Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 187 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Overcoming colloidal nanoparticle aggregation in biological milieu for cancer therapeutic delivery: Perspectives of materials and particle design
    Lim SH, Wong TW, Tay WX
    Adv Colloid Interface Sci, 2024 Mar;325:103094.
    PMID: 38359673 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103094
    Nanoparticles as cancer therapeutic carrier fail in clinical translation due to complex biological environments in vivo consisting of electrolytes and proteins which render nanoparticle aggregation and unable to reach action site. This review identifies the desirable characteristics of nanoparticles and their constituent materials that prevent aggregation from site of administration (oral, lung, injection) to target site. Oral nanoparticles should ideally be 75-100 nm whereas the size of pulmonary nanoparticles minimally affects their aggregation. Nanoparticles generally should carry excess negative surface charges particularly in fasting state and exert steric hindrance through surface decoration with citrate, anionic surfactants and large polymeric chains (polyethylene glycol and polyvinylpyrrolidone) to prevent aggregation. Anionic as well as cationic nanoparticles are both predisposed to protein corona formation as a function of biological protein isoelectric points. Their nanoparticulate surface composition as such should confer hydrophilicity or steric hindrance to evade protein corona formation or its formation should translate into steric hindrance or surface negative charges to prevent further aggregation. Unexpectedly, smaller and cationic nanoparticles are less prone to aggregation at cancer cell interface favoring endocytosis whereas aggregation is essential to enable nanoparticles retention and subsequent cancer cell uptake in tumor microenvironment. Present studies are largely conducted in vitro with simplified simulated biological media. Future aggregation assessment of nanoparticles in biological fluids that mimic that of patients is imperative to address conflicting materials and designs required as a function of body sites in order to realize the future clinical benefits.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  2. Fulltext Synthesis and Characterization of Graphene Oxide/Polyethylene Glycol/Folic Acid/Brucine Nanocomposites and Their Anticancer Activity on HepG2 Cells
    Ibrahim IAA, Alzahrani AR, Alanazi IM, Shahzad N, Shahid I, Falemban AH, et al.
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2024;19:1109-1124.
    PMID: 38344441 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S445206
    BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is the sixth most prevalent form of cancer and the second major cause of cancer-associated mortalities worldwide. Cancer nanotechnology has the ability to fundamentally alter cancer treatment, diagnosis, and detection.

    OBJECTIVE: In this study, we explained the development of graphene oxide/polyethylene glycol/folic acid/brucine nanocomposites (GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs) and evaluated their antimicrobial and anticancer effect on the liver cancer HepG2 cells.

    METHODOLOGY: The GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs were prepared using the co-precipitation technique and characterized using various techniques. The cytotoxicity of the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs was tested against both liver cancer HepG2 and non-malignant Vero cells using an MTT assay. The antimicrobial activity of the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs was tested against several pathogens using the well diffusion technique. The effects of GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs on endogenous ROS accumulation, apoptosis, and MMP levels were examined using corresponding fluorescent staining assays, respectively. The apoptotic protein expressions, such as Bax, Bcl-2, and caspases, were studied using the corresponding kits.

    RESULTS: The findings of various characterization assays revealed the development of GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs with face-centered spherical morphology and an agglomerated appearance with an average size of 197.40 nm. The GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs treatment remarkably inhibited the growth of the tested pathogens. The findings of the MTT assay evidenced that the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs effectively reduced the HepG2 cell growth while not showing toxicity to the Vero cells. The findings of the fluorescent assay proved that the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs increased ROS generation, reduced MMP levels, and promoted apoptosis in the HepG2 cells. The levels of Bax, caspase-9, and -3 were increased, and Bcl-2 was reduced in the GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs-treated HepG2 cells.

    CONCLUSION: The results of this work demonstrate that GO/PEG/Bru-FA NCs suppress viability and induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells, indicating their potential as an anticancer candidate.

    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  3. Degree of conversion and physicomechanical properties of newly developed flowable composite derived from rice husk using urethane dimethacrylate monomer
    Azlisham NAF, Johari Y, Mohamad D, Yhaya MF, Mahmood Z
    Proc Inst Mech Eng H, 2023 Dec;237(12):1339-1347.
