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Fulltext Unrestricted use of polymer-free sirolimus eluting stents in routine clinical practice

Krackhardt F, Kočka V, Waliszewski M, Toušek P, Janek B, Trenčan M, et al.

Medicine (Baltimore), 2020 Feb;99(8):e19119.
PMID: 32080086 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000019119

Stent designs with ultrathin struts may further increase the procedural success of challenging lesion subsets. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of ultrathin strut, polymer-free sirolimus eluting stent (PF-SES) implantations in a large scale, unselected patient population.Adult patients underwent percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with a thin-strut PF-SES. Data from two all-comers observational studies having the same protocol (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02629575 and NCT02905214) were pooled. The accumulated target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate at 9-12 months was the primary endpoint. All dual antiplatelet therapy strategies according to the applicable guidelines were permissible.In total, 7243 patients were prospectively enrolled for PCI with PF-SES in stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Major risk factors in the overall cohort were diabetes (37.3%), ST elevation myocardial infarction (18.1%) and non-ST myocardial infarction (24.6%). The follow-up rate was 88.6% in the overall population. The TLR rate in the overall cohort was 2.2% whereas definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST) occurred in 0.7%. In patients with in-stent restenosis lesions, the major adverse cardiac events rate was 6.4% whereas the corresponding rate for isolated left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease was highest with 6.7% followed by patients with culprit lesions in vein bypasses (VB, 7.1%). The mortality rate in patients treated in VB lesions was highest with 5.4%, followed by the isolated LMCA subgroup (3.4%) and ACS (2.6%).PCI with PF-SES in an unselected patient population, is associated with low clinical event and ST rates. Furthermore, PF-SES angioplasty in niche indications demonstrated favorable safety and efficacy outcomes with high procedural success rates.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Fulltext Polymer-free drug-coated coronary stents in patients at high bleeding risk

Urban P, Meredith IT, Abizaid A, Pocock SJ, Carrié D, Naber C, et al.

N Engl J Med, 2015 Nov 19;373(21):2038-47.
PMID: 26466021 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1503943

BACKGROUND: Patients at high risk for bleeding who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) often receive bare-metal stents followed by 1 month of dual antiplatelet therapy. We studied a polymer-free and carrier-free drug-coated stent that transfers umirolimus (also known as biolimus A9), a highly lipophilic sirolimus analogue, into the vessel wall over a period of 1 month.
METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind trial, we compared the drug-coated stent with a very similar bare-metal stent in patients with a high risk of bleeding who underwent PCI. All patients received 1 month of dual antiplatelet therapy. The primary safety end point, tested for both noninferiority and superiority, was a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis. The primary efficacy end point was clinically driven target-lesion revascularization.
RESULTS: We enrolled 2466 patients. At 390 days, the primary safety end point had occurred in 112 patients (9.4%) in the drug-coated-stent group and in 154 patients (12.9%) in the bare-metal-stent group (risk difference, -3.6 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.1 to -1.0; hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.91; P<0.001 for noninferiority and P=0.005 for superiority). During the same time period, clinically driven target-lesion revascularization was needed in 59 patients (5.1%) in the drug-coated-stent group and in 113 patients (9.8%) in the bare-metal-stent group (risk difference, -4.8 percentage points; 95% CI, -6.9 to -2.6; hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.69; P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Among patients at high risk for bleeding who underwent PCI, a polymer-free umirolimus-coated stent was superior to a bare-metal stent with respect to the primary safety and efficacy end points when used with a 1-month course of dual antiplatelet therapy. (Funded by Biosensors Europe; LEADERS FREE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01623180.).

