In vitro anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties of defatted Selenicereus monacanthus (Lem.) D.R.Hunt seed extract.

Extracts from Selenicereus monacanthus (synonym: Hylocereus polyrhizus) have received attention due to their potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties. The current study aims to determine the anti-inflammatory and wound-healing potential of defatted S. monacanthus seed extract (DSMSE). Anti-inflammatory properties of DSMSE on LPS-induced inflammation on THP-1 were determined by measuring the levels of interleukins IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10. Wound healing scratch assay was performed using the human fibroblast (Hs27) cell that assesses the cell migration over 24 h exposure to DSMSE. Administration of DSMSE significantly reduced the LPS-stimulated release levels of IL-6 and IL-8 and significantly increased the levels of IL-10. Treatment with DSMSE showed a significant increase in wound closure with 70% of fibroblast migration. Therefore, the current study showed the anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties of DSMSE reducing inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8), increasing IL-10 cytokine, and increasing wound closure at 24 h.

Optimization of a Luteolin-Loaded TPGS/Poloxamer 407 Nanomicelle: The Effects of Copolymers, Hydration Temperature and Duration, and Freezing Temperature on Encapsulation Efficiency, Particle Size, and Solubility.

BACKGROUND: Luteolin is a flavonoid compound that has been widely studied for its various anti-cancer properties and sensitization to multidrug-resistant cells. However, the limited solubility and bioavailability of Lut hindered its potential clinical use. Theoretically, the combination of this compound with vitamin E TPGS and poloxamer 407 can produce a synergistic effect to enhance tumor apoptosis and P-glycoprotein inhibition. This study aimed to develop and optimize vitamin E TPGS/Poloxamer 407 micelles loaded with luteolin through investigating certain factors that can affect the encapsulation efficiency and particle size of the micelle. METHODS: A micelle was prepared using the film hydration method, and the micellar solution was lyophilized. The cake formed was analyzed. The factors investigated include the concentrations of the surfactants, ratio of vitamin E TPGS/Poloxamer 407, temperature of the hydrating solution, duration of hydration, and freezing temperature before lyophilization. The effects of these factors on the encapsulation efficiency and particle size of the micelle were also studied. The encapsulation efficiency was measured using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, while particle size was measured using dynamic light scattering. RESULTS: The optimized micelle was found to have 90% encapsulation efficiency with a particle size of less than 40 nm, which was achieved using a 10% concentration of surfactants at a vitamin E TPGS/Poloxamer 407 ratio of 3:1. The optimized temperature for hydrating the micellar film was 40 °C, the optimized mixing time was 1 h, and the optimized freezing temperature was -80 °C. The solubility of the luteolin-loaded micelles increased 459-fold compared to pure Lut in water. The critical micelle concentration of the vitamin E TPGS/Poloxamer 407 micelle was 0.001 mg/mL, and the release study showed that luteolin-loaded micelles exhibited sustained release behavior. The release of luteolin from a micelle was found to be higher in pH 6.8 compared to pH 7.4, which signified that luteolin could be accumulated more in a tumor microenvironment compared to blood. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that several factors need to be considered when developing such nanoparticles in order to obtain a well-optimized micelle.

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Antioxidants from Melastoma malabathricum Linn.: Modeling and Optimization Using Box-Behnken Design.

This study presents modeling and optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of Melastoma malabathricum with the objective of evaluating its phytochemical properties. This one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) procedure was conducted to screen for optimization variables whose domains included extraction temperature (XET), ultrasonic time (XUT), solvent concentration (XSC), and sample-to-liquid ratio (XSLR). Response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to establish optimum conditions for maximum antioxidant extraction. Modeling and optimization conditions of UAE at 37 kHz, XET 32 °C for XUT 16 min and dissolved in an XSC 70% ethanol concentration at a XSLR 1:10 ratio yielded scavenging effects on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) at 96% ± 1.48 and recorded values of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) at 803.456 ± 32.48 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents)/g, and 102.972 ± 2.51 mg QE (quercetin equivalents)/g, respectively. The presence of high flavonoid compounds was verified using TWIMS-QTOFMS. Chromatic evaluation of phytochemicals using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of 14 phytocompounds widely documented to play significant roles in human health. This study provides a comparative evaluation with other studies and may be used for validation of the species' potential for its much-acclaimed medicinal and cosmeceutical uses.

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers-Hydrogels System for Drug Delivery: Nanohybrid Technology Perspective.

Advanced hybrid component development in nanotechnology provides superior functionality in the application of scientific knowledge for the drug delivery industry. The purpose of this paper is to review important nanohybrid perspectives in drug delivery between nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) and hydrogel systems. The hybrid system may result in the enhancement of each component's synergistic properties in the mechanical strength of the hydrogel and concomitantly decrease aggregation of the NLC. The significant progress in nanostructured lipid carriers-hydrogels is reviewed here, with an emphasis on their preparation, potential applications, advantages, and underlying issues associated with these exciting materials.

IL-4 enhances IL-10 production in Th1 cells: implications for Th1 and Th2 regulation.

IL-10 is an immunomodulatory cytokine with a critical role in limiting inflammation in immune-mediated pathologies. The mechanisms leading to IL-10 expression by CD4+ T cells are being elucidated, with several cytokines implicated. We explored the effect of IL-4 on the natural phenomenon of IL-10 production by a chronically stimulated antigen-specific population of differentiated Th1 cells. In vitro, IL-4 blockade inhibited while addition of exogenous IL-4 to Th1 cultures enhanced IL-10 production. In the in vivo setting of peptide immunotherapy leading to a chronically stimulated Th1 phenotype, lack of IL-4Rα inhibited the induction of IL-10. Exploring the interplay of Th1 and Th2 cells through co-culture, Th2-derived IL-4 promoted IL-10 expression by Th1 cultures, reducing their pathogenicity in vivo. Co-culture led to upregulated c-Maf expression with no decrease in the proportion of T-bet+ cells in these cultures. Addition of IL-4 also reduced the encephalitogenic capacity of Th1 cultures. These data demonstrate that IL-4 contributes to IL-10 production and that Th2 cells modulate Th1 cultures towards a self-regulatory phenotype, contributing to the cross-regulation of Th1 and Th2 cells. These findings are important in the context of Th1 driven diseases since they reveal how the Th1 phenotype and function can be modulated by IL-4.