Three-dimensional dynamics of nitrogen from banded enhanced efficiency fertilizers

A range of enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) have been developed in response to widespread recognition of poor nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) in agriculture; however, their effective utilization is not properly understood when applied in sub-surface bands. This study quantified soil chemical changes and the distribution of N species that arose from sub-surface banding of urea, a controlled release polymer-coated urea (PCU) and urea coated with either nitrification inhibitors (NIs) or a urease inhibitor (UI), over 71 days in a field trial. Banding NIs extended the duration of nitrification inhibition for up to 50 days longer than banded urea, although the duration of NI-conferred inhibition was dependant on the rate of NI-urea application. The UI preserved urea-N at a concentration which was 16-fold higher cf. standard urea over 7 days, but no urea-N was detected after 21 days. This suggests that the NUE benefits of UIs are transient when applied in sub-surface bands. Slow release of urea-N from banded PCU resulted in lower concentrations of N in the soil solution. This reduced N dispersal by ca. 50 mm cf. urea, resulting in a N-enriched zone which was considerably smaller. Relatively benign chemical conditions around PCU bands enabled rates of nitrification (NH4–N:NO3–N ratio of 46%) which were similar to urea. Collectively, these results demonstrate the relative efficacy and risks of the different EEF technologies, when applied in fertilizer bands. This knowledge supports the effective utilization of band-applied EEFs for improved NUE in agricultural systems.

Isolation and Characterization of Azadirachta indica Gum: A Novel Controlled Release Polymer

Oral Drug Delivery is considered as the holy grail of drug delivery due to its convenience which resulted in high patient compliance of all the drug delivery systems that have been explored, oral drug delivery is the most preferred option for systemic delivery of drug via various pharmaceutical products of different dosage forms. The advantage of administering a single dose of drug which is released over an extended period of time, instead of administering numerous doses, is now a day’s area of interest for formulation scientists in the pharmaceutical industry. For this reason, the conventional dosage forms of drugs are rapidly being replaced by the new and the novel drug delivery systems. Amongst these, the controlled release dosage forms have gradually gained medical acceptance and became extremely popular in modern therapeutics. In order to control the release of drug from its dosage form, an effective controlled release polymer is essential. Though, there are several controlled release polymers available in the market, there is continuous need to develop controlled polymers which are safe and inexpensive. The aim of the work was to isolate and characterize the Azadirachta indica gum as novel controlled release polymer. Keywords: Isolation, Controlled release, Azadirachta indica

Monoclonal antibody conjugated Nanoparticles targeted to Prostate tumor cells

Novel approaches to drug delivery and formulation using nanotechnology are revolutionizing the future of medicine. The application of nanotechnology in medicine is offering many exciting possibilities in healthcare. Engineered nanoparticles and conjugation of monoclonal antibodies with anticancer drug Docetaxel have the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and the therapy of its diseases, particularly by targeted delivery of anticancer drugs and imaging contrast agents. Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men, represents one of the major epidemiological problems, especially for patients in the advanced age. There is a substantial interest in developing therapeutic options for treatment of prostate cancer based on use of nanocarriers with the conjugation of drug and antibody, to overcome the lack of specificity of conventional chemotherapeutic agents as well as for the early detection of precancerous and malignant lesions. In this article, we highlight on the recent development of bioconjugation of drug with nanotechnology strategies adopted for the management of prostate cancer. In particular, the combination of targeted and controlled-release polymer nanocarriers have worked against prostate specific membrane antigen, a promising targeted Docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles, which can be validated for use in the prostate cancer therapy. However, several limitations facing nanoparticle delivery to solid tumors, such as heterogeneity of intratumoural barriers and vasculature, cytotoxicity and or hypersensitivity reactions to currently available cancer nanomedicines, and the difficult in developing targeted nanoparticles with optimal biophysicochemical properties, should be still addressed for successful tumor eradication.