Preparation and Characterization of Different Multilayer Alginate Microcapsules

Introduction: Microencapsulation technology is a valuable technique for protection and delivery of materials which cannot be administered alone due to their low solubility, volatility and etc. A biopolymer alginate has been used most commonly as microcapsule forming material. In order to increase the mechanical stability and safety of alginate microcapsules, multilayered microcapsules are prepared. Alginate-poly l-lysine alginate, is the oldest multilayered microcapsule. Introducing another polycationic polymer which has similar properties to poly l-lysine (PLL) and also is  much more cost effective , so it might be a valuable suggestion. The aim of this study was to compare linear (LPEI) and branched (BPEI) form of polyethylene imine, with the oldest and rather expensive one, PLL, and also, we have compared sodium cellulose sulfate (NCS) as an anionic layer with sodium alginate in outer layer of multilayered microcapsules to investigate the effect of different covering layers in microcapsule’s cytotoxicity. Methods and Results: In this study by using electrostatic bead generator different types of microcapsules, APA, ALA and ABA were produced. Shape, size, surface morphology, mechanical stability and cytotoxicity of microcapsules were evaluated using optical microscope, SEM, explosion test and MTT assay respectively. According to shape and size evaluation, multilayered microcapsules with different cationic layer concentrations (0.01, 0.03 and 0.06 W/V %) were spherical, with a diameter range of 500- 900 μm. SEM images showed uniform and smooth surfaces. Explosion test revealed that applying cationic solutions with 0.03% and 0.01% concentration resulted in higher mechanical stability for ALA and APA in comparison to ABA (P<0.05), while mechanical strength induced by cationic solutions with 0.06% concentration were not statistically different in all three groups of microcapsules (P>0.05). MTT assay on HepG2 cell line was performed using microcapsules ALA, ALN, APA and APN and showed no statistically significant difference in cell viability for the all types. Conclusions: According to our results, LPEI as a covering layer for alginate microcapsules showed the same properties as PLL. Therefore it could be introduced as a cost effective alternative to PLL in fabrication of multilayered microcapsules

Light-Oxygen-Voltage (LOV) Domains from Erythrobacter Litoralis, a Biochemical and Photochemical Study

Sunlight powers all living things on earth, either directly or indirectly. Plants use light for photosynthesis and pass on the energy to animals that consume them. In order to use light to manufacture food or signal other processes, living beings have to sense and react to light and they do this with a variety of photoreceptors that are sensitive to different spectrum of light. Many studies have been done on the plant photoreceptors and although the list is still incomplete, several have been identified and characterized. Phytochromes absorb mainly red/far-red light with some shown to even respond to UV-A/blue light. The main purpose of this study is to focus on blue light sensing segment of phototropin called LOV2 (in plants) and simply LOV domain in bacteria. We follow the light activation of LOV-HTH domain of Erythrobacter Litoralis bacterium and follow the events upon light activation using many spectroscopic tools available to study such event. It is the aim of this study to show that upon light activation, movement of a segment of this molecule causes LOV domain to activate the effector domain downstream. The kinetics of adduct formation and dark state relaxation of the other two LOV domains in this bacterium named EL346 and EL368 are also studied

Congenital prothrombin deficiency: phenotypic and genotypic characterisation of 11 kindred

Dottorato di ricerca in metodologia clinica. A.a. 1999- 2000. Tutore Mannuccio Mannucci. Coordinatore Angelo AgostoniConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - Piazza Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

The use of historical heritage as a factor in sustainable tourism development: the case study of Akbarieh Garden, a UNESCO world heritage site in Birjand

The research explores the role of historical heritage in bolstering sustainable tourism, with a keen focus on Akbarieh Garden, a renowned UNESCO world heritage site situated in Birjand, Iran. Historical heritage sites often present a unique intersection between the preservation of cultural legacy and the promotion of local economies through tourism. Sustainable tourism emphasizes the balance between environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects, ensuring that these attractions remain preserved for future generations while still benefiting present-day communities

Razvoj i optimizacija sublingvalnih tableta fizostigmin salicilata

This study is aimed to design and optimize a sublingual tablet formulation of physostigmine salicylate, an effective drug in Alzheimer’s disease and nerve gas poisoning, by means of the D-optimal experimental design methodology. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone, lactose, starch 1500 and sodium starch glycolate were used in the formulations as independent variables. Tablets were prepared by the direct compression method and evaluated for their physical properties (tablet hardness, disintegration time and friability), which were regarded as responses in a D-optimal design. Due to the significance of the special cubic model for data fitted, compared to other models, it was used to examine the obtained results. Response surface plots were plotted to study the tablet properties and the optimized overlay plot was generated based on the results and targets considered for the responses. After verification of the optimum checkpoint formulations, an optimized formulation was chosen due to its desirable physical properties and closely observed and predicted values. Drug assay, content uniformity of the dosage unit, drug dissolution and accelerated stability studies were done on the optimum formulation as further experiments. All the obtained results complied with the requirements of a sublingual tablet formulation.Cilj rada bio je dizajnirati i optimirati sublingvalne tablete fizostigmin salicilata, lijeka učinkovitog u terapiji Alzheimerove bolesti i intoksikacije nervnim plinovitim otrovima, koristeći metodologiju D-optimalnog eksperimentalnog dizajniranja. U formulacijama su kao nezavisne varijable korišteni polivinil pirolidon, laktoza, škrob 1500 i natrijev škrobni glikolat. Tablete su pripravljene metodom izravne kompresije. Njihova fizikalna svojstva (tvrdoća, vrijeme dezintegracije i lomljivost) evaluirana su kao zavisna varijabla u D-optimalnom dizajniranju. Rezultati su najbolje slijedili specijalni kubični model, pa je taj model upotrijebljen za ispitivanje rezultata. Nacrtane su krivulje ovisnosti za proučavanje svojstava tableta. Na temelju njih izrađen je i optimirani prekrivni prikaz prema rezultatima i postavljenim ciljevima za odgovor na lijek. Poslije provjere najboljih kontrolnih formulacija, izabrana je jedna optimirana formulacija temeljem svojih poželjnih fizičkih značajki te uočenih i predviđenih vrijednosti. Ispitivanje lijeka, jednolikosti sadržaja, oslobađanja lijeka i pokusi ubrzanog starenja provedeni su na optimiranoj formulaciji. Dobiveni rezultati odgovaraju zahtjevima za tablete za sublingvalnu primjenu

Occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 in Milks of Five Animal Species in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Consumption of milks contaminated with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) may result in serious health problems in humans. In the present study, English and Persian electronic databases were comprehensively searched for publications from 2005 to 2018. Results indicated that pooled prevalence of AFM1 contamination in milks of buffalo, cow, sheep, goat, and camel were 86, 86, 42, 34, and 30%, respectively. Furthermore, average concentration of AFM1 were 78.73, 40.86, 26.71, 24.30, and 20.63 ng/L for milks in the same order. Therefore, continued monitoring of AFM1 contamination in milks and dairy foodstuffs deserves a serious governmental consideration