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Development of a synthetic bone scaffold using porous hydroxyapatite for bone repair

Mustaffa R, Besar I, Andanastuti M

Med J Malaysia, 2008 Jul;63 Suppl A:95-6.
PMID: 19025001

In this study, porous hydroxyapatite (HA) samples were fabricated via sponge techniques with the aid of sago as part of the binder mixture. Development processes for the production of porous bone graft substitutes are studied using polyurethane sponge. To obtain the optimum amount of binder for successful fabrication of porous HA were done. Initially, porous HA powder was synthesized using calcium hydroxide and orthorphosphoric acid. Meanwhile, sago was mixed with PVA in a certain ratio to be used as binder for preparing the porous HA. After a series of investigative tests were conducted to characterize the sintered samples, the use of the sago and polymeric mixture was found to successfully aid the fabrication of porous HA samples. In this investigation, comparison of physical and mechanical characteristics between samples prepared using difference techniques was made.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Validation of thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation-gas chromatography for rapid and direct compositional analysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) in whole bacterial cells

Baidurah S, Murugan P, Joyyi L, Fukuda J, Yamada M, Sudesh K, et al.

J Chromatogr A, 2016 Nov 04;1471:186-191.
PMID: 27769532 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2016.10.019

Thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation-gas chromatography (THM-GC) in the presence of an organic alkali was validated for the compositional analysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] accumulated in whole bacterial cells. Recombinant Cupriavidus necator Re2058/pCB113 was grown in a batch fermentation with different concentration of palm oil and fructose in order to control the molar fraction of 3HHx in P(3HB-co-3HHx) produced in the cells. Trace amounts (30μg) of freeze-dried cells were directly subjected to THM-GC in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) at 400°C. The obtained chromatograms clearly showed nine characteristic peaks, attributed to the THM products from 3HB and 3HHx units in the polymer chains, without any appreciable interference by the bacterial matrix components. Based on these peak intensities, the copolymer compositions were determined rapidly without using any cumbersome and lengthy sample pretreatment as in conventional GC method. Moreover, the compositions thus obtained were strongly correlated with those by NMR and conventional GC involving solvent extraction.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
The effect of filler content and processing variables on dimensional accuracy of experimental composite inlay material

Razak AA, Harrison A

J Prosthet Dent, 1997 Apr;77(4):353-8.
PMID: 9104710

Dimensional accuracy of a composite inlay restoration is important to ensure an accurate fit and to minimize cementation stresses.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers/chemistry
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of novel oral aspirin-loaded nanoemulsion and nano multiple emulsion formulations generated using ultrasound cavitation

Tang SY, Sivakumar M, Ng AM, Shridharan P

Int J Pharm, 2012 Jul 1;430(1-2):299-306.
PMID: 22503988 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2012.03.055

The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of novel aspirin oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion and water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) nano multiple emulsion formulations generated using ultrasound cavitation techniques. The anti-inflammatory activities of nanoemulsion and nano multiple emulsion were determined using the λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema model. The analgesic activities of both nanoformulations were determined using acetic acid-induced writhing response and hot plate assay. For comparison, the effect of pretreatment with blank nanoemulsion and reference aspirin suspension were also studied for their anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. The results showed that oral administration of nanoemulsion and nano multiple emulsion containing aspirin (60 mg/kg) significantly reduced paw edema induced by λ-carrageenan injection. Both nanoformulations decreased the number of abdominal constriction in acetic acid-induced writhing model. Pretreatment with nanoformulations led to a significant increase in reaction time in hot plate assay. Nanoemulsion demonstrated an enhanced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects compared to reference suspension while nano multiple emulsion exhibited a mild inhibitory effects in the three experimental animal model tests. The results obtained for nano multiple emulsion were relatively lower than reference. However, administration of blank nanoemulsion did not alter the nociceptive response significantly though it showed slight anti-inflammatory effect. These experimental studies suggest that nanoemulsion and nano multiple emulsion produced a pronounced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in rats and may be candidates as new nanocarriers for pharmacological NSAIDs in the treatment of inflammatory disorders and alleviating pains.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers/chemistry*
Preparation, characterization, and optimization of asenapine maleate mucoadhesive nanoemulsion using Box-Behnken design: In vitro and in vivo studies for brain targeting

Kumbhar SA, Kokare CR, Shrivastava B, Gorain B, Choudhury H

Int J Pharm, 2020 Aug 30;586:119499.
PMID: 32505580 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119499

