The object of this study was to discover an alternative therapeutic agent with fewer side effects against acne vulgaris, which is one of the most common skin diseases. Acne vulgaris often associates with acne-related bacteria such as <i>Propionibacterium acnes</i>, <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, some of which exhibit a resistant against commercial antibiotics used in the treatment of acne vulgaris (tetracycline, erythromycin, and lincomycin). In the current study, we evaluated <i>in vitro</i> antibacterial activity of chitosan-phytochemical conjugates against acne-related bacteria. Three of chitosan-phytochemical conjugates used in this study showed stronger antibacterial activity than that of chitosan (unmodified control). Chitosan-caffeic acid conjugate (CCA) exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against acne-related bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 8 μg/mL to 256 μg/mL. In addition, the MICs of antibiotics against antibiotic resistant <i>P. acnes</i> and <i>P. aeruginosa</i> strains were dramatically reduced in the combination with CCA, suggesting that CCA would restore the antibacterial activity of the antibiotics. The analysis of fractional inhibitory concentration indices clearly revealed a synergistic antibacterial effect between CCA and the antibiotics. Thus, the median ∑FIC values against the antibiotic resistant bacterial strains were ranged from 0.375 to 0.533 in the combination mode of CCA and antibiotics.

Chitosan is a copolymer of β-glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. Recent experiments showed that the degree and pattern of acetylation along the chitosan chain modulate the biological and physicochemical properties; however, the molecular mechanism is unknown. Here we apply the de novo all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study chitosan’s self-assembly process at different degrees of acetylation and two different acetylation patterns. The simulations revealed that the 10-mer chitosan chains with 50% acetylation in either block or alternating patterns associate to form ordered nanofibrils comprised of mainly antiparallel chains in agreement with the fiber diffraction data of deacetylated chitosan. Surprisingly, regardless of the acetylation pattern, the same intermolecular hydrogen bonds mediate the fibril sheet formation while water-mediated interactions stabilize the sheet-sheet stacking. Moreover, the acetylated units are involved in forming the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds (NH–O6 and O6H–O7), which offers an explanation for the experimental observation that increased acetylation lowers chitosan’s solubility. Taken together, the present study provides the atomic-level understanding the role of acetylation plays in modulating chitosan’s physiochemical properties, contributing to the rational design of chitosan-based materials with the ability to tune by its degree and pattern of acetylation. Additionally, we disseminate the improved molecular mechanics parameters that can be applied in MD studies to further understand chitosan-based materials.

Objective: In this work, we evaluated the chemical composition by chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, antimicrobial and insecticidal activity of essential oils (TrEO) and nanoeffu-sion (NTrEO) of oil from Tetradenia riparia leaves. We also evaluated the acute toxicity in Mus musculus. The results showed that S. aureus showed greater susceptibility to TrEO, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 µg.mL-1, when compared to P. aeruginosa, E. coli, which presented a MIC of 250 µg.mL-1. There was a greater toxic effect on TrEO (LC50 = 630.29 µg.mL-1) and NTrEO (LC50 = 713.68 µg.mL-1) larvae, effect on pupae (LC50 = 630.29 µg.mL-1) and NTrEO (LC50 = 713.68 µg.mL-1) and ovicide (LC50 = 631.184 µg.mL-1) and NTrEO (LC50 = 146.701 µg.mL-1) of Ae. aegypti after 24 h of exposure, when compared to other exposure periods. Chemical analysis re-vealed 20 components, aromadendrene oxide (23.47%) being the main component. Female and male mice were used to assess toxicity and oral administration of NTrEO to mice did not result in acute toxicity. Thus, the essential oil of T. riparia and its nanoemulsion have insecticidal and an-timicrobial potential for Ae. aegypti, S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and has a high toxicological safety threshold at the concentrations evaluated in this study.

Over the years, chitosan has been the subject of numerous studies and has gained significant popularity as a biomaterial due to its various characteristics, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. In this work, chitosan fibres surface was modified with ursolic acid to improve their antibacterial properties by wet impregnation method. Five specimens of chitosan fibres were immersed in ursolic acid (UA) solution for varying immersion times of 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours. Characterization was carried out by means of FTIR, SEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy; the results indicated an ongoing chemical reaction between chitosan and ursolic acid resulting in changes to the chemical structure. After 2 hours, the absorbance ratio remained constant; suggesting that the reaction had reached completion and the chemical structure of the sample remained stable. Antibacterial tests were performed on the resulting chitosan fibres against two bacterial strains. The fibres without ursolic acid did not exhibit any noteworthy antibacterial activity against either strain. However, the chitosan fibres modified with ursolic acid showed significant and almost strong antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive strain, S. aureus. These results suggest that chitosan fibres modified with ursolic acid could have potential applications as antibacterial materials, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria.

Chitosan's favourable characteristics, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity, have made it a popular biomaterial and the subject of numerous studies over the last years. This study investigates the enhancement of mechanical properties of chitosan fibres through wet impregnation using tripolyphosphate (TPP) as cross-linker. A 1% w/v solution of TPP was prepared and five separate chitosan fibre specimens were immersed individually in TPP solution for varying times (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours). The specimens were then characterized using FTIR, SEM, and dynamometry to evaluate their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. The FTIR results indicated successful interaction between the protonated amine groups of chitosan and TPP ions, with the crosslinking reaction reaching completion after 2 hours of immersion. SEM images showed that the surface of the fibres became rougher after the crosslinking reaction, suggesting the formation of new chemical bonds. Mechanical testing revealed a significant improvement in tensile strength for the treated samples compared to untreated ones, indicating successful strengthening through crosslinking. The fibres demonstrate significant potential for use in wound healing dressings.

The objective of this work is to evaluate and compare the levels of bioactive compounds in basil leaves (Ocimum basilicum), fresh and after thermal drying processing freeze-dried, using methodological procedures that follow internationally recommended and accepted standards. Fresh basil leaves had 9.50 -63.3 mg/100g (vitamin C), 1.8 -3.9 mg EAG/g (total polyphenols), 0.73-1.78 mg/g (flavonoids), 2287.8-1003,8 μg/100g (chlorophyll a), 2606-2287 μg/100g (chlorophyll b), 16.71-20.6 (total carotenoids).Regarding color, there was variation in the parameters L*, a* and b* of the dry sample, but maintained the tendency towards green e (a+) and yellow (b-). Infrared analysis (FTIR) demonstrated the presence of functional groups related to cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, confirmed by micrography (SEM) with visualization of plant parenchyma residues and fiber bundles. Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) shows stability in the range of 234 °C, showing more intense mass loss at 294.6 °C. Given the data, it is possible to infer that basil is little affected by freeze-drying, with few changes in bioactive compounds, chemical groups and with good thermal stability. Thus, the application of the freeze-drying technique is a viable alternative to the commercialization of basil leaves, prolonging their useful life and increasing the forms of food applications.

Fruits, vegetables, and spices are natural sources of bioactive phytochemicals such as polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, curcuminoids, terpenoids, and capsaicinoids, possessing multiple health benefits and relatively low toxicity. These compounds found in the diet play a central role in organism development and fitness. Given the complexity of the whole-body response to dietary changes, invertebrate model organisms can serve as valuable tools to examine the interplay between genes, signaling pathways, and metabolism. Drosophila melanogaster, an invertebrate model with its extensively studied genome, has more than 70% gene homology to humans and has been used as a model system in biological studies for a long time. The notable advantages of Drosophila as a model system, such as their low maintenance cost, high reproductive rate, short generation time and lifespan, and the high similarity of metabolic pathways between Drosophila and mammals, have encouraged the use of Drosophila in the context of screening and evaluating the impact of phytochemicals present in the diet. In this chapter, we summarize and review the benefits of Drosophila as a model system for use in the study of phytochemical ingestion and describe the previously reported effects of phytochemical consumption in Drosophila.

Chitosan is a chitin-derived fiber, extracted from the shellfish shells, a by-product of fish industry, or from fungi grown in bioreactors. In oenology, it is used for the control of Brettanomyces spp., for the prevention of ferric, copper and protein casse and for clarification. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine established the exclusive utilization of fungal chitosan to avoid the eventuality of allergic reactions. This work focuses on the differences between two chitosan categories, fungal and animal chitosan, characterizing several samples in terms of chitin content and degree of deacety-lation. In addition, different acids were used to dissolve chitosans, and their effect on viscosity and on the efficacy in wine clarification were observed. Results demonstrated that, even if fungal and animal chitosans shared similar chemical properties (deacetylation degree and chitin content), they showed different viscosity depending on the acid used to dissolve them. A significant difference was discovered on their fining properties, as animal chitosans showed a faster and greater sedimentation compared to the fungal, independently from the acid used for their dissolution. This suggests that physic-chemical differences in the molecular structure occur between the two chitosan categories and that this affect significantly their technologic (oenological) properties.

Pakistan flora is enriched with potent bioactive compounds that must be explored while Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a global challenge driven by neurochemical imbalances. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors traditionally alleviate symptoms, but addressing the root cause remains elusive. This gap has led to the exploration of herbal sources for interventions. In this context, we analyzed fifty 50 medicinal plants for their phytochemical composition and antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities. AChE activity was measured using Ellman’s method. Santalum album exhibited significant AChE inhibition (86.2%), surpassing galantamine hydrobromide (81.8%). Promising inhibition was also seen in Bombax ceiba (77.8%), Acacia karoo (52.9%), and Phaseolus lunatus (50.1%). Detailed analysis revealed Santalum album's abundance in terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolics, potentially correlating with its antioxidant and AChE inhibitory effects. Acacia karoo demonstrated elevated levels of total alkaloids, antioxidants, terpenoids, and tannins. Both Acacia karoo and Santalum album show promise for AD intervention due to their AChE inhibitory activities and unique phytochemical attributes, warranting further exploration, particularly for Acacia karoo's novel potential in AChE inhibition, to advance targeted AD therapeutics utilizing natural resources. This study contributes to the search for effective AD strategies from nature's pharmacological resources.

Aim: M. oleifera, a tree that have medicinal applications. A.hispidum has been utilized in traditional medicine as a cure for microbial and other infections. The aim of this study is to evaluate the bioactive compounds of A.hispidum and M.oleifera and determination of Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antifungal and Antibacterial for their pharmaceutical importance. Methods: Fresh leaves of these plants were collected from Akinmoorin and Awe in Nigeria. Particles Induced X-Ray Emission method was carried out via a 2.5MeV proton beam. Detection of phytochemicals was carried out by HPLC analysis. Disc diffusion method was used to determine MIC for fungi and MIC for bacteria. DPPH radical scavenging activity of these plant leaves was determined. Cancer cells were cultivated using 5% CO2 with 95% air in 100% relative humidity. The adherent cells were seeded and subjected to treatment with increase concentrations of the plant extracts from 48–72 h for anti-cancer activity. Results: The mean ± S.E. of the mean (S.E.M.) for all data were displayed. Three copies of the invitro experiment data were collected. For unpaired data, the student's t-test was applied at P < 0.05, the differences in the data were deemed significant. The ethanolic extracts showed on the average a 50% reduction in cancer cell viability at 24.5μg mL−1 for MO and 16.0μg mL−1 for AH respectively. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated these two plants have Antioxidant, Antitumor, Antifungal and Antibacterial activity and it is recommended that the active constituents be isolated and formulated into suitable dosage form. Keywords: Phytochemical Screening; pharmacological activities; Acanthospermum hispidum; Moringa oleifera.

23-Hydroxy ursolic acid (23-OH UA) is a potent atheroprotective and anti-obesogenic phytochemical, with anti-inflammatory and inflammation resolving properties. In this study, we examined whether dietary 23-OH UA protects mice against the acute onset and progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Female C57BL/6 mice were fed either a defined low-calorie maintenance diet (MD) or an MD supplemented with 0.2 % wgt/wgt 23-OH UA for 5 weeks prior to actively inducing EAE and during the 30 days post-immunization. We observed no difference in the onset of EAE between both groups of mice, but ataxia and EAE disease severity were suppressed by 52% and 48%, respectively, and disease incidence was reduced by over 49% in mice that received 23-OH UA in their diet. Furthermore, disease-associated weight loss was strikingly ameliorated in 23-OH UA-fed mice. ELISPOT analysis showed no significant differences in frequencies of T cells producing IL-17 or IFN- between 23-OH UA fed mice and control mice, suggesting that 23-OH UA does not appear to regulate peripheral T-cell responses. In summary, our findings demonstrate that dietary 23-OH UA may represent an effective oral adjunct therapy for the prevention and treatment of relapsing-remitting MS.

Euryale ferox, which belongs to the family of Nymphaeaceae, has been widely distributed in China, India, Korea, and Japan. The seeds of E. ferox (EFS) have been categorized as superior food for 2000 years in China, based on its abundant nutrients including polysaccharides, polyphenols, sesquineolignans, tocopherols, cyclic dipeptides, glucosylsterols, cerebrosides, and triterpenoids. These constituents exert multiple pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, antibacterial, anticancer, antidepression, and hepatoprotective properties. There are very few summarized reports on E. ferox, albeit with its high nutritional value and beneficial activities. Therefore, we collected the reported literatures (since 1980), medical classics, databases, and pharmacopeia of E. ferox, and summarized the botanical classification, traditional uses, phytochemicals, and pharmacological effects of E. ferox, which will provide new insights for the further research and development of EFS-derived functional products.

The exploration of alternative antimalarial therapeutics is a requisite for the emergence of resistance against Artemisinin. Considering the required cost and time length of classical small molecule drug discovery process, phytochemical screening of traditionally used medicinal plant which are repertoire of active compounds with antimalarial activity has become popular. To investigate the antimalarial property of traditionally used medicinal plants, a number of Erythrina spp have been reviewed systematically where less studied E. fusca has been selected for further analysis. Phytochemical investigation yielded five compounds namely; Phaseolin, Phytol, β-amyrin, Lupeol, and Stigmasterol. In-vitro antimalarial drug sensitivity HRP-II ELISA was carried out against chloroquine (CQ) sensitive 3D7 and CQ-resistant Dd2 strains. Extracts showed significant antimalarial activity against 3D7 and Dd2 strains (IC₅₀ 4.94 – 22 µg/mL) and these compounds have been reported here for the first time. Molecular docking analysis showed high binding energy (−9.0 ± 0.32 kcal/mole) indicating high degree of interaction between Phaseolin and 14 clinically important Plasmodium falciparum proteins at the active site. Stable interaction was also observed between ligand and protein from molecular dynamics simulation analysis with high free energy (−75.156 ± 11.459) that substantiates the potential of Phaseolin as an antimalarial drug candidate.

