Exploring the Antitumor Efficacy of PEGylated Liposomes Loaded with Licorice Extract for Cancer Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Glycyrrhizic Acid (GA), a compound derived from licorice, has exhibited promising anticancer properties against several cancer types, including Prostate Cancer (PCa) and Gastric Cancer (GCa). OBJECTIVE: This study has introduced a novel approach involving the encapsulation of GA and Licorice extract (Lic) into Polyethylene Glycol Liposomes (PEG-Lip) and assessed their efficacy against AGS (human gastric cancer) and PC-3 (human prostate cancer) cells, marking the first report of this endeavor. METHODS: We synthesized GA-loaded PEG-Lip (GA PEG-Lip) and Lic-loaded PEG-Lip (Lic PEG-Lip) through the reverse-phase evaporation method. RESULTS: Characterization of these liposomal formulations revealed their size, drug encapsulation, and loading efficiencies to be 110 ± 2.05 nm, 117 ± 1.24 nm; 61 ± 0.81%, 34 ± 0.47%; and 8 ± 0.41% and 4.6 ± 0.21%, respectively. Importantly, the process has retained the chemical structure of both GA and Lic. Furthermore, GA and Lic have been released from the PEG-Lip formulations in a controlled manner. In our experiments, both nanoformulations exhibited enhanced cytotoxic effects against AGS and PC-3 cells. Notably, GA PEG-Lip outperformed Lic PEG-Lip, reducing the viability of PC-3 and AGS cells by 12.5% and 15.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results have been corroborated by apoptosis assays, which have demonstrated GA PEG-Lip and Lic PEG-Lip to induce stronger apoptotic effects compared to free GA and Lic on both PC-3 and AGS cells. This study has underscored the potential of encapsulating GA and Lic in PEG-Lip as a promising strategy to augment their anticancer efficacy against prostate and gastric cancers.

Innovative α-MnO2/Nanocarbon Ball Additive for Enhancing the Molecular Structure, Emission Control, and Engine Performance of Diverse Biodiesel Generations.

This study investigates the utilization of an α-MnO2/nanocarbon ball (NCB) additive to enhance the performance of second-, third-, and fourth-generation biodiesels (SSGB, PVB, and GMCB). Various tests including XRD, XPS, TEM, HRTEM, BET, torque and power measurements, EGT, BTE, emissions analysis (CO2, CO, HC, soot, and NOx), and BSFC were conducted. The combination of GMCB5N50 with α-MnO2/NCB yielded the highest torque (35.77 N m) and power (6.47 kW), indicating an improved engine performance. GMCB5N50 exhibited efficient combustion with a peak pressure of 76.04 bar. The nanoadditive also demonstrated significant reduction in BSFC, achieving up to 34% improvement in fuel efficiency. When GMCB20N50 was used, the highest BTE values were observed, reaching approximately 39.5%. EGT values for GMCB5N50 were only slightly elevated compared to pure diesel. Notably, GMCB20N50 showcased substantial decreases in emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2: 55% reduction), carbon monoxide (CO: 35% reduction), hydrocarbons (HC: 58% reduction), and soot (98% reduction), indicating a promising direction for the development of low-emission alternative fuels. The investigation of the effects of the oxygen lattice, surface area, and oxygen adsorption on engine performance and emission reduction revealed their positive contributions. These findings highlight the potential of the studied α-MnO2/NCB additive for improving biodiesel performance and advancing the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly fuels.

Elimination of amoxicillin using zeolite Y-sea salt as a good catalyst for activation of hydrogen peroxide: Investigating degradation pathway and the effect of wastewater chemistry.

The sea contains elements that can play a useful role in catalyzing reactions. Therefore, this research was done to focus on eliminating amoxicillin (AMX) from wastewater utilizing zeolite Y- sea salt catalyst in the presence of H2O2. The influences of furnace temperature (200-500 °C) and time duration in the furnace (1-4 h) were optimized during catalyst generation. Also, the effects of different parameters on AMX removal, such as pH (5.0-9.0), catalyst dose (0-10 g.L-1), AMX concentration (50-300 mg.L-1), contact time (10-130 min), and H2O2 concentration (0-6 mL/100 mL distilled water) were investigated. Different analyses like Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were conducted to reveal catalyst properties. The BET-specific surface area of the catalyst (12.69 m2g-1) insignificantly (p-value > 0.05) changed after AMX removal (13.04 m2g-1), indicating the strength of the prepared catalyst. The active groups of N-H, O-H-O, O-Si-O, C-H, Si-O-Si, and Si-O-Al were determined in the catalyst structure. The highest removal of AMX (93%) was achieved in the zeolite-sea salt/H2O2 system at a pH level of 6.0 and an H2O2 concentration of 0.1 mL/100 mL. Elimination of the AMX followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The catalyst was reclaimed up to 7 times and the removal efficiency was suitable up to the fifth stage. The by-products and reaction pathways were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that zeolite-sea salt can be utilized as an H2O2 activator for the effective degradation of AMX from wastewater.

