Nanoemulsion curcumin injection showed significant anti-inflammatory activities on carrageenan-induced paw edema in Sprague-Dawley rats

Impact of sterilization method on the system performance of lipid-based novel drug delivery

Sterilization plays a crucial role in the safety and efficacy of lipid-based novel drug delivery systems (NDDS), particularly because of the high sensitivity of lipid components to various sterilization processes. This literature review investigates the impact of different sterilization methods, such as heat sterilization, filtration, radiation, as well as chemical and gas methods, on the physicochemical properties, stability, and therapeutic performance of lipid-based NDDS (LB-NDDS), including liposomes, microemulsions, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). Special emphasis is placed on lipid degradation, drug content, and particle size alterations, that may occur during sterilization. Overall, understanding the suitable sterilization technique for LB-NDDS is critical for maintaining the integrity of drug delivery systems integrity and achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes. The findings provide a comprehensive analysis of the current challenges and recent advancement (supercritical CO2, electron beam, and ozone) of sterilization techniques that align with the sensitive nature of LB-NDDS.

Alkali-Induced Hydrolysis Facilitates the Encapsulation of Curcumin by Fish (Cyprinus carpio L.) Scale Gelatin

Curcumin-loaded alkali-induced fish scale gelatin (AFSG) was fabricated to evaluate its efficacy as a potential carrier for hydrophobic nutrients. In this study, the effect of the alkali hydrolysis period on the AFSG hydrolysate structure and corresponding curcumin loading efficiency have been elucidated. Results showed that alkali-induced degradation of gelatin yields different polymers with molecular weights (Mw) from 19319 to 3881 Da. Moderate alkali hydrolysis of fish scale gelatin exposes hydrophobic amino acids, enhancing hydrophobic interactions and increasing the proportion of these amino acids. This process also promotes a structural shift, favoring β-sheet formation while reducing α-helix content. Moreover, the curcumin loading efficiency of AFSG (2 h) (10.06 ± 0.27 μg/mL) was significantly higher than that of untreated gelatin (2.16 ± 0.39 μg/mL), while its excessive hydrolysis weakens hydrophobic interactions among hydrophobic amino acids, limiting their binding sites for curcumin. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that curcumin-induced fluorescence quenching in AFSG follows a static mechanism. Thus, the above results demonstrated AFSG's potential as an effective carrier for lipophilic nutrients with high encapsulation efficiency.

Maltodextrin vitamin E succinate: A novel antioxidant emulsifier for formulating functional nanoemulsions

A new multifunctional emulsifier was synthesized by coupling maltodextrin with a dextrose equivalent of 19 to vitamin E succinate. Two emulsifiers with varying degrees of vitamin E succinate substitution were prepared based on different mass ratios of vitamin E succinate to maltodextrin. The molecular structure and purity of these emulsifiers were analyzed. Nanoemulsions were prepared using octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch as a control to investigate the physical stability, antioxidant capacity, oxidative stability, and in vitro simulated digestive properties of the nanoemulsions. The emulsifying and antioxidant activity of the maltodextrin-vitamin E succinate conjugate was significantly superior to that of octenyl succinic anhydride modified starch, demonstrating good physical and oxidative stability. Additionally, they were rapidly digested under simulated small intestinal conditions. This new emulsifier shows broad application potential for the encapsulation, protection, and delivery of hydrophobic bioactive substances in the fields of medicine, food, and healthcare products.

Environment friendly pesticide formulation by adding certain adjuvants and their biological performance against Sitophilus oryzae (L.)

