Design and in Vitro Evaluation of a New Nano-Microparticulate System for Enhanced Aqueous-Phase Solubility of Curcumin

Curcumin, a yellow polyphenol derived from the turmeric Curcuma longa, has been associated with a diverse therapeutic potential including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer properties. However, the poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin have limited its potential when administrated orally. In this study, curcumin was encapsulated in a series of novel nano-microparticulate systems developed to improve its aqueous solubility and stability. The nano-microparticulate systems are based entirely on biocompatible, biodegradable, and edible polymers including chitosan, alginate, and carrageenan. The particles were synthesized via ionotropic gelation. Encapsulating the curcumin into the hydrogel nanoparticles yielded a homogenous curcumin dispersion in aqueous solution compared to the free form of curcumin. Also, the in vitro release profile showed up to 95% release of curcumin from the developed nano-microparticulate systems after 9 hours in PBS at pH 7.4 when freeze-dried particles were used.CONACYTCUPIAPharmac

Psychological flourishing and Self-esteem as predictors of adjustment to university life among a sample of Qatar university students

يهدف البحث إلى الكشف عن العلاقة بين الازدهار النفسي وتقدير الذات والتوافق مع الحياة الجامعية لدى عينة من الطلاب في جامعة قطر، كما يهدف إلى تعرف الفروق بين عينة الدراسة في ضوء النوع والفرقة الدراسية والحالة الاجتماعية والتفاعل بينهم في تلك المتغيرات، وإمكانية التنبؤ بالتوافق مع الحياة الجامعية من خلال الازدهار النفسي وتقدير الذات. تكونت عينة الدراسة من 329 طالبًا وطالبة من طلاب جامعة قطر، طبق عليهم الباحثان مقياس الازدهار النفسي (Diener et al., 2009) ومقياس تقدير الذات (Rosenberg, 1965) ومقياس التوافق مع الحياة الجامعية (Baker & Siryk, 1989). وتشير نتائج الدراسة إلى وجود علاقة ارتباطية دالة إحصائيا بين الازدهار النفسي وتقدير الذات والتوافق مع الحياة الجامعية لدى عينة الدراسة. كما أشارت النتائج إلى وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية تعزى للنوع على بعد التوافق الشخصي الانفعالي والازدهار لصالح الذكور، كما ظهرت فروق تعزى للحالة الاجتماعية على التوافق الأكاديمي، والتعلق، والدرجة الكلية، وتقدير الذات والازدهار النفسي لصالح المتزوجين. وأخيرا، أظهرت النتائج أنه يمكن التنبؤ بالتوافق مع الحياة الجامعية وأبعاده الفرعية من خلال الازدهار النفسي وتقدير الذات

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Surface disorder production during plasma immersion implantation and high energy ion implantation

High-depth-resolution Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) combined with channeling technique was used to analyze the surface layer formed during plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) of single crystal silicon substrates. Single wavelength multiple angle of incidence ellipsometry (MAIE) was applied to estimate the thickness of the surface layer. The thickness of the disordered layer is much higher than the projected range of P ions and it is comparable with that of protons.\ud \ud Another example of surface damage investigation is the analysis of anomalous surface disorder created by 900 keV and 1.4 MeV Xe implantation in 100 silicon. For the 900 keV implants the surface damage was also characterized with spectroellipsometry (SE). Evaluation of ellipsometric data yields thickness values for surface damage that are in reasonable agreement with those obtained by RBS

Modulatory role of chelating agents in diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats

AbstractIntroductionHypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. Chelating agents may play a modulatory role in atherosclerosis by removal of calcium from atherosclerotic plaques.AimThe present study aimed to explore the effects of calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (CaNa2EDTA) and meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) on diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats using simvastatin as a reference standard.MethodsHypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding rats with cholesterol-rich diet for six weeks. Rats were divided into five groups (n=8): normal control, hypercholesterolemic control, simvastatin (20mg/kg; p.o.), CaNa2EDTA (100mg/kg; i.p.) and DMSA (100mg/kg; i.p.). Treatments continued daily for the six weeks of diet feeding.ResultsDiet-induced hypercholesterolemia resulted in alterations in the lipid profile markers and a state of oxidative stress coupled by compensatory increase in serum nitric oxide (NO) level and decreased aortic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity parallel to increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity, aortic calcium content and aortic wall thickness. Treatment with simvastatin, CaNa2EDTA and DMSA improved lipid profile and oxidative stress markers. In addition, they attenuated hypercholesterolemia-induced changes in serum NO level, aortic eNOS and iNOS activities, calcium content and aortic wall thickness.ConclusionPretreatment of hypercholesterolemic rats with simvastatin, CaNa2EDTA or DMSA attenuated most of the changes induced by feeding rats with cholesterol-rich diet owing to their observed anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant properties

MINIMIZING POSTHARVEST LOSSES IN POTATO (Solanum tuberosum L.) TUBER USING GAMMA IRRADIATION, MINT OIL AND PACLOBUTRAZOL UNDER UNREFRIGERATED STORAGE CONDITION

This experiment was carried out on potato tubers during the two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 at the Department of Natural Products Research, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt. The research aims to reduce losses resulting from the storage at room temperature and to reduce cold storage costs of potato tubers using gamma radiation, mint oil and paclobutrazole treatments.     Potato tubers cv. Sponta were treated with 100 Gy of gamma radiation, 5% of mint oil and 100 ppm of paclobutrazole during the two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015. Results showed that, tubers irradiated with 100 Gy and soaked in 100 ppm paclobutrazole scored the lowest percentage of weight loss, sprouting, shrinkage, decay and total lost percentage. As for the effect of soaking tubers in 5% mint oil, results showed a higher percent of shrinkage than other treatments. On the other hand tubers irradiated with 100 Gy of gamma irradiation then soaked in 100 ppm of paclobutrazole had higher contents of starch than other tested treatments