Selective catalytic reduction of NO by Fe-Mn nanocatalysts: effect of structure type.

One of the most prominent features of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx is using a well-structured catalyst to advance the reaction in a desirable condition. At the present work, various crystal structures of Fe-Mn nanocatalysts, FeMn2O4 spinel, FeMnO3 perovskite and Fe2O3 (hematite)/Mn2O3 (bixbyite) nanocatalysts fabricated by co-precipitation method were evaluated for selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3 (NH3-SCR). The studies specified that the crystal structure type had a high impact on structural properties and thereby the catalytic performance of the samples. The physicochemical characteristics of the nanocatalysts including molar ratio of metals, phase composition, crystallite size, particle size distribution, specific surface area, average pore diameter, pore volume, agglomeration degree, and amount and strength of the acidic site on the catalysts surfaces have been distinguished. From the catalytic activity evaluation, it was identified that the perovskite nanocatalyst had the best performance in NH3-SCR reaction.

Removal of amoxicillin from wastewater in the presence of H2O2 using modified zeolite Y- MgO catalyst: An optimization study.

In this paper, Zeolite-MgO was generated using alkali-thermal method and was utilized as a catalyst to decrease amoxicillin (AMX) concentration in the presence of H2O2 from wastewater. Different tests like Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (FESEM-EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were done to determine catalyst properties. Active groups of C-S-C, CO, CC, C-N, C-O, N-O, and N-H were identified in catalyst frame. According to XRD results, lower crystallinity of nanoparticles after modification of zeolite by MgO can lead to improvement of AMX removal. Active surface of zeolite (2.32 m2/g) was increased after optimization by MgO to 2.96 m2/g, indicating an increase in the catalyst capacity for activation of H2O2. In addition, furnace temperature (200-500 °C), residence time in the furnace (1-4 h), and Mg(NO3)2: zeolite ratio (0.25: 2, 0.5:2, 1:2 w/w) were studied to achieve the optimized catalyst for AMX removal. Different parameters like pH (5-9), H2O2 concentration (0-6 mL/100 mL), dose of catalyst (0-10 g/L), AMX concentration (50-300 mg/L), and reaction time (10-130 min) were also studied. The best efficiency (97.9%) of AMX removal was achieved at acidic pH with the lowest amount of H2O2 (0.1 mL/100 mL) and 7 g/L of catalyst. AMX removal using the developed process followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. Reclaimable Zeolite-MgO catalyst can be effectively utilized in wastewater works.

A new approach in the optimal site selection of landfills for drilling cuttings from petroleum and gas fields.

Drilling cuttings contain dangerous elements to human life and other organisms. Different criteria are effective in increasing or decreasing the transmission of this pollution to the environment. By studying and reviewing the scientific sources, these criteria were identified and the type of causal relationships between these criteria was determined using the Fuzzy DEMATEL1 technique. Finally, the appropriate location of the landfill was determined by recognizing these criteria and their internal relationships. The results of this study showed that Slope criterion has the highest degree of effect and Distance from airport criterion has the lowest degree of effect. Distance from city centres criterion has the highest and Distance from airport criterion has the least degree of importance in choosing the appropriate location for drilling cuttings. Distance from city centres criterion has the highest and Geology criterion has the least net effect on selecting the appropriate location of drilling cuttings. Considering the effective criteria on the selection of drilling waste disposal site, the proposed landfills were introduced in 5 different classes from very good to very poor. Accordingly, part of the land located in the southern regions of Khark Island and the central regions of Lavan Island is desirable for the burial of drilling wastes. These areas are suitable due to their distance from urban centres, distance from the road, distance from the river, distance from the airport and other waste disposal factors.

