Direct effects of poly(ε-caprolactone) lipid-core nanocapsules on human immune cells.

Aim: Poly(ε-caprolactone) lipid-core nanocapsules (LNCs) are efficient drug carriers and drug-free LNCs display therapeutic effects, inhibiting tumor growth and neutrophil activities. Herein, we investigated the direct actions of LNCs on human immune cells, to guide their therapeutic application. Materials & methods: LNC's uptake, cytokine release, cell migration, proliferation and intracellular pathways under inflammatory stimulation were investigated. Results & conclusion: LNCs quickly penetrated leukocytes without cytotoxicity; inhibited mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine release and leukocyte migration under inflammatory stimulation, which were associated with inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway and intracellular calcium influx. Hence, we showed LNCs as a down-regulatory agent on immune cells, suggesting that either the particles themselves or their application as a drug carrier can halt non-desired inflammatory processes.

Data of characterization and related assays of lipid-core nanocapsule formulations and their hydrolysis mechanism.

The data presented here are related to the research paper entitled "Chemical stability, mass loss and hydrolysis mechanism of sterile and non-sterile lipid-core nanocapsules: the influence of the molar mass of the polymer wall," [1]. Experimental details of the nanoemulsion and nanosphere preparation. Sterilization methodology and their efficacy by microbiological analyses (turbidimetry and fungi and bacteria detection). Characterization data of formulations, LNC 1, LNC 2 and LNC 3, analyzed by laser diffraction and DLS analysis, as well as, characterization data of degradation by SEC, including all statistics analyses.

Pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse using supercritical carbon dioxide combined with ultrasound to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis.

This work evaluates the pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse combining supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and ultrasound to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated bagasse. In a first step the influence of process variables on the SC-CO2 pretreatment to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated by mean of a Plackett-Burmann design. Then, the sequential treatment combining ultrasound+SC-CO2 was evaluated. Results show that treatment using SC-CO2 increased the amount of fermentable sugar obtained of about 280% compared with the non-treated bagasse, leading to a hydrolysis efficiency (based on the amount of cellulose) as high as 74.2%. Combining ultrasound+SC-CO2 treatment increased about 16% the amount of fermentable sugar obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis in comparison with the treatment using only ultrasound. From the results presented in this work it can be concluded that the combined ultrasound+SC-CO2 treatment is an efficient and promising alternative to carry out the pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstock at relatively low temperatures without the use of hazardous solvents.