Optimization of genistein solubilization by κ-carrageenan hydrogel using response surface methodology

Preparation, optimization, and characterization of genistein-ginseng long-acting polymeric gel as a breast cancer treatment alternative

To address the prevalent genistein (GST) metabolism and inadequate intestinal absorption, an oral long-acting and gastric in-situ gelling gel was designed to encapsulate and localize the intestinal release of the loaded genistein-ginseng (GST-GNS) solid dispersion. Because of the high breast perfusion of GST upon oral absorption, the GST-GNS solid dispersion was developed to enhance GST's dissolution and penetration while offering a synergistic impact against breast cancer (BC). Physiochemical analysis of the GST-GNS solid dispersion, release analysis, gel characterizations, storage stability, penetration, and in vitro cytotoxicity studies were carried out. GST-GNS solid dispersion showed improved dissolution and penetration as compared to raw GST. GST-GNS solid dispersion homogenous shape particles and hydrophilic contacts were revealed by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier Transform-Infrared analysis, respectively. GST-GNS solid dispersion's diffractogram shows the amorphous character. A second modification involved creating a gastric in-situ gelling system loaded with GST-GNS solid dispersion. This system demonstrated improved GST penetration employing the solid dispersion, as well as the localizing of the GST release at the intestinal media and antitumor synergism against BC. For a better therapeutic approach for BC, the innovative oral GST long-acting gel encasing the GST-GNS solid dispersion would be recommended.

Genistein Co-Amorphous Systems with Amino Acids: An Investigation into Enhanced Solubility and Biological Activity

Genistein, an isoflavone known for its antioxidant and antidiabetic effects, suffers from the drawback of low solubility. To overcome this limitation, co-amorphous systems were synthesized by incorporating amino acids that were chosen through computational methods. The confirmation of the amorphous state of lysine and arginine-containing systems was ascertained by X-ray powder diffraction. Subsequently, the characterization of these systems was extended by employing thermo-gravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The investigation also included an assessment of the physical stability of the samples during storage. The apparent solubility of the systems was studied in an aqueous medium. To evaluate the in vitro permeability through the gastrointestinal tract, the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay was employed. The biological properties of the systems were assessed with regard to their antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and cupric ion-reducing antioxidant capacity assays, as well as their ability to inhibit α-glucosidase. The systems' glass transition temperatures were determined, and their homogeneity confirmed via differential scanning calorimetry analysis, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis provided data on molecular interactions. Stability was maintained for the entire 6-month storage duration. The co-amorphous system containing lysine displayed the most pronounced apparent solubility improvement, as well as a significant enhancement in antioxidant activity. Notably, both systems demonstrated superior α-glucosidase inhibition relative to acarbose, a standard drug for managing type 2 diabetes. The results indicate that co-amorphous systems with lysine and arginine have the potential to significantly enhance the solubility and biological activity of genistein.

Advanced Optimization of Surface Characteristics and Material Removal Rate for Biocompatible Ti6Al4V Using WEDM Process with BBD and NSGA II

Machining titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) used in orthopedic implants via conventional metal cutting processes is challenging due to excessive cutting forces, low surface integrity, and tool wear. To overcome these difficulties and ensure high-quality products, various industries employ wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) for precise machining of intricate shapes in titanium alloy. The objective is to make WEDM machining parameters as efficient as possible for machining the biocompatible alloy Ti6Al4Vusing Box-Behnken design (BBD) and nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA II). A quadratic mathematical model is created to represent the productivity and the quality factor (MRR and surface roughness) in terms of varying input parameters, such as pulse active (T_on) time, pulse inactive (T_off) time, peak amplitude (A) current, and applied servo (V) voltage. The established regression models and related prediction plots provide a reliable approach for predicting how the process variables affect the two responses, namely, MRR and SR. The effects of four process variables on both the responses were examined, and the findings revealed that the pulse duration and voltage have a major influence on the rate at which material is removed (MRR), whereas the pulse duration influences quality (SR). The tradeoff between MRR and SR, when significant process factors are included, emphasizes the need for a reliable multi-objective optimization method. The intelligent metaheuristic optimization method named nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA II) was utilized to provide pareto optimum solutions in order to achieve high material removal rate (MRR) and low surface roughness (SR).