Formulation and adjuvant technologies can facilitate the use of insecticides that have higher biological efficiency application features. Safety, physicochemical properties by increasing consumer demand for safe food and enhancing operator safety. The aim of this current work was to develop a green efficient, and stable pesticide formulation. Therefore, certain nano emulsions with and without Adjuvants Calcium Alkyl Benzene Sulphonate (Atlox 4838B), and non-ionic surfactant based on trisiloxane ethoxylate (ARGAL), were testing against Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Certain analytical techniques were used for determining the characterization of the nano emulsions (Sesame, Clove, and Cinnamon). Results showed that all formulations were penal, achieving nanometric size for all compounds. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs revealed spherical or quasi-spherical morphologies for the tested nanoemulsion formulation nanodroplets. Furthermore, dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that the particle size of the formulation with the adjuvants showed a slight increase in the droplet size compared to the formulations without adjuvants. In comparison to the tested nanoemulsions with adjuvants, the viscosity of the nanoemulsions without adjuvants was lower. All studied formulations, both with and without adjuvant, showed an acidic to slightly acidic pH, except for sesame (NE) with AtloxTM 4838B, which showed a neutral pH, and they were kinetically stable with no phase separation, creaming, or crystallization. Furthermore, supporting the stability of these nanoemulsion particles was the absence of a separation phase following centrifugation, freeze-thaw cycles, and heating-cooling cycles. Findings proved that ARGAL and Atlox 4838B adjuvant stabilized NE by increasing Brownian motion, weakening the attractive forces with smaller droplets, increasing the value of zeta potential and polydispersive index (< 0.6), and decreasing surface tension. The bioassay technique using film residue to estimate LC50 values on S. oryzae adults indicate that Clove, Sesame, and Cinnamon nano emulsions with Atolx adjuvants were the most effective against S. oryzae adults under laboratory conditions, where the LC50 Values are 0.022, 0.032 and 0.035 µL/cm2 respectively after 27 h, or exposure time. Clove, Cinnamon, and Sesame nanoemulsion (NE) with 0.01% (w/w) adjuvant exhibited remarkable insecticidal activity against S. oryzae L., of 100, 100 and 97.5% respectively by in vitro assay.

Development of a fish oil-nanoemulsion gel as a drug-delivery system to prevent capsular contracture

Capsular contracture, a significant complication of breast-implant surgery, causes pain and deformation following the formation of a tight capsule around an implant. Current surgical and non-surgical treatment options are invasive, expensive, and typically administered for prolonged periods, potentially leading to side effects. To address these challenges, we developed a novel fish oil-encapsulated, poloxamer-based nanoemulsion gel with omega-3 (ω3) as the primary active component (NE-ω3 gel; N3G). This formulation can be injected during surgery, reducing the need for prolonged administration of medications and minimizing associated side effects. N3G was prepared through a two-step process involving the emulsification of fish oil followed by gelation with poloxamer to create a thermoreversible gel. Dynamic light-scattering analysis confirmed a uniform distribution of nanoemulsion particles, which had a mean diameter of 287 ± 8.599 nm and a PDI of 0.29 ± 0.047. FTIR and DSC analyses validated the encapsulation of fish oil within poloxamer micelles. Drug-release analysis demonstrated that more than 96% of fish oil was released within 10 h. In in vivo experiments, rats (n = 30) were divided into three groups: a negative control group (G1), a positive control group receiving fish oil (G2), and an experimental group with implants coated with N3G (G3). G3 exhibited a 21.2% reduction in capsular thickness compared to G1 and a 5.6% reduction compared to G2. In addition, significant decreases in fibrosis and myofibroblast counts were observed in G3. These results, supported by histological and gene expression analyses, highlight the effectiveness of N3G in reducing inflammation and fibrosis. This study underscores the therapeutic potential of N3G for capsular contracture, based on its persistence, thermoreversibility, and improved dosing and storage characteristics.

Artemisia monosperma essential oil nanoformulations alleviate imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis in mice

Psoriasis is an inflammatory immune-mediated skin disease that affects nearly 2-3 % of the global population. The current study aimed to develop safe and efficient anti-psoriatic nanoformulations from Artemisia monosperma essential oil (EO). EO was extracted using hydrodistillation (HD), microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD), and head-space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), as well as GC/ MS was used for its analysis. EO nanoemulsion (NE) was prepared using the phase inversion method, while the biodegradable polymeric film (BF) was prepared using the solvent casting technique. A.monosperma EO contains a high percentage of non-oxygenated compounds, being 90.45 (HD), 82.62 (MADH), and 95.17 (HS-SPME). Acenaphthene represents the major aromatic hydrocarbon in HD (39.14 %) and MADH (48.60 %), while sabinene as monoterpene hydrocarbon (44.2 %) is the primary compound in the case of HS-SPME. The anti-psoriatic Effect of NE and BF on the successful delivery of A.monosperma EO was studied using the imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic model in mice. Five groups (n = 6 mice) were classified into control group, IMQ group, IMQ+standard group, IMQ+NE group, and IMQ+BF group. NE and BF significantly alleviated the psoriatic skin lesions and decreased the psoriasis area severity index, Baker's score, and spleen index. Also, they reduced the expression of Ki67 and attenuated the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 6, and interleukin 17. Additionally, NE and NF were able to downregulate the NF-κB and GSK-3β signaling pathways. Despite the healing properties of BF, NE showed a more prominent effect on treating the psoriatic model, which could be referred to as its high skin penetration ability and absorption. These results potentially contribute to documenting experimental and theoretical evidence for the clinical uses of A.monosperma EO nanoformulations for treating psoriasis.

