Stability, biofunctional, and antimicrobial characteristics of cannabidiol isolate for the design of topical formulations.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a high-value natural compound of Cannabis Sativa plant. It is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid, attracting significant attention as a multifunctional active ingredient for topical applications. Although it is demonstrated that CBD can be used for specific dermatological ailments, reliable data on functionalities are limited. The present study aimed to investigate the structural stability, biofunctionality, and antimicrobial characteristics of CBD isolate to assist in the design of various topical formulations. The stability of CBD in solid and solubilized states was assessed to establish storage and formulation conditions. The performance of CBD solubilized in organic and aqueous media was evaluated for free radical scavenging, tyrosinase, and collagenase enzyme inhibition, which showed good prospects for the ingredient. The antimicrobial activity of solubilized CBD was evaluated against Gram-negative (E. coli, P. aeruginosa), Gram-positive bacterial strains (S. aureus, S. epidermidis, C. acnes), and fungal strains (C. albicans, M. furfur) using agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Due to the presence of surfactants in CBD aqueous solution, it displayed a lack of antimicrobial activity against all the tested microorganisms. CBD solubilized in an organic medium showed no activity against Gram-negative bacterial strains but higher activity against tested Gram-positive bacterial and fungal strains.

Extrusion pre-treatment of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) lignocellulosic sidestream to produce cellulose fibres.

BACKGROUND: Various agricultural sidestreams have been demonstrated as feedstock to produce cellulose. To the best of our knowledge, there is no research work on the potential of agricultural sidestream from cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.), a neglected and underutilised crop to produce cellulose fibres. Conventional methods to produce cellulose consume large amounts of chemicals (NaOH) and produce a high amount of effluent waste. Herein, we investigated extrusion pre-treatment without and with an alkali followed by bleaching as an alternative method to conventional alkaline pre-treatment followed by bleaching to produce cellulose fibres from cowpea sidestream. RESULTS: Cellulose extracted by extrusion without and with mild alkali followed by bleaching consumed about 20 times less NaOH compared to the conventional method and produced less effluent waste. Extrusion with mild alkali followed by bleaching resulted in higher cellulose yield, purity, and crystallinity compared to extrusion without an alkali followed by bleaching. However, the conventional method resulted in higher cellulose yield, purity and crystallinity compared to extrusion pre-treatment followed by bleaching. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that micro-sized cellulose fibres with an average diameter of 10-15 µm were extracted using both methods. Notably, cellulose fibres extracted using extrusion pre-treatment were shorter than those extracted using the conventional method. CONCLUSION: Extrusion pre-treatment is a promising continuous alternative to alkaline pre-treatment to produce micro-sized cellulose fibres from low-value, underutilised cowpea lignocellulosic sidestream, for potential use as a filler in composite plastics. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Fabrication and Model Characterization of the Electrical Conductivity of PVA/PPy/rGO Nanocomposite.

Owing to the numerous advantages of graphene-based polymer nanocomposite, this study is focused on the fabrication of the hybrid of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polypyrrole (PPy), and reduced graphene-oxide. The study primarily carried out the experimentation and the mathematical analysis of the electrical conductivity of PVA/PPy/rGO nanocomposite. The preparation method involves solvent/drying blending method. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology of the nanocomposite. The electrical conductivity of the fabricated PVA/PPy/rGO nanocomposite was investigated by varying the content of PPy/rGO on PVA. From the result obtained, it was observed that at about 0.4 (wt%) of the filler content, the nanocomposite experienced continuous conduction. In addition, Ondracek, Dalmas s-shape, dose-response, and Gaussian fitting models were engaged for the analysis of the electrical transport property of the nanocomposite. The models were validated by comparing their predictions with the experimental measurements. The results obtained showed consistency with the experimental data. Moreover, this study confirmed that the electrical conductivity of polymer-composite largely depends on the weight fraction of fillers. By considering the flexibility, simplicity, and versatility of the studied models, this study suggests their deployment for the optimal characterization/simulation tools for the prediction of the electrical conductivity of polymer-composites.

