scholarly journals On the Development of a Cutaneous Flavonoid Delivery System: Advances and Limitations

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1376
Author(s):  
Raquel Costa ◽  
Sofia A. Costa Lima ◽  
Paula Gameiro ◽  
Salette Reis
Keyword(s):  
Water Solubility ◽  
Polyphenolic Compounds ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Topical Drug Delivery ◽  
Administration Route ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Site Of Action ◽  
Therapeutic Properties ◽  
Cutaneous Delivery ◽  
Reduced Toxicity

Flavonoids are one of the vital classes of natural polyphenolic compounds abundantly found in plants. Due to their wide range of therapeutic properties, which include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, photoprotective, and depigmentation effects, flavonoids have been demonstrated to be promising agents in the treatment of several skin disorders. However, their lipophilic nature and poor water solubility invariably lead to limited oral bioavailability. In addition, they are rapidly degraded and metabolized in the human body, hindering their potential contribution to the prevention and treatment of many disorders. Thus, to overcome these challenges, several cutaneous delivery systems have been extensively studied. Topical drug delivery besides offering an alternative administration route also ensures a sustained release of the active compound at the desired site of action. Incorporation into lipid or polymer-based nanoparticles appears to be a highly effective approach for cutaneous delivery of flavonoids with good encapsulation potential and reduced toxicity. This review focuses on currently available formulations used to administer either topically or systemically different classes of flavonoids in the skin, highlighting their potential application as therapeutic and preventive agents.

scholarly journals Rheology and Water Absorption Properties of Alginate–Soy Protein Composites

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1807
Author(s):  
Estefanía Álvarez-Castillo ◽  
José Manuel Aguilar ◽  
Carlos Bengoechea ◽  
María Luisa López-Castejón ◽  
Antonio Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Soy Protein ◽  
Water Solubility ◽  
Divalent Cations ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Soy Protein Isolate ◽  
Protein Isolate ◽  
Guluronic Acid ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Anionic Polysaccharides ◽  
Porous Matrices

Composite materials based on proteins and carbohydrates normally offer improved water solubility, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, which make them attractive for a wide range of applications. Soy protein isolate (SPI) has shown superabsorbent properties that are useful in fields such as agriculture. Alginate salts (ALG) are linear anionic polysaccharides obtained at a low cost from brown algae, displaying a good enough biocompatibility to be considered for medical applications. As alginates are quite hydrophilic, the exchange of ions from guluronic acid present in its molecular structure with divalent cations, particularly Ca2+, may induce its gelation, which would inhibit its solubilization in water. Both biopolymers SPI and ALG were used to produce composites through injection moulding using glycerol (Gly) as a plasticizer. Different biopolymer/plasticizer ratios were employed, and the SPI/ALG ratio within the biopolymer fraction was also varied. Furthermore, composites were immersed in different CaCl2 solutions to inhibit the amount of soluble matter loss and to enhance the mechanical properties of the resulting porous matrices. The main goal of the present work was the development and characterization of green porous matrices with inhibited solubility thanks to the gelation of alginate.

scholarly journals Application of Dendrimers for Treating Parasitic Diseases

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 343
Author(s):  
Veronica Folliero ◽  
Carla Zannella ◽  
Annalisa Chianese ◽  
Debora Stelitano ◽  
Annalisa Ambrosino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Water Solubility ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
High Ratio ◽  
Molecular Volume ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Parasitic Diseases ◽  
Wide Range

Despite advances in medical knowledge, parasitic diseases remain a significant global health burden and their pharmacological treatment is often hampered by drug toxicity. Therefore, drug delivery systems may provide useful advantages when used in combination with conventional therapeutic compounds. Dendrimers are three-dimensional polymeric structures, characterized by a central core, branches and terminal functional groups. These nanostructures are known for their defined structure, great water solubility, biocompatibility and high encapsulation ability against a wide range of molecules. Furthermore, the high ratio between terminal groups and molecular volume render them a hopeful vector for drug delivery. These nanostructures offer several advantages compared to conventional drugs for the treatment of parasitic infection. Dendrimers deliver drugs to target sites with reduced dosage, solving side effects that occur with accepted marketed drugs. In recent years, extensive progress has been made towards the use of dendrimers for therapeutic, prophylactic and diagnostic purposes for the management of parasitic infections. The present review highlights the potential of several dendrimers in the management of parasitic diseases.

scholarly journals A study of the effects of sodium alginate and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose on the growth of the common duckweed (Lemna minor L.)

