Hispolon Cyclodextrin Complexes and Their Inclusion in Liposomes for Enhanced Delivery in Melanoma Cell Lines.

Hispolon, a phenolic pigment isolated from the mushroom species Phellinus linteus, has been investigated for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties; however, low solubility and poor bioavailability have limited its potential clinical translation. In this study, the inclusion complex of hispolon with Sulfobutylether-ß-cyclodextrin (SBEßCD) was characterized, and the Hispolon-SBEßCD Complex (HSC) was included within the sterically stabilized liposomes (SL) to further investigate its anticancer activity against melanoma cell lines. The HSC-trapped-Liposome (HSC-SL) formulation was investigated for its sustained drug delivery and enhanced cytotoxicity. The inclusion complex in the solid=state was confirmed by a Job's plot analysis, molecular modeling, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The HSC-SL showed no appreciable deviation in size (<150 nm) and polydispersity index (<0.2) and improved drug encapsulation efficiency (>90%) as compared to control hispolon liposomes. Individually incorporated hispolon and SBEßCD in the liposomes (H-CD-SL) was not significant in loading the drug in the liposomes, compared to HSC-SL, as a substantial amount of free drug was separated during dialysis. The HSC-SL formulation showed a sustained release compared to hispolon liposomes (H-SLs) and Hispolon-SBEßCD liposomes (H-CD-SLs). The anticancer activity on melanoma cell lines (B16BL6) of HSC and HSC-SL was higher than in H-CD-SL and hispolon solution. These findings suggest that HSC inclusion in the HSC-SL liposomes stands out as a potential formulation approach for enhancing drug loading, encapsulation, and chemotherapeutic efficiency of hispolon and similar water insoluble drug molecules.

Physiochemical properties of bio-oil produced at various temperatures from pine wood using an auger reactor.

A fast pyrolysis process produces a high yield of liquid (a.k.a. bio-oil) and has gained a lot of interest among various stakeholders. Nonetheless, some of the properties inherent by the bio-oil create significant challenges for its wider applications. Quality of the bio-oil and its yield are highly dependent on process parameters, such as temperature, feedstock, moisture content and residence time. In this study, the effect of temperature on bio-oil quality and its yield were examined using pine wood, an abundant biomass source in the southeastern part of the United States. Physical properties of bio-oil such as pH, water content, higher heating value, solid content and ash were analyzed and compared with a recently published ASTM standard. Bio-oil produced from pine wood using an auger reactor met specifications suggested by the ASTM standard. Thirty-two chemical compounds were analyzed. The study found that the concentration of phenol and its derivatives increased with the increase in pyrolysis temperature whereas the concentration of guaiacol and its derivatives decreased as the temperature increased. Concentration of acetic and other acids remained almost constant or increased with the increase in temperature although the pH value of the bio-oil decreased with the increase in temperature.