Synthetic Biopolymers and Their Composites: Advantages and Limitations-An Overview.

Recently, polymer science and engineering research has shifted toward the development of environmentally benign polymers to reduce the impact of plastic leakage on the ecosystems. Stringent regulations and concerns regarding conventional polymers are the main driving forces for the development of renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally benign materials. Although biopolymers can alleviate plastic-related pollution, several factors dictate the utilization of biopolymers. Herein, an overview of the potential and limitations of synthetic biopolymers and their composites in the context of environmentally benign materials for a sustainable future are presented. The synthetic biopolymer market, technical advancements for different applications, lifecycle analysis, and biodegradability are covered. The current trends, challenges, and opportunities for bioplastic recycling are also discussed. In summary, this review is expected to provide guidelines for future development related to synthetic biopolymer-based sustainable polymeric materials suitable for various applications.

Pathogenesis of Keratinocyte Carcinomas and the Therapeutic Potential of Medicinal Plants and Phytochemicals.

Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) is a form of skin cancer that develops in keratinocytes, which are the predominant cells present in the epidermis layer of the skin. Keratinocyte carcinoma comprises two sub-types, namely basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This review provides a holistic literature assessment of the origin, diagnosis methods, contributing factors, and current topical treatments of KC. Additionally, it explores the increase in KC cases that occurred globally over the past ten years. One of the principal concepts highlighted in this article is the adverse effects linked to conventional treatment methods of KC and how novel treatment strategies that combine phytochemistry and transdermal drug delivery systems offer an alternative approach for treatment. However, more in vitro and in vivo studies are required to fully assess the efficacy, mechanism of action, and safety profile of these phytochemical based transdermal chemotherapeutics.

Layered Double Hydroxide-Based Functional Nanohybrids as Controlled Release Carriers of Pharmaceutically Active Ingredients.

The chemical stability, degradation and penetration ability of pharmaceutically active ingredients in topical formulations are the greatest challenges because of problems with the protection of actives for long times and with delivery. Therefore, the development of unique and efficient substrate material is vital for their protection and controlled drug release. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) known as hydrotalcite like compounds possess positive charges due to isomorphic substitutions, which are counterbalanced by hydrated exchangeable anions located in the interlayer region. Some of the active ingredient molecules can be intercalated into the inner region of the LDHs through ionic bonding, hydrogen bonding or van der Waals interaction to form nanohybrids, which are more potent for their protection and controlled-release. This account focuses on our recent research efforts and key scientific and technical challenges in the development of LDH based nanohybrids for commercial use in advanced controlled release carriers of active ingredients in topical formulations.

Thermal Degradation Characteristic and Flame Retardancy of Polylactide-Based Nanobiocomposites.

Polylactide (PLA) is one of the most widely used organic bio-degradable polymers. However, it has poor flame retardancy characteristics. To address this disadvantage, we performed melt-blending of PLA with intumescent flame retardants (IFRs; melamine phosphate and pentaerythritol) in the presence of organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT), which resulted in nanobiocomposites with excellent intumescent char formation and improved flame retardant characteristics. Triphenyl benzyl phosphonium (OMMT-1)- and tributyl hexadecyl phosphonium (OMMT-2)-modified MMTs were used in this study. Thermogravimetric analysis in combination with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that these nanocomposites release a smaller amount of toxic gases during thermal degradation than unmodified PLA. Melt-rheological behaviors supported the conclusions drawn from the cone calorimeter data and char structure of the various nanobiocomposites. Moreover, the characteristic of the surfactant used for the modification of MMT played a crucial role in controlling the fire properties of the composites. For example, the nanocomposite containing 5 wt.% OMMT-1 showed significantly improved fire properties with a 47% and 68% decrease in peak heat and total heat release rates, respectively, as compared with those of unmodified PLA. In summary, melt-blending of PLA, IFR, and OMMT has potential in the development of high-performance PLA-based sustainable materials.

