scholarly journals ADVANCED BIOMEDICAL HYDROGELS: MOLECULAR ARCHITECTURE AND ITS IMPACT ON MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan T Peters ◽  
Marissa Wechsler ◽  
Nicholas A Peppas
Keyword(s):  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Medical Applications ◽  
Biological Applications ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Polymeric Networks ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
External Stimuli

Abstract Hydrogels are crosslinked polymeric networks swollen in water, physiological aqueous solutions, or biological fluids. They are synthesized by a wide range of polymerization methods that allow for the introduction of linear and branched units with specific molecular characteristics. In addition, they can be tuned to exhibit desirable chemical characteristics including hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity. The synthesized hydrogels can be anionic, cationic, or amphiphilic, and can contain multifunctional crosslinks, junctions or tie points. Beyond these characteristics, hydrogels exhibit compatibility with biological systems, and can be synthesized to render systems that swell or collapse in response to external stimuli. This versatility and compatibility have led to better understanding of how the hydrogel’s molecular architecture will affect their physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties. We present a critical summary of the main methods to synthesize hydrogels which define their architecture, and advanced structural characteristics for macromolecular/biological applications.

scholarly journals Hydrogels for the Delivery of Plant-Derived (Poly)Phenols

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (14) ◽  
pp. 3254
Author(s):  
Nicola Micale ◽  
Andrea Citarella ◽  
Maria Sofia Molonia ◽  
Antonio Speciale ◽  
Francesco Cimino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Solubility ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Polymeric Networks ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Swelling Capacity ◽  
Polymeric Component ◽  
External Stimuli

This review deals with hydrogels as soft and biocompatible vehicles for the delivery of plant-derived (poly)phenols, compounds with low general toxicity and an extraordinary and partially unexplored wide range of biological properties, whose use presents some major issues due to their poor bioavailability and water solubility. Hydrogels are composed of polymeric networks which are able to absorb large amounts of water or biological fluids while retaining their three-dimensional structure. Apart from this primary swelling capacity, hydrogels may be easily tailored in their properties according to the chemical structure of the polymeric component in order to obtain smart delivery systems that can be responsive to various internal/external stimuli. The functionalization of the polymeric component of hydrogels may also be widely exploited to facilitate the incorporation of bioactive compounds with different physicochemical properties into the system. Several prototype hydrogel systems have been designed for effective polyphenol delivery and potential employment in the treatment of human diseases. Therefore, the inherent features of hydrogels have been the focus of considerable research efforts over the past few decades. Herein, we review the most recent advances in (poly)phenol-loaded hydrogels by analyzing them primarily from the therapeutic perspective and highlighting the innovative aspects in terms of design and chemistry.

scholarly journals Development, Validation and Application of a UHPLC-MS Method for the Quantification of Chios Mastic Gum Triterpenoids in Human Plasma

Planta Medica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Brieudes ◽  
Eleni V. Mikropoulou ◽  
Errikos Kallergis ◽  
Andriana C. Kaliora ◽  
Efstathia Papada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Plasma ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Limit Of Quantification ◽  
Isolation And Characterization ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Chios Mastic Gum

AbstractChios mastic gum is the resinous secretion obtained from the barks of the shrub Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia, which is endemic to the Greek island of Chios. Since antiquity, Chios mastic gum has found several uses as a phytotherapeutic remedy, primarily for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders while recently, Chios mastic gum was also recognized by EMA as an herbal medicinal product with specific indications. Chios mastic gumʼs biological properties are attributed to triterpenes which comprise the major chemical group (approx. 70%) and notably isomasticadienonic acid and masticadienonic acid. However, due to their structural characteristics, the isolation thereof in high yield and purity is challenging and since they are not commercially available, pharmacological studies aiming to assess their biological properties are limited. In the present work, masticʼs phytochemical investigation by UPLC-HRMS is followed by the isolation and characterization of isomasticadienonic acid and masticadienonic acid to be used as analytical standards for their accurate and reliable quantification in human plasma. A UHPLC-tQ-MS method that was developed and validated (in terms of specificity, linearity, limit of quantification, accuracy and precision), for the direct quantification of the targeted compounds in the low ng/mL range of concentration, was subsequently implemented on plasma samples of healthy volunteers thus demonstrating its fitness for purpose. The results presented herein might provide insight to the understanding of this traditional natural product consumed notably for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and lipid lowering properties. Moreover, this method might serve as a starting point for any study aiming to monitor bioactive triterpenes in biological fluids.