    PMID: 38014749 DOI: 10.1177/09544119231208222
    This study evaluated the use of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) as a base monomer to prepare the newly developed flowable composite (FC) using nanohybrid silica derived from rice husk in comparison to bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA) on the degree of conversion and physicomechanical properties. The different loadings of base monomer to diluent monomer were used at the ratio of 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40. The bonding analysis confirmed the presence of nanohybrid silica in the newly developed FC. Independent t-test revealed a statistically significant increase in the degree of conversion, depth of cure and Vickers hardness of the UDMA-based FC, while surface roughness showed comparable results between the two base monomers. In conclusion, UDMA-based FC demonstrated superior performance with 60%-65% conversions, a significantly higher depth of cure exceeding 1 mm which complies with the Internal Standard of Organization 4049 (ISO 4049), and a substantial increase in Vickers hardness numbers compared to Bis-GMA-based FC, making UDMA a suitable alternative to Bis-GMA as a base monomer in the formulation of this newly developed FC derived from rice husk.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  4. Fulltext Development of blend PEG-PES/NMP-DMF mixed matrix membrane for CO2/N2 separation
    Mahenthiran AV, Jawad ZA, Chin BLF
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Dec;30(60):124654-124676.
    PMID: 35655021 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20168-3
    The carbon dioxide (CO2) separation technology has become a focus recently, and a developed example is the membrane technology. It is an alternative form of enhanced gas separation performance above the Robeson upper bound line resulting in the idea of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). With attention given to membrane technologies, the MMMs were fabricated to have the most desirable gas separation performance. In this work, blend MMMs were synthesised by using two polymers, namely, poly(ether sulfone) (PES) and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG). These polymers were dissolved in blend N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylformamide (DMF) solvents with the functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-F) fillers by using the mixing solution method. The embedding of the pristine MWCNTs and MWCNTs-F within the new synthesised MMM was then studied towards CO2/N2 separation. In addition, the optimisation of the loading of MWCNTs-F for blend MMM for CO2/N2 separation was also studied. The experimental results showed that the functionalised MWCNTs (MWCNTs-F) were a better choice at enhancing gas separation compared to the pristine MWCNTs (MWCNTs-P). Additionally, the effects of MWCNTs-F at loadings 0.01 to 0.05% were studied along with the polymer compositions for PES:PEG of 10:20, 20:20 and 30:10. Both these parameters of study affect the manner of gas separation performance in the blend MMMs. Overall, the best performing membrane showed a selectivity value of 1.01 + 0.05 for a blend MMM (MMM-0.03F) fabricated with 20 wt% of PES, 20 wt% of PEG and 0.03 wt% of MWCNTs-F. The MMM-0.03F was able to withstand a pressure of 2 bar, illustrating its mechanical strength and ability to be used in the post combustion carbon capture application industries where the flue gas pressure is at 1.01 bar.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  5. Effects of N-succinyl-chitosan coating on properties of astaxanthin-loaded PEG-liposomes: Environmental stability, antioxidant/antibacterial activities, and in vitro release
    Liu A, Chai X, Zhu S, Chin PT, He M, Xu YJ, et al.
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Jul 31;244:125311.