Black horehound (Ballota nigra L.) is one of the important medicinal plants, which is a rich source of health-promoting essential oils. Salinity stress affects plant development and alters the quality and quantity of plants extracts and their composition. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of salinity on morphological, physiological characteristics, and secondary metabolites of B. nigra under greenhouse, and in vitro culture conditions. The plants were treated with different concentrations of NaCl (25, 50, 75, 100 mM) and fresh and dry weight of leaf and stem were measured as well as morphological characteristics of the plant. Plant growth was reduced with the increased salinity concentrations. The results showed that all growth-related traits and SPAD were decreased both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, increased salt concentration affected the cell membrane integrity. Total phenolics content of plants growing in the greenhouse, increased by 21% at 50 mM NaCl, but at higher stress levels (100 mM NaCl), the amounts were decreased significantly. Total flavonoids contents followed similar patterns, with a slight difference. In addition, the maximum and minimum total phenolics contents of plants growing under in vitro condition were observed at 50 mM NaCl and control treatments, respectively. Increasing the salt concentration significantly affected the total flavonoids content, and as a result, the highest amount was observed in 50 and 75 mM NaCl treatments. Antioxidant activity was also measured. Among the NaCl treatments, the highest DPPH scavenging activities (IC50) under greenhouse and in vitro conditions were detected at 50 mM and 25 mM concentrations, respectively. In general, based on the results, with increasing the salinity level to 75 mM, the activities of CAT and APX were significantly upregulated in both greenhouse and in vitro culture conditions. A correlation between total phenolics and flavonoids contents as well as antioxidant activity were obtained. With shifting salinity stress, the type and the amount of the identified essential oil compounds changed. Compounds such as styrene, tridecanol, germacrene-D, beta-Ionone, beta-bisabolene, and caryophyllene oxide increased compared to the controlled treatment.

Many species of the Asteraceae family are used in traditional Mexican medicine for possessing healing properties. Ageratina pichinchensis (Asteraceae) is a plant used for the treatment of gastric ulcers, deep wounds and for its antifungal effects. The aim of this study was to establish a cell suspension culture of A. pichinchensis, quantify the anti-inflammatory constituents 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran and 3-epilupeol, to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of its extracts and perform a phytochemical analysis. Cell suspension cultures were established in MS culture medium supplemented with 30 g L-1 sucrose and 1.0 g L-1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) plus 0.1 mg L-1 6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN). The ethyl acetate extracts of cell suspension cultures analyzed by GC revealed that the maximum production of compounds The anti-inflammatory activity of these extracts exhibited significant inhibition of NO production. Furthermore, the phytochemical study of EtOAc and MeOH extracts of the biomass on day 20 led to the identification of 17 known compounds. The structures of compounds were assigned by analysis of 1D and 2D NMR data and the remainder by GC-MS. This is the first report of the production of the (-)-Artemesinol, (-)-Artemesinol glucoside, Encecalin and 3,5-diprenyl-acetophenone compounds by a cell suspension cultures of A. pichinchensis.

Globally, the gastroenteritis or diarrhoea has become a more significant problem today due to infection caused by foodborne/ waterborne pathogen Vibrio cholera. In this concern, an investigation was carried out to evaluate the vibriocidal potential of the different solvent extracts of leaf and rhizome of Maranta arundinacea under in vitro condition. For this, aqueous, methanolic, ethanolic and hexane extracts of both leaf and rhizome of M. arundinacea were tested against the pre-isolated strains of Vibrio cholerae such as SPAB1, SPAB4 and SPAB5 by agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. All the solvent extracts of both leaf and rhizome were found to be active against the tried strains of V. cholera however, ethanolic extract showed maximum inhibitory effect against SPAB1 strain with an inhibition zone of 26.23 ± 0.53 mm (MIC of 80.00 ± 10.06 µg/ ml) and 24.27 ± 0.12 mm (MIC of 100.00 ± 12.82 µg/ ml) in rhizome and leaf samples, respectively. Then, the effectiveness was followed in SPAB4 and SPAB5 however, it was not much more significant to that of SPAB1. Therefore, it was suggested that the rhizome and leaf extracts which proved to be potentially effective can be used as the natural alternative for the treatment of diarrhoea caused by Vibrio infection.

This study was designed to assess variation of possible phytochemical compounds in the ethanolic extracts of Gigantochloa scortechinii rhizome. Destructive sampling was done by using selective random sampling method on four consecutive rhizomes from healthy clumps and was conducted at two natural forests and one secondary forest (planted). Homogenized sample were extracted using solvent extraction (70% ethanol) method. Ethanolic extracts of G. scortechinii rhizome were qualitatively analyzed using GC/MS GC2010 Plus, Shimadzu to determine the composition of phytochemical compounds and identified using FFNSC 1.3, NIST11, PMW_tox2, and Wiley229 spectral library. A qualitative variation was observed with a total of 56 compounds were identified and differentiated between study site and rhizome age. Results revealed that G. scortechinii rhizome contains various phytochemical compounds with potential as a plant of phytopharmaceutical importance. This is the first finding on the spatial and age-related effects of phytochemical compounds in a consecutive rhizome and of G. scortechinii rhizome specifically.

There is proliferation of alcoholic beverages flavoured with herbal-extracts perceived to have medicinal values. Information on the phytochemical and heavy metal contents of these products is scarce. This study assessed the phytochemical properties and heavy metal contents of herbal-extract flavoured alcoholic beverages in major motor parks in Ibadan, Nigeria. The phytochemical properties of the beverages were determined in triplicate using standard methods while the heavy metal contents were assessed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and means were compared using ANOVA at p<0.05. The pH range of the beverages was 3.28-6.57 and the alcohol content was 34.0-51.5%. Detected major phytochemicals and concentration ranges were phytic acid (0.72-2.37 mg/g), alkaloids (0.42-4.11 mg/g), flavonoids (0.22-3.64 mg rutin equivalents/g), total phenols (1.13-3.66 mg gallic acid equivalents/g), anthraquinones ((0.74-1.93 mg/g) and triterpenoids (0.74-1.93 mg/g). The phytochemical contents were within the acceptable limits while the heavy metals were: Pb (2.13-4.70 mg/L), Cd (0.06-0.07 mg/L), Co (0.12-0.23 mg/L), Zn (0.14-0.40 mg/L) and Fe (0.72-4.22 mg/L); all except Pb and Cd were within permissible limits. The herbal-extract flavoured alcoholic beverages contain beneficial phytochemicals and traces of heavy metals. Safety awareness of these products for improved consumers’ health would be of public health importance.

Bio-based packaging materials and efficient drug delivery systems are gaining attention, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is one of the most soluble cellulose derivatives, is a good candidate material due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and reproducibility. However, CMC-based films are lack of sufficient mechanical properties, limiting its widespread application. In this paper, the molecular interactions between CMC and additives with different molecular structures have been studied with rheological method. The additives are chitosan and cellulose derivatives including O-carboxymethylated chitosan (O-CMCh), N-2-hydroxypropyl-3-trimethylammonium-O-carboxymethyl chitosan (HTCMCh), hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC), cellulose nanofibers (CNC), and cellulose nanofibers (CNF). The influencing factors, such as molecular structure, concentration of additives and temperature on the rheological properties were studied, which results revealed the information intermolecular interactions. Based on the rheological properties, several systems were selected to prepare films, which show very good transparency, wettability, mechanical properties, biodegradability, and cytotoxicity. These good characteristics of the selected films also proved the good biocompatibility of CMC and chitosan and cellulose derivatives. This work will provide an idea to prepare CMC-based food packaging and effective drug delivery materials with specific properties.

Many public health-related problems, such as dengue diseases, are caused by the vector Aedes aegypti. The proliferation of arboviruses is due to climate change, intensifying globalization, and the evolution of anthropic activities such as travel from one place to another. This paper's objective is to develop larvicidal activities against the larvae of Ae. aegypti. Standard methods were utilized for the collection, extraction and phytochemical screening of the plant parts and extracts. Different extract concentrations (1000, 500, 250, and 125 ppm) were tested against the larvae of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. The different toxicities observed were due to changes in the compounds present in each of the plant extracts. The most toxic plant extracts were Nepeta cataria stem, followed by Salvia rosmarinus leaf, Salvia rosmarinus stem, Ageratum conyzoides stem, Lantana camara leaf, and Mentha pulegium leaf, six plant including Nepeta cataria leaf, Psidium guajava leaf, Cymbopogon citratus leaf, Ocimum gratissimum stem, Mentha piperita leaf, Ageratum houstonianum leaf showed same LD50, followed by Lantana camara stem, Melissa officinalis root, Nepeta cataria root, and at the same concentration, no larval death was recorded for these five plant extracts, including Mentha pulegium stem, Mentha piperita L. (peppermint) stem, Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf, Geranium leaf, and Azadirachta indica (neem) stem . Seven phytochemical constituents (saponins, tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, resins, and steroids) were detected for plant extracts. Nigerian medicinal plants could be used to curb the spread of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, and also have potential for further study on the constituents responsible for adulticidal activity.

The present study aims at valorizing Moroccan Henna (Lawsonia inermis) by developing healing formulations for cosmetic and therapeutic uses. For such a goal, the plant was collected from three locations in Southeastern Morocco (Alnif, Tafraoute Sidi Ali and Tazarine). Phytochemical anal-yses of aqueous extracts of Henna leaves was performed by determining phenolic compounds contents, flavonoids and tannins in the extracts. Then, specific formulations were prepared using aqueous extracts of L. inermis to assess their in vivo wound healing potential in Swiss Albino mice as animal model. Results disclosed that phenolic compound contents (13.48%), flavonoids (9.25%) and tannins (2.57%) are higher in Henna leaf extracts from Alnif, while Tazarine Henna aqueous extract was found to be richer in saponins (0.32%). Exclusion chromatographic analysis on Se-phadex G50 gel corroborates the obtained results and shows that Lawsone levels (Henna coloring agent) are higher in Henna collected from Alnif. Aqueous Henna leaf extracts, at a dose of 10% in petroleum jelly, have been tested for their ability to heal induced burns in mice. Healing moni-toring, carried out with Henna extracts on mice batches and those of two control batches (Mice batch treated with petroleum jelly alone and batch treated with petroleum jelly containing 1% flamazine), showed a great reduction in burnt surface with an accentuated contraction percentage (CP) and complete re-epithelialization duration (CRD) at 21 days in the three studied Henna-based formulations. These findings suggest the interest of potential development of Henna-based for-mulations, as source of phenolic compounds, for further dermatological, cosmetic and therapeutic applications.

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a common fruit tree that grows in several tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The aim of this study was to employ the use of liquid-liquid fractionation to investigative the comparative antibacterial potential of crude extracts of Guava leaves and bark against selected food isolates; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumonia, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The phytochemical analysis of the extract showed presence of tannin, phenol, flavonoid and terpenoid in all extract, while steroid and saponin were absent in some. The agar diffusion method was employed for the assessment of the sensitivity of the extracts. The ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions from the stem bark acetone extract generally showed better antimicrobial activity compared with other extracts from leaves. The extract was active both against gram positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Streptococcus pneumonia) and gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, , Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) at varying zone of inhibition. The results of the study showed the potential of identifying novel antibacterial agent from P. guajava bark and leaves while optimising the potential application for treatment in traditional medicine.

Ephedra alata Decne. (Ephedraceae) is a medicinal species commonly used to treat cancers, respiratory diseases, fever, and hypertension. The present study aimed to establish a phytochemical profile, evaluate the antioxidant potential and estimate the anti-inflammatory activities of .. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of E. alata aerial parts were phytochemically investigated using standard methods. DPPH, phosphomolybdenum total antioxidant capacity and reducing power assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity was determined using total antioxidant capacity, the scavenging activity of the stable DPPH free radical and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined using egg albumin membrane denaturation and human red blood cells membrane stabilizing assays. The anti-inflammatory potential of E. alata extracts was evaluated using human red blood cells membrane stabilization, egg albumin and BSA albumin denaturation assays. Quinones, anthraquinones, steroids, phytosteroids, phenols, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, Cardiac glycosides, reducing sugars and anthocyanins were present in the E. alata’s aqueous extract, in addition to coumarins and proteins in the methanolic extract. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid content was recorded in the aqueous extract with 8.66 ±0.09 mg GA/g and 248.04 ±1.47 mg Q/g, respectively. On the other hand, E. alata methanolic extract had the highest tannin content of 62.12 ±0.10 mg C/g. The best radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 4.63±0.00 mg/ml) and total antioxidant capacity were exhibited by the E. alata aqueous (7.35±0.12 mg/ml AAE), whereas the methanolic extract possessed the highest reducing power activity (1.81±0.00 mg AAE/ml). Regarding the anti-inflammatory activities, E. alata methanolic extract exerted the highest HRBC stabilization of 34.72 ±0.08% whereas the aqueous extract exhibited the highest bovine serum and Egg albumin denaturation inhibition of 99.22 ±0.02% and 73.31 ±0.90, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that E. alata aerial parts aqueous and methanolic extracts can be utilized as future antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ethnomedicines owing to their rich bioactive molecules content.

Gambogic acid, a common traditional Chinese medicine and widely distributed throughout South China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. It is prenylated xanthone which is the significant bioactive compound of gamboge. Gambogic acid is known as a strong apoptotic inducer in cancer cells. It has been found as strong anticancer agent against various types of cancer cells lines such as breast cancer, pancreatic, and cervical cancer. It induces apoptosis, down regulates the anti-apoptotic proteins (survivin and BCL2,) and down regulates the activities of P-glycoprotein in drug sensitive human breast MCF-7 and drug-resistant MCF-7/ADR cells. Similarly, it also exerts alteration in P13K, AKT, p21, MMP-2 &-9, and phosphorylated-AKT expressions. The current review highlights the anticancer and chemo-preventive perspectives of gambogic acid and its mechanistic role against human and animal cancers.