Genistein encapsulated inulin-stearic acid bioconjugate nanoparticles: Formulation development, characterization and anticancer activity

Achieving controlled and site-specific delivery of hydrophobic drugs in the colon environment is a major challenge. The primary goal of this research was to synthesize inulin-stearic acid (INU-SA) conjugate and to evaluate its potential in the site-specific delivery of genistein (GEN) for the treatment of colon cancer. INU is a hydrophilic polysaccharide biological macromolecule was modified with hydrophobic SA to form amphiphilic conjugate (INU-SA) which can self-assemble into spherical nanoparticles with interesting drug release properties. The hydrophobic GEN was encapsulated into the INU-SA conjugate to prepare GEN loaded nanoparticles (GNP). The prepared GNP possessed nano size (115 nm), good colloidal dispersibility (0.066 PDI), and high drug encapsulation efficiency (92.2%). The release behaviour of GNP indicated the site-specific release of GEN, only 3.4% at gastric pH while 94% at intestinal pH. The prepared GNP showed potential cytotoxicity against HCT 116 human colorectal cancer cells, as demonstrated by antiproliferation and apoptosis assays. The observed half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of GNP (5.5 μg/mL) was significantly lower than pure GEN (28.2 μg/mL) due to higher cellular internalization of GNP than free GEN. Therefore, this research suggests a way to improve the therapeutic effectiveness of natural biomolecules using modified and biocompatible polysaccharide INU.

Carrageenan of Red Algae Eucheuma gelatinae: Extraction, Antioxidant Activity, Rheology Characteristics, and Physicochemistry Characterization

Carrageenan is an anionic sulfated polysaccharide that accounts for a high content of red seaweed Eucheuma gelatinae. This paper focused on the extraction, optimization, and evaluation of antioxidant activity, rheology characteristics, and physic-chemistry characterization of β-carrageenan from Eucheuma gelatinae. The extraction and the optimization of β-carrageenan were by the maceration-stirred method and the experimental model of Box-Behken. Antioxidant activity was evaluated to be the total antioxidant activity and reducing power activity. The rheology characteristics of carrageenan were measured to be gel strength and viscosity. Physic-chemistry characterization was determined, including the molecular weight, sugar composition, function groups, and crystal structure, through GCP, GC-FID, FTIR, and XRD. The results showed that carrageenan possessed antioxidant activity, had intrinsic viscosity and gel strength, corresponding to 263.02 cps and 487.5 g/cm², respectively. Antioxidant carrageenan is composed of rhamnose, mannose, glucose, fucose, and xylose, with two molecular weight fractions of 2.635 × 10⁶ and 2.58 × 10⁶ g/mol, respectively. Antioxidant carrageenan did not exist in the crystal. The optimization condition of antioxidant carrageenan extraction was done at 82.35 °C for 115.35 min with a solvent-to-algae ratio of 36.42 (v/w). At the optimization condition, the extraction efficiency of carrageenan was predicted to be 87.56 ± 5.61 (%), the total antioxidant activity and reducing power activity were predicted to 71.95 ± 5.32 (mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g DW) and 89.84 ± 5.84 (mg FeSO₄ equivalent/g DW), respectively. Purity carrageenan content got the highest value at 42.68 ± 2.37 (%, DW). Antioxidant carrageenan from Eucheuma gelatinae is of potential use in food and pharmaceuticals.