    PMID: 37302627 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125311
    Astaxanthin (AST) has outstanding antioxidant and anti-inflammation bioactivities, but the low biocompatibility and stability limit its application in foods. In this study, N-succinyl-chitosan (NSC)-coated AST polyethylene glycol (PEG)-liposomes were constructed to enhance the biocompatibility, stability, and intestinal-targeted migration of AST. The AST NSC/PEG-liposomes were uniform in size, had larger particles, greater encapsulation efficiency, and better storage, pH, and temperature stability than the AST PEG-liposomes. AST NSC/PEG-liposomes exerted stronger antibacterial and antioxidant activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than AST PEG-liposomes. The NSC coating not only protects AST PEG-liposomes from gastric acid but also prolongs the retention and sustained release of AST NSC/PEG-liposomes depending on the intestinal pH. Moreover, caco-2 cellular uptake studies showed that AST NSC/PEG-liposomes had higher cellular uptake efficiency than AST PEG-liposomes. And AST NSC/PEG-liposomes were taken up by caco-2 cells through clathrin mediated endocytic, macrophage pathways and paracellular transport pathway. These results further proved that AST NSC/PEG-liposomes delayed the release and promoted the intestinal absorption of AST. Hence, AST PEG-liposomes coated with NSC could potentially be used as an efficient delivery system for therapeutic AST.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
  6. Targeted delivery of paclitaxel drug using polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles for fibrosarcoma therapy: in vitro and in vivo studies
    Al-Obaidy R, Haider AJ, Al-Musawi S, Arsad N
    Sci Rep, 2023 Feb 23;13(1):3180.
    PMID: 36823237 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30221-x
    Fibrosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that affects cells known as fibroblasts that are malignant, locally recurring, and spreading tumor in fibrous tissue. In this work, an iron plate immersed in an aqueous solution of double added deionized water, supplemented with potassium permanganate solution (KMnO4) was carried out by the pulsed laser ablation in liquid method (PLAIL). Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesized using different laser wavelengths (1064, 532, and 266 nm) at a fluence of 28 J/cm2 with 100 shots of the iron plate to control the concentration, shape and size of the prepared high-stability SPIONs. The drug nanocarrier was synthesized by coating SPION with paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded chitosan (Cs) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). This nanosystem was functionalized by receptors that target folate (FA). The physiochemical characteristics of SPION@Cs-PTX-PEG-FA nanoparticles were evaluated and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods. Cell internalization, cytotoxicity assay (MTT), apoptosis induction, and gene expression of SPION@Cs-PTX-PEG-FA were estimated in fibrosarcoma cell lines, respectively. In vivo studies used BALB/c tumor-bearing mice. The results showed that SPION@Cs-PTX-PEG-FA exhibited suitable physical stability, spherical shape, desirable size, and charge. SPION@Cs-PTX-PEG-FA inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of cancer cells (P 
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
  7. Purification of lipase from Burkholderia metallica fermentation broth in a column chromatography using polymer impregnated resins
    Ng ZJ, Abbasiliasi S, Yew Joon T, Ng HS, Phapugrangkul P, Tan JS
    Prep Biochem Biotechnol, 2023;53(7):872-879.
    PMID: 36594706 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2022.2158468
    In this work, porous glass beads grafted with polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used as an adsorbent to purify lipase from Burkholderia metallica in column chromatography. The purification parameters viz. salt stability, types and concentrations of PEG and salt, pH of the binding solution, and flow rate were studied to determine the performance of the purification system in an XK16/20 column. The crude lipase was mixed with different types and concentrations of salts 1-5% (w/w) (sodium citrate, potassium citrate, and sodium acetate) and subjected to the column containing the polymeric glass bead. One-variable-at-a-time experimentation revealed that 20% (w/w) PEG 6000 g/mol impregnated glass beads with a binding solution of 5% sodium citrate at pH 7.7, a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and extraction time of 10 min resulted in the highest purification factor and recovery yield at 3.67 and 88%, respectively. The purified lipase has 55 ∼ 60 kDa molecular mass. The outcome of the study showed PEG could be applied to modify the inert glass beads into polymeric form, providing a biocompatible and mild separation condition for lipase. Thus, PEG could be successfully applied for the purification of lipase from B. metallica fermentation broth using column chromatography.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
  8. Cytotoxicity evaluation of poly(ethylene) oxide nanofibre in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line
    Jamil M, Mustafa IS, Ahmed NM, Sahul Hamid SB
    Biomater Adv, 2022 Dec;143:213178.