The tight junctions between capillary endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) restricts the entry of therapeutics into the brain. Potential of the intranasal delivery tool has been explored in administering the therapeutics directly to the brain, thus bypassing BBB. The objective of this study was to develop and optimize an intranasal mucoadhesive nanoemulsion (MNE) of asenapine maleate (ASP) in order to enhance the nasomucosal adhesion and direct brain targetability for improved efficacy and safety. Box-Behnken statistical design was used to recognize the crucial formulation variables influencing droplet size, size distribution and surface charge of ASP-NE. ASP-MNE was obtained by incorporating GRAS mucoadhesive polymer, Carbopol 971 in the optimized NE. Optimized ASP-MNE displayed spherical morphology with a droplet size of 21.2 ± 0.15 nm and 0.355 polydispersity index. Improved ex-vivo permeation was observed in ASP-NE and ASP-MNE, compared to the ASP-solution. Finally, the optimized formulation was found to be safe in ex-vivo ciliotoxicity study on sheep nasal mucosa. The single-dose pharmacokinetic study in male Wistar rats revealed a significant increase in concentration of ASP in the brain upon intranasal administration of ASP-MNE, with a maximum of 284.33 ± 5.5 ng/mL. The time required to reach maximum brain concentration (1 h) was reduced compared to intravenous administration of ASP-NE (3 h). Furthermore, it has been established during the course of present study, that the brain targeting capability of ASP via intranasal administration had enhanced drug-targeting efficiency and drug-targeting potential. In the animal behavioral studies, no extrapyramidal symptoms were observed after intranasal administration of ASP-MNE, while good locomotor activity and hind-limb retraction test established its antipsychotic activity in treated animals. Thus, it can be concluded that the developed intranasal ASP-MNE could be used as an effective and safe tool for brain targeting of ASP in the treatment of psychotic disorders.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers/chemistry
Novel functional antimicrobial and biocompatible arabinoxylan/guar gum hydrogel for skin wound dressing applications

Khan MUA, Raza MA, Razak SIA, Abdul Kadir MR, Haider A, Shah SA, et al.

J Tissue Eng Regen Med, 2020 10;14(10):1488-1501.
PMID: 32761978 DOI: 10.1002/term.3115

It is a challenging task to develop active biomacromolecular wound dressing materials that are biocompatible and possesses antibacterial properties against the bacterial strains that cause severe skin disease. This work is focused on the preparation of a biocompatible and degradable hydrogel for wound dressing application using arabinoxylan (ARX) and guar gum (GG) natural polymers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed that both ARX and GG interacted well with each other, and their interactions further increased with the addition of crosslinker tetraethyl orthosilicate. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed uniform porous morphologies of the hydrogels. The porous morphologies and uniform interconnected pores are attributed to the increased crosslinking of the hydrogel. Elastic modulus, tensile strength, and fracture strain of the hydrogels significantly improved (from ATG-1 to ATG-4) with crosslinking. Degradability tests showed that hydrogels lost maximum weight in 7 days. All the samples showed variation in swelling with pH. Maximum swelling was observed at pH 7. The hydrogel samples showed good antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) in PBS, good drug release profile (92% drug release), and nontoxic cellular behavior. The cells not only retained their cylindrical morphologies onto the hydrogel but were also performing their normal activities. It is, therefore, believed that as-developed hydrogel could be a potential material for wound dressing application.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers/chemistry
Fulltext Exceedingly Higher co-loading of Curcumin and Paclitaxel onto Polymer-functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide for Highly Potent Synergistic Anticancer Treatment

Muthoosamy K, Abubakar IB, Bai RG, Loh HS, Manickam S

Sci Rep, 2016 Sep 06;6:32808.
PMID: 27597657 DOI: 10.1038/srep32808

Metastasis of lung carcinoma to breast and vice versa accounts for one of the vast majority of cancer deaths. Synergistic treatments are proven to be the effective method to inhibit malignant cell proliferation. It is highly advantageous to use the minimum amount of a potent toxic drug, such as paclitaxel (Ptx) in ng/ml together with a natural and safe anticancer drug, curcumin (Cur) to reduce the systemic toxicity. However, both Cur and Ptx suffer from poor bioavailability. Herein, a drug delivery cargo was engineered by functionalizing reduced graphene oxide (G) with an amphiphilic polymer, PF-127 (P) by hydrophobic assembly. The drugs were loaded via pi-pi interactions, resulting in a nano-sized GP-Cur-Ptx of 140 nm. A remarkably high Cur loading of 678 wt.% was achieved, the highest thus far compared to any other Cur nanoformulations. Based on cell proliferation assay, GP-Cur-Ptx is a synergistic treatment (CI

