Cancer nanopharmaceuticals: physicochemical characterization and in vitro/in vivo applications

Physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and biopharmaceutical characterization tools play a key role in the assessment of nanopharmaceuticals potential imaging analysis and for site-specific delivery of anti-cancers to neoplastic cells/tissues. If diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches are combined in one single nanoparticle, a new platform called nanotheragnostics is generated. Several analytical technologies allow us to characterize nanopharmaceuticals and nanoparticles and their properties so that they can be properly used in cancer therapy. This paper describes the role of multifunctional nanoparticles in cancer diagnosis and treatment, describing how nanotheragnostics can be useful in modern chemotherapy, and finally, the challenges associated with the commercialization of nanoparticles for cancer therapy.This research was funded by The National Centre for Research and Development (Grant Number INNOMED/I/11/NCBR/2014) from the Innovative Economy Operational Programme founds, in the framework of the European Regional Development Fund, by the Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences by the internal grant for the implementation of a single scientific activity, and by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT/MCT), European Funds (PRODER/COMPETE)-project UIDB/04469/2020 (strategic fund), co-financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Two- and three-dimensional spectrofluorimetric qualitative analysis of selected vegetable oils for biomedical applications

Vegetable oils obtained from different plants are known for their beneficial effects on prophylaxis and supportive treatment of a great deal of inflammatory-mediated conditions. Their wide range of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and the presence of other ingredients (e.g., tocopherols, chlorophylls), provide them with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties, which are worth being exploited. In this study, we have carried out the spectrofluorometric analysis of selected vegetable oils, namely apricot (Prunus armeniaca) kernel oil; blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) seed oil; argan (Argania spinosa) nut oil; kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) seed oil; grape (Vitis vinifera) seed oil; evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) oil and meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba) seed oil, with the purpose to detect their fluorescent ingredients for further identification and bioactivity comparison. The obtained two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) emission spectra offered a complete description of the fluorescent components of the mixture and revealed different features for studied oils.This work was supported by the projects M-ERA-NET/0004/2015 (PAIRED) and strategic funds, UIDB/04469/2020 (CEB), UIDB/04033/2020 (CITAB) and UIDB/00616/2020 (CQ-VR), from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation, Ministry of Science and Education (FCT/MEC) from national funds, and cofinanced by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. This work was also supported by the Foundation for the Development of Biotechnology and Genetics POLBIOGEN, Jugosłowia ´nska 57, 60–159 Poznan, Poland.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The influence of selected cytokinins on micropropagation of Salvia officinalis

Szałwia lekarska (Salvia officinalis) jest rośliną o bardzo szerokich właściwościach leczniczych, wśród których najistotniejsze to działanie odkażające, przeciwzapalne i przeciwpotne. Wyciągi z szałwii regulują pracę układu pokarmowego, obniżają poziom cukru we krwi, a także są silnym lekiem antyseptycznym unieczynniającym toksyny bakteryjne oraz hamującym rozmnażanie wielu rodzajów bakterii Gram dodatnich i Gram ujemnych, także odpornych na antybiotyki. Swoje wszechstronne zastosowanie szałwia zawdzięcza olejkowi eterycznemu o złożonym składzie, zawierającym m.in. tujon, cyneol, kamforę, borneol i pinen. Oprócz tego występują w nim garbniki katechinowe, trójterpeny, flawonoidy, gorycze (karnozol), kwasy organiczne, a także witaminy B1, C, PP oraz karoteny. Techniki in vitro umożliwiają masowe namnażanie wyselekcjonowanych roślin o najlepszych parametrach leczniczych lub roślin o nowych cechach uzyskanych na drodze transformacji. Celem badań było określenie wpływu wybranych cytokinin na wydajność mikropropagacji szałwii. Materiał do badań stanowiły eksplantaty wierzchołkowe szałwii, odmiany Bona. Hodowlę prowadzono na pożywkach Murashige Skoog (MS), zawierających różne stężenie kinetyny, BAP oraz zeatyny (2, 5, 10 mg/l). Najlepszy współczynnik namnażania roślin otrzymano przy użyciu cytokininy BAP (3,5–3, w zależności od stężenia), jednak zbyt duży odsetek zwitryfikowanych roślin skłonił do obniżenia poziomu tego fitohormonu. Wydajność i stabilność mikropropagacji przy użyciu BAP w stężeniu 0,3 mg/l sprawdzono podczas długookresowej hodowli (do pokolenia n-6). Praca obejmuje również zastosowanie cytokininy meta-Topolina (mT) jako alternatywy do fitohormonu BAP. Najlepsze rezultaty w mikropropagacji szałwii uzyskano przy zastosowaniu pożywki modyfikowanej 0,3 mg/l BAP. Współczynnik namanażania w tym przypadku oscylował w granicach 2,4–3,4 w kolejnych cyklach namnożeniowych.Common sage (Salvia officinalis) is a plant with a very wide range of healing properties, from which the most important are disinfecting, anti-inflammatory and antisudoral effects. Sage extracts regulate the digestive system and increase blood sugar level. They are also a strong antiseptic medicine which inactivates bacterial toxins and inhibits reproduction of many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including the antibiotic-resistant ones. Sage owes its versatile properties to its essential oil composition containing among others thujone, cineole, camphor, borneol and pinene. Apart from the above, it also contains catechins, triterpene, flavonoids, carnosol and organic acids, vitamins B1, C, PP and carotene. Use of in vitro techniques enables mass propagation of selected plants with the best healing parameters or plants with new features gained through transformation. The aim of the study was the determination of the influence of selected cytokinins on micropropagation efficiency of S. officinalis. Materials for research were apical explants of sage cultivar Bona. The cultivation was conducted on the Murashige Skoog (MS) medium, containing different concentration of kinetin, BAP and zeatin (2, 5, 10 mg/ml). The best plant multiplication rate was obtained by using cytokinin BAP (3.5–3, depending on the concentration), however an excessive percentage of vitrificated plants limited the use of this phytohormone. Effectiveness and stability of the micropropagation using BAP at concentration 0.3 mg/l was verified during long term cultivation (to n-6 subculture). The work also included use of cytokinin meta-Topolin as alternative for BAP phytohormone. The best results in the sage micropropagation process were obtained by the application of medium with 0.3 mg/l of BAP. In this case multiplication rate varies between 2.4 and 3.4 during the successive propagation cycles