Recent Developments in Recombinant Proteins for Diagnosis of Human Fascioliasis.

Fascioliasis is an important neglected tropical disease that causes severe injury to the bile ducts and liver. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method for detection of Fasciola hepatica infection plays a vital role in early treatment. Currently, the diagnosis of fascioliasis is mainly conducted via serological tests using the excretory/secretory (E/S) products, which might cross-react with antigens from other helminth parasitic diseases. Hence, the development of serodiagnosis test using recombinant antigens may contribute to differentiate fascioliasis from other helminth infections. In the past 20 years, many attempts have been made to exert different F. hepatica recombinant antigens to obtain a well-established standard assay with high accuracy. In this review, we address recent studies that refer to the development of serodiagnosis tests for diagnosis of human fascioliasis based on the candidate recombinant antigens produced by different approaches. Meanwhile, in the present review, some main factors have been highlighted to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests such as the effect of refolding methods to recover antigens' tertiary structure as well as applying a mixture of recombinant antigens with the highest sensitivity and specificity to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests.

DFT calculations towards the geometry optimization, electronic structure, infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis analyses of Favipiravir adsorption on the first-row transition metals doped fullerenes; a new strategy for COVID-19 therapy.

With the global epidemic of the COVID-19 virus, extensive and rapid research on drug therapy is underway around the world. In this regard, one of the most widely studied drugs is Favipiravir. Our aim in this paper is to conduct comprehensive research based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) on the potential of metallofullerenes as suitable drug carriers. The surface interaction of Favipiravir with organometallic compound resulted by doping of the five transition metals of the first row of the periodic table (Ti, Cr, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn) was examined in depth to select the most suitable metallofullerenes. First, the adsorption geometries of Favipiravir drug onto each metallofullerene were deeply investigated. It was found that Cr-, Fe-, and Ni-doped fullerenes provide the excellent adsorbent property with adsorption energies of -148.2, -149.6, and -146.6 kJ/mol, respectively. The Infrared spectroscopy (IR) study was conducted to survey the stretching vibration of bonds involving in the systems, specialty the CO in the drug, CM in the metallofullerene, and MO in the metallofullerene-drug complex. Finally, the UV-vis analysis showed that the absorption spectra for the studied systems may be attributed to the transition from π-π* and/or n-π*.

In vivo Glioblastoma Therapy Using Targeted Liposomal Cisplatin.

BACKGROUND: Drug delivery systems have demonstrated promising results to cross blood-brain barrier (BBB) and deliver the loaded therapeutics to the brain tumor. This study aims to utilize the transferrin receptor (TR)-targeted liposomal cisplatin (Cispt) for transporting Cispt across the BBB and deliver Cispt to the brain tumor. METHODS: Targeted pegylated liposomal cisplatin (TPL-Cispt) was synthesized using reverse phase evaporation method and thiolated OX26 monoclonal antibody. The formulation was characterized in terms of size, size distribution, zeta potential, drug encapsulation and loading efficiencies, bioactivity, drug release profile, stability and cellular uptake using dynamic light scattering, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), ELISA, dialysis membrane, and fluorescence assay. Next, the potency of the formulation to increase the therapeutic effects of Cispt and decrease its toxicity effects was evaluated in the brain tumor-bearing rats through measuring the mean survival time (MST), blood factors and histopathological studies. RESULTS: The results showed that TPL-Cispt with a size of 157±8 nm and drug encapsulation efficiency of 24%±1.22 was synthesized, that was biologically active and released Cispt in a slow-controlled manner. The formulation compared to Cispt-loaded PEGylated liposome nanoparticles (PL-Cispt) caused an increase in the cellular uptake by 1.43-fold, as well as an increase in the MST of the brain tumor-bearing rats by 1.7-fold compared to the PL-Cispt (P<0.001). TPL-Cispt was potent enough to cause a significant decrease in Cispt toxicity effects (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Overall, the results suggest that targeting the Cispt-loaded PEGylated liposome is a promising approach to develop formulation with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity for the treatment of brain tumor.

Effect of Fatty Acid Profiles and Molecular Structures of Nine New Source of Biodiesel on Combustion and Emission.