    PMID: 36368056 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213178
    Biocompatible polymers have received significant interest from researchers for their potential in diagnostic applications. This type of polymer can perform with an appropriate host response or carrier for a specific purpose. The current study aims to fabricate and characterise poly(ethylene) oxide (PEO) nanofibres with different concentrations for cytotoxicity evaluation in human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) and to get an optimal PEO nanofibre concentration (permissible limit) as a suitable polymer matrix or carrier with potential use in diagnostic applications. The fabrication of PEO nanofibres was done using electrospinning and was characterised by structure and morphology, surface roughness, chemical bonding and release profiles. The functional effects of PEO nanofibres were evaluated with MTS assay and colony formation assay in MCF-7 cells. The results showed that viscosity plays a vital role in synthesising a polymer solution in electrospinning for producing beadless nanofibrous mats ranging from 4.7 Pa·s to 77.7 Pa·s. As the PEO concentration increases, the nanofibre diameter and thickness will increase, but the surface roughness will be decreased. The average fibre diameter for 5 wt% PEO, 6 wt% PEO and 7 wt% PEO nanofibres were 129 ± 70 nm, 185 ± 55 nm and 192 ± 53 nm, respectively. In addition, the fibre thickness for 4 wt% PEO, 5 wt% PEO, 6 wt% PEO and 7 wt% PEO nanofibres were 269 ± 3 μm, 664 ± 4 μm, 758 ± 7 μm and 1329 ± 44 μm, respectively. Contrarily, the surface roughness for 4 wt% PEO, 5 wt% PEO, 6 wt% PEO and 7 wt% PEO nanofibres were 55.6 ± 9 nm, 42.8 ± 6 nm, 42.7 ± 7 nm and 36.6 ± 1 nm, respectively. PEO nanofibres showed the same burst release pattern and rate due to the same molecular weight of PEO with a stable release rate profile after 15 min. It also demonstrates that the percentage of PEO nanofibre release increased with the increasing PEO concentration due to the fibre diameter and thickness. The findings showed that all PEO nanofibres formulations were non-toxic to MCF-7 cells. It is suggested that 5 wt% PEO nanofibre exhibited non-cytotoxic characteristics by maintaining the cell viability from dose 0-1000 μg/ml and did not induce the number of colonies. Therefore, 5 wt% PEO nanofibre is the optimal nanofibre concentration and was suggested as a suitable base polymer matrix or carrier with potential use for diagnostic purposes. The findings in this study have demonstrated the influence of cell growth and viability, including the effects of PEO nanofibre formulations on cancer progress characteristics to achieve a permissible PEO nanofibre concentration limit that can be a benchmark in medical applications, particularly diagnostic applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
  9. TGF-β1 and -β3 for Mesenchymal Stem Cells Chondrogenic Differentiation on Poly (Vinyl Alcohol)-Chitosan-Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Scaffold
    Wee AS, Lim CK, Tan SL, Ahmad TS, Kamarul T
    Tissue Eng Part C Methods, 2022 10;28(10):501-510.
    PMID: 36082992 DOI: 10.1089/ten.TEC.2022.0112
    Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) has been reported to promote chondrogenic differentiation and proliferation in the multipotent stromal cell (MSCs), and the transforming growth factor-beta 3 (TGF-β3) tends to be exclusively in promoting cell differentiation alone. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of TGF-β1 and -β3 on the MSCs chondrogenic differentiation on the poly (vinyl alcohol)-chitosan-poly (ethylene glycol) (PVA-NOCC-PEG) scaffold, compared with that of monolayer and pellet cultures. In this study, P2 rabbit bone marrow-derived MSCs were seeded either on the untreated six-well plate (for monolayer culture) or onto the PVA-NOCC-PEG scaffold or cultured as a pellet culture. The cultures were maintained in a chemically defined serum-free medium supplemented with 10 ng/mL of either TGF-β1 or TGF-β3. Cell viability assay, biochemical assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to determine the net effect of cell proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of each of the growth factors. The results showed that the PVA-NOCC-PEG scaffold enhanced MSCs cell proliferation from day 12 to 30 (p  0.05). In terms of chondrogenic differentiation, the PVA-NOCC-PEG scaffold augmented the GAGs secretion in MSCs and the mRNA expression levels of Sox9, Col2a1, Acan, and Comp were elevated (p  0.05). In conclusion, TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 enhanced the chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs seeded on the PVA-NOCC-PEG scaffold; however, there was no significant difference between the effect of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3. Impact statement Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily members is a key requirement for the in vitro chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, the effects of TGF-β1 and -β3 on MSC chondrogenic differentiation and proliferation on a novel three-dimensional scaffold, the poly(vinyl alcohol)-chitosan-poly(ethylene glycol) (PVA-NOCC-PEG) scaffold, was evaluated. In this study, the results showed both TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 can enhance the chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs seeded on the PVA-NOCC-PEG scaffold.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/pharmacology
  10. Fulltext Fast Melt Cocoa Butter Tablet: Effect of Waxes, Starch, and PEG 6000 on Physical Properties of the Preparation
    Liew KB, Ming LC, Goh BH, Peh KK
    Molecules, 2022 May 13;27(10).
