Pectin/sodium alginate films tailored with Acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid for active packaging.

The present study aimed to develop food packaging films by using a combination of pectin (PE) and sodium alginate (SA) enriched with Acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA) as a functional or active ingredient. The fabricated films underwent comprehensive evaluation of their morphological, chemical, mechanical, barrier, optical, thermal, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. SEM and FTIR analysis showed that AKBA had good compatibility with film-forming components. The AKBA-loaded film samples exhibited a decrease in their barrier properties and tensile strength, but enhancements in both elongation at break and thickness values was observed. With the addition of AKBA, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the ultraviolet barrier properties of the films and total colour variation (ΔE) was observed. TGA analysis of the films unveiled an improvement in thermal resistance with the incorporation of AKBA. Moreover, the films loaded with AKBA exhibited potent antioxidant activity in the ABTS and DPPH assay methods. Disk diffusion analysis showed the antimicrobial activity of AKBA-loaded films against P. aeruginosa, highlighting the potential of AKBA as a natural antimicrobial agent for the safety of food products. The results demonstrate the practical application of PE and SA active films loaded with AKBA, particularly within the food packaging industry.

Vitamin D in the Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus: A Systematic Review.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic mucocutaneous condition that affects up to 2% of the general population, and typically presents with long-standing, non-responsive lesions, with episodes of exacerbation and remissions. The etiopathogenesis of OLP is still unclear, although, it has been postulated that it is most likely a T-cell-mediated condition of an unknown antigen. The treatment remains a challenge with no defined treatment strategy. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, along with its regulatory effect on keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation; thus, suggesting its possible role in the treatment of OLP. This systematic review aims to evaluate the therapeutic role of vitamin D in OLP treatment. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, and Google scholar search engines for studies evaluating vitamin D as a treatment modality in OLP from January 2000 to August 2022. Articles were searched with the combination of Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms. A web platform for visualizing risk-of-bias assessment was used in this review, and descriptive statistics were calculated. Out of the seventeen retrieved studies, five articles meeting the inclusion criteria were considered in this systematic review. All the included studies demonstrated significant amelioration in the OLP symptoms in patients who were given vitamin D supplements as an adjuvant to the conventional steroid therapy and or placebo. This systematic review signifies the role of vitamin D as adjuvant therapy for OLP. However, more studies with larger sample size are required to validate these results.

Application of NIRS coupled with PLS regression as a rapid, non-destructive alternative method for quantification of KBA in Boswellia sacra.

In the present study, for the first time, NIR spectroscopy coupled with PLS regression as a rapid and alternative method was developed to quantify the amount of Keto-ß-Boswellic Acid (KBA) in different plant parts of Boswellia sacra and the resin exudates of the trunk. NIR spectroscopy was used for the measurement of KBA standards and B. sacra samples in absorption mode in the wavelength range from 700-2500nm. PLS regression model was built from the obtained spectral data using 70% of KBA standards (training set) in the range from 0.1ppm to 100ppm. The PLS regression model obtained was having R-square value of 98% with 0.99 corelationship value and having good prediction with RMSEP value 3.2 and correlation of 0.99. It was then used to quantify the amount of KBA in the samples of B. sacra. The results indicated that the MeOH extract of resin has the highest concentration of KBA (0.6%) followed by essential oil (0.1%). However, no KBA was found in the aqueous extract. The MeOH extract of the resin was subjected to column chromatography to get various sub-fractions at different polarity of organic solvents. The sub-fraction at 4% MeOH/CHCl3 (4.1% of KBA) was found to contain the highest percentage of KBA followed by another sub-fraction at 2% MeOH/CHCl3 (2.2% of KBA). The present results also indicated that KBA is only present in the gum-resin of the trunk and not in all parts of the plant. These results were further confirmed through HPLC analysis and therefore it is concluded that NIRS coupled with PLS regression is a rapid and alternate method for quantification of KBA in Boswellia sacra. It is non-destructive, rapid, sensitive and uses simple methods of sample preparation.

Synthesis and antihepatotoxic activity of some new chalcones containing 1, 4 - dioxane ring system.

Silybum marianum is a medicinal plant used widely for treating liver diseases. The silymarin, a mixture of three flavolignan isomers namely silybin (1), silydianin (2), and silychristin (3) is an active constituent of the plant. However, silybin containing 1, 4-dioxane ring is the most potent antihepatotoxic agent. In contrast, other isomers do not possess 1, 4-dioxane ring, and thus do not exhibit a significant activity. We, therefore, thought that 1, 4-dioxane ring plays an important role in displaying antihepatotoxic activity, and have prepared some chalcones containing 1, 4-dioxane ring. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for antihepatotoxic activity against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. The degree of protection was measured by using biochemical parameters like serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), total protein (TP) and total albumin (TA). The compounds namely 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-3',4'-(2"- hydroxy methyl-1", 4"- dioxano) chalcone (9b) and 2-hydroxy- 4, 6-dimethoxy-3', 4'-(2"-hydroxy methyl-1", 4"- dioxano) chalcone (9c) exhibited a potent activity in comparison to standard drug silybon-70. The other compounds also showed moderate activity.

Hepatoprotective activity of two plants belonging to the Apiaceae and the Euphorbiaceae family.

The different extracts of Apium graveolens Linn. (Apiaceae) and Croton oblongifolius Roxb. (Euphorbiaceae) were tested for their hepatoprotective activity against CCl(4) induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. The degree of protection was measured by using biochemical parameters like serum transaminases (SGOT and SGPT), alkaline phosphatase, total protein and albumin. The methanolic extracts showed the most significant hepatoprotective activity comparable with standard drug silymarin. Other extracts namely petroleum ether and acetone also exhibited a potent activity.