2021 ◽  
pp. 82-82
Author(s):  
Bianca Boros ◽  
Nathalie Grau ◽  
Adriana Isvoran ◽  
Adina Datcu ◽  
Nicoleta Ianovici ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Alginate ◽  
Carboxymethyl Cellulose ◽  
Water Solubility ◽  
Lemna Minor ◽  
Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose ◽  
Log P ◽  
Growth Inhibitory ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Common ◽  
High Doses

Sodium alginate (ALG) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are two polysaccharides that have a wide range of applications which could lead to accidental pollution of the environment, making the assessment of their potential ecotoxicity imperative. The present study assesses the ALG and CMC effects on the growth response of the common duckweed (Lemna minor L.). The results emphasize that both polysaccharides can be classified as practically nontoxic based on their EC50 values, with ALG having a relatively higher toxicity compared to CMC. It was also observed that high doses of 1, 5 and 10 mg mL-1 of the two polysaccharides produced growth inhibitory effects against common duckweed. The toxicity of biopolymers against common duckweed, measured as EC50 values, seems to be correlated to the hydrophobicity of the monomers building the polymer. The EC50 values increase linearly with the increase of water solubility (log S) values and decrease linearly with the lipophilicity (log P) values.

scholarly journals Policies for promoting diaspora investment in countries of origin

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-116
Author(s):  
Sanja Franc ◽  
Marina Perić Kasel ◽  
Ivona Škreblin Kirbiš
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
National Development ◽  
Business Development ◽  
Financial Capital ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Transnational Entrepreneurship ◽  
Diaspora Engagement

Investments from the diaspora and transnational entrepreneurship represent significant areas for potential contribution to national development. Due to the fact that diaspora members have the ability to connect with a wide range of potential partners and supporters in both their countries of origin and countries of residence, and thus create opportunities for investment, trade and outsourcing, developing countries which seek human and financial capital should put more focus on facilitation and promotion measures for collaboration with the diaspora. The main aim of this paper is to define and discuss most commonly used policy measures for promoting diaspora investments and transnational entrepreneurship in developing countries and giving recommendations for diaspora engagement. The analysis indicates that policy measures and the degree to which countries have begun to engage their diaspora vary, while most of them still miss an adequate institutional framework for promoting transnational networks which can be an important channel for fostering business development, job creation and innovation.

scholarly journals Posttranscriptional mechanisms involving microRNA-27a and b contribute to fast-specific and glucocorticoid-mediated myostatin expression in skeletal muscle

2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (1) ◽  
pp. C124-C137 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Allen ◽  
Amanda S. Loh
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Recognition Sequence ◽  
Luciferase Reporter Construct ◽  
Glucocorticoid Treatment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Expression Construct

Expression of the antigrowth factor myostatin (MSTN) differs between fast and slow skeletal muscles and is increased in nearly every form of muscle atrophy, but the contribution of transcriptional vs. posttranscriptional mechanisms to its differing expression in these states has not been defined. We show here that levels of mature MSTN mRNA were sixfold greater in fast vs. slow muscle and were increased twofold in fast muscle in response to dexamethasone (Dex) injection in vivo and in C2C12 myotubes following Dex treatment in vitro, but that levels of MSTN pre-mRNA, a readout of transcription, only minimally and nonsignificantly differed in these states. Moreover, Dex treatment with or without cotransfection with a glucocorticoid receptor expression construct had only modest effects on mouse MSTN promoter activity in C2C12 myotubes. We therefore explored the potential contribution of posttranscriptional mechanisms, and the role of the microRNAs miR-27a and b in particular, on MSTN expression. The MSTN 3′-untranslated region (UTR) contains a putative recognition sequence for miR-27a and b that is conserved across a wide range of vertebrate species. Cotransfection of a MSTN 3′-UTR-luciferase construct with a miR-27b expression construct significantly attenuated by approximately half while mutation of the miR-27 recognition sequence significantly increased by approximately twofold the activity of a MSTN 3′-UTR construct and decreased mRNA degradation of a luciferase reporter construct in C2C12 myotubes. Expression of miR-27a and b was almost sixfold greater in slow-twitch than in fast-twitch muscle in vivo, and miR-27a expression was significantly decreased by nearly half by glucocorticoid treatment in vitro. Finally, the miR-27a and b promoters were activated by cotransfection with the slow-specific signaling molecules calcineurin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α. The present data represent the first demonstration that posttranscriptional mechanisms involving miR-27a and b may contribute to fast-specific and glucocorticoid-dependent myostatin expression in muscle.