The present study is an attempt to examine the effect of biodiesel chemical structure on the diesel engine combustion properties and exhaust emissions. For this purpose, nine new types of oil (second generation) are used for producing biodiesel. Also, fatty acid profiles are determined by gas chromatography. Results show that Urtica biodiesel causes the highest soot emission (0.98 vol %) and the minimum NOx emission (460 ppm). A decrease in CN increases NOx and decreases soot emission at high engine loads. The longest chain is gained via Urtica biodiesel, and the increase of carbon chain length enhances soot emission. The increase of oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratio also affects the soot emissions and reduces the process (the O/C ratio is 0.1087 for Urtica). The increase of long-chain biodiesel fatty acids from C18 to C24 reduces the NOx emissions (C18-C24; 97.43 wt % for Urtica); moreover, there is a direct correlation between the increased carbon chain length and the amount of enthalpy. As the amount of unsaturated acids grows (94.93 wt % unsaturated fatty acids for Urtica), the value of the output soot is enhanced. Also, the increase in hydrogen-to-carbon ratio (1.8457 molar for Urtica) decreases the soot emissions. The increase in carbon chain length and decrease in O/C affect the HC and CO emissions; therefore, Urtica biodiesel had the maximum CO and HC emission (0.036 vol % and 6.11 ppm, respectively). In addition, the reduction of fuel consumption increased the NOx emission and reduced the HC, CO, and soot emission.

Current challenges and future trends in manufacturing small diameter artificial vascular grafts in bioreactors.

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death. Vascular surgery is mainly used to solve this problem. However, the generation of a functional and suitable substitute for small diameter (< 6 mm) displacement is challengeable. Moreover, synthetic prostheses, made of polyethylene terephthalate and extended polytetrafluoroethylene show have shown insufficient performance. Therefore, the challenges dominating the use of autografts have prevented their efficient use. Tissue engineering is highlighted in regenerative medicine perhaps in aiming to address the issue of end-stage organ failure. While organs and complex tissues require the vascular supply to support the graft survival and render the bioartificial organ role, vascular tissue engineering has shown to be a hopeful method for cell implantation by the production of tissues in vitro. Bioreactors are a salient point in vascular tissue engineering due to the capability for reproducible and controlled variations showing a new horizon in blood vessel substitution. This review strives to display the overview of current concepts in the development of small-diameter by using bioreactors. In this work, we show a critical look at different factors for developing small-diameter and give suggestions for future studies.

Development of A Novel System Based on Green Magnetic / Graphene Oxide / Chitosan /Allium Sativum / Quercus / Nanocomposite for Targeted Release of Doxorubicin Anti-Cancer Drug.

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin, as a strong anti-cancer agent for clinical treatment of various cancer types along with other drugs, is widely utilized. Due to the physiology of the human body and cancerous tissues, the applicability of doxorubicin is still limited and the targeted treatment of the different types of cancers is considered. Also, the side effects of the conventional forms of chemotherapy medicines, damaging and stressing the normal cells are considerable. OBJECTIVE: This study introduces a novel and effective system for the targeted release of doxorubicin by successfully fabricating the green magnetic graphene oxide, chitosan, allium sativum, and quercus nanocomposite. METHODS: The in vitro release of doxorubicin loaded on the nanocomposite was evaluated and investigated at pH 7.4 and 6.5, respectively. The drug diffusivity in the plasma environment was assessed for a more accurate analysis of the drug diffusion process. The nanocomposite loaded drug release mechanism and kinetics, as well as cytotoxicity assay was investigated. RESULTS: The efficiency of the drug encapsulation was significantly enhanced using natural extract ingredients and consequently, the efficacy of the targeted treatment of cancerous tissues was improved. The developed nanocomposite provided a controlled release of doxorubicin in similar acidic conditions of the normal and cancerous cells and affirming that the fabricated system is thoroughly pH-dependent. CONCLUSION: The cytotoxicity assay confirmed that the fabricated nanocomposite at a high growth rate of cancerous cells has an anticancer property and acts as a toxic agent against tumor cells, suggesting that in conjunction with doxorubicin, it can be highly improved for killing cancerous cells.

Selecting a suitable model for collecting, transferring, and recycling drilling wastes produced in the operational areas of the Iranian offshore oil company (IOOC) using analytical hierarchy process (AHP).

