wavelength was at 220 nm. The linearity of matrine is in the range of 1.6 to 200.0  μ g/mL. The regression equation is y = 10706x - 2959 (R (2) = 1.0). The average recovery is 101.7%; RSD = 2.22%  (n = 9). This method provides a simple and accurate strategy to determine matrine in liquid crystalline nanoparticle.