QUANTIFICATION OF NIGELLA SATIVA OIL (NSO) FROM BIODEGRADABLE PLGA NANOPARTICLES USING FTIR SPECTROSCOPY

Objective: Quantification of medicinal plant, N. sativa oil, in biodegradable nanoparticles fabricated from PLGA and chitosan was impossible due to the difficulty in the oil extraction-partition method of which the nanoparticle did not dissolve in any solvent. Methods: FTIR method was developed to quantify the loading efficiency of NSO from the intact nanoparticles without the need to solubilise the nanoparticles and extract the NSO thereafter. Beer-Lambert law was applied in the quantification following selection of a few wave number combinations. Results: The method exhibited linearity in the range NSO/PLGA=5-150% with R2=0.9911, RSD=1.68%, LOD=0.89% and LOQ=2.68%. NSO-PLGA nanoparticles revealed complete encapsulation of NSO (loading efficiency=101.5±2.2%) while chitosan-NSO-PLGA nanoparticle showed lower loading efficiency (84.5±1.7%) due to presence of the hydrophilic polymer, i. e. chitosan. This method is fast and easy to apply and does not require sample processing. The method will help to accelerate and improve routine characterisation of NSO nanoparticles during development and optimisation stage

Effect of surfactants on plasmid DNA stability and release from Poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of surfactants on plasmid DNA during preparation and release from polylactic glycolide (PLGA) microspheres. Methods: Various surfactants, both ionic and non-ionic (Span, Tween, Triton X100, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecyl sulphate), were added during the microsphere preparation and their effect was evaluated. Supercoil index (SCI) was introduced as a harmonised value derived from encapsulation efficiency and supercoil preservation efficiency in order to evaluate the impact of different surfactants on pDNA encapsulation. Results: Polyvinyl alcohol and Span revealed low SCI whereas Tween increased the SCI in a fraction- dependent manner. The Tween blend of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of 16 and Triton X-100 (HLB = 13.5) showed the highest SCI. Span revealed high burst release of pDNA whereas Triton X-100 exhibited low burst release. Following the burst release, diffusion mechanism was found to predominate in DNA release. Conclusion: The microspheres were non-toxic to the neuro-2a cells which suggest they can be potentially used in the gene therapy of neuronal diseases

FUSION CONCEPT BETWEEN CONTEMPORARY MEDICINE AND NATURAL PRODUCTS: A NEW PARADIGM IN THE DESIGN OF SAFER MEDICINE

Drug-drug combinations in a single dosage form have become a routine approach to get synergistic effect and improved compliance. However, such combinations usually do not reduce overall side-effects or adverse effects. Here, we attempted fusion between contemporary and natural products aiming to see synergistic effects and reduction in the toxicity. Drug of choice was gentamicin whereas the natural product was Nigella sativa oil formulated into microspheres dosage form. Promising results were demonstrated from the in vitro and in vivo testing suggesting potential application in clinical setting

Ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles gel intended to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma

The conventional chemotherapy approach is associated with several drawbacks specifically detrimental adverse effects to the patient and occurrence of chemoresistance towards commonly used chemotherapy which further leads to treatment failure, disease recurrence and metastasis. The main objective of this study was to develop and characterise alternative potential anticancer ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles gel for oral mucosa application for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by double emulsion solvent evaporation method followed by incorporation in different concentration of mucoadhesive Carbopol gel bases. The nanoparticles formulation were characterised for various physicochemical properties such as particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, drug-polymer interaction, nanoparticles morphology and in vitro drug release profile. Ascorbic acid nanoparticle loaded mucoadhesive gel were evaluated for physical appearance, pH, viscosity, flow behaviour, spreadability, mucoadhesion and in vitro release study. The particle size of the optimised nanoparticles was found to be 252 ± 2.98 nm, polydispersity index of 0.151 ± 0.02, zeta potential of -20.93 ± 0.87 mV and encapsulation efficiency of 69.73 ± 1.07%. Scanning electron microscope images revealed the spherical shape of nanoparticles. The drug release behaviour exhibited a biphasic pattern namely initial burst release followed by controlled release subsequently. The FT-IR result confirmed the absence of drug-polymer interaction. The optimised nanoparticle-in-gel formulation showed a good physical appearance, pH value, spreadability, viscosity and mucoadhesion. The flow behaviour of the optimised nanoparticle-in-gel formulation exhibited pseudoplastic behaviour. The cumulative amount of ascorbic acid released at 6 hours was 42.9 ± 4.3% with zero-order release kinetics. In conclusion, ascorbic acid loaded PLGA nanoparticle-in-mucoadhesive gel was successfully prepared and the study proved the potentiality and suitability of the formulation to be topically applied to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma

