Panax quinquefolium saponin liposomes prepared by passive drug loading for improving intestinal absorption.

Panax quinquefolium saponin (PQS) composed of 45% pseudo-ginsenoside F11 (PF11), is a natural mixture of sterol compounds obtained from the American ginseng plant, having numerous promising benefits for health. However, low solubility and permeability limit the development of PQS as a therapeutic agent for oral administration. In this study, PQS liposomes (PQS-Lips) were prepared by thin layer hydration, an in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion (SPIP) model was used to verify the improvement of membrane permeability of PQS-Lips. PQS-Lips had a high encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 65%∼70%, a particle size about 100.0 nm, and a zeta potential of -60 mV with regular spherical surface. FTIR and DSC showed the PQS in liposomes were amorphous, indicating that hydrogen bonds formed between one or several hydroxyl groups in PQS and C-O group at the phospholipid polar terminal. In addition, PQS-Lips showed sustained release in vitro than PQS at pH 1.2 and pH 6.8, and PQS-Lips had good stability in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid. Then, the absorption rate (K a) and effective permeability coefficient (P eff) of PQS-Lips in the whole small intestine were significantly higher than those in PQS solution (PQS-Sol), which proved that the PQS-Lips could significantly increase the membrane permeability of PQS and promote its absorption in the small intestine. From the experimental results, it could be known that liposome technology could effectively improve the absorption of PQS in the small intestine.

Efficient decolorization of melanoidin in raw molasses wastewater by thermophilic esterase in actual extreme conditions.

This work was developed to explore the versatility of thermophilic esterase for decolorizing raw molasses wastewater at high temperature and acidic pH. Combining covalent crosslinking method with deep eutectic solvent, a thermophilic esterase from Pyrobaculum calidifontis was immobilized on chitosan/macroporous resin composite carrier. The application of this immobilized thermophilic esterase eliminated 92.35% of colorants in raw molasses wastewater, achieving maximal decolorization efficiency across all the enzymes tested. Strikingly, this immobilized thermophilic esterase was capable of engaging in continuous activity for a 5-day period while removing 76.23% of pigments from samples. It effectively and continuously eliminated BOD5 and COD, effectively and directly facilitating raw molasses wastewater decolorization under extreme conditions more readily than control group. In addition, this thermophilic esterase was believed to achieve decolorization through an addition reaction that disrupted conjugated system of melanoidins. Together, these results highlight an efficient and practical means of achieving enzyme-based molasses wastewater decolorization.

Local drug delivery systems as therapeutic strategies against periodontitis: A systematic review.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth, which causes periodontal structural damage, alveolar bone resorption, and even tooth loss. Its prevalence is very high, with nearly 60% of the global population affected. Hence, periodontitis is an important public health concern, and the development of effective healing treatments for oral diseases is a major target of the health sciences. Currently, the application of local drug delivery systems (LDDS) as an adjunctive therapy to scaling and root planning (SRP) in periodontitis is a promising strategy, giving higher efficacy and fewer side effects by controlling drug release. The cornerstone of successful periodontitis therapy is to select an appropriate bioactive agent and route of administration. In this context, this review highlights applications of LDDS with different properties in the treatment of periodontitis with or without systemic diseases, in order to reveal existing challenges and future research directions.

[Use of NiTi shape memory alloys in the eustachian tube to prevent and treat adhesive middle ear].

OBJECTIVE: To explore and assess the use of NiTi shape memory alloys in the eustachian tube to prevent and treat adhesive middle ear. METHODS: All preliminary study cases were divided into three groups (A: 56 cases of adhesive otitis media, B: 27 cases of otitis media with effusion, C: 52 cases without ear disease as control). The eustachian orifice in all cases was observed by endoscopy. Autopsy of Eustachian tube was done in two specimens. The NiTi shape memory alloys were then installed into the Eustachian tube to prevent and treat adhesive middle ear in 4 cases. The installer of NiTi shape memory alloys was designed by ourselves. RESULTS: The Eustachian orifice can be classified into three types: wide, narrow and fissured. They comprised of 20, 31 and 5 cases in group A, 9, 13 and 5 cases in group B and 45, 7 and 0 cases in group C, respectively. The differences among three groups were statistically significant (A, B vs C, chi 2 = 29.66, 25.44 respectively, P < 0.001), but the difference between A and B was not statistically significant (chi 2 = 1.59, P > 0.05). Two cases with adhesive otitis media gained good ventilation with Valsalva method and the audiometric improvement of 15-30 dB after the NiTi shape memory alloys installation. One of the two cases with otitis media with effusion gained A-B gap closure over 8 months, and the other still improved with ventilative tube removed. In all 4 cases, there was no any side-effect or signs of patulous Eustachian tube. CONCLUSION: Adhesive otitis media can be prevented and treated by using NiTi shape memory alloys without any side-effect, but more study is necessary.