Incorporation of the nanoencapsulated polyphenolic extract of Ferula persica into soybean oil: Assessment of oil oxidative stability.

In the present study, for the first time, the biological activities of Ferula persica extract (FPE) coated with locust bean gum (LBG) and chitosan in W/O/W emulsions were investigated. Based on the findings, the Z-average size of emulsions coated by chitosan, LBG, and the complex of chitosan and LBG (1:1) (CCL) was 115.47, 128.37, and 68.12 nm, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of the phenolic extracts in the powder produced by chitosan, LBG, and CCL decreased from 85.3 to 64.1, from 89 to 71.4, and from 93.3% to 77.9% during 24-day storage, respectively. Also, the application of the coating in the encapsulation of FPE increased the antioxidant efficacy in soybean oil while compared with tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and un-encapsulated FPE. In this regard, The FPE nanoencapsulated by CCL showed the best antioxidative activity in soybean oil, followed by the FPE of nanoencapsulated by LBG and chitosan, respectively, which can be correlated with higher levels of polyphenolic compounds release over time in the sample coated with CCL. In this context, the encapsulation with CCL can be proposed as a promising technique to improve the antioxidant activity of extracts.

The Concentration of BTEX in the Air of Tehran: A Systematic Review-Meta Analysis and Risk Assessment.

In the current study, the concentration of some pollutants which are categorized as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E), and o-xylenes (o-X), in the air of Tehran was evaluated by the aid of a systematic review and meta-analysis approach. Also, the health risk for the exposed population was estimated using the recommended methods by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The rank order based on their concentration in BTEX was benzene (149.18 µg/m³: 31%) > o-xylene (127.16 µg/m³: 27%) > ethylbenzene (110.15 µg/m³: 23%) > toluene (87.97 µg/m³: 19%). The ratio B/T in this study was calculated as 1.69, repressing that both stationary and mobile sources of emission can be considered as the main sources for benzene and toluene. Moreover, strong photochemical activity in Tehran was demonstrated by the high ratio of E/o-X. Meta-regression indicates that the concentration of BTEX has insignificantly (p-value > 0.05) increased over time. The BTEX compounds based on the target hazard quotient (THQ) were ordered as benzene > o-xylene > ethylbenzene > toluene. Percentile 95% of THQ due to benzene (4.973) and o-xylene (1.272) was higher than a value of 1. Percentile 95% excessive cancer risk (ECR) for benzene (1.25 × 106) and ethylbenzene (1.11 × 106) was higher than a value of 1.00 × 106. The health risk assessment indicated that the population of Tehran are at considerable non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks.

Cost-Effective Double-Layer Hydrogel Composites for Wound Dressing Applications.

Although poly vinyl alcohol-poly acrylic acid (PVA-PAA) composites have been widely used for biomedical applications, their incorporation into double-layer assembled thin films has been limited because the interfacial binding materials negatively influence the water uptake capacity of PVA. To minimize the effect of interfacial binding, a simple method for the fabrication of a double-layered PVA-PAA hydrogel was introduced, and its biomedical properties were evaluated in this study. Our results revealed that the addition of PAA layers on the surface of PVA significantly increased the swelling properties. Compared to PVA, the equilibrium swelling ratio of the PVA-PAA hydrogel increased (p = 0.035) and its water vapour permeability significantly decreased (p = 0.04). Statistical analysis revealed that an increase in pH value from 7 to 10 as well as the addition of PAA at pH = 7 significantly increased the adhesion force (p < 0.04). The mechanical properties-including ultimate tensile strength, modulus, and elongation at break-remained approximately untouched compared to PVA. A significant increase in biocompatibility was found after day 7 (p = 0.016). A higher release rate for tetracycline was found at pH = 8 compared to neutral pH.