Leaves of Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus hystrix and Citrus microcarpa collected from Mersing, Johor were selected for this research. The extraction of these samples were carried out using three different polarities of solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol). Phytochemical screening were done with various test for each of crude extracts. The results showed that C. aurantifolia gave positive result for alkaloids, saponins, reducing sugar and carbohydrates in hexane and ethyl acetate extracts. In contrast to C. hystrix where the presence of alkaloids, steroids, reducing sugar and carbohydrates were proven in all crude extracts. Lastly, C. microcarpa showed positive result for alkaloids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, reducing sugar, carbohydrates, phenolic content, glycosides and tannins for hexane and ethyl acetate crude extracts. Through antioxidant assays measured at wavelength 234 nm, C. aurantifoliaa has the highest AOA which was 10. The scavenging effect on DPPH radical was done at the wavelength of 517 nm and C. microcarpa has the highest percentage of scavenging effect with 96.41%. Next, the non-enzymatic antioxidant assays on the determination of α-tocopherol and carotenoids showed that C. hystrix has the highest concentration of α-tocopherol (2.30 ± 0.026), while C. microcarpa has the highest concentration of carotenoids (18.40 ± 2.83).

The objective of this study was to carry out the extraction and characterization of chitin and chitosan from the exoskeletons of the Farfantepenaeus californiensis species of shrimp, as well as its application in the formulation of polymeric films plasticized with glycerol used in the process of food packaging. The characterization of the extracted polymer was made by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and physicochemical analysis of chitin and chitosan, resulting in a theoretical performance of 29.33% and 16.46%, respectively. In terms of quality, it was determined that the extracted chitosan had a molecular weight of 1.10 x105 g/mol and a deacetylation degree of 80.23%, which classifies it as a low-molecular weight chitosan, suitable for food packaging. It was shown that the extracted chitosan is fit for the production of the films by using the casting method, presenting a tension resistance of 1 MPa. The Antibacterial analysis was carried out using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), bacterial models commonly found in food. The results showed an effective inhibition capability of the polymeric materials. Overall, the results for both chitosan and the films indicate a high potential for application in the food packaging sector.

Arsenic is highly toxic, affecting millions of people in many regions of the world. That is why developing economic and efficient technologies is imperative to eliminate it. Sorption techniques are attractive as efficient and inexpensive sorbents can be used. Chitosan is an abundant, naturally occurring, biodegradable, low-cost biopolymer that can be combined with metal oxide to enhance its removability. This work aimed to synthesize a new chitosan-magnetite-based sorbent for arsenic removal. The synthesized sorbent does not present pores, and by FT-IR, functional groups of the chitosan and the presence of As(V) in the sorbent treated with arsenic were identified. The synthesized magnetite was characterized by XRD spectroscopy. Application of the Composite Central Design model showed that 0.22 g of the sorbent at pH 6.0 could remove 27.6% of As(V). Kinetic data, fitted with the pseudo-first and second-order models, indicated an ion exchange sorption and activation energy of 28.1-31.4 kJ mol-1. The isotherms were fitted with the Langmuir model, indicating a favourable monolayer adsorption with high affinity. The sorption energy, calculated by Dubinin-Radushkevich, 9.60-8.80 kJ mol-1, confirms a sorption mechanism mediated by ion exchange. The thermodynamic parameters of the process were ΔG°(-21.7/-19.7 kJ mol-1), ΔH°(16.7 kJ mol-1) and ΔS°(123.3 J mol-1 K-1).

The current challenges in the food packaging field are, on one side, replacing plastic from non-renewable sources with biopolymers and, on the other hand, generating a packaging material with attractive properties for the consumer. Nowadays, the consumer is concerned ecologically; the food packaging industry must ahead satisfy their needs. In this sense, incorporating several compounds with properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, or nutraceutical properties results attractive for the consumers. However, many of these properties can be diminished, so an encapsulation system is required. A good encapsulating system is crucial for these purposes, so polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) can be used with that finality. Nowadays, PECs are eye-catching in many fields because of their fascinating properties, which make them very attractive, mainly for being used as encapsulating systems. Hence, this paper reviews the use of PECs in food packaging where chitosan forms polyelectrolyte complexes.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Cardiovascular diseases complication can give rise to myocardial infarction which produces cell death by blockage of blood flow, leading to loss of heart function. Current treatments directed at heart repair have several disadvantages such as the lack of donors for heart transplantation or the use of non-bioactive inert materials for replacement of the damage tissue. New treatment strategies involve stimulation of heart tissue regeneration with the use of bioactive materials like chitosan, in combination with cells and biochemical factors. Chitosan scaffolds have the necessary proprieties of biocompatibility, porosity, and biodegradation, that imitates the heart extracellular matrix. Chitosan scaffolds physical proprieties, such as electrical conductivity and mechanical proprieties, can be improved by different preparation techniques and by the functionalization with other materials.

Hydrogel antibacterial agent is an ideal antibacterial material because of it could diffuses antibacterial molecules into the decayed area by providing a suitable microenvironment and the hydrogel acts as a protective barrier on the decay interface. The biocompatibility and biodegradation make the removal process easily which were widely used in medical fields. However, there have been few reports on its application for controlling postharvest diseases in fruit. In this study, the Chitosan-Ag (CS-Ag) complex hydrogels were prepared using the physical crosslinking method, which used for controlling postharvest diseases in grape. The prepared hydrogels were stable for a long period at room temperature. The structure and surface morphology of CS-Ag composite hydrogels were characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR, SEM, and XRD. The inhibitory effects of CS-Ag hydrogel on disease in grape caused by P. expansum, A. niger and B. cinerea were investigated both in vivo and in vitro. The remarkable antibacterial activity of CS-Ag hydrogels was mainly due to the synergistic antibacterial and antioxidant effects of CS and Ag. Preservation test showed that the CS-Ag hydrogel had positive fresh-keeping effect. This revealed CS-Ag hydrogels plays a critical role in controlling fungal disease in grape.

The estrogen hormone receptor (ER) mediated gene expression mainly regulate the development and physiology of primary and secondary reproductive system alongside bone-forming, metabolism and behaviour. Over-expressed ER is associated with several pathological conditions and play a key role in breast cancer occurrence, progression and metastasis. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. or roselle is a rich source of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds including anthocyanins and reportedly have strong estrogenic activity. To validate these findings, we have investigated the estrogen receptor binding affinity and safety of some previously recorded polyphenols using a suite of computational methods. Our investigation showed the estrogen-receptor binding potential of Pelargonidin, Delphinidin, Cyanidin, and Hibiscetin are more efficient than popular breast cancer drugs, Tamoxifen and Raloxifene, with favourable toxicological parameters and low half maximal inhibitory concentration. This is the first report to investigate the phytochemical basis of estrogenic activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a world health problem for humans and other mammals; affecting critical stages of development. Pigs have been used as an experimental model for the study and prevention of anemia because of physiological and metabolic similarities with humans. Iron dextran particles (IDP) are used for intramuscular (IM) IDA treatments in pigs, but are insufficient for prevention of anemia due to quick metabolization. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop chitosan thermosensitive hydrogels (CTH) formulations and to study their potential as a mammalian parenteral iron dextran supplementation strategy. CTH were loaded with IDP at increasing iron concentrations (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 g of theorical iron/g of chitosan) and characterized as an IM iron supplement. All the CTH-IDP formulations were thermosensitive and can be injected IM at ~4 °C, with a significant rise in viscosity between 25-37 °C. IDP content was physically trapped in the chitosan hydrophobic gel at 37 °C, without evidence of chemical bonding. We conclude that CTHs are a promising strategy for IM delivery strategy of IDP, and these results may be useful for future iron supplementation studies in pigs, humans and other mammals.

Nowadays, inherently safer designs are considered as key priorities to prevent or mitigate serious incidents with devastating consequences. The need for process safety assessment during early design phases has motivated the development of several contributions related to computer-aided assessment methodologies in order to measure the inherent safety of chemical processes. In this work, the large-scale production of chitosan from shrimp wastes was evaluated from process safety point of view using the numerical descriptive inherent safety technique (NuDIST).To this end, simulation of the chitosan production was performed using Aspen Plus ® to obtain extended mass and energy balances. The assessment of all the chemicals involved within the process was carried out for the following safety parameters: explosivity (EXP), flammability (FL) and toxicity (TOX). The safety assessment of the process included the parameters of temperature (T), pressure (P) and heat of reaction (HR). The maximum chemical safety score was estimated in 171.01 with ethanol as main contributor to the parameter of explosivity and flammability. The score associated with operating data was calculated in 209.30 and heat of reaction reported to be the most affecting parameter. The NuDIST score was estimated in 380.30. This NuDIST value revealed the low hazards associated with the handling of substances such as shrimp wastes, chitosan and water, as well as the non-extreme temperature and pressure conditions. In general, the large-scale production of chitosan from shrimp shells showed to be an inherently safe alternative of waste valorization.

The main aim of this work is to report an alternative energy efficient technique of fabricating flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) using printable ink. In this process, we have fabricated thermoelectric (TE) composite thick film and we are experimenting several ways to overcome the challenges of conventional and additive manufacturing methods. Two different mesh sizes of n-type bismuth particle, various binder to thermoelectric (TE) material weight ratio, and two different pressure (200 MPa and 300 MPa) were employed for optimizing the thermoelectric properties of TE composite films. We are also exploring naturally occurring chitosan as a binder. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) dissolved chitosan was used for the binder and less than 0.2 wt% of chitosan was sufficient for the fabrication of TE inks and composite films. Low energy intensive curing process was employed to evaporate the solvent from the drop casted inks. External uniaxial pressure not only eliminated high energy intensive curing processes but also increased the packing density of the film by removing pores and voids in the chitosan-bismuth composite film. The microstructure analysis reveals that bulk-like structure, which rarely has voids, pores and grain boundaries, was observed in the composite films pressed at sufficiently high pressures. The highest performing composite film was obtained with the conditions of 1:2000 binder to bismuth weight ratio, 100 mesh of particle size, and 300 MPa of pressure. The best performing bismuth chitosan composite film pressed at 300 MPa had the power factor as 4009 ± 391 μW/m·K² with high electrical conductivity value of 7337 ± 522 S/cm. The measured thermal conductivity of the best performing chitosan-bismuth composite film was 4.4 ± 0.7 W/m·K and the figure of merit calculated from the thermal conductivity was 0.27 at room temperature.

Transport of hydrophobic drugs in the human body exhibits complications due to the low solubility of these compounds. With the purpose of enhancing the bioavailability and biodistribution of such drugs, recent studies have reported the use of amphiphilic molecules, such as phospholipids, for synthesis of nanoparticles or nanocapsules. Given that phospholipids can self–assemble in liposomes or micellar structures, they are ideal candidates to function as vehicles of hydrophobic molecules. In this work, we report mesoscopic simulations of nanoliposomes, constituted by lecithin and coated with a shell of chitosan. The stability of such structure and the efficiency of encapsulation of capsaicin, as well as the internal and superficial distribution of capsaicin and chitosan inside the nanoliposome were analyzed. The characterization of the system was carried out through density maps and the potentials of mean force for the lecithin–capsaicin, lecithin–chitosan and capsaicin–chitosan interactions. The results of these simulations show that chitosan is deposited on the surface of the nanoliposome, as has been reported in some experimental works. It was also observed that a nanoliposome of approximately 18 nm in diameter is stable during the simulation. The deposition behavior was found to be influenced by pattern of N-acetylation of chitosan.

Enzymes serve as biocatalysts for innumerable important reactions; however, their application has limitations, which could be overcome by using appropriate immobilization strategies. Here, a new support for immobilizing enzymes is proposed. This hybrid organic-inorganic support is composed of chitosan—a natural, nontoxic, biodegradable, and edible biopolymer—and sodium polyphosphate, which was the inorganic component. Lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) was immobilized in microspheres by encapsulation using these polymers. The characterization of the composites (by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and confocal Raman microscopy) confirmed the hybrid nature of the support, whose external part consisted of polyphosphate and core was composed of chitosan. The immobilized enzyme had the following advantages: possibility of enzyme reuse, easy biocatalyst recovery, increased resistance to variations in temperature (activity declined from 60°C and the enzyme was inactivated at 80°C), and increased catalytic activity in the transesterification reactions. The encapsulated enzymes were utilized as biocatalysts for transesterification reactions to produce the compound responsible for the aroma of jasmine.

The study aims to evaluate the Quorum Sensing (QS) system inhibition against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria detected by molecular modeling of R. cathartica L. plant extract. R. cathartica L. methanol extract was evaluated in vitro. The research was carried out for the possible role and mechanism of R. cathartica L. The antibacterial activity of R. cathartica L. seed extract on some Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains was evaluated using culture-based and computational analysis. Gentamicin (CN; 30 µg/ml, Bioanalyse) was used as an antibacterial control of the extract on the production potential of QS-dependent virulence factors on Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was investigated. Phytochemical analysis resulted in the identification of 23 phenolic phytochemicals. R. cathartica L. extract was observed to have antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at different rates (11.3 mm-16 mm). The inhibitory effect of R. cathartica L. extract on P. aeruginosa PAO1 (elastase 61%, pyocyanin 18%, and biofilm 61%) was recorded moderately. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the main component of the extract is kaempferol. Therefore, the binding potential of kaempferol on QS system receptors was investigated via molecular docking. Computational analysis showed that kaempferol can inhibit the QS system by preventing competitive ligands from connecting to LasR. This study explored the activity and mechanism of action for a new green alternative against resistance. might provide a mechanism for R. cathartica L. seed extract components and thus provide a new avenue for using R. cathartica L. seed extract as a green antibacterial agent.