Cephalopod Olfaction

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Di Cosmo ◽  
Gianluca Polese
Keyword(s):  
Water Solubility ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Odour Source ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Olfactory Organs ◽  
Chemosensory Systems

Within the Phylum Mollusca, cephalopods encompass a small and complex group of exclusively marine animals that live in all the oceans of the world with the exception of the Black and Caspian seas. They are distributed from shallow waters down into the deep sea, occupying a wide range of ecological niches. They are dominant predators and themselves prey with high visual capability and well-developed vestibular, auditory, and tactile systems. Nevertheless, their perceptions are chemically facilitated, so that water-soluble and volatile odorants are the key mediators of many physiological and behavioral events. For cephalopods as well as the other aquatic animals, chemical cues convey a remarkable amount of information critical to social interaction, habitat selection, defense, prey localization, courtship and mating, affecting not only individual behavior and population-level processes, but also community organization and ecosystem function. Cephalopods possess chemosensory systems that have anatomical similarities to the olfactory systems of land-based animals, but the molecules perceived from distance are different because their water solubility is of importance. Many insoluble molecules that are detected from distance on land must, in an aquatic system, be perceived by direct contact with the odour source. Most of the studies regarding olfaction in cephalopods have been performed considering only waterborne molecules detected by the “olfactory organs.” However cephalopods are also equipped with “gustatory systems” consisting of receptors distributed on the arm suckers in octopods, buccal lips in decapods, and tentacles in nautiluses. To date, what is known about the olfactory organ in cephalopods comes from studies on nautiloids and coleoids (decapods and octopods). In the nautiloid’s olfactory system, there is a pair of rhinophores located below each eye and open to the environment with a tiny pore, whereas in coleoids a small pit of ciliated cells is present on either side of the head below the eyes close to the mantle edge.

scholarly journals FORMULATION AND IN VITRO CHARACTERISATION OF SOYBEAN OIL-HPMCK4M BASED BIGEL MATRIX FOR TOPICAL DRUG DELIVERY

2019 ◽  
pp. 33-38
Author(s):  
SHUBHAM MUKHERJEE ◽  
SUTAPA BISWAS MAJEE ◽  
GOPA ROY BISWAS
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Drug Release ◽  
Soybean Oil ◽  
Skin Permeation ◽  
Topical Drug Delivery ◽  
Zero Order Kinetics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Span 60 ◽  
Hydrophilic Gel

Objective: Hydrogels with scope for utilization in numerous fields possess limited applications due to problems in incorporating wide range of drugs and crossing the lipophilic barrier of the skin. Attempts to overcome these problems by developing organogel hold drawbacks. Challenges posed by drug lipophilicity or skin permeation can be solved by developing bigel formed via combination of lipophilic and hydrophilic gel phases in a definite proportion. The objective of the present study is to formulate and characterize matrix type bigel of soybean oil and HPMCK4M for topical drug delivery. Methods: Four batches of bigels were developed with two organogel formulations of soybean oil containing 20 and 22% w/v Span 60. Both organogels and bigels were examined for compatibility by FTIR spectroscopy, hemocompatibility and characterized for physical appearance, pH, rheological behavior and in vitro drug release pattern. Results: FTIR study confirmed compatibility between paracetamol and components of organogel or bigel. The oily feel of organogels disappeared with bigels which possessed a creamy and smooth texture. Pseudoplastic behaviour was confirmed by Ostwald-de wale power-law model in both organogels and bigels. Improved drug release was observed in bigel (BG1) formulation containing 3%w/v HPMCK4M and soybean oil based organogel with 20% w/v Span 60 as compared to the corresponding organogel (OG1). Organogels were foundto follow either zero-order kinetics (OG1) or Korsmeyer-Peppasmodel (OG2) while the formation of matrix was exhibited in bigels with drug diffusion predominantly of non-Fickian type. Conclusion: Therefore, bigels of soybean oil based organogel with HPMCK4M hydrogel formed gel matrix demonstrating improved drug release for topical application compared to organogel.

scholarly journals Applying the ICAT Sustainable Development Methodology to Assess the Impacts of Promoting a Greater Sustainability of the Charcoal Value Chain in Mozambique

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10390
Author(s):  
Sá Nogueira Lisboa ◽  
Rosta Mate ◽  
Américo Manjate ◽  
Almeida Sitoe
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
National Level ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Wide Range

