Sand Spit Morphology at an Inlet on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Tidal inlets with attached sand spits are a very common coastal landform. Since the evolution of sand spits along coastlines influence the social-economic development of local coastal areas, sand spits have become the objects of numerous studies. However, previous studies have mainly focused on sand spits that are usually in the scale of hundreds of meters in width, whilst knowledge about the evolution of smaller-scale sand spits still remains limited. Therefore, in this study, the morphological change of a small and unexplored sand spit in front of Song Tranh Inlet on the west coast of Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam is investigated. Satellite images are first used to observe the morphological change of the sand spit and calculate the longshore sediment transport rates (LSTR) along the sand spit. Waves and beach sediments are collected at the study site to calculate the longshore sediment transport rate using the CERC formula. It is found that there is a seasonal variation in the evolution of the sand spit at Song Tranh Inlet. The longshore sediment transport rates along the spit calculated by image analysis are 39,000 m$^3$/year, 66,000 m$^3$/year, and 40,000 m$^3$/year, whilst the longshore sediment transport rate calculated by the CERC formula is 72,000 m$^3$/year. This study aims to contribute to the methodology for investigating the evolutions of small sand spits and, specifically, sustainable coastal management for Phu Quoc Island, which is well-known as the Pearl Island of Vietnam

Effect of calophyllolide on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity.

<p>All mice were sacrificed on day 1 and day 5 post-operation, and skin tissue samples were collected to assess MPO activity (n = 3 mice per group per experiment). Data are represented as mean ± SEM and compared by one-way ANOVA. *** P<0.001.</p

Effect of calophyllolide on HaCaT and RAW264.7 cell viability.

<p>HPLC chromatograms of the isolated calophyollide <b>(A)</b> and standard control <b>(B)</b>. This compound was recorded at 233 nm, and its retention time is 36.6 min. <b>(C)</b> No effect of CP on the viability of both HaCaT and murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells after 24 h treatment.</p

Effect of calophyllolide (CP) on acceleration of wound closure.

<p>Effect of calophyllolide (CP) on acceleration of wound closure.</p

Histological and quantitative analyses of the cutaneous wound healing of calophyllolide.

<p>Mice were daily treated with CP (6 mg/animal) and PI (100 mg/animal) until enthanasia. <b>(A)</b> Histological observation of collagen on wound healing at day 14 by Masson’s Trichrome staining. Reduction of collagenous scar (arrow head) in CP-treated group compared to vehicle- and PI-treated groups. Arrows indicate wound site with scale bar = 1cm. <b>(B)</b> Representative graph of semi-quantitative collagen content at day 10 and day 14 (n = 3–4 animals per group per experiment). Data are represented as mean ± SEM and compared by one-way ANOVA.</p

Attenuation of inflammatory cytokines expression by calophyllolide.

<p>Serum levels of (<b>A</b>) IL-1β, (<b>B</b>) IL-6, (<b>C</b>) TNF-α, and (<b>D</b>) IL-10. Data are represented as mean ± SEM and compared by one-way ANOVA (n = 3 mice per group per experiment). * P<0.05, ** P<0.01, *** P<0.001.</p

Anti-inflammatory and wound healing activities of calophyllolide isolated from <i>Calophyllum inophyllum</i> Linn

<div><p>Due to the high-cost and limitations of current wound healing treatments, the search for alternative approaches or drugs, particularly from medicinal plants, is of key importance. In this study, we report anti-inflammatory and wound healing activities of the major calophyllolide (CP) compound isolated from <i>Calophyllum inophyllum</i> Linn. The results showed that CP had no effect on HaCaT cell viability over a range of concentrations. CP reduced fibrosis formation and effectively promoted wound closure in mouse model without causing body weight loss. The underlying molecular mechanisms of wound repair by CP was investigated. CP markedly reduced MPO activity, and increased M2 macrophage skewing, as shown by up-regulation of M2-related gene expression, which is beneficial to the wound healing process. CP treatment prevented a prolonged inflammatory process by down-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines—IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, but up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. This study is the first to indicate a plausible role for CP in accelerating the process of wound healing through anti-inflammatory activity mechanisms, namely, by regulation of inflammatory cytokines, reduction in MPO, and switching of macrophages to an M2 phenotype. These findings may enable the utilization of CP as a potent therapeutic for cutaneous wound healing.</p></div