Multifunctional Nanobiocomposite of Poly[(butylene succinate)-co-adipate] and Clay.

The processing and characterization of multifunctional nanobiocomposite of biodegradable poly[(butylene succinate)-co-adipate] (PBSA) and organically modified synthetic fluorine mica (OSFM) are reported. The nanobiocomposite of PBSA with OSFM was prepared using melt- blending, and the structure and morphology of the nanocomposite were characterized using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical and material properties measurements showed the concurrent improvement in temperature dependence storage modulus, tensile properties, gas barrier, and thermal stability of neat PBSA after nanocomposite formation. Such improved inherent properties along with the environmentally-friendly feature are expected to widen the use of PBSA for short-term food-packaging applications.

Synthesis of nanomaterials by continuous-flow microfluidics: a review.

The development of controlled synthesis protocols of nanostructured materials with tailored particle size and shape has been a significant research area in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Much innovative research efforts had been focused on finding suitable chemical reagents and synthetic methodologies that offer opportunities to produce the desired structure-function controlled nanomaterials. On the other hand, the reactor equipment for the synthesis of these tailored nanomaterials is of prime importance not only at laboratory-scale but also with view of up-scaling the synthetic processes into large-scale productions. Whilst the sequential three-stage scale-up from the conventional process (i.e., lab-scale/pilot-scale/large-scale) using multi-purpose batch reactor is masked with complications, on the other hand, the interface of nanomaterials synthesis processes and continuous-flow microfluidic chemistry has demonstrated relatively superior process performance over conventional technologies. Consequently, the uses of continuous-flow microfluidics systems have recently attracted much research attention as versatile tools for the synthesis of various structured nanomaterials. In this review, we highlight and analyze the key achievements to date of adopting microfluidics technologies for the controlled synthesis of nanomaterials with well-defined structural properties desirable for the intended applications. We devote the significant emphasis on demonstrating the improved potential characteristics features of continuous-flow microfluidics as a capable technology to provide efficient synthesis processes for the production of various nanosized scale structured materials with precise control of the involved chemistry. Moreover, we discuss the novel process window opportunities of hyphenated microfluidics nanoparticles synthesis with the in-situ or in-line structure characterization during synthesis under real-time reaction conditions which provide interesting insights and experimental evidence on nanoparticle growth mechanisms.

Characterisation and thermal properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticles-containing biodegradable polylactide composites synthesized by sol-gel method.

This study reports the synthesis, characterisation and thermal properties of polylactide (PLA)/titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) composites using the sol-gel method. The percentage weight of TiO2 NP sol was varied from 3, 8, 11 and 14. The synthesised composites were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. Encapsulation of the TiO2 into the PLA matrix was attainable based on the SEM images and the FTIR and EDS results. The thermal stability of the composites was shifted to lower temperatures due to photodegradation induced by the metal oxide on the PLA chain. Both PLA and TiO2 NPs have potential in drug delivery because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability.

Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanocomposite scaffolds for tissue engineering: a brief overview.

Polycaprolactone is a bioresorbable polymer that has been extensively used in the biomaterials field and a number of drug-delivery systems. The superior rheological and viscoelastic properties of this polymer render it easy to manufacture and manipulate into a large range of medical devices and implants. The advantage of polycaprolactone over its aliphatic counterparts is that it has a long-term degradation period, which provides a good platform for the design and fabrication of implants that require long-term degradation kinetics for example in bone tissue engineering. The incorporation of nanofillers or blending of polycaprolactone with other polymers has yielded a class of hybrid materials with significantly improved physical and chemical properties such as strength, porosity, microstructure, controllable degradation rates, and bioactivity that are important for tissue engineering. This overview highlights the interesting advancements in polycaprolactone polymeric systems that relate to biological and tissue engineering applications, including aspects of technology in fabricating the scaffolds.

Nanocellulose-based conductive composites: A review of systems for electromagnetic interference shielding applications.