α-Terpineol, a natural monoterpene: A review of its biological properties

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 349-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Khaleel ◽  
Nurhayat Tabanca ◽  
Gerhard Buchbauer
Keyword(s):  
Web Of Science ◽  
Skin Penetration ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Biological Applications ◽  
Gamma Delta ◽  
Tertiary Alcohols ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pleasant Odor ◽  
Natural Monoterpene

AbstractTerpineols are monocyclic monoterpene tertiary alcohols which are naturally present in plant species. There are five common isomers of terpineols, alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta- and terpinen-4-ol, of which α-terpineol and its isomer terpinen-4-ol are the most common terpineols found in nature. α-Terpineol plays an important role in the industrial field. It has a pleasant odor similar to lilacs and it is a common ingredient in perfumes, cosmetics, and aromatic scents.In addition, α-terpineol attracts a great interest as it has a wide range of biological applications as an antioxidant, anticancer, anticonvulsant, antiulcer, antihypertensive, anti-nociceptive compound. It is also used to enhance skin penetration, and also has insecticidal properties. This study reviews the relevance of α-terpineol based on scientific findings on Google Scholar, Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus and Chemical Abstracts.Collectively, the use of α-terpineol in medicine and in the pharmaceutical industry plays an important role in therapeutic applications. This review will, therefore, support future research in the utilization of α-terpineol.

scholarly journals Engineering the Interface between Inorganic Nanoparticles and Biological Systems through Ligand Design

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1001
Author(s):  
Rui Huang ◽  
David C. Luther ◽  
Xianzhi Zhang ◽  
Aarohi Gupta ◽  
Samantha A. Tufts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Synthesis ◽  
Molecular Design ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Ligand Design ◽  
Inorganic Nanoparticles ◽  
Organic Ligands ◽  
Biological Applications ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Insight Into

Nanoparticles (NPs) provide multipurpose platforms for a wide range of biological applications. These applications are enabled through molecular design of surface coverages, modulating NP interactions with biosystems. In this review, we highlight approaches to functionalize nanoparticles with ”small” organic ligands (Mw < 1000), providing insight into how organic synthesis can be used to engineer NPs for nanobiology and nanomedicine.

scholarly journals Biochemical and molecular characterization of Alternaria alternata isolates highly resistant to procymidone from broccoli and cabbage

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingran Wang ◽  
Tiancheng Lou ◽  
Lingling Wei ◽  
Wenchan Chen ◽  
Longbing Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternaria Alternata ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Single Point Mutation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Leaf Blights ◽  
High Level

AbstractAlternaria alternata, a causal agent of leaf blights and spots on a wide range of hosts, has a high risk of developing resistance to fungicides. Procymidone, a dicarboximide fungicide (DCF), has been widely used in controlling Alternaria leaf blights in China for decades. However, the resistance of A. alternata against DCFs has rarely been reported from crucifer plants. A total of 198 A. alternata isolates were collected from commercial fields of broccoli and cabbage during 2018–2019, and their sensitivities to procymidone were determined. Biochemical and molecular characteristics were subsequently compared between the high-level procymidone-resistant (ProHR) and procymidone-sensitive (ProS) isolates, and also between ProHR isolates from broccoli and cabbage. Compared with ProS isolates, the mycelial growth rate, sporulation capacity and virulence of most ProHR isolates were reduced; ProHR isolates displayed an increased sensitivity to osmotic stresses and a reduced sensitivity to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS); all ProHR isolates showed a reduced sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) except for the isolate B102. Correlation analysis revealed a positive cross-resistance between procymidone and iprodione, or fludioxonil. When treated with 10 μg/mL of procymidone, both mycelial intracellular glycerol accumulations (MIGAs) and relative expression of AaHK1 in ProS isolates were higher than those in ProHR isolates. Sequence alignment of AaHK1 from ten ProHR isolates demonstrated that five of them possessed a single-point mutation (P94A, V612L, E708K or Q924STOP), and four isolates had an insertion or a deletion in their coding regions. No significant difference in biochemical characteristics was observed among ProHR isolates from two different hosts, though mutations in AaHK1 of the cabbage-originated ProHR isolates were distinct from those of the broccoli-originated ProHR isolates.

scholarly journals Isobornylchalcones as Scaffold for the Synthesis of Diarylpyrazolines with Antioxidant Activity

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 3579
Author(s):  
Svetlana A. Popova ◽  
Evgenia V. Pavlova ◽  
Oksana G. Shevchenko ◽  
Irina Yu. Chukicheva ◽  
Aleksandr V. Kutchin
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
High Reactivity ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Brain Lipids ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Privileged Structure ◽  
Vitro Model

The pyrazoline ring is defined as a “privileged structure” in medicinal chemistry. A variety of pharmacological properties of pyrazolines is associated with the nature and position of various substituents, which is especially evident in diarylpyrazolines. Compounds with a chalcone fragment show a wide range of biological properties as well as high reactivity which is primarily due to the presence of an α, β-unsaturated carbonyl system. At the same time, bicyclic monoterpenoids deserve special attention as a source of a key structural block or as one of the pharmacophore components of biologically active molecules. A series of new diarylpyrazoline derivatives based on isobornylchalcones with different substitutes (MeO, Hal, NO2, N(Me)2) was synthesized. Antioxidant properties of the obtained compounds were comparatively evaluated using in vitro model Fe2+/ascorbate-initiated lipid peroxidation in the substrate containing brain lipids of laboratory mice. It was demonstrated that the combination of the electron-donating group in the para-position of ring B and OH-group in the ring A in the structure of chalcone fragment provides significant antioxidant activity of synthesized diarylpyrazoline derivatives.

