Isoflavone levels and the effect of processing on the content of isoflavones during the preparation of soymilk and tofu

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Biomaterial strategies for alleviation of myocardial infarction

World Health Organization estimated that heart failure initiated by coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction (MI) leads to 29 per cent of deaths worldwide. Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in industrialized countries and is expected to become a global epidemic within the twenty-first century. MI, the main cause of heart failure, leads to a loss of cardiac tissue impairment of left ventricular function. The damaged left ventricle undergoes progressive ‘remodelling’ and chamber dilation, with myocyte slippage and fibroblast proliferation. Repair of diseased myocardium with in vitro-engineered cardiac muscle patch/injectable biopolymers with cells may become a viable option for heart failure patients. These events reflect an apparent lack of effective intrinsic mechanism for myocardial repair and regeneration. Motivated by the desire to develop minimally invasive procedures, the last 10 years observed growing efforts to develop injectable biomaterials with and without cells to treat cardiac failure. Biomaterials evaluated include alginate, fibrin, collagen, chitosan, self-assembling peptides, biopolymers and a range of synthetic hydrogels. The ultimate goal in therapeutic cardiac tissue engineering is to generate biocompatible, non-immunogenic heart muscle with morphological and functional properties similar to natural myocardium to repair MI. This review summarizes the properties of biomaterial substrates having sufficient mechanical stability, which stimulates the native collagen fibril structure for differentiating pluripotent stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes for cardiac tissue engineering

The diameter size reduction of composited poly Ɛ-caprolactone-co-lactide (PLCL) nanofibers using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the nanofiller

Digest Journal of Nanomaterials and Biostructures10111-1

Electrospraying technique for the fabrication of metronidazole contained PLGA particles and their release profile

Advanced engineering of materials for the development of drug delivery devices provides scope for novel and versatile strategies for treatment of various diseases. 'Electrospraying' was used to prepare PLGA microparticles and further encapsulate the drug, metronidazole (Met) within the particles to function as a drug delivery system. Two different solvents were utilized for the preparation of drug loaded PLGA particles, whereby the polymeric solution in dichloromethane (DCM) produced particles of bigger sizes than using trifluoroethanol (TFE). Scanning electron microscopy showed the spherical morphology of the particles, with sizes of 3946 ± 407 nm and 1774 ± 167 nm, respectively for PLGA-Met(DCM) and PLGA-Met(TFE). The FTIR spectroscopy proved the incorporation of metronidazole in the polymer, but without any specific drug-polymer interaction. The release of the drug from the particles was studied in phosphate buffered saline, where a sustained drug release was obtained for at least 41 days. Cytotoxicity evaluation of the drug extract using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) showed not hindering the proliferation of MSCs, and the cell phenotype was retained after incubation in the drug containing media. Electrospraying is suggested as a cost-effective and single step process for the preparation of polymeric microparticles for prolonged and controlled release of drug.Fil: Prabhakaran, Molamma P.. National University Of Singapore; SingapurFil: Zamani, Maedeh. National University Of Singapore; SingapurFil: Felice, Betiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Ramakrishna, Seeram. National University Of Singapore; Singapu

Controlled delivery of stromal derived factor-1? from poly lactic-co-glycolic acid core-shell particles to recruit mesenchymal stem cells for cardiac regeneration

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science451144-15

Emulsion electrospinning of polycaprolactone: Influence of surfactant type towards the scaffold properties

10.1080/09205063.2014.982241Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition26157-7

Fabrication of Nerve Growth Factor Encapsulated Aligned Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Nanofibers and Their Assessment as a Potential Neural Tissue Engineering Scaffold

Peripheral nerve injury is a serious clinical problem to be solved. There has been no breakthrough so far and neural tissue engineering offers a promising approach to promote the regeneration of peripheral neural injuries. In this study, emulsion electrospinning technique was introduced as a flexible and promising technique for the fabrication of random (R) and aligned (A) Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)&Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) nanofibrous scaffolds [(R/A)-PCL-NGF&BSA], where NGF and BSA were encapsulated in the core while PCL form the shell. Random and aligned pure PCL, PCL-BSA, and PCL-NGF nanofibers were also produced for comparison. The scaffolds were characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and water contact angle test. Release study showed that, with the addition of stabilizer BSA, a sustained release of NGF from emulsion electrospun PCL nanofibers was observed over 28 days. [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt; MTS] assay revealed that (R/A)-PCL-NGF and (R/A)-PCL-NGF&BSA scaffolds favored cell growth and showed no cytotoxicity to PC12 cells. Laser scanning confocal microscope images exhibited that the A-PCL-NGF&BSA scaffold increased the length of neurites and directed neurites extension along the fiber axis, indicating that the A-PCL-NGF&BSA scaffold has a potential for guiding nerve tissue growth and promoting nerve regeneration

Electrosprayed poly(vinyl alcohol) particles: preparation and evaluation of their drug release profile

Encapsulation of bioactive molecules within polymeric particles is a challenge, due to several limitations including low drug-loading efficiency, unwanted release profile, polydispersity and batch to batch variation in reproducibility, along with the limitations to scale up the process. It is essential to control the morphology of pure polymer particles in the first instance, in order to obtain the desired release profile of the drugs from the particles during the later stage. Here, we present the preparation of electrosprayed particles from water soluble FDA-approved polymer, namely polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as an approach towards short-term drug delivery vehicle. Through electrospraying and varying the solvent ratios, three different sizes of particles were prepared, with sizes ranging from 500 to 2000 nm. Insulin was chosen as a model bioactive molecule, and the release profile of the drug was studied after incorporation in PVA particles. Fractional release plots obtained showed short-term release of insulin, within the first 60 minutes. Release curves were analyzed according to Ritger-Peppas model, suggesting Fickian diffusion as the predominant insulin release mechanism from PVA particles. This work suggests electrosprayed PVA particles as an innovative drug delivery system for short-term administration of drugs.Fil: Felice, Betiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología. Departamento de Bioingeniería. Laboratorio de Medios e Interfases; ArgentinaFil: Prabhakaran, Molamma P.. National University of Singapore; SingapurFil: Zamani, Maedeh. National University of Singapore; SingapurFil: Rodriguez, Andrea Paola. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología. Departamento de Bioingeniería. Laboratorio de Medios e Interfases; ArgentinaFil: Ramakrishna, Seeram. National University of Singapore; Singapu