Electronic systems and telecommunications have grown in popularity, leading to increasing electromagnetic (EM) radiation pollution. Environmental protection from EM radiation demands the use of environmentally friendly products. The design of EM interference (EMI) shielding materials using resources like nanocellulose (NC) is gaining traction. Cellulose, owing to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and excellent mechanical and thermal properties, has attracted significant interest for developing EMI shielding materials. Recent advancements in cellulose-based EMI shielding materials, particularly modified cellulosic composites, are highlighted in this study. By incorporating metallic coatings compounded with conductive fillers and modified with inherently conductive elements, conductivity and effectiveness of EMI shielding can be significantly improved. This review discusses the introduction of EMI shields, cellulose, and NC, assessing environmentally friendly EMI shield options and diverse NC-based composite EMI shields considering their low reflectivity. The study offers new insights into designing advanced NC-based conductive composites for EMI shielding applications.

Effect of Graphene Oxide Localization on Morphology Development and Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Poly(lactic acid)/ethylene vinyl Alcohol Copolymer Blend Composites: A Comprehensive Study.

This study investigates the rheological, morphological, and mechanical properties of melt-processed polylactide/ethylene vinyl alcohol (70PLA/30EVOH) blend composites containing 0.25, 0.5, and 1 wt.% of graphene oxide (GO) nanoplates. Thermodynamic-based suggested the localization of nanoparticles in EVOH, SEM studies showed that the introduction of GO to the blend increased dispersed droplet size, which was attributed to the localization of GO within EVOH, as confirmed by TEM. The rheology results indicated a decrease in the elasticity for the composite containing 0.25 wt.% of GO compared to the neat blend, which was attributed to the sliding effect of the added GO nanoplatelets. However, samples containing higher amounts of GO nanoplatelets exhibited more excellent elasticity than the neat blend. The increased elasticity was suggestively attributed to the dominance of hydrodynamic interactions, the physical network of added nanoplatelets, and polymer/GO interactions over the sliding role of the GO nanoplatelets at higher loadings. In addition, the effect of the order of mixing was investigated, and the premixing of PLA and GO exhibited a decrease in the droplet radius compared to the neat blend. It was ascribed to the localization of GO nanosheets in the PLA and interface, which was confirmed by rheological results and mechanical assessments.

Evaluation of Lippia scaberrima Sond. and Aspalathus linearis (Burm.f.) R. Dahlgren extracts on human CYP enzymes and gold nanoparticle synthesis: implications for drug metabolism and cytotoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Metabolism is an important component of the kinetic characteristics of herbal constituents, and it often determines the internal dose and concentration of these effective constituents at the target site. The metabolic profile of plant extracts and pure compounds need to be determined for any possible herb-drug metabolic interactions that might occur. METHODS: Various concentrations of the essential oil of Lippia scaberrima, the ethanolic extract of Lippia scaberrima alone and their combinations with fermented and unfermented Aspalathus linearis extract were used to determine the inhibitory potential on placental, microsomal and recombinant human hepatic Cytochrome P450 enzymes. Furthermore, the study investigated the synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from the ethanolic extract of Lippia scaberrima as a lead sample. Confirmation and characterization of the synthesized gold nanoparticles were conducted through various methods. Additionally, the cytotoxic properties of the ethanolic extract of Lippia scaberrima were compared with the gold nanoparticles synthesized from Lippia scaberrima using gum arabic as a capping agent. RESULTS: All the samples showed varying levels of CYP inhibition. The most potent inhibition took place for CYP2C19 and CYP1B1 with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of less than 0.05 µg/L for the essential oil tested and IC50-values between 0.05 µg/L-1 µg/L for all the other combinations and extracts tested, respectively. For both CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 the IC50-values for the essential oil, the extracts and combinations were found in the range of 1 - 10 µg/L. The majority of the IC50 values found were higher than 10 µg/L and, therefore, were found to have no inhibition against the CYP enzymes tested. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the essential oil of Lippia scaberrima, the ethanolic extract of Lippia scaberrima alone and their combinations with Aspalathus linearis do not possess any clinically significant CYP interaction potential and may be further investigated for their adjuvant potential for use in the tuberculosis treatment regimen. Furthermore, it was shown that the cytotoxic potential of the Lippia scaberrima gold nanoparticles was reduced by twofold when compared to the ethanolic extract of Lippia scaberrima.