    PMID: 35630605 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103128
    A fast melt tablet (FMT) is well regarded as an alternative delivery system that might help resolve a patient's non-compliance issue. The main objective of this study was to develop a cocoa butter-based FMT. Additives, namely 5-15% of PEG 6000, beeswax, paraffin wax, and corn starch, were incorporated into the cocoa butter-based FMT to study the effects of these additives with the physical characteristic of a cocoa butter FMT. An optimum-based formulation was chosen according to the desired hardness and disintegration time and the taste masking property achieved with the model drug-dapoxetine. The analysis demonstrated that incorporating beeswax (15%) and paraffin wax (15%) could prolong the disintegration time by at least two-fold. On the contrary, the presence of corn starch was found to cause an increase in the hardness and reduction of the disintegration time. The disintegration mechanism might be presumed due to the synergistic effect of starch swelling and cocoa butter melting. The hardness value and in vitro disintegration time of the optimum formulation were recorded at 2.93 ± 0.22 kg and 151.67 ± 6.98 s. In terms of dissolution, 80% of dapoxetine was released within 30 min and the dissolution profile was comparable to the innovator product. The formulation was palatable and stable for at least 1 year. The exposure of the FMT formulation at 30 °C for 12 months was reported to be stable. Along with the sound palatability profile and high drug load capacity, the current formulation possesses the desired characteristics to be scaled up and marketed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  11. Fulltext Genipin crosslinked chitosan/PEO nanofibrous scaffolds exhibiting an improved microenvironment for the regeneration of articular cartilage
    Ching KY, Andriotis O, Sengers B, Stolz M
    J Biomater Appl, 2021 09;36(3):503-516.
    PMID: 33730922 DOI: 10.1177/08853282211002015
    Towards optimizing the growth of extracellular matrix to produce repair cartilage for healing articular cartilage (AC) defects in joints, scaffold-based tissue engineering approaches have recently become a focus of clinical research. Scaffold-based approaches by electrospinning aim to support the differentiation of chondrocytes by providing an ultrastructure similar to the fibrillar meshwork in native cartilage. In a first step, we demonstrate how the blending of chitosan with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) allows concentrated chitosan solution to become electrospinnable. The chitosan-based scaffolds share the chemical structure and characteristics of glycosaminoglycans, which are important structural components of the cartilage extracellular matrix. Electrospinning produced nanofibrils of ∼100 nm thickness that are closely mimicking the size of collagen fibrils in human AC. The polymer scaffolds were stabilized in physiological conditions and their stiffness was tuned by introducing the biocompatible natural crosslinker genipin. We produced scaffolds that were crosslinked with 1.0% genipin to obtain values of stiffness that were in between the stiffness of the superficial zone human AC of 600 ± 150 kPa and deep zone AC of 1854 ± 483 kPa, whereas the stiffness of 1.5% genipin crosslinked scaffold was similar to the stiffness of deep zone AC. The scaffolds were degradable, which was indicated by changes in the fibril structure and a decrease in the scaffold stiffness after seven months. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis after three weeks of culture with human articular chondrocytes (HACs) showed a cell viability of over 90% on the scaffolds and new extracellular matrix deposited on the scaffolds.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry*
  12. Targeted polymeric nanoparticle for anthracycline delivery in hypoxia-induced drug resistance in metastatic breast cancer cells
    Almoustafa HA, Alshawsh MA, Chik Z
    Anticancer Drugs, 2021 Aug 01;32(7):745-754.