Method development and validation using UV spectrophotometry for Nigella sativa oil microparticles quantification

Nigella sativa oil (NSO) has been exploited for medical purposes for many generations. The fabrication of microparticles containing NSO intended for sustained release was done to be used in treating osteomyelitis. Method in quantifying NSO using UV-spectroscopy was developed and validated. Linearity shown a good correlation coefficient with the values higher than 0.995, both for actual and different analysts. The LOD and LOQ values were recorded to be 2.89 μg/mL and 8.75 μg/mL respectively. In addition, the highest %RSD values for the intermediate and repeatability studies were 0.970% and 0.445% which suggested the method was precise. The percentage recovery for 4 known concentrations gave the range between 98.16% to 99.39%, indicating the high accuracy of the method. The parameters analyzed in this study were in accordance with ICH Q2 (R1) guidelines

Ascorbic acid-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles incorporated into a polyacrylic acid gel as a promising tool for site-specific oral cancer therapy

Background: Chemotherapy is commonly used in oral cancer therapy, especially as the disease advances. However, it is associated with terrible adverse effects and the occurrence of chemoresistance which causes treatment failure. Thus, discovering a new potential anticancer agent and developing a safe, effective and non-invasive drug delivery are necessary. Objective: The objective of the current study is to develop ascorbic acid-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (AA-PLGA) nanoparticles incorporated into polyacrylic acid gel intended to treat oral cancer. Materials and methods: Double emulsion solvent evaporation method was used to fabricate AA-PLGA nanoparticles. Optimisation was carried out in the primary emulsion based on multilevel factorial design by testing at varying surfactant types and concentrations. The optimised nanoparticles formulation was further incorporated into different concentrations of polyacrylic acid gel, and compared with a mucoadhesive polyacrylic acid-based commercial product (Kin Care) as a reference. The optimised AA-PLGA nanoparticles were subjected to cytotoxic assay against the SCC-25 cell line. Results: For the optimised formulation, we observed particle size of 252 ± 2.98 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.151 ± 0.02, zeta potential of -20.93 ± 0.87 mV, and encapsulation efficiency of 69.73 ± 1.07%. Polyacrylic acid polymer with a strength of 1% was chosen as the optimum gelling agent for AA-PLGA nanoparticles-in-gel formulation. Cytotoxicity study of the optimised nanoparticle demonstrated significant (p-value < 0.05) reduction of cancer cell viability in a dose-dependent manner with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration value of 2.42 mg/mL. Conclusion: The results of the present study support the feasibility of AA-PLGA nanoparticles-in-gel formulation for oral cancer therapy

IIUM Entrepreneurship Educators Module 1.0

IUM Entrepreneurship Educators Module 1.0 is a precise and comprehensive module created and intended to guide and accelerate the IIUM Entrepreneurship Educators professional knowledge and skills development. This module provides an extensive curriculum toward development of entrepreneurs' holistic skills and knowledge from basic level of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, digital entrepreneurship to business tools such as Value Proposition Canvas