Few Sclerophyllous plants from the central coast of Chile have been systematically studied. This work describes the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial properties of Baccharis concava Pers. (sin. B. macraei), a shrub found in the first line and nearby the pacific coast between latitudes 29-38⁰S. B. concava has been traditionally used by indigenous inhabitants of today central Chile for their anthelmintic properties, wound healing properties and as a diuretic. Hydro-alcoholic extracts of B. concava were prepared from leaves and small branches. The qualitative phytochemical characterization indicated presence of alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic and tannins compounds. The antimicrobial activity of this extract was assessed in a panel of microorganisms including Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and pathogenic yeasts. The extract displayed important antimicrobial effects against Gram positive, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans, but not against Gram negative, for which an intact Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is apparently the determinant of resistant to B. concava extracts. The hydroalcoholic extract was then fractionated through a sephadex LH-20/methanol-ethyl acetate column. Followed, the fractions were pooled according to a similar composition that was visualized by TLC/UV analysis. Fractions obtained by this criterion were assessed for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The fraction presenting the most antimicrobial activity was HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analyzed obtaining a composition rich in structures derived from caffeoylquinic acid, dicaffeoylquinic acid and quercetin, among others. In conclusion, the extracts of B. concava show a strong antimicrobial activity probably due to their composition rich in metabolites derived from caffeoylquinic acid and quercetin, that in turn could be responsible for helping with wound healing, as reported from its ancient cultural use. In addition, the development of antimicrobial therapies based in the molecules found in B. concava could help to combat infection caused by pathogenic yeasts and Gram-positive bacteria, without affecting the Gram-negative microbiota.

The release of the active substance from the matrix modified-release tablets based on Kollidon®SR and chitosan depends on its solubility in the dissolution medium and on the composition of the matrix-forming polymers. The study is based on new oral matrix tablets based on Kollidon®SR and chitosan, formulated to optimize the low oral bioavailability of chlorzoxazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a class II Biopharmaceutical Classification System. Nine types of chlorzoxazone matrix tablets were obtained using the direct compression method, and their combination at 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 chlorzoxazone/ excipients, 20%-40% (w/w) Kollidon®SR, 3-7% (w/w) chitosan and the auxiliary substances were formulated in constant concentrations. Pharmaco-technical characterization included the analysis of flowability and compressibility properties (flow time, friction coefficient, angle of repose, Hausner ratio, Carr Index), and of pharmaco-chemical characteristics (mass and dose uniformity, thickness, diameter, mechanical strength, Friability, degree of softening, in vitro release profile) of the tablets. Based on the initial evaluation of the pharmaco-technical analysis, pharmaco-chemical characteristics, and in vitro release profile, only three matrix tablet formulations (F1b, F2b, and F3b) were further tested. They were evaluated through Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray Diffraction, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and in vitro dissolution tests. The three formulations were comparatively studied regarding the release kinetics of active substances using in vitro release testing. The results were analyzed by fitting into four representative mathematical models for the modified release oral formulations. In vitro kinetic study reveals a complex mechanism of release occurring in the first (0 - 2 hours) and second (2.0 hours – 36 hours) steps of drug release. Two factors have been calculated to assess the release profile of chlorzoxazone: f1 - the similarity factor and f2 - the factor difference. The results have shown that both Kollidon®SR and chitosan may be used as matrix-forming agents when combined with chlorzoxazone. In vitro dissolution tests revealed the F2b sample, data suggesting a faster drug release. The three formulations showed optimum pharmaco-technical properties and in vitro kinetic study, and they had tremendous potential to be used in oral pharmaceutical products for the controlled delivery of chlorzoxazone.

A single water pollution by dyes is a huge environmental problem; there is a necessity to produce new decolorization methods that are effective, cost-attractive, and suitable in industrial use. Magnetic chitosan polymers offer the advantage of easy separation from the dye solution. In this work, a Chitosan-Fe polymer was synthesized, characterized, and tested for removal of the azo dye Direct Red 83:1 from water. The polymer was characterized in terms of surface morphology (SEM), elemental analysis (EA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), infrared spectrophotometry (IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and density functional theory (DFT). The reported results hint that 1 g and pH 7.0 were the best conditions to carry out both kinetic and isotherm models. To understand the adsorption behavior of Direct Red 83:1 onto the polymers, adsorption rate and maximum adsorption capacity were calculated using kinetic tests and isotherm curves respectively. The kinetic data and mechanism of the adsorption process were analyzed by three models and the equilibrium data by three adsorption isotherms. The results indicated that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2= 0.999) and fits the Temkin isotherm (R2= 0.946), indicating that the adsorption occurred on heterogeneous surfaces. The newly synthesized Chitosan-Fe polymer exhibited good adsorption properties and easy separation of cleaned water.

Abstract: Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the development of novel bioresorbable membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR). Hydroxyapatite of different resources in com-bination with chitosan has been used successfully. In this work, armored catfish (Pterygoplich-thys spp) bone as a source of hydroxyapatite is proposed; it was isolated through bone calcina-tion at a temperature of 1000 °C. The hydroxyapatite obtained was analyzed for its chemical composition by means of Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), its functional groups by Fouri-er Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), its crystallographic structures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (DRX) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the mor-phology of the particle. The composed membrane presents a major roughness morphology sur-face than the pristine chitosan membrane. The hydroxyapatite particles added to the polymeric matrix increased the mechanical tensile properties of the membrane. These findings confirm that armored catfish bones are a viable, economic, and environmentally friendly source of hydroxy-apatite, which combined with chitosan, is a suitable alternative to develop biocompatible GBR membranes after it is combined with chitosan.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common metabolic disorders, with a major involvement of oxidative stress in its onset and progression. Pioglitazone (Pio) is an antidiabetic drug which primarily works by reducing insulin resistance while Curcumin (Cur) is powerful antioxidant with o important hypoglycemic effect, also. The both drugs are associated with several drawbacks, such as reduced bioavailability, a short half-life time (Pio) as well as instability and poor water solubility (Cur), which limit their therapeutic use. In order to overcome these disadvantages, a new co-delivery (Pio, Cur) nanosystem based chitosan (CS) (CS-Pio-Cur NPs), was developed, and characterized in reference with simple nanosystems (CS-Pio NPs, CS-Cur NPs). The developed CS-based NPs (CS-Pio-Cur NPs, CS-Pio NPs, CS-Cur NPs) were physico-chemical characterized in terms of particle size (PS), entrapment efficiency (EF%) and loading capacity (LC%). The CS-Pio-Cur NPs proved increased or similar values of EE (88.95% ± 7.79 for Cur; 94.83% ± 9.89 for Pio) and LC% (24.25 % ± 1.62 for Cur; 3.5% ± 0.98 for Pio), in reference with simple nanosystems, CS-Cur NPs (EE = 82.46% ± 1.74; LC = 20.34% ± 0.94) and CS-Pio NPs) (EE = 96.31% ± 0.68; LC = 4.11% ± 0.47), respectively. The identification of APIs (Cur, Pio) loaded into CS matrix was performed using FR-IR spectroscopy and for simultaneously quantification of APIs (Cur, Pio) released from CS-Pio-Cur NPs, a HLPC method was developed and validated. Based on release study performed in different simulated fluids (SGF, SIF, SCF) it can be appreciated that developed CS-APIs NPs have favorable pharmacokinetic profile with good release in gastrointestinal tract.

Chitosan nanoparticle delivery systems have potential for enhancing bone healing and addressing osteomyelitis. The objective was to deliver antimicrobial agents capable of preventing or treating osteomyelitis. Each formulation was optimized to achieve desired characteristics in terms of size (ranging from 100 to 400 nm), PDI (less than 0.5), zeta potential (typically negative), and in vitro release profiles for gentamicin. Entrapment percentages varied with gentamicin ranging from 10% to 65%. The chitosan nanoparticles exhibited substantial antimicrobial efficacy, particularly against both P. aeruginosa and MRSA, with zones of inhibition ranging from 13 to 24 mm and complete reduction in colony forming units observed between 3 to 24 hours. These chitosan nanoparticle formulations loaded with antimicrobials hold promise for addressing orthopedic complications.

Oxidized sucrose (OS) reacts with amino group-containing polysaccharides, including chitosan, without catalyst, resulting in hydrogels entirely composed of carbohydrates. The presence of imine bonds with low structural stabilities and unreacted aldehydes in the structures of these hydrogels hinder their application as biomaterials. Therefore, herein, the chitosan hydrogels (CTSGs) obtained after the crosslinking of chitosan with OS were reduced using sodium borohydride to convert imine bonds to secondary amines and aldehydes to alcohols. Structures of CTSGs were comprehensively characterized by Fourier transform infrared and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, and results implied that the degree of crosslinking (CR) depended on the OS feed amount used during CTSG preparation. Properties of CTSGs were significantly dependent on CR; with an increase in CR, thermal stabilities and dynamic moduli of CTSGs increased, whereas their swelling properties decreased. CTSGs exhibited antimicrobial properties against the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, and their performances were also dependent on CR. Results indicated the potentials of CTSGs completely based on carbohydrates as antimicrobial hydrogels for various medical and pharmaceutical applications. We believe that this study will contribute to the development of hydrogels for application in the food, medical, and pharmaceutical fields.

Risedronate sodium (RIS) possesses very low bioavailability and several adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract when administered through an oral route. Thus, this necessitates the need to develop novel formulation. Hence, we had developed RIS-HA-TCS loaded mPEG coated nanoparticles for the treatment of osteoporosis. Chitosan was used to synthesize thiolated chitosan and its characterization was done using DSC and FTIR. Ellman's reagent was used to measure the degree of thiol immobilization. The RIS-HA fabrication was done and was further conjugated with the synthesized TCS. The Box-Behnken design process was used for designing fifteen batches of RIS-HA-TCS nanoparticles, which were formulated by ionic gelation procedure in which tripolyphosphate (TPP) was used as a crosslinking agent. Moreover, RIS and RIS-HA-TCS in-silico activity was compared for farnesyl pyrophosphate synthetase enzyme. The obtained results revealed that the binding affinity of RIS was much more than the conjugated RIS. Successful docking results paved the way for thiolation of chitosan with RIS. The drug entrapment efficiency (%EE), particle size and Polydispersity index (PDI) of RIS-HA-TCS nanoparticles obtained were 85.4 ±2.21%, 252.1 ±2.44 nm and 0.2± 0.01 respectively. The particle size, PDI, and encapsulation efficiency of RIS-HA-TCS were reported to be 264.9 ±1.91 nm, 0.120± 0.01, and 91.1 ±1.17%, respectively, after being further conjugated with mPEG. TEM showed the spherical particle size of RIS-HA-TCS and RIS-HA-TCS-mPEG. The in-vitro release of RIS-HS-TCS-mPEG was found to be significantly higher (95.13±4.64%) as compared to RIS-HA-TCS (91.74 ± 5.13%), RIS suspension (56.12 ± 5.19%) and marketed formulation (74.69 ± 3.98%). In an ex-vivo gut permeation study, RIS-HA-TCS-mPEG nanoparticles was found to have an apparent permeability of 0.5858×10-1 cm/min which was better than the apparent permeabilities of RIS-HA-TCS formulation (0.4011 ×10-4cm/min), RIS suspension (0.2005 ×10-4 cm/min) and marketed preparation (0.3401 ×10-4 cm/min)..

This work deals with the synthesis of bare and curcumin (CUR)-loaded chitosan (CS)-based macroparticles by ionic gelation using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as cross-linking agents. The resulting spherical-shaped macroparticles were studied using various characterization techniques, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The release of CUR from the CS-based particles with respect to time was analyzed, and the encapsulation efficiency and degree of swelling were studied. All formulations showed excellent CUR trapping efficiency, exceeding 90%. In particular, the TPP-crosslinked macrobeads released 34 wt% of the charged CUR within minutes, while the remaining 66 wt% was released slowly due to the biodegradation of CS. The results indicate that the correct choice of gelling agent and its concentration leads to spherical particles capable of encapsulating CUR and releasing it in a wide range of kinetics depending on the specific application.

Chitosan and its derivatives as a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer that has been well-established in biotechnology and medicine as the nanogels and nanofilms forming material, has a number of practical applications in the field of the supply of medicines, food colloids, agrotechnology, as well. In this paper, the focus of attention is directed to the study of the physico-chemical principles of the formation of gels and nano-particles using fluorescence spectroscopy methods. We have obtained chitosan (Chit5) and pegylated chitosan (Chit5-PEG) particles with an average size of 170 or 400 nm, respectively by counterflow extrusion method. The paper presents three based fluorescent probes sensitive to the formation of chitosan particles: congo red, malachite green as well as covalently attached pyrene-label. Dyes fluoresce about an order of magnitude brighter in the composition of chitosan nanogel particles or in mscrogels. With these fluorescence probes, the pH- and temperature-dependent behavior of polymers was studied, and the influence of the genipin -based crosslinking agent on the gel formation parameters, such as kinetics and concentration dependence of the nanoparticles formation accompanied by sharply increases in the fluorescence intensity of dyes was evaluated. A sensitive approach for tracking gelation and including of small drug molecules and protein by FRET using a pyrene-tryptophan donor-acceptor pair is proposed using tryptophan or ovalbumin as fluorophores-donors. Upon nanogel formation FRET effect is observed manifested in sharp increase if the fluorescence intensity of the pyrene (acceptor). Thus, the application of the fluorescent probes with FRET function for monitoring the gelation and nanoparticles formation as well as drug encapsulation in chitosan-based parts, which have broad prospects in biomedical practice and food industry.

With the objective of studying the influence of elicitors on growth, yield and quality of kalmegh we carried out an investigation for two consecutive years. Nine treatments with three replications were laid out in CRD design. Chitosan, Yeast extract, Jasmonic acid and Salicylic acid were evaluated at different concentrations. CHT 1000 ppm exhibited highest plant height (73.91 cm) and secondary branches (29.07) at the time of harvest. Primary branches and number of leaves per plant were highest in CHT 1000 ppm (26.36; 88.32) which were on par with SA 200 ppm (26.28; 81.51). Plant spread was highest in SA 200 ppm (35.46 cm2) which was on par with CHT 1000 ppm (35.11 cm2). CHT and SA sprays were recorded with on par results for yield parameters but highest fresh (42.34 g) and dry (18.30) herbage yield per plant were exhibited with SA 200 ppm. Highest total chlorophyll (4.459 mg g-1) and total andrographolides (3.494%) content were recorded in SA 200 ppm spray. Significant and positive improvement in growth, yield and quality of kalmegh was noticed with Salicylic acid spray @ 200 ppm at 30 and 60 DAS signifying its use in cultivation of kalmegh for high productivity, quality and better returns for farmers.