Poly(chitosan-ester-ether-urethane) Hydrogels as Highly Controlled Genistein Release Systems

Polymeric hydrogels play an increasingly important role in medicine, pharmacy and cosmetology. They appear to be one of the most promising groups of biomaterials due to their favorable physicochemical properties and biocompatibility. The objective of the presented study was to synthesize new poly(chitosan-ester-ether-urethane) hydrogels and to study the kinetic release of genistein (GEN) from these biomaterials. In view of the above, six non-toxic hydrogels were synthesized via the Ring-Opening Polymerization (ROP) and polyaddition processes. The poly(ester-ether) components of the hydrogels have been produced in the presence of the enzyme as a biocatalyst. In some cases, the in vitro release rate of GEN from the obtained hydrogels was characterized by near-zero-order kinetics, without "burst release" and with non-Fickian transport. It is important to note that developed hydrogels have been shown to possess the desired safety profile due to lack of cytotoxicity to skin cells (keratinocytes and fibroblasts). Taking into account the non-toxicity of hydrogels and the relatively highly controlled release profile of GEN, these results may provide fresh insight into polymeric hydrogels as an effective dermatological and/or cosmetological tool.

Glycyrrhizin micelle as a genistein nanocarrier: Synergistically promoting corneal epithelial wound healing through blockage of the HMGB1 signaling pathway in diabetic mice

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of targeting the HMGB1 signaling pathway to treat diabetic keratopathy with a dipotassium glycyrrhizinate-based micelle ophthalmic solution encapsulating genistein (DG-Gen), and to evaluate whether these dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (DG) micelles could synergistically enhance the therapeutic effect of encapsulated genistein (Gen). An optimized DG-Gen ophthalmic solution was fabricated with a Gen/DG weight of ratio 1:15, and this formulation featured an encapsulation efficiency of 98.96 ± 0.82%, and an average particle size of 29.50 ± 2.05 nm. The DG-Gen ophthalmic solution was observed to have good in vivo ocular tolerance and excellent in vivo corneal permeation, and to remarkably improve in vitro antioxidant activity. Ocular topical application of the DG-Gen ophthalmic solution significantly prompted corneal re-epithelialization and nerve regeneration in diabetic mice, and this efficacy might be due to the inhibition of HMGB1 signaling through down-regulation of HMGB1 and its receptors RAGE and TLR4, as well as inflammatory factor interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β. In conclusion, these data showed that HMGB1 signaling is a potential regulation target for the treatment of diabetic keratopathy, and novel DG-micelle formulation encapsulating active agents such as Gen could synergistically cause blockage of HMGB1 signaling to prompt diabetic corneal and nerve wound healing.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Genistein-Loaded Zein/Carboxymethyl Chitosan Nanoparticles with Improved Water Dispersibility, Enhanced Antioxidant Activity, and Controlled Release Property

Genistein is one of major isoflavones derived from soybean products and it is believed to have beneficial effects on human health. However, its low water-solubility and poor oral bioavailability severely hamper its use as a functional food ingredient or for pharmaceutical industry. In this study, zein and zein/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) nanoparticles were prepared to encapsulate genistein using a combined liquid-liquid phase separation method. The physicochemical properties of fabricated nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results demonstrated that genistein encapsulated with zein nanoparticles significantly improved its water dispersibility, antioxidant activity in the aqueous phase, and photostability against UV light. Moreover, genistein encapsulated in zein nanoparticles showed a sustained release property. Furthermore, it was found that encapsulation efficiency of genistein was significantly enhanced after CMCS coating, and this effect was more pronounced after the complex nanoparticles cross-linked with calcium ions when compared with the use of zein as a single encapsulant. In addition, compared to zein nanoparticles without biopolymer coating, CMCS coating significantly enhanced the thermal and storage stability of the formed nanoparticles, and delayed the release of genistein. A schematic diagram of zein and zein/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) nanoparticles formation mechanism for encapsulation of genistein was proposed. According to the results of the current study, it could be concluded that encapsulation of genistein in zein/CMCS nanoparticles is a promising approach to improve its water dispersibility, antioxidant activity, photostability against UV light and provide controlled release for food/pharmaceutical applications.

