Development of natural compound-loaded nanofibers by electrospinning

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Biotechnology, Izmir, 2010Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 92-104)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxiii, 137 leavesIn this study, the crude silk which is obtained from silkworm was turned into a silk solution after a serial procedure. Then, regenerated silk (foam) was obtained. The regenerated silk was dissolved in formic acid and polymer solution was prepared. After, nanofibers were produced by electrospinning. On the other hand, the content and antimicrobial activities of some plants were analyzed. Then all three forms of silk was absorbed with the olive leaf extract and extract desorption tests were done. As the first step of the study, the analyses of extracts which were obtained from four different plants were done. For this, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were found. In addition, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) test and disc diffusion test were made for all extracts to Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and Candida albicans fungi in order to determine their antimicrobial activity. While producing nanofibers from silk polymer with electrospinning method, different parameters such as concentration, voltage and distance were examined. Morphological characterization of nanofibers was done by scanning electron microscope (SEM). According to the results, the nanofiber with an optimum value which has a suitable diameter and structure was selected. With this nanofiber, the absorption and desorption tests of natural compound were made. The results were obtained by High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Same adsorption and desorption tests were done also with the microfiber silk and regenerated silk (foam). As a result, it was shown by the controlled experiments that nanofibers were better for adsorption and desorption of natural compound when compared to microfiber silk and regenerated silk. In conclusion, nano-sized silk fibroin structures can be adsorbed with natural compounds in order to gain functionality. Using this kind of biofunctional products as medical textile and wound dressing material will be more advantageous when compared to current wound dressing materials

ADSORPTION/DESORPTION AND BIOFUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF OLEUROPEIN LOADED ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF SILK FIBROIN MATRICES

WOS: 000405119400013The objective of this study was to investigate the adsorption/desorption behavior of oleuropein on different types of silk fibroin matrices including silk fibroin microfibers (MF), regenerated silk fibroin (RSF), and silk fibroin nanofibers (NF). Nanofibers with an average diameter of ranging between 24 and 326 nm were successfully prepared using the electrospinning technique. The effects of the silk fibroin concentration, the voltage applied and the distance between needle tip and collector plate on the morphology of the NF were investigated. The adsorption capacities of MF, RSF and NF were determined as 104.92, 163.07 and 228.34 mg oleuropein per gram of material, respectively. The percentage of initially adsorbed oleuropein that was desorbed was 86.08, 91.29 and 96.67% for MF, RSF and NF, respectively. NF and RSF discs loaded with oleuropein were subjected to disc diffusion assays to determine their antibacterial activity against test microorganisms Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram +) and Escherichia coli (Gram -). The results showed that both biomaterials possessed antibacterial properties after loading with oleuropein. Wound scratch assays using oleuropein released from NF revealed an enhancement of cell migration, indicating a wound healing property of the material. In conclusion, the NF can be utilized as a biofunctional polymeric material with better performance for the adsorption and desorption of oleuropein compared with MF and RSF.Natural Products Research Development Unit (NPRDU) located in Technology Development Zone [DUA01/2010]The support (DUA01/2010) from Natural Products Research Development Unit (NPRDU) located in Technology Development Zone for the thesis study of Mr. Ali Bora Balta is gratefully acknowledged

Clinical and molecular evaluation of MEFV gene variants in the Turkish population: a study by the National Genetics Consortium

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder with recurrent fever, abdominal pain, serositis, articular manifestations, erysipelas-like erythema, and renal complications as its main features. Caused by the mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer (MEFV) gene, it mainly affects people of Mediterranean descent with a higher incidence in the Turkish, Jewish, Arabic, and Armenian populations. As our understanding of FMF improves, it becomes clearer that we are facing with a more complex picture of FMF with respect to its pathogenesis, penetrance, variant type (gain-of-function vs. loss-of-function), and inheritance. In this study, MEFV gene analysis results and clinical findings of 27,504 patients from 35 universities and institutions in Turkey and Northern Cyprus are combined in an effort to provide a better insight into the genotype-phenotype correlation and how a specific variant contributes to certain clinical findings in FMF patients. Our results may help better understand this complex disease and how the genotype may sometimes contribute to phenotype. Unlike many studies in the literature, our study investigated a broader symptomatic spectrum and the relationship between the genotype and phenotype data. In this sense, we aimed to guide all clinicians and academicians who work in this field to better establish a comprehensive data set for the patients. One of the biggest messages of our study is that lack of uniformity in some clinical and demographic data of participants may become an obstacle in approaching FMF patients and understanding this complex disease