Hepato-renal dysfunctions associated with hyperlipidemia necessitates continuous search for natural remedies. This study thus, evaluated the effect of dietary chitosan on diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Thirty male Wistar rats (90 ± 5.2) g were randomly allotted into six (6) groups (n=5): Normal diet, High-fat diet (HFD), Normal diet + 5% chitosan. The three other groups received HFD, supplemented with 1%-, 3%-, and 5% of chitosan. The feeding lasted for 8 weeks, after which the rats were sacrificed. The liver and kidneys were harvested for Analyses. Hepatic alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and renal biomarkers (ALT, AST, urea, and creatinine) were assayed spectrophotometrically. Additionally, expression of hepatic and renal CD43 and p53 was estimated immunohistochemically. Hyperlipidemia caused a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the hepatic (AST, ALT, and ALP) and renal (AST and ALT) activities, while renal urea and creatinine increased. Furthermore, the HFD group showed an elevated level of hepatic and renal CD43 while p53 expression decreased. However, groups supplemented with chitosan showed improved hepatic and renal biomarkers, as well as corrected the aberrations in the expressions of p53 and CD43. Conclusively, dietary chitosan could effectively improve kidney and liver functionality via abatement of inflammatory responses.

In this work, nanochitosan (NC) was prepared through ionic gelation using low-molecular-weight chitosan and maleic acid (MA). The synthesized NC was charac¬terized by means of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In the course of preparation, the particle size of the material was strongly depended on the parameters such as chitosan concentration and pH of the solution. By controlling the above parameters, NC with the size of smaller than 100 nm was prepared. The chitosan and prepared NC were used for the adsorption of Pb (II) from aqueous solutions in a batch system. Among the sorption parameters, pH showed the strongest effect on the sorption process and maximum Pb (II) removal was obtained at pH value of 6. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order were used to track the kinetics of adsorption process. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were subjected to sorption data to estimate the sorption capacity. NC proved to be an excellent adsorbent with remarkable capacity to remove Pb (II) ions from the aqueous solutions at various concentrations. The NC also showed incredible performance with a comparatively easier preparation process than other reported work.

Sub-micron o/w emulsions coated with chitosan have been used for drug delivery, quorum sensing inhibition and vaccine development. To study interactions with biological systems, nanocapsules have been fluorescently labelled in previous works, but it is often difficult to distinguish the released label from intact nanocapsules. In this study, we present advanced labelling strategies based on FRET measurements for chitosan-coated nanocapsules and investigate their dissolution and degradation. We used FRET measurements of nanocapsules loaded with equimolar concentrations of two fluorescent dyes in their oily core and correlated them with DLS count rate measurement and absorbance measurements during their disintegration by dissolution. Using count rate measurements, we also investigated the enzymatic degradation of nanocapsules using pancreatin and how protein corona formation influences their degradation. Of note, nanocapsules dissolved in ethanol, where FRET decreased simultaneously with count rate, and absorbance caused by nanocapsule turbidity, indicating increased distance between dye molecules after their release. Nanocapsules were degradable by pancreatin in a dose dependent manner, and showed a delayed enzymatic degradation after protein corona formation. We present here novel labelling strategies for nanocapsules that allow us to judge their status and an in vitro method to study nanocapsule degradation and the influence of surface characteristics.

Versatile hybrid organic polymers are prepared using two active intermediates such as cynuric chloride and chitosan derivatives. The prepared chalcones are characterized by using FT-IR, UV, and proton NMR, thermal analysis and Minimum inhibitory Concentration. Thermal stability of the synthesized hybrid polymer is found using TGA and the hybrid chitosan derivative chalcone is thermally stable up to 270 °C. The antimicrobial activity of the prepared chitosan containing chalcone moiety are find out using Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) method. The synthesized versatile chalcone shows excellent antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa; and Gram-positive bacteria Chalcone containing halogen moiety shows high activity (MIC 7.8 µg/mL) than the hydroxyl containing chalcone. Cytotoxicity activity of the synthesized composites shows high activity.

Aim: Nepal’s medicinal plants are culturally important and have diverse benefits. Senna alata belongs to the family Leguminosae and is a valuable plant utilized for medicinal and ornamental purposes. The aim of the research was to extract Senna alata leaves by successive maceration with various solvents. Methods: In this study, various methods were utilized to evaluate phytochemistry, overall phenolic and flavonoid content, in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity assay, anti-thrombolytic activity, and antibacterial activities. Results: The extractive values of Senna alata were determined as 1.58%, 0.78%, and 5.92% in hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol, respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed major compounds such as 3-Methylmannoside, Neophytadiene, Campesterol, and Vitamin E in the leaf extract. Qualitative phytochemical screening verified the tannin content, carbohydrates, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, and saponins in the methanol extract. The total phenolic and flavonoid values were 46.36±4.5 mg GAE/gm and 480.4±3.055 QE/gm of dried extract, respectively. The extract exhibited significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, with IC50 values of 29.81 and 9.93, respectively. Furthermore, it demonstrated cytotoxic activity with an LC50 value of 767.85 in the brine shrimp bioassay. In terms of thrombolytic activity, the extract showed clot lysis percentages of 7.89% and 10.13% at concentrations of 10 mg/ml and 25 mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the methanolic extract of Senna alata leaves displayed therapeutic potential, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, and antibacterial effects. The existence of several chemicals via GC-MS analysis also verified plant's potential for therapeutic use.

Water pollution, driven largely by the discharge of organic dyes from various industrial processes, presents a grave environmental threat. This study delves into the promise of an innovative adsorptive composite material composed of chitosan and activated charcoal, offering a sustainable and efficient solution for removing methylene blue (MB) dye from water sources. Our comprehensive investigation encompasses the synthesis, characterization, and adsorption capabilities of this composite material, revealing its remarkable physicochemical attributes and its substantial capacity to adsorb MB dye. These findings establish it as a compelling candidate for water treatment applications. The assessment of adsorbent dosage shows a direct correlation between higher dosages and enhanced MB dye removal, with an optimal dosage determined at 0.4 g/25 mL. Furthermore, pH-dependent studies demonstrate exceptional performance at lower pH levels, achieving an impressive 95% removal rate at pH 3 after 240 minutes of contact time. The composite exhibits consistent high removal percentages across a wide range of MB dye concentrations, showcasing its adaptability. In terms of reaction time, the composite achieves peak adsorption capacity within the initial 360 minutes and maintains a stable equilibrium, sustaining an impressive 99% removal efficiency thereafter. This study underscores the eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness of the composite material, emphasizing its potential to address water pollution challenges and promote sustainable water resource management. Overall, this research yields valuable insights into a practical approach for mitigating the adverse impact of organic dyes on aquatic ecosystems and public health.

Enzyme immobilization is known to enhance polypeptide resistance towards environmental changes, particularly in terms of their stability. The Y509E mutant of β-xylosidase from Geobacil-lus stearothermophilus (XynB2Y509E) (which also bears xylanase activity) has been immobilized in chitosan spheres through either entrapment or covalent bond formation methods. In the immo-bilization by entrapment, besides observing a total loss of xylanase activity, it was found that chitosan concentration affects the process efficiency. Additionally, the maturation time of the spheres and the alkaline pH used to precipitate the spheres affect the β-xylosidase activity of the enzyme. In covalent bond immobilization, it was found that the pH during the modification with glutaraldehyde, as well as the subsequent protein binding, were key factors in preserving the dual enzymatic activity. The activity expressed after immobilization by covalent bonding was 23% higher compared to the activity expressed following entrapment immobilization, with values of 122.3 and 99.4 U. g-1, respectively. Both biocatalysts showed increased thermal and pH stability, along with an improved storage capacity, as they retained 40% and 88% of their activi-ty after being stored at 4 C for two months. Moreover, XynB2Y509E immobilized by covalent binding also exhibited outstanding reusability, retaining a 92% of activity after ten cycles of re-use.

Chitosan is a biopolymer derived from chitin. It is a non-toxic, biocompatible, bioactive, and biodegradable polymer. Due to its properties, chitosan has found applications in several and different fields such as agriculture, food industry, medicine, paper fabrication, textile industry, and water treatment. In addition to these properties, chitosan has a good film-forming ability which allows it to be widely used for the development of sensors and biosensors. This review is focused on the use of chitosan for the formulation of electrochemical chemosensors. It also aims to provide an overview of the advantages of using chitosan as an immobilization platform for biomolecules by highlighting its applications in electrochemical biosensors. Finally, applications of electro-chemical chitosan-based chemosensors and biosensors in food safety are illustrated

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonolignans with great potential for use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Its biotechnological production using in vitro culture system has been proposed. Chitosan is a well-known elicitor that strongly affects both secondary metabolites and biomass production by plants. The effect of chitosan on S. marianum cell suspension is not known yet. In the present study, suspension cultures of S marianum were exploited for their in vitro potency to produce bioactive flavonolignans in the presence of chitosan. Established cell suspension culture was maintained on the same hormonal media supplemented with 0.5 mg/L BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) and 1.0 mg/L NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid) under photoperiod 16/8 h (light/dark) and exposed to various treatments of chitosan (ranging from 0.5 to 50.0 mg/L). The highest biomass production was observed for cell suspension treated with 5.0 mg/L chitosan, resulting in 123.3 g/L fresh weight (FW) and 17.7 g/L dry weight (DW) productions. Chitosan treatment resulted in an overall increase in the accumulation of flavonoids, phenolic compounds and silymarin. High accumulation levels of silybin B, silydianin and silybin A were recorded by HPLC analysis. The corresponding extracts displayed interesting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. In particular, high ABTS antioxidant activity (741.5 μM Trolox C equivalent antioxidant capacity) was recorded in extracts obtained in presence of 0.5 mg/L of chitosan. On the opposite, highest inhibitions of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2, 30.5 %), secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2, 33.9 %) and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX-2, 31.6 %) enzymes involved in inflammation process were measured in extracts obtained in presence of 5.0 mg/L of chitosan. Taken together, these results highlight the high potential of the chitosan elicitation of the S. marianum cell suspension for enhanced production of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory silymarin-rich extracts.

This study presents a meta-analysis of studies that investigate the effectiveness of chitosan administration on lifestyle-related disease in murine models. A total of 34 published studies were used to evaluate the effect of chitosan supplementation. The effect sizes for various items after chitosan administration were evaluated using the standardized mean difference. Using Cochran’s Q test, the heterogeneity of effect sizes was assessed, after which a meta-ANOVA and –regression test was conducted to explain the heterogeneity of effect sizes using the mixed-effect model. Publication bias was performed using Egger’s linear regression test. Among the items evaluated, blood triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol showed the highest Q statistics and I2 values, respectively. Other than blood HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride in feces, most items evaluated showed a negative effect size with high significance in the fixed- and random-effect model (p<0.0001). In the meta-ANOVA and -regression test, administering chitosan and resistant starch was revealed to be most effective in lowering body weight. In addition, chitosan supplementation proved to be an effective solution for TNF-α inhibition. In conclusion, chitosan has been shown to be somewhat useful in improving symptoms of lifestyle-related disease. Although there are some limitations in the results of this meta-analysis due to the limited number of animal experiments conducted, chitosan administration nevertheless shows promise in enhancing the quality of human life.

Bioactive glass (BG) represents a promising biomaterial for bone healing; here injectable BG pastes biological properties were improved by 25 wt% gelatin or chitosan, as well as mechanical resistance was enhanced by adding 10 or 20 wt% 3-Glycidyloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) cross-linker. Composites exhibited bioactivity as apatite formation was observed by SEM and XRD after 14 days immersion in SBF; moreover, polymers did not enhance degradability as weight loss was &gt;10% after 30 days in physiological conditions. BG-gelatin-20 wt% GPTMS composites demonstrated the highest compressive strength (4.8±0.5 MPa) in comparison with 100% BG control (1.9±0.1 MPa). Cytocompatibility was demonstrated towards human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC), osteoblasts progenitors and endothelial cells. The presence of 20 wt% GPTMS conferred antibacterial properties thus inhibiting the joint pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis infection. Finally, hMSC osteogenesis was successfully supported in a 3D model as demonstrated by alkaline phosphatase release and osteogenic genes expression.

In this study, silver-strontium doped hydroxyapatite (AgSr-HA)/chitosan composite coatings were deposited on stainless steel (SS) substrate via electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique. The EPD parameters such as the concentration of Ag Sr-HA particles in the suspension, applied voltage and deposition time were optimized on by the Taguchi Design of Experiment (DoE) approach. DOE approach elucidated that the “best” coating was obtained at; the deposition voltage of 20V, deposition time of 7 minutes, and at 5 g/L of Ag Sr-HA particles in the suspension. The optimum coatings were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. SEM images confirmed the deposition of chitosan/Ag Sr-HA on the SS substrate. The wettability studies indicated the hydrophilic nature of the chitosan/Ag Sr-HA coatings, which confirmed the suitability of the developed coatings for orthopedic applications. The average surface roughness of the chitosan/Ag Sr-HA coatings was in a suitable range for the attachment of bone marrow stromal cells. Chitosan/Ag Sr-HA coatings showed a potent antibacterial effect against the Gram-Positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

New approaches to deal with drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria are urgent. We studied the antibacterial effect of chitosans against an E. coli quorum sensing biosensor reporter strain, and selected a non-toxic chitosan to evaluate its QS inhibition activity and its effect on bacterial aggregation. To this end, chitosans of varying DA (12 to 69%) and M_w (29 to 288 KDa) were studied. Only chitosans of low DA (~12%) inhibited the bacterial growth, regardless of the M_w. Chitosan MDP DA30 (DA 42% and M_w 115 kDa) was selected for further QS inhibition and SEM imaging studies. MDP DA30 chitosan exhibited QS inhibition activity in an inverse dose-dependent manner (≤12.5 µg/mL). SEM images revealed that this chitosan, when added at low concentration (≤30.6 µg/mL), induced substantial bacterial aggregation, whereas at high concentration (234.3 µg/mL), it did not. Aggregation explains the QS inhibition activity as the consequence of retardation of the diffusion of AHL.