    PMID: 33675612 DOI: 10.1097/CAD.0000000000001065
    Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles are intensively studied nanocarriers in drug delivery because of their biodegradability and biochemical characteristics. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating for nanocarriers gives them long circulation time in blood and makes them invisible to the reticuloendothelial system. Breast cancer cells have greater uptake of hyaluronic acid compared to normal cells as it binds to their overexpressed CD44 receptors. Since hypoxia plays an important role in cancer metastasis; we formulated PEG-PLGA nanoparticles coated with hyaluronic acid as targeted delivery system for doxorubicin (DOX) using nanoprecipitation method, and characterized them for chemical composition, size, surface charge, shape, and encapsulation efficiency. Then we tested them in vitro on hypoxia-optimized metastatic breast cancer cells. The nanoparticles were spherical with an average size of about 106 ± 53 nm, a negative surface charge (-15 ± 3 mV), and high encapsulation efficiency (73.3 ± 4.1%). In vitro investigation with hypoxia-elevated CD44 MDA-MB-231 cells showed that hyaluronic acid-targeted nanoparticles maintained their efficacy despite hypoxia-induced drug resistance unlike free DOX and nontargeted nanoparticles. In conclusion, this study revealed a simple third generation nanoparticle formulation for targeted treatment of hypoxia-induced drug resistance in breast cancer metastatic cells. Further, optimization is needed including In vivo efficacy and nanoparticle-specific pharmacokinetic studies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
  13. Characterization of alcohol/salt aqueous two-phase system for optimal separation of gallic acids
    Ng HS, Kee PE, Yim HS, Tan JS, Chow YH, Lan JC
    J Biosci Bioeng, 2021 May;131(5):537-542.
    PMID: 33674222 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2021.01.004
    Gallic acid (GA) is a hydrophilic polyphenol which is noteworthy for strong antioxidant capacity. The drawbacks of conventional extraction approaches such as time-consuming and high processing cost are often viewed as a hurdle to extract GA from plant sources in industrial scale. Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is a separation approach which can be employed as an alternative to the conventional approaches. The partition behaviour of GA in an alcohol/salt ATPS was investigated in this study to aid the development of industrial scale ATPS to extract GA from natural sources. The separation of GA was characterized by determining the types of alcohol and salt, phase composition, sample load, pH of the system and addition of adjuvants applied in the alcohol/salt ATPS construction. The hydrophilic GA was targeted to the salt-rich phase of the alcohol/salt ATPS with a partition coefficient (KGA) of 25.00 ± 0.00. The optimum condition of ATPS for the maximum partition of GA was achieved in ATPS comprised of 24% (w/w) 1-propanol and 22% (w/w) phosphate salt at pH 8 with 5% (w/w) of 1 mg/mL sample loading and 2% (w/w) NaCl addition. The findings suggest that ATPS can be applied for separation of GA from various natural sources.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
  14. Fulltext Cantilever Beam with a Single Fiber Bragg Grating to Measure Temperature and Transversal Force Simultaneously
    Abushagur AAG, Arsad N, Bakar AAA
    Sensors (Basel), 2021 Mar 12;21(6).
    PMID: 33809028 DOI: 10.3390/s21062002
    This work investigates a new interrogation method of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor based on longer and shorter wavelengths to distinguish between transversal forces and temperature variations. Calibration experiments were carried out to examine the sensor's repeatability in response to the transversal forces and temperature changes. An automated calibration system was developed for the sensor's characterization, calibration, and repeatability testing. Experimental results showed that the FBG sensor can provide sensor repeatability of 13.21 pm and 17.015 pm for longer and shorter wavelengths, respectively. The obtained calibration coefficients expressed in the linear model using the matrix enabled the sensor to provide accurate predictions for both measurements. Analysis of the calibration and experiment results implied improvements for future work. Overall, the new interrogation method demonstrated the potential to employ the FBG sensing technique where discrimination between two/three measurands is needed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  15. Fulltext Highly Sensitive Humidity Sensors Based on Polyethylene Oxide/CuO/Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes Composite Nanofibers
    Ahmad W, Jabbar B, Ahmad I, Mohamed Jan B, Stylianakis MM, Kenanakis G, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2021 Feb 22;14(4).