This study assesses greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions and sustainable development impacts connected to the nationally appropriate mitigation action (NAMA) on sustainable charcoal production in Mozambique. The analysis covers the results of the ex-ante assessment of the NAMA potential contribution to the achievement of Mozambique’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target. The expected impacts show that the proposed actions tied to NAMA (e.g., introducing improved kilns, sustainable forest management, briquetting of charcoal waste and torrefaction) can cumulatively lead to emission reductions amounting to 314,521 ± 45,138 t CO2-eq (119% reduction) by 2025, and 442,706 ± 26,766 t CO2-eq (113% reduction) by 2030 at the national level, compared to a business as usual scenario. This shifting represents a transformation of the charcoal sector from a net source of emissions to net carbon sequestrating. The analysis also identifies a wide range of sustainable development cobenefits, including increased income, improved gender equity, job creation (23% increase by 2025, and 15% decrease by 2030), and increased revenue (USD 825,000 by 2025, and USD 1.6 million by 2030). The assessment process concluded that unless robust data collection, processing, and sharing is put in place, a full assessment of all direct and indirect environmental, social, and economic impacts cannot be comprehensively reported. Finally, we highlight the lessons learned and specific barriers for a robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of the given policy under the current MRV set up and available capacities.

scholarly journals Lactational amenorrhoea among adolescent girls in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic scoping review

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. e002492
Author(s):  
Martines N S Figaroa ◽  
Saverio Bellizzi ◽  
Therese Delvaux ◽  
Lenka Benova
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Planning Method ◽  
Family Planning Method ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Postpartum Family Planning ◽  
Wide Range

IntroductionFertility levels among adolescents remain high in many settings. The objective of this paper was to review the available literature about postpartum and lactational amenorrhoea among adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsWe searched Medline, Embase, Global Health and CINAHL Plus databases using terms capturing adolescence and lactational or postpartum amenorrhoea. Inclusion criteria included publication date since 1990, data from LMICs, and topic related to lactational amenorrhoea as a postpartum family planning method or as an effect of (exclusive) breast feeding among adolescents. Thematic analysis and narrative synthesis were applied to summarise and interpret the findings.ResultsWe screened 982 titles and abstracts, reviewed 75 full-text articles and included nine. Eight studies assessed data from a single country (three from India, two from Bangladesh, two from Turkey, one from Nigeria). One study using Demographic and Health Survey data included 37 different LMICs. The five studies measuring duration of postpartum or lactational amenorrhoea reported a wide range of durations across the contexts examined. Four studies (from Bangladesh, Nigeria and Turkey) examined outcomes related to the use of lactational amenorrhoea as a family planning method among adolescents. We did not find any studies assessing adolescents’ knowledge of lactational amenorrhoea as a postpartum family planning method. Likewise, little is known about the effectiveness of lactational amenorrhoea method among adolescents using sufficiently large samples and follow-up time.ConclusionThe available evidence on lactational amenorrhoea among adolescents in LMICs is scarce. Given the potential contribution of lactational amenorrhoea to prevention of short interpregnancy intervals among adolescents and young women, there is a need for a better understanding of the duration of lactational amenorrhoea, and the knowledge and effective use of lactational amenorrhoea method for family planning among adolescents in a wider range of LMIC settings.

scholarly journals The upshot of Polyphenolic compounds on immunity amid COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging communicable diseases: An appraisal

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 411-429
Author(s):  
Ayman Khalil ◽  
Diana Tazeddinova
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infections ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Polyphenolic Compounds ◽  
The Body ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Review Reports ◽  
Physiological Benefits

Abstract Polyphenols are a large family of more than 10,000 naturally occurring compounds, which exert countless pharmacological, biological and physiological benefits for human health including several chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Their role in traditional medicine, such as the use of a wide range of remedial herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, mint, basil), has been well and long known for treating common respiratory problems and cold infections. This review reports on the most highlighted polyphenolic compounds present in up to date literature and their specific antiviral perceptive properties that might enhance the body immunity facing COVID-19, and other viral infectious diseases. In fact, several studies and clinical trials increasingly proved the role of polyphenols in controlling numerous human pathogens including SARS and MERS, which are quite similar to COVID-19 through the enhancement of host immune response against viral infections by different biological mechanisms. Thus, polyphenols ought to be considered as a potential and valuable source for designing new drugs that could be used effectively in the combat against COVID‐19 and other rigorous diseases.

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