Waste from drilling operations of oil and gas wells in the event of poor management, in addition to imposing costs, can lead to environmental problems. This research was aimed at providing a suitable model for collecting, transferring, and recycling the drilling wastes produced in the operational areas of the Iranian offshore oil company. Data analysis was performed using the Expert Choice and template selection using the analytical hierarchy process method. Based on the results of this study, the method of collecting waste in a cutting skip (weight = 0.576) was identified as a suitable option in the waste-collecting sector. In the waste transfer sector, the waste shipments from the west of the Persian Gulf to Kharg Island (weight 0.623) and the transfer of waste from the Eastern areas to Lavan island (weight 0.625) were selected as suitable options. Among the waste recycling options, the thermal method with of 0.433 was chosen as a top priority.

Effective Adsorption of Doxorubicin Hydrochloride on the Green Targeted Nanocomposite.

In this study the adsorption properties of the doxorubicin anticancer drug on the designed and fabricated system is investigated. A novel nanocomposite based on green magnetic - Graphene Oxide - Chitosan - Allium Sativum- Quercus was successfully fabricated. To evaluate of the doxorubicin adsorption the effectiveness parameters on the adsorption process containing the contact time, pH value, concentration, the adsorbent dosage, and temperature were investigated. The results indicated that the adsorption maximum of doxorubicin on the fabricated nanocomposite was at pH 6.3, concentration 3.6 mg/1.8 ml, the contact time 10 minutes and the adsorbent dosage 1.4 g/L. This designed system not only has increased the drug adsorption up to 100%, but it also could absorb the further concentrations of doxorubicin, indicating that the current challenge at using the higher concentrations of doxorubicin due to the used excellent components at the nanocomposite structure could be essentially minimized. Therefore the fabricated nanocomposite with having natural components and the superior properties improves the doxorubicin adsorption.

Bovine serum albumin/gold nanoparticles as a drug delivery system for Curcumin: experimental and computational studies.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Preparation, characterization and in vitro evaluation of PEGylated nanoliposomal containing etoposide on lung cancer.

Introduction and objective: Lung cancer is the most common one in terms of outbreak and mortality. Since most modern treatments have many side effects, finding an effective and alternative therapy seems necessary. The present study aimed to determine the effect of PEGylated liposomal etoposide nanoparticles on the lung cancer (A-549 and Calu6 cell lines). Materials and methods: The PEGylated liposomal etoposide nanoparticles were prepared by reverse-phase evaporation method. The particle size and zeta potential of the nanoparticles were measured by Zetasizer. The nanoparticle cytotoxicity was examined by MTT method. The vesicular drug release pattern was examined by dialysis method. The amount of loaded drug and the encapsulation efficiency (EE) was also measured and calculated. Apoptosis test was performed using flow cytometry with Annexin V kit. Results: The mean particle size, size distribution, and zeta potential of PEGylated liposomal etoposide nanoparticles were 122.5 ± 4.8 nm, 0.252 ± 0.12 and -13.7 ± 0.51 mv, respectively. The etoposide release in prepared formulations was detected to be about 15.64% after 50 hr. The cytotoxic effect of etoposide nanoparticles on lung cancer A-549 and Calu6 cell lines showed more anti-tumour activity compared to the free drug used. Conclusion: The results showed that the PEGylated liposomal nanoparticles were used as a suitable nanocarrier for etoposide injection. It was also found that the drug effect on the nanodrug formulations was higher than that of the free drug.

Efficient phenol removal from petrochemical wastewater using biochar-La/ultrasonic/persulphate system: characteristics, reusability, and kinetic study.

This research has analysed the physiochemical properties of a catalyst that has been developed - biochar-La, including BJH, BET, EDX, SEM, FTIR, pHpzc, and iodine number. The catalyst consisted of effective functional groups, including C=S, C-O, C=C, -COOH and O-H, with a specific surface area of 31.2 m2/g. The catalyst was used in the biochar-La/ultrasonic/persulphate system to remove phenol from wastewater. The kinetics, mechanism, and reusability of the catalyst for the phenol removal from synthetic wastewater were determined. The results suggested that phenol removal kinetics follows pseudo-first-order model (k = 0.0386 1/min), and the catalyst can be reused three times. The potential of operation of the biochar-La/ultrasonic/persulphate system - with the effective removal of phenol and other organic compounds from real petrochemical wastewater - was tested. The results indicated that the removal of phenol from the petrochemical wastewater with a relatively high total dissolved solid is >99%. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-mass) test revealed that the complete decomposition of some contaminants in the petrochemical wastewater had occurred, as H2O and CO2 were detected. The contribution of a heterogeneous mechanism for phenol oxidation by biochar-La/ultrasonic/persulphate was calculated to be 60%. Overall, the results showed that the biochar-La/ultrasonic/persulphate system is very effective and promising for the removal of phenol from the petrochemical wastewater.