Formulation of a Novel Hesperetin-Loaded Nanoemulsion and Its Promising Effect on Osteogenesis

Alternative therapies associating natural products and nanobiotechnology show new perspectives on controlled drug release. In this context, nanoemulsions (NEs) present promising results for their structural design and properties. Hesperetin (HT), a flavonoid mainly found in citrus fruits, presents highlighted bone benefits. In this context, we developed a hesperetin-loaded nanoemulsion (HT-NE) by sonication method and characterized it by dynamic light scattering, analyzing its encapsulation efficiency, and cumulative release. The biocompatibility in human osteoblasts Saos-2-like was evaluated by the cytotoxicity assay and IC50. Then, the effects of the HT-NE on osteogenesis were evaluated by the cellular proliferation, calcium nodule formation, bone regulators gene expression, collagen quantification, and alkaline phosphatase activity. The results showed that the formulation presented ideal values of droplet size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential, and the encapsulation efficiency was 74.07 ± 5.33%, showing a gradual and controlled release. Finally, HT-NE was shown to be biocompatible and increased cellular proliferation, and calcium nodule formation, regulated the expression of Runx2, ALPL, and TGF-β genes, and increased the collagen formation and alkaline phosphatase activity. Therefore, the formulation of this NE encapsulated the HT appropriately, allowing the increasing of its effects on mechanisms to improve or accelerate the osteogenesis process.

Advances in Nanocarrier Systems for Overcoming Formulation Challenges of Curcumin: Current Insights

Curcumin, an organic phenolic molecule that is extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa Linn, has undergone extensive evaluation for its diverse biological activities in both animals and humans. Despite its favorable characteristics, curcumin encounters various formulation challenges and stability issues that can be effectively addressed through the application of nanotechnology. Nano-based techniques specifically focused on enhancing solubility, bioavailability, and therapeutic efficacy while mitigating toxicity, have been explored for curcumin. This review systematically presents information on the improvement of curcumin's beneficial properties when incorporated, either individually or in conjunction with other drugs, into diverse nanosystems such as liposomes, nanoemulsions, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, solid-lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers. Additionally, the review examines ongoing clinical trials and recently granted patents, offering a thorough overview of the dynamic landscape in curcumin delivery. Researchers are currently exploring nanocarriers with crucial features such as surface modification, substantial loading capacity, biodegradability, compatibility, and autonomous targeting specificity and selectivity. Nevertheless, the utilization of nanocarriers for curcumin delivery is still in its initial phases, with regulatory approval pending and persistent safety concerns surrounding their use.

Stability and biological activity enhancement of fucoxanthin through encapsulation in alginate/chitosan nanoparticles

A response surface methodology based on the Box-Behnken design was employed to develop fucoxanthin (FX) delivery nanocarrier from alginate (ALG) and chitosan (CS). The FX-loaded ALG/CS nanoparticles (FX-ALG/CS-NPs) were fabricated using oil-in-water emulsification and ionic gelation. The optimal formulation consisted of an ALG:CS mass ratio of 0.015:1, 0.71 % w/v Tween™ 80, and 5 mg/mL FX concentrations. The resulting FX-ALG/CS-NPs had a size of 227 ± 23 nm, a zeta potential of 35.3 ± 1.7 mV, and an encapsulation efficiency of 81.2 ± 2.8 %. These nanoparticles exhibited enhanced stability under simulated environmental conditions and controlled FX release in simulated gastrointestinal fluids. Furthermore, FX-ALG/CS-NPs showed increased in vitro oral bioaccessibility, gastrointestinal stability, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effect, and cytotoxicity against various cancer cells. The findings suggest that ALG/CS-NPs are effective nanocarriers for the delivery of FX in nutraceuticals, functional foods, and pharmaceuticals.