The aim of this work is to develop a method to produce spherical biopolymer-based aerogel particles, which is capable for scale up in the future. Therefore, jet cutting method is suggested. Amidated pectin and sodium alginate were used as precursor (1–3 wt. % solution) for particle production via jet cutting. Gelation was realized via two methods: internal setting method (using calcium carbonate particles as cross-linker and citric and acidic acid for pH adjustment) and diffusion method (in calcium chloride solutions). Gel particles were subjected to solvent exchange to ethanol and consequent supercritical drying with CO₂. Spherical aerogel particles with narrow particle size distribution in the range of 400 to 1500 µm and with specific surface area of around 500 m²/g could be produced. Overall, it can be concluded that jet cutting method is suitable for aerogel particle production, although the shape of the particles is not perfectly spherical in all cases. However, parameter adjustment might lead to even better shaped particles in further work. Moreover, the biopolymer-based aerogel particles synthesized in this study were tested as humidity absorber in drying units for home appliances, particularly for dishwashers. It could be shown that for several cycles of absorption and desorption of humidity aerogel particles are stable with an absorption capacity of around 20 wt. %.

Encapsulation of antioxidant polyphenols leads to increase solubility and bioavailability of these micronutrients in solution. The encapsulation of antioxidant resveratrol, genistein and curcumin by folic acid-chitosan nanocapsules was studied in aqueous solution, using multiple spectroscopic methods, TEM images. Structural analysis showed that polyphenol bindings are via hydrophilic, hydrophobic and H-bonding contacts with resveratrol forming more stable conjugates. As chitosan size increased, the binding efficacy and stability of polyphenol-polymer adducts were increased. Polyphenol binding induced major alterations of chitosan morphology. Chitosan nanoparticles are capable of delivery of polyphenols in vitro.

Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) combines the nontoxic photosensitizer (PS) and visible light to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause oxidative damages in (on) microbial organisms. Previously, we have shown that chitosan can augment the bactericidal efficacy mediated by PDI against bacteria and Candida. In this study, we showed that the antimicrobial action of chitosan to augment PDI relates to the enlargement of cell surface destruction. The microbial cell surfaces exhibit severe irregular shapes after PDI in the presence of chitosan. Furthermore, increase in the concentrations or incubation time of chitosan significantly reduce the amounts of photosensitizers TBO required, indicating that chitosan could be a synergistic agent with PDI against human pathogens. A prolonged lag phase was found in PDI surviving microbial cells, in which chitosan can act to synergistically eradicate the cells. Once the impaired cells rebuild their cellular functions from PDI-induced damage, the increased cytotoxic effect of chitosan disappeared. Together, our results suggest that chitosan with an augmented bactericidal activity after PDI is to inhibit the rehabilitation of PDI surviving cells, leading to microbial death.

Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide usually obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin poly(N-acetylglucosamine). It is biocompatible, biodegradable, mucoadhesive and non-toxic. These excellent biological properties make chitosan a good candidate for a platform in developing drug delivery systems having improved biodistribution, increased specificity and sensitivity, and reduced pharmacological toxicity. In particular, chitosan nanoparticles are found to be appropriate for non-invasive routes of drug administration: oral, nasal, pulmonary and ocular routes. These applications are facilitated by the absorption-enhancing effect of chitosan. Many procedures for obtaining chitosan nanoparticles have been proposed. Particularly, the introduction of hydrophobic moieties into chitosan molecules by grafting to generate a hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance promoting self-assembly is a current and appealing approach. The grafting agent can be a hydrophobic moiety forming micelles that can entrap lipophilic drugs or it can be the drug itself. Another suitable way to generate self-assembled chitosan nanoparticles is through the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes with polyanions. This paper reviews the main approaches for preparing chitosan nanoparticles by self-assembly through both procedures and illustrates the state of the art of their application in drug delivery.

The synthesis of new collagen, chitosan and chitosan-collagen coated magnetic nanoparticles have been done. Two types of cross-linkers for polymer shell stabilization were used: glutaraldehyde (Gla) as a standard cross-linker and new one – squaric acid (SqA). Structure and morphology of prepared nanoparticles were characterized by ATR-FT IR, XRD and TEM analysis. The immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa was performed on the nanoparticles surface. The amount of immobilized enzyme was quantified by the Bradford method. All of lipase-biopolymers coated nanoparticles were characterized with good activity recovery. A little hyperactivation of lipase immobilized on nanoparticles with SqA was observed. All of prepared lipase-immobilized nanoparticles were characterized with very good reusability.

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an attractive candidate for sustainable pest management due to its abundance of bioactive compounds with potential pesticidal properties. Solvent choice has a significant impact on the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are gaining popularity in extraction because they are safe and environmentally friendly, making them viable alternatives to organic solvents (OSs). This research first compared the extraction efficiency of OSs on the extraction of phytochemicals from the infloresences of two hemp varieties, Citrus and Cherry Dwarf. Inflorescences were extracted using three OSs, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane. The highest level of cannabidiol (CBD; 0.69%) was extracted from Cherry Dwarf using ethanol while the level of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol THC (0.19%) was essentially the same in both. Therefore, Cherry Dwarf was selected to compare the extraction efficiency of DESs to the OSs. The DESs were choline chloride/ethylene glycol, citric acid/ethylene glycol, menthol/lauric acid, choline chloride/urea and choline chloride/glycerol. In the targeted analysis, choline chloride/ethylene glycol extracted the highest amount of CBD (0.87%) followed by choline chloride/urea (0.78%). As some DESs outperformed ethanol, the popular solvent for extracting cannabinoids, DESs are viable candidates to replace organic solvents.

Dermatoses are essentially due to infectious or free radical aggression, immunoallergic disor-ders, or can be secondary to general diseases. To investigate new antimicrobial sources against dermatoses, Opilia amentacea crude ethanol extracts and fractions were subjected to phytochemical screening and tested for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities on Gram-positive cocci, Gram negative bacilli and fungi. Phytochemical screening revealed secondary metabolites such as sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids and tannins. Leaves and stem bark of Opilia amentacea exhibited the highest total phenolic contain (65,92 ± 0,93 and 65,71 ± 0,57 mg GAE/g DW respectivily) and flavonoids (38,8 ± 1,05 and 26,81 ± 0,19mg QE/g DW respectively). Dichloromethane fractions of leaves (FDFe) and stem bark (FDET) exhibited the best antioxidant activity with FRAP values of 741,15 and 662,84 mMol AAE/g and IC50 values of ABTS of 88,40 and 36,85 µg/mL respectively. These fractions were also the most active on Gram positive bacilli while Hexane leaves (FHFe) and hexane root bark (FHER) fractions exhibited the best antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis at MIC values of 0.23 mg/mL and 0.43 mg/mL respectively. Gram-negative bacteria were particularly resistant. This study constitutes a solid scientific basis that could justify the traditional uses of Opilia amen-tacea as an antidermatosis plant.

Background: Multiple drug delivery systems obtained by loading nanoparticles (NPs) with different drugs with different physicochemical properties present a promising strategy to achieve synergistic effects between drugs or overcome undesired effects. This study aims to develop a new NP by loading Quercetin (Que) and valproic acid (VPA) onto chitosan. In this context, our study investigated the antioxidant activities of chitosan NPs loaded with single and dual drugs containing Que against oxidative stress. Method: The synthesis of single (Que or VPA) and dual-drug (Que and VPA) loaded chitosan NPs, characterization of the NPs, conducting in vitro antioxidant activity studies, and analysis of the cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of the NPs in SH-SY5Y cell lines were performed. Result: The NP applications that protected cell viability to the greatest extent against H2O2-induced cell damage were, respectively, 96 µg/ml of Que-loaded chitosan NP (77.30%, 48 h), 2 µg/ml of VPA-loaded chitosan NP (70.06%, 24 h), 96 µg/ml of blank chitosan NP (68.31%, 48 h), and 2 µg/ml of Que and VPA-loaded chitosan NP (66.03%, 24 h). Conclusion: Our study establishes a successful paradigm in developing drug-loaded NPs, with uniform and homogeneous distribution of drugs onto NPs. Chitosan NPs loaded with both single and dual drugs possessing antioxidant activity were successfully developed.

Our previous study found that intravesical perfusion metformin has excellent inhibitory effects against bladder cancer (BC). However, this administration route allows the drug to be diluted and excreted in urine. Therefore, increasing the adhesion of metformin to the bladder mucosal layer may prolong the retention time and increase the pharmacological activity. It is well known that chitosan (Cs) has a strong adhesion to the bladder mucosal layer. Thus, this study established a novel for-mulation of metformin to enhance its antitumor activity by extending its retention time. In this research, we prepared Cs freeze-dried powder and investigated the effect of metformin-loaded chitosan hydrogels (MLCH) in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that MLCH had a strong in-hibitory effect against proliferation and colony formation in vitro. The reduction in BC weight and expression of tumour biomarkers in orthotopic mice showed the robust antitumor activity of MLCH via intravesical administration in vivo. The non-toxic profile of MLCH was observed as well, using histological examinations. Mechanistically, MLCH showed stronger functional activation of the AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway compared with metformin alone. These findings highlighted the potential of this novel formulation as an efficient candidate for managing BC via intravesical ad-ministration.

The suspension cross-linking technique has been utilized to create the magnetic chitosan nanoparticles, which were then applied to the magnetic carrier method at 80°C. First the FeCl2 and FeCl3 solution co-precipitated and synthesized Fe3O4 for utilization in the formation of magnetic chitosan nanoparticles, it has been characterized by utilizing DLS (Dynamic light scattering), XRD (X-ray diffraction spectrometer), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), which identified structure, size, FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope) and HR-TEM (High-resolution transmission electron microscopy) which identified structure and particle size whereas magnetic behavior of chitosan nanoparticles was determined by VSM (Vibrating sample magnetometer). According to the results collected, the magnetic chitosan nanoparticles have been spherical in form and size ranging from around 250 to 400 nm.

Agaricus bisporus is well known as a source of polysaccharides that could improve human health. The objective of this study was to explore anti-obesity effect of A. bisporus extract (H2Oslim®) abundant in polysaccharides and its underlying mechanism. Pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity in vitro was determined after treatment with H2Oslim® and chitosan. Treatment with H2Oslim® and chitosan significantly decreased pancreatic lipase activity. Five-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups for acute feeding with vehicle, H2Oslim® at 80 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day, and H2Oslim® at 160 mg/kg BW/day. H2Oslim® does-dependently increased plasma lipid clearance in an oral lipid tolerance test. Five-week-old male C57BL/6N mice were fed a control diet (CD), a high fat diet (HFD), an HFD with H2Oslim® at 80 mg/kg BW/day, H2Oslim® at 160 mg/kg BW/day, or chitosan at 160 mg/kg BW/day for eight weeks. HFD-fed mice showed significant increases of body weight, fat mass, white adipose tissue, average lipid droplet size, and serum levels of glucose, triglyceride, ALT, and AST compared to those in the CD group. However, H2Oslim® or chitosan administration ameliorated these increases. H2Oslim® or chitosan signifi-cantly reduced dietary efficiency and increased fecal excretion levels of lipid, triglyceride, and total cholesterol. These in vitro and in vivo findings suggest that H2Oslim® might act as an anti-obesity agent by inhibiting pancreatic lipase-mediated lipid absorption, at least in part.

The present study produced and characterised chitosan, chitosan nanoparticle, chitosan n – benzaldehyde Schiff base, chitosan nanoparticle n – benzaldehyde Schiff base, Fe(III) chitosan n – benzaldehyde Schiff base and Fe(III) chitosan nanoparticle n – benzaldehyde Schiff base for biomedical application as antimicrobial agents. The materials were characterized with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray Diffractogram and biologically evaluated using disc diffusion method with three gram-positive bacteria. The FTIR absorption peaks were shifted to a lower wave number than the micro materials from which it was modified. These clearly indicate the linkage between phosphate, ammonium ion, Schiff base and Fe(III) metal. The diffracted peaks of Fe(III) chitosan nanoparticle n – benzaldehyde Schiff base were new peaks at 2θ = 24o and 42o when compare to the peak of Fe(III) chitosan n – benzaldehyde Schiff base of 2θ = 22.5o and 34o. The difference in peak shift were attributed to the ionic bonding of the complexation of Fe(III) with the blending of benzaldehyde to chitosan – Tpp backbone structure. Fe(III) chitosan nanoparticle Schiff base has more antimicrobial activity against same bacteria and fungi tested than Fe(III) chitosan n – benzaldehyde Schiff base, chitosan n – benzaldehyde Schiff base and chitosan. The antimicrobial activities of the synthesised six materials shown that the materials have high activities than the above – mentioned standard drugs.

The purpose of this study is to identify the steps involved in fabricating silica/chitosan composite membranes and their suitability in fuel cell application. It also intends to identify the physical characteristics of chitosan composite membranes, including their degree of water absorption, proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and functional groups. In this investigation, composite membranes were fabricated using the solution casting method with chitosan content of 5 g and silica variations dosage of 2% and 4% while stirring at a constant speed for 2h. According to the findings, the analysis of composite membranes produced chitosan membranes that were successfully modified with silica. The optimum membrane was found to be 4% s-SiO2 from the Sol-gel method with composite membrane's optimal condition of 0.234 cm/s proton conductivity, water uptake of 56.21%, and reduced methanol permeability of 0.99 × 10 -7 cm2/s in the first 30 minutes and 3.31 × 10-7 in the last 150 minutes. Maintaining lower water uptake capacity at higher silica content is still a challenge that needs to be addressed. However, the fabricated membranes showed exceptional results in terms of proton conductivity and methanol permeability.

This study revealed the synthesis of cross-linked chitosan/Citrus reticulata peel waste (C/CRPW) composites that could be used as low-cost and green bio-adsorbents for the removal of Congo red (CR) dye from aqueous solutions. C/CRPW composites containing different amounts of Citrus reticulata peel waste (CRPW) and chitosan were prepared and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. The composites were characterized by FESEM, FTIR, and BET. The C/CRPW composites as a new type of bio-adsorbents displayed superior adsorption capability toward anionic CR molecules and the adsorption capacities increased by incorporation of CRPW. Effects of different ambient conditions such as contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, initial adsorbate concentration, and temperature were fully studied. The conditions which obtained 43.57 mg/g of the highest adsorption capacity were conducted at pH 4, initial concentration of 100 mg/L, adsorbent dosage of 2.0 g/L, and contact time of 24 hours at 328 K. The adsorption data was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. According to the findings of this investigation, it was observed that the C/CRWP composites can be used as adsorbents due to their advantages of simple preparation process, environmentally friendly, renewable, efficient, and low-cost.