Extraction of Hyssopus officinalis L. essential oil using instant controlled pressure drop process.

To determine the optimum condition for the extraction of Hyssopus officinalis L. essential oil (EO) by instant controlled pressure drop (in French: Détente Instantanée Contrôlée or DIC), the influential parameters of pressure, heating time per cycle, number of cycles, mean particle diameter of the herb, and water concentration in the steam generator feed were evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM). The impact of using an ethanol-water mixture to generate the required vapor in the DIC process on EO extraction was investigated. The optimum condition was found to be at pressure = 1 bar, heating time = 100 s, cycles = 12, particle diameter = 1 mm, and water concentration = 80 v%. The addition of ethanol turned out to be more efficient at higher heating times and cycle numbers. The optimum yield in DIC was highest compared with hydrodistillation (HD), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and Soxhlet (SOX) methods; their values, expressed as total area percentages per internal standard area percentage, were 39.04, 10.98, 1.58, and 7.71, respectively. Comparison of the four methods also indicated that the DIC-EO was of a superior quality. The analysis of the DIC-treated residual herb in the optimum experiment revealed that unlike the low amount of valuable oxygenated monoterpenes, the availability of sesquiterpenes increased, which proved that DIC performs selectively while extracting more valuable EO components. The DIC-EO and its extract were examined for total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity using Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH assay, respectively. Comparison of these results with those obtained from HD demonstrated higher TPC and antioxidant activity of the DIC-EO. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the raw material and residual herb in the optimum experiment showed significant structure modifications induced by the DIC process.

Sustained release Curcumin loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles.

PURPOSE: curcumin is poorly water soluble drug with low bioavailability. Use of lipid systems in lipophilic substances increases solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. The aim of this study was to prepare curcumin loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) with high loading efficiency, small particle size and prolonged release profile with enhanced antibacterial efficacy. METHODS: to synthesize stable SLNs, freeze- Drying was done using mannitol as cryoprotectant. Cholesterol was used as carrier because of good tolerability and biocompatibility. SLNs were prepared using high pressure homogenization method. RESULTS: optimized SLNs had 112 and 163 nm particle size before and after freeze drying, respectively. The prepared SLNs had 71% loading efficiency. 90% of loaded curcumin was released after 48 hours. Morphologic study for formulation was done by taking SEM pictures of curcumin SLNs. RESULTS show the spherical shape of curcumin SLNs. DSC studies were performed to determine prolonged release mechanism. Antimicrobial studies were done to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of curcumin SLNs with free curcumin. DSC studies showed probability of formation of hydrogen bonds between cholesterol and curcumin which resulted in prolonged release of curcumin. Lipid structure of cholesterol could cause enhanced permeability in studied bacteria to increase antibacterial characteristics of curcumin. CONCLUSION: the designed curcumin SLNs could be candidate for formulation of different dosage forms or cosmeceutical products.

Protein adsorption using novel carboxymethyl-curdlan microspheres.

Carboxymethyl-curdlan as a water soluble curdlan derivative, was synthesized in an aqueous alkaline medium using monochloroacetic acid. Novel carboxymethyl-curdlan (CC) microspheres were prepared by the method of W/O/W emulsion. The chemical and morphological structures of CC microspheres were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and particle size analysis. The CC microspheres were spherical, free flowing, non-aggregated and uniform mono-disperse with diameter of 260µm. The prepared CC microspheres were applied to adsorbing Bovine serum albumin (BSA) as model protein. Factors influencing the adsorption of BSA such as solution pH, temperature, initial BSA concentration and ionic strength were examined by batch experiments. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 168mg/g under optimal conditions including BSA initial concentration (4mg/mL), pH (4.7), adsorption time (9h) and temperature (35°C). The adsorption isotherm followed the Langmuir model and the adsorption kinetics fitted the pseudo-second-order model. In addition, the CC microspheres can be also regenerated and re-used.