Fabrication of nanostructured mesoporous starch encapsulating soy-derived phytoestrogen (genistein) by well-tuned solvent exchange method

The present research was concerned with preparation of mesoporous starch (MPS) as a carrier for genistein, a model of poorly water-soluble phytoestrogen isoflavone; and exploration of the impact of different fabrication parameters on structural and loading properties. MPS is considered as a highly porous biomaterial which typically possesses nanometer-sized porous microstructure and low density, providing a large effective specific surface area (SSA) and hydrophilic surface to improve solubility, stability and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble active agents. To fabricate MPS, various concentrations (8-14% w/v) of starch from different sources (corn, potato and tapioca) was used for gel formation and the successive solvent exchange process was performed with use of various ethanol concentrations (40-70% v/v), which were then dried by different techniques (rotary vacuum evaporation, microwave and freeze drying). MPS quality attributes such as SSA, total porous volume, BJH pore diameter and swelling ratio were determined and effects of the fabrication parameters were investigated using L9-Taguchi orthogonal array design. The results indicate that second order polynomial regression models were well fitted for all response variables. Interestingly, the starch components greatly influenced physical properties of MPS. Also, the drying type and ethanol concentration altered significantly the model equations. The overall best fabrication condition (14% corn starch, 100% ethanol concentration in aging step and rotary vacuum drying) resulted in favorable MPS preparation with mean size of 105.4 nm and unimodal distribution. In the next step, genistein was encapsulated in MPS microstructure at different ratios, resulting in high loading capacity and efficiency (44.71% and 79.9%, respectively) at 1:1 weight ratio. Equilibrium adsorption isotherm of genistein was evaluated also by four different kinetics models including Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin isotherms. The experimental data were found to be fitted well to the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.989). According to the electron microscopy and XRD analysis, the degree of genistein crystallinity lowered remarkably after the impregnation in to MPS, indicating improved solubility. In-vitro release profile of genistein from MPS in the simulated gastrointestinal buffer solutions (pH 1.2 and 6.8) demonstrated that incorporating genistein into the MPS enhanced the dissolution rate compared with genistein powder. Release kinetic data were fitted to the Higuchi model (R2 = 0.98), indicating diffusion-controlled release mechanism. Altogether, well-tuned MPS fabrication method can be utilized for an efficient encapsulation and dissolution enhancement of poorly soluble phytochemicals, such as genistein.

Box-Behnken Response Surface Design of Polysaccharide Extraction from Rhododendron arboreum and the Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Potential

In the present investigation, the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions and optimization of Rhododendron arboreum polysaccharide (RAP) yield were studied by a Box–Behnken response surface design and the evaluation of its antioxidant potential. Three parameters that affect the productivity of UAE, such as extraction temperature (50–90 °C), extraction time (10–30 min), and solid–liquid ratio (1–2 g/mL), were examined to optimize the yield of the polysaccharide percentage. The chromatographic analysis revealed that the composition of monosaccharides was found to be glucose, galactose, mannose, arabinose, and fucose. The data were fitted to polynomial response models, applying multiple regression analysis with a high coefficient of determination value (R² = 0.999). The data exhibited that the extraction parameters have significant effects on the extraction yield of polysaccharide percentage. Derringer’s desirability prediction tool was attained under the optimal extraction conditions (extraction temperature 66.75 °C, extraction time 19.72 min, and liquid–solid ratio 1.66 mL/g) with a desirability value of 1 yielded the highest polysaccharide percentage (11.56%), which was confirmed through validation experiments. An average of 11.09 ± 1.65% of polysaccharide yield was obtained in optimized extraction conditions with a 95.43% validity. The in vitro antioxidant effect of polysaccharides of R. arboreum was studied. The results showed that the RAP extract exhibited a strong potential against free radical damage.