Contribution of Polish agrotechnical studies on Cannabis sativa L. to the global industrial hemp cultivation and processing economy

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) attracts increasing interest of growers, in relation to both industrial and medical purposes. Construction is the most promising area of the economy for hemp, and specifically, the fast-growing production of insulation and bio-composite materials

Simple Extraction of Cannabinoids from Female Inflorescences of Hemp (<i>Cannabis sativa</i> L.)

The high interest in non-psychoactive cannabidiol increases the need for efficient and straightforward cannabidiol (CBD) extraction methods. The research aimed to compare simple methods of cannabinoid extraction that do not require advanced laboratory equipment. This work assesses the content of total CBD and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in popular solvents such as water and ethanol extracts. Hemp raw material was analyzed with Gas Chromatography with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID), while extracts were tested by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The female inflorescences of three varieties of industrial hemp were tested: Futura 75, KC Dora, and Tygra (different sowing and N fertilization densities). Tygra (T/10/30) showed the highest content of CBD (0.064%) in water extracts. However, in 80% tincture from Futura 75 (F/30/30), a higher CBD content of 1.393% was observed. The use of 96% ethanol for extraction and ultrasound enabled the highest CBD content to be obtained: 2.682% in Futura 75 (F/30/30). Cold water extraction showed no effect on Δ9-THC content, while hot water extraction increased content from 0.001% in KC Dora to 0.002% in Futura 75 (F/30/30) and Tygra, but the changes were statistically insignificant. Application of 80% ethanol revealed the significantly highest content of Δ9-THC in KC Dora, from 0.026% (K/30/90) to 0.057% (K/30/30), as well as in Tygra (T/30/30) (0.036%) and Futura 75 (F/30/30) (0.048%). The use of ethanol extraction in combination with ultrasound could be an efficient method of obtaining cannabinoids

Identification of Bovine, Pig and Duck Meat Species in Mixtures and in Meat Products on the Basis of the mtDNA Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI) Gene Sequence

The aim of this study was to develop a method using PCR and self-designed primers on the basis of the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence to enable direct identification of the meat of three species of animals, i.e. bovines, pigs and ducks, in the single type sample, in meat mixtures and meat products. The mixtures comprised up to six meat species including apart from beef, pork and duck also chicken, turkey and goose meat. The obtained results indicate the possibility of qualitative identification of the aforementioned meat species in all types of investigated food products. The maximum length of PCR products did not exceed 300 bp, which was supposed to favour the amplification of DNA from meat products which are usually thermally processed and/or exposed to high pressure. PCR primers hybridised selectively with bovine, pig and duck DNA, showing total species specificity