The influence of pH, temperature, biopolymer ratio, total concentration, and ionic concentration on the interaction between egg white protein (EWP) and chitosan (CS) was investigated through turbidity, zeta potential, and state diagram in our research. In addition, phase behavior was observed under various conditions. The turbidity of EWP remained low (turbidity&lt;0.03) and basically unchanged at a wide range of pH (4.0-8.0), while the turbidity of CS was slightly higher (turbidity&lt;0.2) after pH 7.0 than before. Moreover, under the same conditions, a sharply rising peak pattern was observed for the complex between EWP and CS. The maximum turbidity value was observed at 55°C, and the temperature had a mild effect on turbidity. The optimum EWP to CS ratio was found to be 12:1 based on the experiment of the turbidity curves and state diagrams influenced by different biopolymer mixing ratios. With the enhanced concentrations of total biopolymer, the maximum turbidity rose insignificantly above 0.1%.

Green microalgae including those from the genus Lobosphaera are exploited in biotechnology to obtain valuable fatty acids e.g., arachidonic acid (C20:4, ARA) for the production of infant formulae, food and feed additives. In nature, microalgae frequently exist in naturally immobilized state (as biofilms) with limited cell division rate and increased stress resilience. In biotechnology, immobilization of microalgae on artificial cell carriers simplifies biomass harvesting, increases culture robustness and productivity. The choice of suitable cell carrier is central to biotechnology of immobilized culture. Cell carriers based on the natural amine-containing polymer chitosan and synthetic polyethylenimine (PEI) are promising candidates for immobilization of phototrophic microorganisms. This is the first report on the effects of immobilization on PEI and chitosan on the accumulation and composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including ARA, in Lobosphaera sp. IPPAS C-2047. The immobilization on PEI increased ARA percentage in the total tatty acids and ARA accumulation by 72% and 81%, compared with the suspended cells cultured respectively in complete or nitrogen-deprived medium 14 days. Immobilization of Lobosphaera sp. on the chitosan-based carrier declined ARA but increased oleic and α-linoleic acid percentages. Mechanisms of the effects of immobilization on fatty acid profiles of the microalgae are discussed.

Active films based on carboxymethyl chitosan incorporated corn peptide were developed. Physicochemical properties of the films, including thickness, opacity, moisture content, color, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and oil resistance, were measured. Biological activities of the films, including the antioxidant and antibacterial activities, were characterized in terms of 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, reducing power, the total antioxidant activity, and the filter disc inhibition zone method. The results indicated that the incorporation of corn peptide caused interactions between carboxymethyl chitosan and corn peptide in Maillard reaction and gave rise to the films light yellow appearance. Compared with the Control, the degree of glycosylation, browning intensity, thickness, opacity, tensile strength, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity of films were increased, but the elongation, vapor permeability, and oil resistance of films were decreased. The films based on corn peptide and carboxymethyl chitosan can potentially be applied to food packaging.

Scaffolds are widely used in tissue engineering because their manufacture is based on natural and synthetic polymers, which allows them to have properties such as biocompatibility and biodegradability, creating an ideal environment for cell growth on their surface. In this context, among the polymers studied in Tissue Engineering are Chitosan (CH) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA). CH is a versatile polymer obtained from de-acetylation of chitin, which is used for its high biodegradability and biocompatibility, although its mechanical properties must be improved. It has been found that one of the ways to improve the mechanical properties of CH is to mix it with other synthetic polymers such as PVA. PVA is known for its biocompatibility, biodegradability, zero toxicity and ease of preparation due to its solubility in water and excellent mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and ease in the formation of films and barriers. In this study we evaluated the capacity of scaffolds made with CH and PVA in different concentrations (2: 1, 1: 1, 1: 2, respectively) as a possible application in bone regeneration. This was made through different characterization tests such as Infrared Spectroscopy, AFM, Swelling test and Porosity test, where we obtained information about its structural and physicochemical properties. Additionally, a cellular quality control was performed on the material through the MTT assay. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study showed that there are strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol molecules. The Swelling and Porosity tests showed favorable results, obtaining maximum values ​​of 5519% and 72.17% respectively. MTT tests determined that the prepared materials are not cytotoxic. These findings suggest that scaffolds possess properties suitable for use in Tissue Engineering.

The recovery and valorization of waste are some of the key aspects of sustainable production. The crustacean exoskeletons can be potentially used to obtain value-added products such as chitosan. A comprehensive analysis including both safety and sustainability aspects of chitosan production from shrimp shells is presented in this study. The inherent safety analysis and sustainability evaluation was performed using the Inherent Safety Index (ISI) methodology and the Sustainable Weighted Return on Investment Metric (SWROIM), respectively. The process was designed for a processing capacity of 57,000 t/y according to shrimp production in Colombia. The economic (%ROI), environmental (PEI output), energy (exergy efficiency), and safety (ITI) technical parameters were included in the sustainability evaluation. The three first were obtained from the previous analysis performed by the authors. The total inherent safety index was estimated at 25 indicating that the process is inherently unsafe. The main process risks were given by the dangerous substance, reactivity, and inventory subindices. The overall sustainability evaluation showed a SWROIM of 36.23% indicating that the case study showed higher weighted performance compared to the return on investment (ROI) metric of 18.08%.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chitosan (CS) and Alginate (Alg) polymers concentrations and CaCl2 concentration on metronidazole (MET) drug loading (LE), size particles and zeta potential. Nanocomposites were prepared by ionotropic pregelation method. A (21 *31 *21) *3= 36 full factorial design (FFD) was used to predict statistical equation and responses. The MET-CS-AlgNPs nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscope and in vitro drug release studies. All data indicated the presence of drug into MET-CS-AlgNPs nanocomposites. The release profile of MET-CS-AlgNPs nanocomposites was found to be sustained

Electrospinning is the versatile technique to generate large quantities of micro- or nano-fibers from a wide variety of shapes and sizes of polymer. Natural bone is a hierarchically composites with the dispersion of inorganic ceramic along organic polymer. The aim of this study, the electrospun poly (lactic acid) (PLA) mats coated with chitosan (CH) and calcium silicate (CS) powder were fabricated. The morphology, chemical composition, and surface properties of CS/CH-PLA composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vitro, the CS/CH-coated PLA mats increased the formation of apatite on the surface when soaking in cell cultured medium. During culture, the adhesion and proliferation of the human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) cultured on CS/CH-PLA were significantly promoted relative to those on PLA. Collagen I and fibronectin levels and promoted cell adhesion were observed upon an increase in CS content. Further, compared to PLA mats without CS/CH, CS10 and CS15 mats markedly enhanced the proliferation of hMSCs as well as their osteogenesis properties, which was characterized by bone-related gene expression. Our results demonstrated that the biodegradable and electroactive CS/CH-PLA mats had potential application as an ideal candidate for bone tissue engineering. Together, findings from this study clearly demonstrated that PLLA-C2S composite scaffold may function as an ideal candidate for bone tissue engineering.

Owing to their extensive biological potential, essential oils (EOs) and their bioactive phytochemicals have gained attention from the scientific community. Within this domain, Terpinen-4-ol (T-4-ol), a bioactive monoterpene alcohol and the major constituent of tea tree oil (TTO), has made its way into translational research. Recent literature on T-4-ol strongly indicates its diverse pharmacological properties, including but not limited to antimicrobial, antivirulent, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, and anti-cancer effects. Hence, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted biological activities exhibited by T-4-ol, emphasizing its medicinal potential for widescale application. The antibacterial and antifungal effectiveness of T-4-ol has been discussed encompassing its role in combating a broad spectrum of bacterial and fungal pathogens, respectively. The review delves into the antivirulent prospects of T-4-ol, shedding light on its ability to attenuate virulence and mitigate bacterial pathogenesis. Scientific literature on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of T-4-ol highlighting its role in neutralizing reactive oxygen species and modulating inflammatory pathways has also been collated. Furthermore, the review elaborates on the cardioprotective and anti-hypertensive properties of T-4-ol and augments literature on its anti-cancer mechanism against various cancer cell lines. Overall, this review consolidates the existing knowledge on T-4-ol, providing a holistic understanding of its pharmacological abilities. The exploration of these diverse attributes positions T-4-ol as a promising candidate for further research and therapeutic repurposing in various biomedical applications.

A novel approach based on response surface methodology (RSM) was developed to predict and apply the best extraction conditions for the isolation of various-type polyphenolic antioxidants from the dried flower buds of Magnolia x soulangeana Soul.-Bod. var. ‘Lennei’ (Magnoliaceae). As a method of choice, ultrasound-assisted extraction was used and the optimized extraction parameters (temperature, time of extraction, the composition of aqueous-ethanolic extractants and solvent to solid ratio) have been determined using a central composite design factorial analysis, followed by appropriate spectrophotometric methods (with Folin–Ciocalteu and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl reagents) to determine the antioxidant and antiradical potential of extracts, respectively. The use of 66.8% (V/V) ethanol, as the extraction solvent during the 55.2 min extraction protocol, and the ratio of extractant volume to herbal substance of 46.8 mL/g gave the highest total yield of bioactive antioxidant phenolics in the extract obtained. For this herbal preparation, qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed using combined chromatographic (LC), spectroscopic (PDA) and tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-QTOF–MS/MS) techniques. A detailed phytochemical profiling, conducted for the first time, documented substantial amounts of polyphenolic antioxidants, especially phenylethanoids and flavonoids in the flower buds of M. soulangeana ‘Lennei’. Their average total content exceeded 30.3 and 36.5 mg/g dry weight, respectively.

Plants of the genus Monochoria have long been utilized in food, cosmetics, and traditional herbal treatment. Thailand has the highest species diversity of this genus and a new member, Monochoria angustifolia (G. X. Wang) Boonkerd & Tungmunnithum has been recently described. This plant is called “Siam Violet Pearl” as a common name or “ไข่มุกสีม่วงแห่งสยาม” as its vernacular name in the same meaning in Thai language. Despite their importance, few researches on Monochoria species have been conducted. This study, thus, provided the results to fill in this gap by: i) determining flavonoids phytochemical profiles of 25 natural populations of M. angustifolia covering the whole floristic regions in Thailand, and ii) determining antioxidant activity using various antioxidant assays to investigate the probable mechanism. The results revealed that M. angustifolia presented a higher flavonoid content than the outgroup, M. hastata. Our results also revealed that flavonoids might be used to investigate Monochoria evolutionary connections and for botanical authentication. The various antioxidant assays revealed that M. angustifolia extracts preferentially act through a hydrogen atom transfer antioxidant mechanism. Pearson correlation analysis indicated significant correlations emphasizing that the antioxidant capacity is most probably the result of a complex phytochemical combinations rather than of a single molecule. Altogether, these results showed that this new species provide an attractive alternative starting material with phytochemical variety and antioxidant potential for the phytopharmaceutical industry.

Fibroin-chitosan composites, especially those containing nanohydroxyapatite, show potential for bone tissue regeneration. The physicochemical properties of these biocomposites depend on the compatibility between their components. In this study, the intermolecular interactions of fibroin and chitosan were analyzed using a molecular dynamics approach. Two types of systems were investigated: one containing acetic acid and the other containing calcium (Ca²⁺) and hydrogen phosphate (HPO₄²⁻) ions mimicking hydroxyapatite conditions. After obtaining the optimal equilibrium structures, the distributions of several types of interactions including hydrogen bonds, ionic contacts, and hydrophobic contacts along with the structural and energetical features were examined. The calculated binding energy values for the fibroin-chitosan complexes confirm their remarkable stability. The high affinity of fibroin for chitosan can be explained by the formation of a dense network of interactions between considered biopolymers. These interactions were found to be primarily hydrogen bonds and ionic contacts involving ALA, ARG, ASN, ASP, GLN, GLU, GLY, LEU, PRO, SER, THR, TYR, and VAL residues. As it was established, the complexation of fibroin with chitosan maintains the β-sheet conformation of the peptide. β-Sheet fragments in fibroin are involved in the formation of significant amount of hydrogen bonds and ionic contacts with chitosan.

The increasing global concern over plastic waste and its environmental impact has led to a growing interest in the development of sustainable packaging alternatives. This study focuses on the innovative use of expired dairy products as a potential resource for producing edible packaging materials. Expired dairy products, which are typically discarded, contribute to food waste and environmental pollution. By modifying these products to packaging materials, a dual-purpose solution addressing both waste reduction and sustainable packaging is evaluated. Expired milk and yogurt were selected as the primary raw materials due to their protein and carbohydrate content. The extracted casein was combined with various concentrations of chitosan while in some cases glycerol was used. The materials were characterized with attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray analysis (XRD) to examine the interactions between the components of the formed binary blend. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the surface morphology of the blends, while dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile experiments were conducted to study the thermomechanical properties of the materials. Barrier properties, including water vapor transmission (WVTR) and oxygen permeability (OTR), were measured to assess the materials' potential to preserve food freshness. The findings reveal that expired dairy-based edible packaging materials exhibit promising mechanical properties, comparable to conventional plastic packaging. The barrier properties and especially the zero oxygen permeability of the membranes, indicate that these materials have the potential to effectively protect food products from external factors that could compromise quality and shelf life. The materials show encouraging signs of eco-friendliness, with a notable reduction in environmental persistence compared to conventional plastic packaging.

