Amikacin sulphate loaded chitosan-diopside nanoparticles composite scaffold for infectious wound healing

A wound dressing material should inhibit infections that may occur at the wound site, and at the same time, it should enhance the healing process. In this study, we developed an amikacin sulphate (AK) incorporated chitosan (Ch) and Diopside nanoparticles composite dressing (Ch-nDE-AK) for controlling wound infection and healing. The diopside nanoparticles (nDE) were prepared using sol-gel synthesis and characterized using XRD, FT-IR, and FESEM. nDE shows a size range of 142 ± 31 nm through FESEM analysis. Later, the developed composite dressing was characterized using SEM, EDS, and FT-IR analysis. Ch-nDE-AK dressing possesses a porous nature that will aid in easy cell infiltration and proliferation. The swelling studies indicated the expansion capability of the scaffold when applied to the injured site. Ch-nDE-AK scaffold showed a 69.6 ± 8.2 % amikacin sulphate release up to 7 days, which indicates the sustained release of the drug from Ch-nDE-AK scaffold. The drug release data was subjected to various kinetics models and was observed to follow the Higuchi model. The scaffold showed antibacterial activity against ATCC strains of S. aureus and E. coli for 7 days by in vitro. Ch-nDE-AK scaffold also showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli clinical strains in vitro. The ex vivo antibacterial study confirmed the antibacterial ability of Ch-nDE-AK scaffold against S. aureus and E. coli. Ch-nDE-AK scaffold also exhibits anti-biofilm activity against S. aureus and E. coli. The Ch-nDE-AK scaffold showed cytocompatibility and cell attachment to fibroblast cells. Additionally, the scratch assay using fibroblast cells confirmed the role of the nDE in the scaffold, helping in cell migration. Thus, the developed Ch-nDE-AK dressing can potentially be used to treat infectious wound healing.

Lime activated flyash-phosphogypsum blend as a low-cost alternative binder

This study investigates the potential of a blended binder formulated from two industrial solid wastes viz. phosphogypsum and fly ash in combination with lime. Three mix proportions of phosphogypsum and fly ash were investigated, and the minimum lime contents required for activation were determined using the Eades and Grim pH test. The lime-fly ash-phosphogypsum blends were then cast into cubes, both in their paste form as well as mortar form, mixed with sand in the ratio of 1:3. They were cured for a period of seven days, and afterwards, their compressive strength was determined. Ordinary Portland cement and lime mortar blocks were also cast as control specimens for comparative evaluation of the strength. The optimal lime-fly ash-phosphogypsum blend was identified and used to construct a masonry prism, and the strengths of the masonry prisms were also evaluated. The optimal lime-fly ash-phosphogypsum blend mortar was also subjected to an X-ray diffraction analysis to determine the reaction products formed during hydration. The study revealed that 5% lime mixed with fly ash:phosphogypsum in the ratio of 3:1 was the optimal proportion which gave the maximum strength to the cubes. The optimal lime-fly ash-phosphogypsum blend mortar developed strength that was higher than conventional Portland cement and lime mortar. The optimal lime-fly ash-phosphogypsum blend mortar masonry prisms developed strength that was comparable to that of Portland cement mortar masonry. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the formation of calcium silicate hydrate minerals as well as ettringite and portlandite which were responsible for strength gain.

Bioconjugated gold nanoparticles as an efficient colorimetric sensor for cancer diagnostics

The chances of curing and reducing the adverse effect of cancer partly lie in early detection. Colorimetric sensor-based technique show promising results since the target is detected with high sensitivity but without the use of advanced/costly techniques through a simple visual color change. In most cases, gold nanoparticles (Au Nps) functionalized with biomolecules complementary to target analyte are used for colorimetric detection. The interaction of functionalized Au Nps with target analytes induce aggregation or dispersion where the color of the solution changes from red to blue or blue to red respectively, which can be visualized by the naked eyes. Such a facile technique has a high commercial viability and therefore, understanding its concept is essential. Here, some of the reported studies are discussed technically for better understanding about the invitro colorimetric detection of cancer.

Carrier detection in Duchenne muscular dystrophy using molecular methods

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are X-linked allelic disorders which are caused by mutations in the DMD gene. Carrier analysis in DMD is complicated due to the heterozygous nature of the X chromosome. Several techniques have been tried for carrier analysis in families where the mutation is identified including quantitative multiplex PCR (qmPCR), Southern blot, and now multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Linkage analysis is used in cases without identifiable mutations. The present study was undertaken to determine the status of probable carriers in families where the DMD deletion/duplication has been identified for the affected index cases.

METHODS

Carrier status was present in 150 probable carriers from 110 apparently unrelated families where the patients' mutations were known. Of these 110 families, 100 were deletions, 9 duplications and 1 point mutation. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was used to assess the copy number changes and direct sequencing was used for the case with the point mutation.

RESULTS

Of the 150 cases, 49 were found to be carriers. Among the sporadic cases, it was observed that the rate of de novo mutations was very high (71%) as compared to the hereditary cases (29%), which was higher than the calculated rate (30%). It was observed that this difference was more apparent in deletion mutations than in duplications.

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS

Identifying the DMD carrier rates in the families with unidentified deletions and duplications and where the causative mutation could be small insertions/deletions or point mutations could throw more light into this observation. MLPA was found to be useful in detecting copy number changes in DMD carriers and this could be the method of choice for DMD carrier analysis, when the mutation is detected in the affected child.