Study the Effect of Calendula officinalis Extract Loaded on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Cream in Burn Wound Healing.

The skin, the body's largest organ, acts as a protective barrier against pathogens and environmental damage. Skin burns can result from heat, chemicals, friction, or electricity. Nanoscience has recently been utilized to create ointments and creams for burns. Zinc oxide nanoparticles are crucial due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In this study, a cream containing nanoparticles was loaded with calendula extract, and its ability to promote tissue healing was investigated in Wistar rats with skin burns. The zinc oxide nanoparticles were chemically synthesized and loaded with calendula extract. The morphology and physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles were confirmed by SEM, ZETA size, XRD, and FTIR assays. The MTT technique was employed to assess the cream's impact on fibroblast growth. The antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles was investigated against Pseudomonas using the MIC method. Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression of the Bax and Bcl-2 genes in aeruginosa. The results showed that zinc oxide nanoparticles at high concentrations increased the proliferation of the fibroblast cells. Histopathological studies showed granulation and epithelialization of the tissue without any hemorrhage or tissue infection during the first days of treatment with this cream. The animal models treated with the cream showed an increase in Bcl-2 gene expression and a decrease in Bax expression. We concluded that zinc oxide nanoparticles loaded with calendula extract have a practical effect in healing burn wounds due to their unique antibacterial properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles and their anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects. The synergistic effect of these two substances significantly improved the healing process. This newly developed cream can be introduced as a successful and viable treatment option in burn wounds.

Preparation and evaluation of a polycaprolactone/chitosan/propolis fibrous nanocomposite scaffold as a tissue engineering skin substitute.

Introduction: Recently, the application of nanofibrous mats for dressing skin wounds has received great attention. In this study, we aimed to fabricate and characterize an electrospun nanofibrous mat containing polycaprolactone (PCL), chitosan (CTS), and propolis for use as a tissue-engineered skin substitute. Methods: Raw propolis was extracted, and its phenolic and flavonoid contents were measured. The physiochemical and biological properties of the fabricated mats, including PCL, PCL/CTS, and PCL/CTS/Propolis were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), mechanical analysis, swelling and degradation behaviors, contact angle measurement, cell attachment, DAPI staining, and MTT assay. On the other hand, the drug release pattern of propolis from the PCL/CTS/Propolis scaffold was determined. A deep second-degree burn wound model was induced in rats to investigate wound healing using macroscopical and histopathological evaluations. Results: The results revealed that the propolis extract contained high amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The fabricated scaffold had suitable physicochemical and mechanical properties. Uniform, bead-free, and well-branched fibers were observed in SEM images of mats. AFM analysis indicated that the addition of CTS and propolis to PCL elevated the surface roughness. MTT results revealed that the electrospun PCL/CTS/Propolis mat was biocompatible. The presence of fibroblast cells on the PCL/CTS/Propolis mats was confirmed by DAPI staining and SEM images. Also, propolis was sustainably released from the PCL/CTS/Propolis mat. The animal study revealed that addition of propolis significantly improved wound healing. Conclusion: The nanofibrous PCL/CTS/Propolis mat can be applied as a tissue-engineered skin substitute for healing cutaneous wounds, such as burn wounds.

Label free identification of the different status of anemia disease using optimized double-slot cascaded microring resonator.

An optical-based label-free biosensors including two indirectly coupled double-slot-waveguide-based microring resonator was designed and optimized for sensing purpose. Then, the optimized system was applied for the detection of hemoglobin concentration in anemia disease. The results were simulated based on the variational finite-difference time domain (varFDTD) method using the Lumerical software (Mode solutions) and the optimum geometrical parameters were determined to realize an optimum light transmission via the sensor. Nine different concentrations of hemoglobin in men and women were applied into the sensor and the status of anemia was identified based on the patients' gender and different status of anemia disease, including the normal, mild, moderate, severe and life-threatening status. A sensitivity as high as 1024 nm/RIU with the minimum deflection limit of 4.88 × 10-6 RIU were measured for this biosensor, which introduces a high precision and micro-scale lab-on-a-chip micro device for health monitoring of the anemia.

Nanoencapsulation of Andrographolide Rich Extract for the Inhibition of Cervical and Neuroblastoma Cancer Cells.

Andrographis paniculata is traditionally used for many diseases and scientifically proven for anti-cancer property. Andrographolide which is the marker compound is believed to be the main contributor to the pharmacological activities. The poor solubility and bioavailability of this diterpenoid lactone could be overcome by nanoencapsulation. Reflux extraction, and followed by successive Soxhlet fractionation were used to obtain andrographolide rich extract from the herb. Spontaneous emulsion solvent diffusion was used to nanoencapsulate andrographolide using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) with 1% polyvinyl alcohol as emulsifier. Nanospheres loaded with andrographolide was found to have the particle size, 163 nm; polydispersity index, 0.26 and zeta potential, - 57.85 mV. The encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release were 80.0% and 84.2%, respectively. The andrographolide nanoparticles could inhibit the proliferation of cervical and neuroblastoma cells with no adverse effect on normal human skin cells. Andrographolide rich extract loaded nanoparticles could inhibit the proliferation of HeLa and SH-SY5Y cells, mainly through Bax-induced apoptosis. The result was consistent with the low expression of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) and prognostic factor (Ki-67). The tumour size of HeLa bearing mice was significantly reduced (73%) after treated with andrographolide rich nanoparticles (10 mg/kg body weight) for a month.