scholarly journals Bioactive potential of natural biomaterials: identification, retention and assessment of biological properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran Joyce ◽  
Georgina Targa Fabra ◽  
Yagmur Bozkurt ◽  
Abhay Pandit
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Biological Assessment ◽  
Cross Linking ◽  
Natural Polymers ◽  
Drug Delivery Device ◽  
Biomedical Device ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Bioactive Potential

AbstractBiomaterials have had an increasingly important role in recent decades, in biomedical device design and the development of tissue engineering solutions for cell delivery, drug delivery, device integration, tissue replacement, and more. There is an increasing trend in tissue engineering to use natural substrates, such as macromolecules native to plants and animals to improve the biocompatibility and biodegradability of delivered materials. At the same time, these materials have favourable mechanical properties and often considered to be biologically inert. More importantly, these macromolecules possess innate functions and properties due to their unique chemical composition and structure, which increase their bioactivity and therapeutic potential in a wide range of applications. While much focus has been on integrating these materials into these devices via a spectrum of cross-linking mechanisms, little attention is drawn to residual bioactivity that is often hampered during isolation, purification, and production processes. Herein, we discuss methods of initial material characterisation to determine innate bioactivity, means of material processing including cross-linking, decellularisation, and purification techniques and finally, a biological assessment of retained bioactivity of a final product. This review aims to address considerations for biomaterials design from natural polymers, through the optimisation and preservation of bioactive components that maximise the inherent bioactive potency of the substrate to promote tissue regeneration.

scholarly journals High-resolution particle separation by inertial focusing in high aspect ratio curved microfluidics

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Cruz ◽  
Klas Hjort
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
High Aspect Ratio ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Essential Feature ◽  
Particle Separation ◽  
Size Difference ◽  
Inertial Focusing ◽  
Complex Samples ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractThe ability to focus, separate and concentrate specific targets in a fluid is essential for the analysis of complex samples such as biological fluids, where a myriad of different particles may be present. Inertial focusing is a very promising technology for such tasks, and specially a recently presented variant, inertial focusing in High Aspect Ratio Curved systems (HARC systems), where the systems are easily engineered and focus the targets together in a stable position over a wide range of particle sizes and flow rates. However, although convenient for laser interrogation and concentration, by focusing all particles together, HARC systems lose an essential feature of inertial focusing: the possibility of particle separation by size. Within this work, we report that HARC systems not only do have the capacity to separate particles but can do so with extremely high resolution, which we demonstrate for particles with a size difference down to 80 nm. In addition to the concept for particle separation, a model considering the main flow, the secondary flow and a simplified expression for the lift force in HARC microchannels was developed and proven accurate for the prediction of the performance of the systems. The concept was also demonstrated experimentally with three different sub-micron particles (0.79, 0.92 and 1.0 µm in diameter) in silicon-glass microchannels, where the resolution in the separation could be modulated by the radius of the channel. With the capacity to focus sub-micron particles and to separate them with high resolution, we believe that inertial focusing in HARC systems is a technology with the potential to facilitate the analysis of complex fluid samples containing bioparticles like bacteria, viruses or eukaryotic organelles.

scholarly journals Nanocomposite Materials Based on Electrochemically Synthesized Graphene Polymers: Molecular Architecture Strategies for Sensor Applications

Chemosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
André Olean-Oliveira ◽  
Gilberto A. Oliveira Brito ◽  
Celso Xavier Cardoso ◽  
Marcos F. S. Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Conducting Polymers ◽  
Specific Surface ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Specific Surface Area ◽  
Electrochemical Sensors ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Large Specific Surface Area ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Sensor Applications

The use of graphene and its derivatives in the development of electrochemical sensors has been growing in recent decades. Part of this success is due to the excellent characteristics of such materials, such as good electrical and mechanical properties and a large specific surface area. The formation of composites and nanocomposites with these two materials leads to better sensing performance compared to pure graphene and conductive polymers. The increased large specific surface area of the nanocomposites and the synergistic effect between graphene and conducting polymers is responsible for this interesting result. The most widely used methodologies for the synthesis of these materials are still based on chemical routes. However, electrochemical routes have emerged and are gaining space, affording advantages such as low cost and the promising possibility of modulation of the structural characteristics of composites. As a result, application in sensor devices can lead to increased sensitivity and decreased analysis cost. Thus, this review presents the main aspects for the construction of nanomaterials based on graphene oxide and conducting polymers, as well as the recent efforts made to apply this methodology in the development of sensors and biosensors.

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