Impacts of Initial Sugar, Nitrogen and Calcium Carbonate on Butanol Fermentation from Sugarcane Molasses by Clostridium beijerinckii

Low-cost nitrogen sources, i.e., dried spent yeast (DSY), rice bran (RB), soybean meal (SM), urea and ammonium sulfate were used for batch butanol fermentation from sugarcane molasses by Clostridium beijerinckii TISTR 1461 under anaerobic conditions. Among these five low-cost nitrogen sources, DSY at 1.53 g/L (nitrogen content equal to that of 1 g/L of yeast extract) was found to be the most suitable. At an initial sugar level of 60 g/L, the maximum butanol concentration (PB), productivity (QB) and yield (YB/S) were 11.19 g/L, 0.23 g/L·h and 0.31 g/g, respectively. To improve the butanol production, the concentrations of initial sugar, DSY and calcium carbonate were varied using response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box–Behnken design. It was found that the optimal conditions for high butanol production were initial sugar, 50 g/L; DSY, 6 g/L and calcium carbonate, 6.6 g/L. Under these conditions, the highest experimental PB, QB and YB/S values were 11.38 g/L, 0.32 g/L·h and 0.40 g/g, respectively with 50% sugar consumption (SC). The PB with neither DSY nor CaCO3 was only 8.53 g/L. When an in situ gas stripping system was connected to the fermenter to remove butanol produced during the fermentation, the PB was increased to 15.33 g/L, whereas the YB/S (0.39 g/g) was not changed. However, the QB was decreased to 0.21 g/L·h with 75% SC.

Development of Health Products from Natural Sources

BioActive Compounds (BACs) recovered from food or food by-product matrices are useful in maintaining well being, enhancing human health, and modulating immune function to prevent or to treat chronic diseases. They are also generally seen by final consumers as safe, non-toxic and environment-friendly. Despite the complex process of production, chemical characterization, and assessment of health effects, BACs must also be manufactured in stable and bioactive ingredients to be used in pharmaceutical, food and nutraceutical industry. Generally, vegetable derivatives occur as sticky raw materials with pervasive smell and displeasing flavor. Also, they show critical water solubility and dramatic stability behavior over time, involving practical difficulties for industrial use. Therefore, the development of novel functional health products from natural sources requires the design of a suitable formulation to delivery BACs at the site of action, preserve stability during processing and storage, slow down the degradation processes, mask lousy tasting or smell, and increase the bioavailability, while maintaining the BACs functionality. The present review focuses on human health benefits, BACs composition, and innovative technologies or formulation approaches of natural ingredients from some selected foods and by-products from industrial food transformations.

Cyclodextrin encapsulation of daidzein and genistein by grinding: implication on the glycosaminoglycan accumulation in mucopolysaccharidosis type II and III fibroblasts

This work aimed to investigate the potential effect of cyclodextrin encapsulation on intrinsic ability of daidzein (DAD) and genistein (GEN) to inhibit the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis in fibroblasts originating from patients with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), type II and III. DAD or GEN encapsulation with either 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin or sulphobuthylether-β-cyclodextrin were achieved by neat grinding and were characterised by thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and solubility testing which confirmed the complexes formation with increased solubility with respect to starting compounds. Both isoflavones, as well as their co-ground cyclodextrin complexes reduced GAG levels in the fibroblasts of MPS II and MPS III patients from 54.8-77.5%, in a dose dependent manner, without any significant cytotoxic effect. Cyclodextrin encapsulation did not change the intrinsically high effect of both DAD and GEN on the GAG level reduction in the treated cells, thus could be considered as a part of combination therapies of MPS.

Development and In Vitro Evaluation of Vitamin E-Enriched Nanoemulsion Vehicles Loaded with Genistein for Chemoprevention Against UVB-Induced Skin Damage