    PMID: 33671689 DOI: 10.3390/ma14041037
    Polymer composites are favorite materials for sensing applications due to their low cost and easy fabrication. In the current study, composite nanofibers consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO), oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles with 1% and 3% of fillers (i.e., PEO-CuO-MWCNT: 1%, and PEO-CuO-MWCNT: 3%) were successfully developed through electrospinning for humidity sensing applications. The composite nanofibers were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM and EDX analysis. Firstly, they were loaded on an interdigitated electrode (IDE), and then the humidity sensing efficiency was investigated through a digital LCR meter (E4980) at different frequencies (100 Hz-1 MHz), as well as the percentage of relative humidity (RH). The results indicated that the composite nanofibers containing 1% and 3% MWCNT, combined with CuO in PEO polymer matrix, showed potent resistive and capacitive response along with high sensitivity to humidity at room temperature in an RH range of 30-90%. More specifically, the PEO-CuO-MWCNT: 1% nanocomposite displayed a resistive rapid response time within 3 s and a long recovery time of 22 s, while the PEO-CuO-MWCNT: 3% one exhibited 20 s and 11 s between the same RH range, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  16. Design of oral intestinal-specific alginate-vitexin nanoparticulate system to modulate blood glucose level of diabetic rats
    Shaedi N, Naharudin I, Choo CY, Wong TW
    Carbohydr Polym, 2021 Feb 15;254:117312.
    PMID: 33357875 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117312
    Vitexin of Ficus deltoidea exhibits intestinal α-glucosidase inhibitory and blood glucose lowering effects. This study designs oral intestinal-specific alginate nanoparticulate system of vitexin. Nanospray-dried alginate, alginate/stearic acid and alginate-C18 conjugate nanoparticles were prepared. Stearic acid was adopted to hydrophobize the matrix and minimize premature vitexin release in stomach, whereas C-18 conjugate as immobilized fatty acid to sustain hydrophobic effect and drug release. Nanoparticles were compacted with polyethylene glycol (PEG 3000, 10,000 and 20,000). The physicochemical, drug release, in vivo blood glucose lowering and intestinal vitexin content of nanoparticles and compact were determined. Hydrophobization of alginate nanoparticles promoted premature vitexin release. Compaction of nanoparticles with PEG minimized vitexin release in the stomach, with stearic acid loaded nanoparticles exhibiting a higher vitexin release in the intestine. The introduction of stearic acid reduced vitexin-alginate interaction, conferred alginate-stearic acid mismatch, and dispersive stearic acid-induced particle breakdown with intestinal vitexin release. Use of PEG 10,000 in compaction brought about PEG-nanoparticles interaction that negated initial vitexin release. The PEG dissolution in intestinal phase subsequently enabled particle breakdown and vitexin release. The PEG compacted nanoparticles exhibited oral intestinal-specific vitexin release, with positive blood glucose lowering and enhanced intestinal vitexin content in vivo.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  17. Co-encapsulation of gemcitabine and tocotrienols in nanovesicles enhanced efficacy in pancreatic cancer
    Maniam G, Mai CW, Zulkefeli M, Fu JY
    Nanomedicine (Lond), 2021 02;16(5):373-389.
