Enzymatic and ultrasound assisted ß-cyclodextrin extraction of active ingredients from Forsythia suspensa and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

With the proposal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Chinese medicine extraction technology has been innovatively improved to prioritize low energy consumption, sustainability, and minimized organic solvent utilization. Forsythia suspensa (FS) possesses favorable pharmacological properties and is extensively utilized in traditional Chinese medicine. However, due to the limitations of the composition and extraction methods, its potential has not been fully developed. Thus, a combination of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE), and ß-cyclodextrin extraction (ß-CDE) was employed to isolate and purify rutin, phillyrin, and forsythoside A from FS. The results demonstrated that the efficiency of extracting enzymatic and ultrasound assisted ß-cyclodextrin extraction (EUA-ß-CDE) was highly influenced by the temperature and duration of hydrolysis, as well as the duration of the extraction process. According to the results of the single-factor experiment, Box-Behnken design (BBD) in Response surface method (RSM) was used to optimize the experimental parameters to achieve the maximum comprehensive evaluation value (CEV) value. The EUA-ß-CDE compared with other extraction methods, has good extraction effect and low energy consumption by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), calculation of power consumption and CO2 emission The EUA-ß-CDE compared with other extraction methods, has good extraction effect and low energy consumption by HPLC, SEM, calculation of power consumption and CO2 emission. Then, the structural characteristics of EUA-ß-CDE of FS extract had significant interaction with ß-CD by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, EUA-ß-CDE extract has good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The establishment of EUA-ß-CDE of FS provides a new idea for the development and application of other sustainable extraction methods of traditional Chinese medicine.

Sustainable extraction of ligustilide and ferulic acid from Angelicae Sinensis Radix, for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development envisions a rational use of energy and resources in all technological processes. However, in the extraction methods of compounds from medicinal plants and herbs, there is an urgent to reduce the use of organic solvents and increase the energy efficiency of these methods. Therefore, a sustainable extraction method (enzyme and ultrasonic co-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction, EUA-ATPE) of simultaneous extraction and separation of ferulic acid and ligustilide from Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) was developed by integrating enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) with ultrasonic-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (UAE- ATPE). The effects of different enzymes, extraction temperature, pH, ultrasonic time, liquid-to-materials ratio, etc., were optimized by single-factor experiments and central composite design (CCD). Under the optimum conditions, the highest comprehensive evaluation value (CEV) and extraction yield were obtained by EUA-ATPE. Furthermore, recovery (R), partition coefficient (K), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that enzyme and ultrasonic treatment improved mass transfer diffusion and increased the degree of cell disruption. Besides, the EUA-ATPE extracts have shown great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Finally, compared to different extraction methods, EUA-ATPE achieved higher extraction efficiency and higher energy efficiency due to the synergistic effect between EAE and UAE-ATPE. Therefore, the EUA-ATPE provides a sustainable method for extracting bioactive compounds from medicinal plants and herbs, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including SDG-6, SDG-7, SDG-9, SDG-12, and SDG-15.

Temperature- and redox-directed multiple self assembly of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafted dextran nanogels.

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) grafted dextran nanogels with dodecyl and thiol end groups have been synthesized by RAFT process. Dodecyl-terminated polymers (DexPNI) can be readily dissolved in water and further self assemble into ordered stable nanostructures through direct noncovalent interactions at room temperature. SEM, AFM and DLS measurements confirm the formation of spherical nanogels at hundred-nanometer scales. The elevation of environment temperature will indirectly result in the formation of collapsed nanostructures due to the LCST phase transition of PNIPAAm side chains. Turbidimetry results show that the phase transition behaviors of DexPNI are greatly dependent on PNIPAAm chain length and polymer concentration: increasing PNIPAAm chain length and polymer concentration both lead to lower LCSTs and sharper phase transitions. Moreover, the dodecyl-terminated polymers can transform into thiol-terminated versions by aminolysis of trithiocarbonate groups, and further into chemical (disulfide) cross-linked versions (SS-DexPNI) by oxidation. SS-DexPNI nanogels have "doubled" chain length of PNIPAAm, and hence sharper phase transitions. In situ DLS measurements of the evolution of hydrodynamic radius attest that the self assembly of SS-DexPNI nanogels can be selectively directed by the change in either external temperature or redox potential. These nanogels thus are promising candidates for triggered intracellular delivery of encapsulated cargo. We can also expect that the polymer can be noncovalently (by dodecyl end groups) or covalently (by thiol end groups) coated on a series of nanomaterials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, gold nanomaterials) to build a variety of novel smart, and robust nanomaterials.

Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized by a Dextran-Based pH- and Temperature-Sensitive Polymer.

A dextran-based dual-sensitive polymer is employed to endow gold nanoparticles with stability and pH- and temperature-sensitivity. The dual-sensitive polymer is prepared by RAFT polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide from trithiocarbonate groups linked to dextran and succinoylation of dextran after polymerization. The functionalized nanoparticles show excellent stability under various conditions and can be stored in powder-form. UV and DLS measurements confirm that the temperature-induced optical changes and aggregation behaviors of the particles are strongly dependent on pH.