Mama food: produk tradisional citarasa nasional

Pembentukan masyarakat Malaysia yang memiliki pemikiran keusahawanan merupakan antara faktor pemangkin yang berupaya untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara keusahawanan yang unggul menjelang tahun 2030, seperti yang dihasratkan oleh Dasar Keusahawanan Nasional (DKN) 2030. Peranan besar dan penting ini merupakan sebahagian daripada tanggungjawab Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi (KPT) dan Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi (IPT) selaku entiti yang bertanggungjawab untuk menghasilkan bakat terutamanya dalam bidang-bidang berkemahiran tinggi. Dalam konteks sektor pengajian tinggi, Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2015 – 2025 (Pendidikan Tinggi) menekankan kepentingan untuk melahirkan graduan yang holistik, berciri keusahawanan dan seimbang menerusi lonjakan pertama daripada 10 lonjakan yang digariskan oleh Pelan tersebut. Selain itu, Dasar Keusahawanan IPT yang diperkenalkan sejak tahun 2010, juga meletakkan usaha untuk menganjak minda para pelajar IPT daripada hanya berfikiran untuk bekerja dengan majikan selepas menamatkan pengajian kepada graduan yang berkecimpung dalam arena keusahawanan dan menjadi pencipta pekerjaan atau ‘job creator’ dengan menawarkan peluang pekerjaan kepada individu lain setelah perniagaan mereka berjaya.Namun begitu, terdapat segelintir graduan menganggap keusahawanan sebagai kerjaya pilihan terakhir mereka sedangkan sebaliknya, harus ada jalan alternatif lain yang perlu diambil, lebih-lebih lagi dalam melengkapkan diri berdepan dengan situasi semasa yang penuh cabaran, pesaing yang ramai, peluang penempatan perkerjaan yang terhad, dan isu pengangguran yang tidak berkesudahan. Bahkan, ada antara graduan terlepas pandang yang mereka sebenarnya berpotensi dan berkemahiran untuk mencipta kejayaan melalui bidang keusahawanan. Proaktif terhadap perkara ini dan dalam mendokong hasrat untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebagai negara keusahawanan yang unggul, KPT telah melaksanakan pelbagai inisiatif demi menggalakkan lebih ramai lagi pelajar IPT terlibat secara langsung dalam bidang keusahawanan semasa pengajian. Pelan Tindakan Keusahawanan yang diperkenalkan pada tahun 2013, telah melakar pencapaian yang menyaksikan peningkatan sebanyak lebih 30 peratus penyertaan pelajar dalam program dan aktiviti keusahawanan di IPT. Kejayaan ini menunjukkan komitmen tinggi KPT dalam menyediakan dasar yang berupaya mengubah minda pelajar ke arah erpemikiran keusahawanan. Di bawah Pelan Tindakan Keusahawanan ini juga, kesemua 20 buah universiti awam termasuk politeknik dan kolej komuniti telah menubuhkan Pusat Keusahawanan. Pusat ini bertanggungjawab untuk merancang, menilai dan memantau pelaksanaan program keusahawanan di institusi masing-masing. Penetapan aspek pembangunan dan pendidikan keusahawanan sebagai satu daripada bidang keutamaan dan petunjuk prestasi utama institusi merupakan manifestasi komitmen pengurusan tertinggi IPT terhadap agenda keusahawanan.Kecemerlangan pelaksanaan Pelan Tindakan Keusahawanan IPT ini kemudiannya diteruskan dengan penambahbaikan strategi dan inisiatif untuk tempoh 2016 hingga 2020. Pada tahun 2020 sahaja, lebih 68,000 pelajar direkodkan telah menjalankan perniagaan. Daripada jumlah tersebut, hampir 8,000 orang pelajar meneruskan aktiviti perniagaan selepas mereka menamatkan pengajian. Ini jelas membuktikan impak positif daripada pelaksanaan pelan tindakan yang telah dilaksanakan oleh Pusat-pusat Keusahawanan di IPT khususnya dalam