There is a great need for effective protection against cutaneous pathologies arising from chronic exposure to harmful solar UVB radiations. A promising pharmaceutical strategy to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic/preventative natural compounds (e.g., soy isoflavone Genistein, Gen) is to enhance their dermal delivery using nanoemulsion (NE) formulations. This report investigates the development of nanoemulsified tocotrienol(T3)-rich fraction of red palm oil (Tocomin®), to yield an optimal NE delivery system for dermal photoprotection (z-average size <150 nm, ζ-potential ≈ -30 mV, polydispersity index < 0.25). Physicochemical characterization and photostability studies indicate NE formulations utilizing surfactant mixture (Smix) of Solutol® HS-15 (SHS15) blended with vitamin E TPGS (TPGS) as cosurfactant was significantly superior to formulations that utilized Lutrol® F68 (LF68) as the cosurfactant. A ratio of 60:40 of SHS15-TPGS-NE was further identified as lead Tocomin® NE topical platform using in vitro pharmaceutical skin reactivity studies that assess cutaneous irritancy and cytotoxicity. Prototype Tocomin® NE loaded with the antiphotocarcinogenic molecule Gen (Gen-Tocomin® NE) showed slow-release profile in both liquid and cream forms. Gen-Tocomin® NE also showed excellent biocompatibility, and provided substantial UVB protection to cultured subcutaneous L929 fibroblasts, indicating the great potential of our Tocomin® NE warranting further prototype development as topical pharmaceutical platform for skin photoprotection applications.

Immobilization of β-glucosidase from Aspergillus niger on κ-carrageenan hybrid matrix and its application on the production of reducing sugar from macroalgae cellulosic residue

A novel concept for the synthesis of a stable polymer hybrid matrix bead was developed in this study. The beads were further applied for enzyme immobilization to produce stable and active biocatalysts with low enzyme leakage, and high immobilization efficiency, enzyme activity, and recyclability. The immobilization conditions, including PEI concentration, activation time and pH of the PEI solution were investigated and optimized. All formulated beads were characterized for its functionalized groups, composition, surface morphology and thermal stability. Compared with the free β-glucosidase, the immobilized β-glucosidase on the hybrid matrix bead was able to tolerate broader range of pH values and higher reaction temperature up to 60 °C. The immobilized β-glucosidase was then used to hydrolyse pretreated macroalgae cellulosic residue (MCR) for the production of reducing sugar and a hydrolysis yield of 73.4% was obtained. After repeated twelve runs, immobilized β-glucosidase retained about 75% of its initial activity.

Preparation of Spray-Dried Soy Isoflavone-Loaded Gelatin Microspheres for Enhancement of Dissolution: Formulation, Characterization and in Vitro Evaluation

The most bioactive soy isoflavones (SI), daidzein (DAI) and genistein (GEN) have poor water solubility, which reduces their bioavailability and health benefits and limits their use in industry. The goal of this study was to develop and characterize a new gelatin matrix to microencapsulate DAI and GEN from soy extract (SE) by spray drying, in order to obtain solid dispersions to overcome solubility problems and to allow controlled release. The influences of 1:2 (MP2) and 1:3 (MP3) SE/polymer ratios on the solid state, yield, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution, release kinetics and cumulative release were evaluated. Analyses showed integral microparticles and high drug content. MP3 and MP2 yield were 43.6% and 55.9%, respectively, with similar mean size (p > 0.05), respectively. X-ray diffraction revealed the amorphous solid state of SE. In vitro release tests showed that dissolution was drastically increased. The results indicated that SE microencapsulation might offer a good system to control SI release, as an alternative to improve bioavailability and industrial applications.

Synthesis and application of polypyrrole/carrageenan nano-bio composite as a cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells

A novel nano-bio composite polypyrrole (PPy)/kappa-carrageenan(KC) was fabricated and characterized for application as a cathode catalyst in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). High resolution SEM and TEM verified the bud-like shape and uniform distribution of the PPy in the KC matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has approved the amorphous structure of the PPy/KC as well. The PPy/KC nano-bio composites were then studied as an electrode material, due to their oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) ability as the cathode catalyst in the MFC and the results were compared with platinum (Pt) as the most common cathode catalyst. The produced power density of the PPy/KC was 72.1 mW/m(2) while it was 46.8 mW/m(2) and 28.8 mW/m(2) for KC and PPy individually. The efficiency of the PPy/KC electrode system is slightly lower than a Pt electrode (79.9 mW/m(2)) but due to the high cost of Pt electrodes, the PPy/KC electrode system has potential to be an alternative electrode system for MFCs.