Catalytic activity and structure properties of doped VOHPO4 x 0.5H2O with nanosized Ru, Au, Fe and Mn in benzene hydroxylation.

The promotional effect of nanosized Ru, Fe, Au, and Mn particles on VOHPO4 x 0.5H2O (VHP) catalytic properties was investigated in benzene hydroxylation reaction using hydrogen hydroperoxide (H2O2) as oxidant. Catalytic results indicated a profound effect of the nanoparticle dopants on VHP catalyst activity and products distribution. Amongst the promoted VHP catalysts, Au/VHP exhibited high catalytic effect with benzene conversion of 76% at a combined 85.5% selectivity toward the formation of phenol and hydroquinone achieved in 6 h under optimised reaction conditions. The extended scope application of nanosized doped Au-VHP showed to provide an effective catalyst for activation of the aromatic hydrocarbons C-H bonds into oxygenate derivatives. The catalyst could be re-used for several cycles with insignificant loss of activity. The doped nanosized Au-VHP catalyst provide a clean promising catalytic route based on heterogeneous catalysis for transformation of aromatics into value-added oxygenates.

Dielectric properties of polyaniline-montmorillonite clay hybrids.

Polyaniline (PANI)-montmorillonite clay (MMT) hybrid (PANI-MMT) was prepared by mechanical grinding of ANI and MMT in the presence of potassium perdisulphate (KPS) followed by soaking the mass in 0.1 (M) HCI for 24 h. The formation of PANI-MMT hybrid was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses. XRD studies revealed the intercalation of PANI into two-dimensional silicate galleries of MMT HRTEM analyses indicated particle size distribution to be in the range of 40-55 nm. The real part of the dielectric constant reached values as high as 4500 at frequency - 10(2) Hz for a MMT:PANI = 1:1 weight ratio, the value decreasing with increasing frequency up to 25 kHz, and also with increasing MMT loading in the hybrids. This dispersion was indicative of the interfacial space charge polarization (Maxwell Wagner type). Grain boundary resistance and capacitance of the hybrid along with the conductivity-relaxation time for the hybrid at several PANI:MMT weight ratios were evaluated from the complex impedance plot considering the Maxwell-Wagner Two-Layered Model AC conductivity was independent of frequency in the range 0.1-1 kHz and thereafter found to rise in the range 1-25 kHz due to trapped charges. DC conductivity values of the hybrids were lower than the PANI homopolymer.

Functional and Structural Facts of Effective Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Materials: A Review.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) systems have received immense attention from researchers owing to the rapid development in electronics and telecommunications, which is an alarming matter in our modern society. This radiation can damage the performance of EM devices and may harmfully affect animal/human health. The harmonious utilization of magnetic alloys and conducting but nonmagnetic materials (such as carbon/graphene) is a practical approach toward EMI SE. This review is not exhaustive, although it is comprehensive and aimed at all materials for EMI SE especially graphene-based polymeric composites. It encompasses multifunctional and functional structural EMI shields. These materials comprise polymers, carbons, ceramics, metals, cement composites/nanocomposites, and hybrids. The accessibility of abundant categories of carbon-based materials in their microscale, nanoscale, and quantum forms as EMI shields as polymer-carbon, cement-carbon, ceramic-carbon, metal-carbon, and their hybrids, makes them receive much attention, as a result of their unique amalgamation of electrical, magnetic, dielectric, thermal, and/or mechanical properties. Herewith, we have discussed the principles of EMI shields along with their design and state of the art basis and material architecture along with the drawbacks in research on EMI shields.

Role of Rheology in Morphology Development and Advanced Processing of Thermoplastic Polymer Materials: A Review.