meningkatkan kesediaan pelajar untuk menceburi dan memilih bidang keusahawanan sebagai satu kerjaya pilihan. Sebagai kesinambungan, pelan tindakan bagi tempoh lima (5) tahun seterusnya (iaitu 2021 – 2025) juga telah dibangunkan. Pelan yang dilancarkan oleh YB Datuk Seri Dr. Noraini Ahmad, Menteri Pengajian Tinggi pada 19 Februari 2021 menggariskan tiga (3) teras, iaitu Ekosistem Keusahawanan Bersinergi; Kolaborasi Berimpak Tinggi; dan Inovasi dan Teknologi Dalam Keusahawanan. Di bawah teras-teras ini, terdapat tujuh (7) strategi dan 28 inisiatif keseluruhannya yang disenaraikan. Modus operandinya adalah untuk meningkatkan lagi penglibatan pelajar dalam bidang keusahawanan. Entrepreneurship Integrated Education yang memfokuskan kepada lima (5) strategi dan 33 inisiatif sebagai panduan utama IPT dalam membangunkan kurikulum keusahawanan. Kedua-dua naskhah strategik ini menjadi rujukan induk IPT dalam memperkukuh lagi ekosistem keusahawanan, seterusnya menjadi satu daripada pemangkin untuk menjadikan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara keusahawanan. Menerusi strategi dan inisiatif pembangunan usahawan yang dilaksanakan oleh KPT dan IPT sejak lebih satu dekad yang lalu, sejumlah besar usahawan pelajar dan graduan dalam pelbagai bidang telah berjaya dilahirkan. Variasi bidang ini termasuklah makanan dan minuman; perkhidmatan; kosmetik dan kesihatan; teknologi, fotografi dan audiografi; peruncitan; serta bidang kreatif dan tekstil. Pengetahuan “tacit” yang diperoleh oleh usahawan pelajar dan graduan ini sepanjang upaya untuk mengecapi apa yang mereka ada pada hari ini merupakan aset berharga yang perlu didendang kepada khalayak, terutamanya para pelajar yang ingin berkecimpung dalam arena ini. Justeru, bagi menyebar luas kepentingan dan manfaat bidang keusahawanan dalam membantu pelajar menjana pendapatan, seterusnya menjadikan mereka sebagai pencipta pekerjaan, buku “Usahawan Siswa: Memeta Haluan, Melakar Jaya” ini diterbitkan oleh KPT dengan kerjasama Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. Naskhah yang mengiktiraf kejayaan usahawan pelajar dan graduan ini turut meraikan semangat dan kekuatan mereka dalam menghadapi liku-liku dunia perniagaan. Karya ini mengangkat 39 kisah perjalanan perniagaan usahawan pelajar dari 19 buah IPT terpilih sehingga mereka berjaya menempa kejayaan semasa dan selepas pengajian. Naratif eksklusif perjalanan perniagaan figura-figura ini dihimpunkan mengikut bidang keusahawanan yang diceburi, iaitu 11 lakaran kejayaan dalam bidang makanan dan minuman; enam (6) lembaran gemilang dalam bidang perkhidmatan; empat (4) citra niaga dalam bidang kosmetik dan kesihatan; tujuh (7) kanvas sukses dalam bidang teknologi, fotografi dan audiografi; enam (6) ceritera unggul dalam bidang peruncitan; dan lima (5) jejak gemilang dalam bidang kreatif dan tekstil. Hasrat penghasilan wacana ini adalah bagi memberikan motivasi dan inspirasi kepada pelajar dan khalayak pembaca yang berkeinginan untuk menceburi bidang keusahawanan dengan mengangkat catatan perjalanan sebenar usahawan pelajar ke dalam bentuk yang mudah untuk difahami dan dihayati. Satu demi satu lipatan pengalaman digarap agar dapat memberikan pengalaman pembacaan yang lebih nyata dan segar dengan kisah sebenar yang seolah-olah diceritakan sendiri oleh usahawan pelajar tersebut. Semoga dengan penerbitan naskhah ini juga akan mendorong IPT untuk lebih giat lagi melahirkan lebih ramai usahawan muda dalam kalangan pelajar yang mempunyai kualiti daya saing tinggi di samping bersedia menghadapi realiti dunia perniagaan

