Biocompatibility and Antibacterial Activity of Eugenol and Copaiba Essential Oil-Based Emulsions Loaded on Cotton Textile Materials.

The present study was focused on the preparation, characterization and application onto cotton fabrics of different topical oil-in-water emulsions based on chitosan, eugenol and copaiba essential oil for potential topical applications. Different amounts of copaiba essential oil (oil phases) and eugenol were used, while the water phase consisted of hamamelis water. The designed formulations were evaluated via optical microscopy and rheological parameters assessment. The textile materials treated with the developed emulsions were analyzed in terms of antibacterial efficiency and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. The rheological measurements have shown that the emulsions' stability was dependent on their viscosity and structure of the colloidal systems. The emulsions remained stable at temperatures equal to or below 35 °C, but an increase in temperature led to droplet flocculation and creaming. The emulsion-treated textiles exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and in vivo biocompatibility on the skin of guinea pigs without sensitization effects. Our study revealed that eugenol and copaiba essential oil-based emulsions loaded on cotton textile materials could be promising candidates for developing skin-friendly textiles designed for different topical applications.

New fabric phase sorptive extraction for nondestructive analysis of heritage textile samples.

Several types of pesticides used in museum collections over time become dangerous for people who may handle textile articles treated with such substances. In the case of the analysis of ancient, modern, and contemporary textile materials, it is particularly important to keep the artifacts intact, as they cannot be replaced. The need to use micro- or nondestructive techniques led to the development of methods such as solid-phase microextraction (SPME), liquid‒liquid dispersive microextraction (DLLME), and single-droplet microextraction (SDME). In this paper is described an optimized extraction method of three pesticides (malathion, methoxychlor, and permethrin) by creating a non-destructive solid phase extraction system on a textile support, abbreviated FPSE - 100 % cotton fabric coated with a sol-gel solution prepared from a polymer (PEG or PDMS). To obtain a suitable FPSE, the following parameters were evaluated: polymer selection (individual or mixture of polymers), acid catalyst (trifluoroacetic acid, acetic acid and hydrochloride acid), amount of polymer (1.0 g, 2.5 g or 5.0 g), polymerization time (30 min, 120 min and 240 min), ultrasonic bath temperature (40 °C and 70 °C), and type of bath to obtain the sol-gel (ultrasonic bath, water bath with stirring and mechanical stirrer). To complete the FPSE optimization, the influence of pesticide extraction time on FPSE and desorption from FPSE in ethyl acetate was also assessed. The pesticides extraction yields obtained for the laboratory textile samples are in the range of 52.7 %-128.0 %. The technique proposed in the manuscript proved to be effective as a nondestructive tool for evaluating and quantifying the presence of pesticides in textile museum collections. The approach described here reduces heritage object damage due to sampling compared to methods commonly employed and may represent a starting point for future research.

Combination Therapy Using Polyphenols: An Efficient Way to Improve Antitumoral Activity and Reduce Resistance.

Polyphenols represent a structural class of mainly natural organic chemicals that contain multiple phenol structural units. The beneficial properties of polyphenols have been extensively studied for their antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects, but nowadays, their medical applications are starting to be extended to many other applications due to their prebiotic role and their impact on the microbiota. This review focused on the use of polyphenols in cancer treatment. Their antineoplastic effects have been demonstrated in various studies when they were tested on numerous cancer lines and some in in vivo models. A431 and SCC13 human skin cancer cell lines treated with EGCG presented a reduced cell viability and enhanced cell death due to the inactivation of ß-catenin signaling. Additionally, resveratrol showed a great potential against breast cancer mainly due to its ability to exert both anti-estrogenic and estrogenic effects (based on the concentration) and because it has a high affinity for estrogen receptors ERα and Erß. Polyphenols can be combined with different classical cytostatic agents to enhance their therapeutic effects on cancer cells and to also protect healthy cells from the aggressiveness of antitumor drugs due to their anti-inflammatory properties. For instance, curcumin has been reported to reduce the gastrointestinal toxicity associated with chemotherapy. In the case of 5-FU-induced, it reduced the gastrointestinal toxicity by increasing the intestinal permeability and inhibiting mucosal damage. Co-administration of EGCG and doxorubicin induced the death of liver cancer cells. EGCG has the ability to inhibit autophagic activity and stop hepatoma Hep3B cell proliferation This symbiotic approach is well-known in medical practice including in multiple chemotherapy.