This review presents fundamental knowledge and recent advances pertaining to research on the role of rheology in polymer processing, highlights the knowledge gap between the function of rheology in various processing operations and the importance of rheology in the development, characterization, and assessment of the morphologies of polymeric materials, and offers ideas for enhancing the processabilities of polymeric materials in advanced processing operations. Rheology plays a crucial role in the morphological evolution of polymer blends and composites, influencing the type of morphology in the case of blends and the quality of dispersion in the cases of both blends and composites. The rheological characteristics of multiphase polymeric materials provide valuable information on the morphologies of these materials, thereby rendering rheology an important tool for morphological assessment. Although rheology extensively affects the processabilities of polymeric materials in all processing operations, this review focuses on the roles of rheology in film blowing, electrospinning, centrifugal jet spinning, and the three-dimensional printing of polymeric materials, which are advanced processing operations that have gained significant research interest. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of morphology development and the aforementioned processing techniques; moreover, it covers all vital aspects related to the tailoring of the rheological characteristics of polymeric materials for achieving superior morphologies and high processabilities of these materials in advanced processing operations. Thus, this article provides a direction for future advancements in polymer processing. Furthermore, the superiority of elongational flow over shear flow in enhancing the quality of dispersion in multiphase polymeric materials and the role of extensional rheology in the advanced processing operations of these materials, which have rarely been discussed in previous reviews, have been critically analyzed in this review. In summary, this article offers new insights into the use of rheology in material and product development during advanced polymer-processing operations.

Recent Advances and Outlook in 2D Nanomaterial-Based Flame-Retardant PLA Materials.

Poly (lactic acid) or polylactide (PLA) has gained widespread use in many industries and has become a commodity polymer. Its potential as a perfect replacement for petrochemically made plastics has been constrained by its extreme flammability and propensity to flow in a fire. Traditional flame-retardants (FRs), such as organo-halogen chemicals, can be added to PLA without significantly affecting the material's mechanical properties. However, the restricted usage of these substances causes them to bioaccumulate and endanger plants and animals. Research on PLA flame-retardants has mostly concentrated on organic and inorganic substances for the past few years. Meanwhile, there has been a significant increase in renewed interest in creating environmentally acceptable flame-retardants for PLA to maintain the integrity of the polymer, which is the current trend. This article reviews recent advancements in novel FRs for PLA. The emphasis is on two-dimensional (2D) nanosystems and the composites made from them that have been used to develop PLA nanocomposite (NCP) systems that are flame retarding. The association between FR loadings and efficiency for different FR-PLA systems is also briefly discussed in the paper, as well as their influence on processing and other material attributes. It is unmistakably established from the literature that adding 2D nanoparticles to PLA matrix systems reduces their flammability by forming an intumescent char/carbonized surface layer. This creates a barrier effect that successfully blocks the filtration of volatiles and oxygen, heat and mass transfer, and the release of combustible gases produced during combustion.

A Comparison of Nitrate Release from Zn/Al-, Mg/Al-, and Mg-Zn/Al Layered Double Hydroxides and Composite Beads: Utilization as Slow-Release Fertilizers.

Nitrate-loaded Zn/Al, Mg/Al, and Mg-Zn/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized using the coprecipitation method. The slow-release properties of LDHs were measured in powder form at various pH conditions. Sodium alginate was used to encapsulate Mg/Al LDH to produce composite beads (LB) to further slow down the release of nitrate ions. The prepared LDH samples and LB were characterized by X-ray diffraction, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The surface morphologies of LDHs and LB were obtained from scanning electron microscopy analysis. The slow-release properties of the materials were evaluated using a kinetic study of nitrate release in tap water, soil solution, as well as plant growth experiments using coriander (Coriandrum sativum). The nitrate release ability of LDHs and LB was compared with a soluble nitrate source. The plant growth experiments showed that all three LDHs were able to supply an adequate amount of nitrate to the plant similar to the soluble fertilizer while maintaining the availability of nitrate over extended periods. The ability of LDHs to increase soil pH was also demonstrated.