Fabrication and characterization of fish-derived collagen scaffold loaded with metronidazole nanoparticle for periodontal bone regeneration

Periodontal disease poses a significant challenge to oral health, affecting the tissue and bone supporting the teeth. Tissue engineering emerges as a promising approach for restoring periodontal tissue and preventing bone loss using scaffolds. However, concern arises when using collagen sourced from mammals like porcine and bovine in scaffolds regarding halal status and disease transmission. Additionally, conventional treatment involves systemic antibiotics to control infection, leading to adverse side effects. This study aims to develop a scaffold using fish-derived collagen incorporated with metronidazole nanoparticles (MNP) and analyze scaffold properties while indirectly addressing safety and halal concerns. The scaffold was fabricated by physically cross-linking collagen derived from the tilapia fish (Tilapia mossambica) and chitosan, with metronidazole nanoparticles (MNP) incorporated into the blend. The scaffold underwent analysis of its physical characteristics, morphology, and pore size using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), swelling, and biodegradability in phosphate buffer solutions (pH 7.4, 37°C). The fish-derived collagen-chitosan exhibited a consistent three-dimensional (3D) physical structure and optimal pore sizes (>100 μm). Scaffolds with MNP concentrations ranging from 0 to 40 w/t% displayed excellent swelling ability and biodegradability, exceeding 80%. As the concentration of MNP increased, the scaffold’s biodegradation rate slowed, suggesting potential as a controlled drug release vehicle aligned with the rates of new bone formation in vivo. In conclusion, the 3D porous scaffold with metronidazole nanoparticles met important criteria for physical structure, pore size, swelling ability, and biodegradability. These halal-compliant scaffolds hold promising potential for applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery and are subject to further in vivo and in vitro studies

Fabrication and characterization of three-dimensional poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid), atelocollagen, and fibrin bioscaffold composite for intervertebral disk tissue engineering application

The use of synthetically derived poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold and naturally derived materials in regeneration of intervertebral disks has been reported in many previous studies. However, the potential effect of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) in combination with atelocollagen or fibrin or both atelocollagen and fibrin bioscaffold composite have not been mentioned so far. This study aims to fabricate and characterize three-dimensional poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold incorporated with (1) atelocollagen, (2) fibrin, and (3) both atelocollagen and fibrin combination for intervertebral disk tissue engineering application. The poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) without anynatural, bioscaffold composites was used as control. The chemical conformation, morphology, cell–scaffold attachment, porosity, water uptake capacity, thermal properties, mechanical strength, and pH level were evaluated on all scaffolds using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscope, gravimetric analysis, swelling test, differential scanning calorimetry, and Instron E3000, respectively. Biocompatibility test was conducted to assess the intervertebral disk, annulus fibrosus cells viability using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared results demonstrated notable peaks of amide bond suggesting interaction of atelocollagen, fibrin, and both atelocollagen and fibrin combination into the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold. Based on the scanning electron microscope observation, the pore size of the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) structure significantly reduced when it was incorporated with atelocollagen and fibrin. The poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)–atelocollagen scaffolds demonstrated higher significant swelling ratios, mechanical strength, and thermal stability than the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold alone. All the three bioscaffold composite groups exhibited the ability to reduce the acidic poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) by-product. In this study, the biocompatibility assessment using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cells proliferation assay demonstrated a significantly higher annulus fibrosus cells viability in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)–atelocollagen–fibrin compared to poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) alone. The cellular attachment is comparable in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)–atelocollagen–fibrin and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)–fibrin scaffolds. Overall, these results may suggest potential use of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) combined with atelocollagen and fibrin bioscaffold composite for intervertebral disk regeneration