    PMID: 33543651 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2020-0374
    Aim: To synthesize niosomes co-encapsulating gemcitabine (GEM) and tocotrienols, and physicochemically characterize and evaluate the antipancreatic effects of the nanoformulation on Panc 10.05, SW 1990, AsPC-1 and BxPC-3 cells. Materials & methods: Niosomes-entrapping GEM and tocotrienols composed of Span 60, cholesterol and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate were produced by Handjani-Vila and film hydration methods. Results: The film hydration produced vesicles measuring 161.9 ± 0.5 nm, approximately 50% smaller in size than Handjani-Vila method, with maximum entrapment efficiencies of 20.07 ± 0.22% for GEM and 34.52 ± 0.10% for tocotrienols. In Panc 10.05 cells, GEM's antiproliferative effect was enhanced 2.78-fold in combination with tocotrienols. Niosomes produced a significant ninefold enhancement in cytotoxicity of the combination, supported by significantly higher cellular uptake of GEM in the cells. Conclusion: This study is a proof of concept on the synthesis of dual-drug niosomes and their efficacy on pancreatic cancer cells in vitro.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  18. Effects of degree of substitution and irradiation doses on the properties of hydrogel prepared from carboxymethyl-sago starch and polyethylene glycol
    Zahib IR, Md Tahir P, Talib M, Mohamad R, Alias AH, Lee SH
    Carbohydr Polym, 2021 Jan 15;252:117224.
    PMID: 33183648 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117224
    Carboxymethyl starch (CMS) was produced from sago starch via carboxymethylation. The CMS with different degree of substitution (DS) ranges from 0.4 to 0.8 were mixed with polyethylene glycol (PEG) of different molecular weight and distilled water and the hydrogel was cured by electron beam irradiation with doses ranging from 25 to 35 kGy. The results revealed that CMS-PEG hydrogels with DS 0.4 give the optimum gel content when radiated at 30 kGy and with PEG 600. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that there are two phases exist in CMS with DS 0.4 in contrast to the three steps decomposition occurs in DS 0.6 and 0.8. It shows that the CMS with DS 0.4 is more thermally stable. Surface morphology revealed crosslinking among the blends when subjected into the radiation dose. The study shows both radiation and PEG addition improved most of the properties of CMS irrespective of the DS value.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  19. Fulltext Osmotic stress in banana is relieved by exogenous nitric oxide
    Mohd Amnan MA, Pua TL, Lau SE, Tan BC, Yamaguchi H, Hitachi K, et al.
    PeerJ, 2021;9:e10879.
    PMID: 33614294 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10879
    Drought is one of the severe environmental stresses threatening agriculture around the globe. Nitric oxide plays diverse roles in plant growth and defensive responses. Despite a few studies supporting the role of nitric oxide in plants under drought responses, little is known about its pivotal molecular amendment in the regulation of stress signaling. In this study, a label-free nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach was used to determine the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress in banana roots. Plant treatment with SNP improved plant growth and reduced the percentage of yellow leaves. A total of 30 and 90 proteins were differentially identified in PEG+SNP against PEG and PEG+SNP against the control, respectively. The majority of proteins differing between them were related to carbohydrate and energy metabolisms. Antioxidant enzyme activities, such as superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase, decreased in SNP-treated banana roots compared to PEG-treated banana. These results suggest that the nitric oxide-induced osmotic stress tolerance could be associated with improved carbohydrate and energy metabolism capability in higher plants.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols
  20. Bioseparation of phycocyanin from Phormidium tergestinum using an aqueous two-phase system
    Tan JS, Abbasiliasi S, Lalung J, Tam YJ, Murugan P, Lee CK
    Prep Biochem Biotechnol, 2021;51(3):260-266.
    PMID: 32876520 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2020.1808793
    This study aimed at purification of phycocyanin (PC) from Phormidium tergestinum using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) comprised of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and salts. The partitioning efficiency of PC in ATPS and the effect of phase composition, pH, crude loading, and neutral salts on purification factor and yield were investigated. Results showed that PC was selectively partitioned toward bottom phase of the system containing potassium phosphate. Under optimum conditions of 20% (w/w) PEG 4000, 10% (w/w) potassium phosphate, 20% (v/v) crude load at pH 7, with addition of 0.5% (w/w) NaCl, PC from P. tergestinum was partially purified up to 5.34-fold with a yield of 87.8%. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the molecular weight of PC was ∼19 kDa. Results from this study demonstrated ATPS could be used as a potential approach for the purification of PC from P. tergestinum.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links