Silk fibroin (SF) extracted from Bombyx mori cocoons is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer shows potential as matrices for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, or con-trolled drug delivery systems. Regenerated fibroin, obtained by removing sericin from natural silk, is water-soluble. Its aqueous solutions can be processed into a variety of materials, for example, fibrous matrices, using the electrospinning method. In this article, the concentration dependences of the properties of aqueous solutions of regener-ated fibroin, that determine the possibility of obtaining electrospun mats for tissue-engineering applications, are studied. A slowdown in the growth of viscosity after a concentration of fibroin of 30% and a decrease in the transparency of the solution were found; this may be due to the on-set of conformational rearrangements: the transition of fibroin from the random coils, charac-teristic for dilute solutions, to the anisotropic conformation of the helix and the appearance of β-pleated sheets. Fibrous mats from regenerated fibroin were obtained from solutions with a concentration of 10 and 20%. Two methods were used to prevent solubility of fibroin-based matrices: conversion of fibroin to the β-conformation by treatment with an ethanol solution and chemical cross-linking with gen-ipin (Gp). The structures of the fibrous samples were studied by AFM and confocal laser scan-ning microscopy. The composition of the moulding solution for the electrospinning of regener-ated fibroin fibrous matrices and the conditions for their modification have been optimised. It has been shown that the composition of fibroin with chitosan contributes to a decrease in the solubility of electrospun fibrous matrices by increasing the number of amino groups available for modification by Gp, and also leads to a decrease in the diameter of the fibers. Electrospun fiber matrices based on regenerated SF, modified by cross-linking with Gp in water-alcohol solutions, promote cell growth and proliferation and may be promising for tissue engineering.

To prepare an edible coating with a good preservative effect on sweet cherries, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and gelatin (GL) were selected as the film-forming matrix in this experiment, and CaCl2 and ascorbic acid (AA) were added as crosslinking agents and antioxidants, respectively. First, the film was prepared by the casting method, and the film formula with better mechanical and barrier performance was filtered out by one-factor and response surface optimization test, and the differences in the preservation effect of different film formulations (CMCS-GL, CaCl2- CMCS-GL, AA -CaCl2- CMCS-GL) on sweet cherries were compared. and then the different film formulations were compared. The difference in film formulation on the preservation effect of sweet cherries was investigated. The results showed that the optimal formulation for an edible film based on CMCS-GL with good performance was CMCS: GL (w:w)=2:1, with the additional amount of 1% glycerol, 2% CaCl2, 0.1% Tween-20, 2% AA, the tensile strength, elongation at break, oxygen permeability and water vapor permeability of the film obtained with this formula were: 16.28 MPa, 71.46%, 1.39×10-12 g- cm/(cm2-s-Pa), 5.10×10-11 cm3-cm/(m2-s-Pa), respectively. In the preservation of sweet cherries, all three film formulations effectively reduced the rotting rate and weight loss during storage while preserving the high hardness and skin color of the fruit. Among them, the formulation AA -CaCl2- CMCS-GL showed the best preservation effect and can be used as a new method for postharvest preservation of sweet cherries.

Hemorrhage is a detrimental event present in traumatic injury, surgery, and disorders of bleeding, that can become life-threatening if not properly managed. Moreover, uncontrolled bleeding can complicate surgical interventions, altering the outcome of surgical procedures. Therefore, to reduce the risk of complications and decrease the risk of morbidity and mortality associated with hemorrhage, it is necessary to use an effective hemostatic agent that ensures immediate control of bleeding. In recent years, there have been increasingly rapid advances in developing novel generation of biomaterials with hemostatic properties. Nowadays, a wide array of topical hemostatic agents is available, including chitosan-based biomaterials that have shown outstanding properties such as: antibacterial, antifungal, hemostatic, analgesic activity, in addition to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and wound-healing effects. This review provides an analysis of chitosan-based hemostatic and discusses the progress made in their performance, mechanism of action, efficacy, cost, and safety in recent years.

Potato tubers are susceptible to wounding during post-harvest processes, leading to quality decline, perishability and large economic losses. In this study, the potato cultivar, ‘Longshu No.7’, was foliar-sprayed with 3% chitosan (w/v) three times during the pre-harvest period after flowering to evaluate the effect of foliar spraying with chitosan on suberization processing at wounds of harvested potato tubers. Our results demonstrate that foliar-sprayed with chitosan significantly reduced wound-induced fresh weight loss and dry rot disease index by 37.34% and 41.60% on the 28 day after wounding, respectively. Foliar-sprayed with chitosan accelerated the deposition of suberin polyphenolics and lignin at the wound sites of potato tubers with the formation of thicker cell layers. This occurred with increased localized activities of key enzymes in the suberin polyphenolics and lignin pathways, including phenylalanine ammonia lyase, 4-coumaryl-coenzyme A ligase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and peroxidase (33.90–64.32%), as well as the contents of cinnamic acid, sinapic acid, flavonoids, lignins and total phenolics (19.70–23.46%) at wound sites of potato tubers on the 7 day after wounding. Our results indicated that foliar application of chitosan accelerated wound-induced suberization of potato tubers and could mitigate post-harvest product damages.

Abstract The present work was designed to investigate antiviral potential of novel mono and oligomeric Chitosan derivatives through in-silico approaches to find potent broad-spectrum anti-viral and promising drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 and augmentation of their mode of action. Chitosan biopolymer and its derivatives were screened virtually against spike glycoprotein and human ACE2 receptor of nCoV-19. HTCC a polymeric Chitosan has been reported to interact with the corona viral Spike (S) protein and blocks its interaction with ACE2 receptor. Better biocompatibility, structural correlations, variation in degree of decetylation and molecular weight of modified Chitosan derivatives are the key attributes for enhancement of anti-viral activity. The Chitosan derivatives constructively interact with viral S protein. N-Carboxy methyl Chitosan (NCMC) among the Chitosan derivatives displayed efficient binding affinity. NCMC, when compared to mHTCC, a monomeric Chitosan for its interaction with the S protein, RBD site and ACE2 receptor, displayed efficient binding affinity with binding energy of -7.9, -6.3 and -7.4; -6.2, -4.8 and -5.5 Kcal/mol respectively. The interaction of S protein with ACE2 and ligand mHTCC-S protein complex and NCMC-S protein complex with ACE2 was calculated through flexible docking resulted in efficient reduction of binding energy from -901.2kJ/mol to -765.06kJ/mol and-814.72kJ/mol respectively, elucidated that the binding affinity of the viral S protein for its receptor ACE2 decreases in the presence of NCMC/mHTCC. The computational study envisages the antiviral efficiency of NCMC, mHTCC and biocompatible Chitosan derivatives for the first time,as preventive intervention against Covid-19.

Starch is a biopolymer with wide potential for the generation of new biodegradable packages due to its high availability and low price. However, due to its weak functional properties, it is necessary to limit the interaction of some hydroxyl, and to evaluate blends with other polymers to improve their performance. Glycerol plasticized acetylated corn starch films were developed by the casting method, and the impact of incorporating chitosan (TPS:CH) at various proportions (75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 v/v) was studied. The effect of the chitosan ratios on the films' physical, mechanical, water vapor barrier, and thermal properties was evaluated. Chitosan protonated amino groups promote the formation of intermolecular bonds, improving the tensile strength, the thermal stability, the water adsorption capacity, and the gas barrier of starch films. Where the film composed of TPS25-CH75 was the one that presented the best barrier to water vapor. These composite films are a good option for development of biodegradable packaging.

Chitosan arouses large interest due to its properties and possible applications. Every year the number of publications and patents based on this polymer increases. Chitosan exhibits poor solubility in neutral and basic media limiting its use in such conditions. Another serious obstacle is directly related to its natural origin. Chitosan is not a single polymer with a defined structure but a family of molecules with differences in their composition, size, and monomer distribution. These properties have a fundamental effect on the biological and technological performance of the polymer. Moreover, some of the biological properties claimed are discrete. In this review, we discuss how chitosan chemistry can solve the problems related to its poor solubility and can boost the polymer properties. We focus on some of the main biological properties of chitosan and the relationship with the physicochemical properties of the polymer. Then, we visit two polymer applications related to green processes: the use of chitosan in the green synthesis of metallic na-noparticles and its use as support in biocatalyst. Finally, we briefly describe how making use of the technological properties of chitosan it is possible to develop a variety of systems for drug delivery

In this work, we designed and fabricated a multifunctional nanocomposite system which consists of chitosan, raspberry-like silver nanoparticles and graphene oxide. Room temperature atmospheric pressure microplasma (RT-APM) process provides a rapid, facile, and environment-friendly method for introducing silver nanoparticles into the composite system. By loading different drugs onto the polymer matrix and/or graphene oxide, our composite can achieve a pH controlled dual drug release with release profile specific to the drugs used. In addition to its strong antibacterial ability against E. coli and S. aureus, our composite also demonstrates excellent photothermal conversion effect under irradiation of near infrared lasers. These unique functionalities point to it’s the potential of nanocomposite system in multiple applications areas such as multimodal therapeutics in healthcare, water treatment, and anti-microbial, etc.

Guava is a vital fruit worldwide, especially in Pakistan, and due to its nutritional value famous in each age group. Due to a very short shelf life, the marketing and export of this fruit faced severe constraints. Therefore, in the current study, edible coating of chitosan (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) was evaluated on postharvest shelf life when guava fruits were stored (room temperature and 4 °C temperatures) for 12 days. The chitosan treated coating fruits have shown reduced total sugars and malondialdehyde levels compared to untreated control samples. However, a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in total sugar and malondialdehyde levels exists between samples stored in m compared to refrigerated temperature (4 °C). The chitosan-coated samples have shown a greater amount of vitamin C, quercetin, rutin, and total phenolic contents than control samples. However, these nutritional parameters' levels were significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) in samples stored at room than samples stored at refrigerated temperature. However, the levels of crude fiber, potassium, and sodium were found statistically nonsignificant (p ≥0.05) in control versus chitosan treated coating treatments. The findings have documented that the coatings of 1.5 and 2.0% were most effective for extension in shelf life and maintaining the nutritional attributes of guava fruit.

The study compared the influence of chitosan sources on rumen fermentation, methane emission and milk production in lactating dairy cows fed a glycerin-based diet. Six, lactating Holstein-Frisian crossbreeds (410 ± 5.0 kg BW, 120 ± 21 day-in-milk), were arranged in a 3 x 3 replicated Latin square design. In addition to control, a 2% chitosan extract supplement and a 2% commercial chitosan supplement of dry matter intake were the treatments. The results denoted that no significant differences on daily dry matter, nutrients or estimated energy intake were noted when cows received different sources of chitosan. Nutrient digestibility was not influenced differently by extraction based or commercial chitosan supplements. The pH, temperature, ammonia nitrogen, blood urea and microbial count were similar among treatments. The different sources of chitosan supplements did not change the totals of volatile fatty acids, acetate and butyrate; in contrast, different chitosan sources influenced (P<0.05) propionate content. The ruminal acetate to propionate ratio was markedly (P<0.05) reduced with chitosan supplement, but no change appeared between sources of chitosan. At 4 hours after feeding, the methane estimation significantly decreased with the addition of chitosan supplementation (P<0.05) compared to the control group. The purine derivatives and microbial protein synthesis were not altered by the treatments. No significant differences existed on milk yield, milk composition or milk urea nitrogen when cows received different sources of chitosan (P>0.05). In sum, supplementing extracted chitosan showed more potential than did commercial chitosan for enhancing economic efficiency and recycling shrimp residues, therefore, reducing environmental waste.

Huge amounts of wastes are generated during shrimp processing, representing approximately 65% of the initial shrimp weight, which can become an environmental problem when accumulated. Residues such as shrimp shells can be processed to obtain value-added products such as chitin, chitosan, astaxanthin, and a nitrogenous extract under the biorefinery concept. In this work, the economic evaluation and the techno-economic sensibility analysis for a mass integrated biorefinery based on shrimp were developed to determine the economic feasibility of the project and to identify the critical techno-economic variables that affect the profitability of the process. The results showed that a biorefinery for the annual processing of 4,113.09 tons of fresh shrimp in Colombia is profitable, with a return on investment percentage (%ROI) equal to 65.88% and a net present value (NPV) of 10.40 MM USD. The process supports decreases of up to 28% in capacity of production and increases of 12% and 11% in the cost of raw materials and variable operating costs without incurring losses, respectively. However, the decrease over 500 USD/t in the shrimp meat selling price is not supported, thus it is mainly recommended to increase the selling price of this product.

The antiradical and antimicrobial activity of lignin and lignin-based films are both of great interest for applications such as food packaging additives. The polyphenol structure of lignin in addition to the presence of O-containing functional groups is potentially responsible for these activities. This study used DPPH assays to discuss the antiradical activity of HPMC/lignin and HPMC/lignin/chitosan films. The scavenging activity (SA) of both binary (HPMC/lignin) and ternary (HPMC/lignin/chitosan) systems was affected by the percentage of the added lignin: the 5% addition showed the highest activity and the 30% addition had the lowest. Both, scavenging activity and antimicrobial activity are depending on the biomass source showing the following trend: organosolv of softwood > Kraft of softwood > organosolv of grass. Testing the antimicrobial activities of lignins and lignin-containing films showed high antimicrobial activities against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at 35 °C and at low temperatures (0-7 °C). Purification of kraft lignin has a negative effect on the antimicrobial activity while storage has positive effect. The lignin release in the produced films affected the activity positively and the chitosan addition enhances the activity even more for both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Testing the films against spoilage bacteria that grow at low temperatures revealed the activity of the 30% addition on HPMC/L1 film against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens while L5 was active only against B. thermosphacta. In HPMC/lignin/chitosan films the 5% addition exhibited activity against both B. thermosphacta and P. fluorescens.

One-dimensional nanostructures such as silver nanowires (AgNWs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their outstanding electrical, thermal and antimicrobial properties; however, their application in the prevention of infections linked to bone tissue regeneration interventions has not yet been explored. Here we report on the development of an innovative scaffold prepared from chitosan, composite hydroxyapatite and AgNWs (CS-HACS-AgNWs) having both bioactive and antibacterial properties. In vitro results highlighted the antibacterial potential of AgNWs against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The CS-HACS-AgNWs composite scaffold demonstrated suitable Ca/P deposition, improved gel strength, reduced gelation time, and sustained Ag+ release within therapeutic concentrations. Antibacterial studies showed that the composite formulation was capable of inhibiting bacterial growth in suspension and of completely preventing biofilm formation on the scaffold in the presence of resistant strains. The hydrogels were also shown to be biocompatible, allowing cell proliferation. In summary, the developed CS-HACS-AgNWs composite hydrogels demonstrated significant potential as a scaffold material to be employed in bone regenerative medicine, as it presents enhanced mechanical strength combined with the ability to allow calcium salts deposition, while efficiently decreasing the risk of infections. The results presented justify further investigations into potential clinical applications of these materials.