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers/chemistry*
Fulltext Antimycobacterial susceptibility evaluation of rifampicin and isoniazid benz-hydrazone in biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain

Hakkimane SS, Shenoy VP, Gaonkar SL, Bairy I, Guru BR

Int J Nanomedicine, 2018;13:4303-4318.
PMID: 30087562 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S163925

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) is the single largest infectious disease which requires a prolonged treatment regime with multiple drugs. The present treatment for TB includes frequent administration of a combination of four drugs for a duration of 6 months. This leads to patient's noncompliance, in addition to developing drug-resistant strains which makes treatment more difficult. The formulation of drugs with biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) promises to overcome this problem.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we focus on two important drugs used for TB treatment - rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH) - and report a detailed study of RIF-loaded poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) NPs and INH modified as INH benz-hydrazone (IH2) which gives the same therapeutic effect as INH but is more stable and enhances the drug loading in PLGA NPs by 15-fold compared to INH. The optimized formulation was characterized using particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The drug release from NPs and stability of drug were tested in different pH conditions.
RESULTS: It was found that RIF and IH2 loaded in NPs release in a slow and sustained manner over a period of 1 month and they are more stable in NPs formulation compared to the free form. RIF- and IH2-loaded NPs were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. RIF loaded in PLGA NPs consistently inhibited the growth at 70% of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of pure RIF (MIC level 1 µg/mL), and pure IH2 and IH2-loaded NPs showed inhibition at MIC equivalent to the MIC of INH (0.1 µg/mL).
CONCLUSION: These results show that NP formulations will improve the efficacy of drug delivery for TB treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers/chemistry*
Microencapsulation of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum 15HN using alginate-psyllium-fenugreek polymeric blends

Haghshenas B, Abdullah N, Nami Y, Radiah D, Rosli R, Yari Khosroushahi A

J Appl Microbiol, 2015 Apr;118(4):1048-57.
PMID: 25619628 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12762

Investigation on the use of herbal-based biopolymers for probiotic-Lactobacillus plantarum 15HN-encapsulation is presented. The objectives are to enhance its oral delivery, colonic release and survival rate of these probiotic cultures in gastrointestinal environment.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Fulltext Synthesis of a nano-silver metal ink for use in thick conductive film fabrication applied on a semiconductor package

Yung LC, Fei CC, Mandeep J, Binti Abdullah H, Wee LK

PLoS One, 2014;9(5):e97484.
PMID: 24830317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097484

The success of printing technology in the electronics industry primarily depends on the availability of metal printing ink. Various types of commercially available metal ink are widely used in different industries such as the solar cell, radio frequency identification (RFID) and light emitting diode (LED) industries, with limited usage in semiconductor packaging. The use of printed ink in semiconductor IC packaging is limited by several factors such as poor electrical performance and mechanical strength. Poor adhesion of the printed metal track to the epoxy molding compound is another critical factor that has caused a decline in interest in the application of printing technology to the semiconductor industry. In this study, two different groups of adhesion promoters, based on metal and polymer groups, were used to promote adhesion between the printed ink and the epoxy molding substrate. The experimental data show that silver ink with a metal oxide adhesion promoter adheres better than silver ink with a polymer adhesion promoter. This result can be explained by the hydroxyl bonding between the metal oxide promoter and the silane grouping agent on the epoxy substrate, which contributes a greater adhesion strength compared to the polymer adhesion promoter. Hypotheses of the physical and chemical functions of both adhesion promoters are described in detail.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Fulltext Potentiometric urea biosensor based on an immobilised fullerene-urease bio-conjugate

Saeedfar K, Heng LY, Ling TL, Rezayi M

Sensors (Basel), 2013;13(12):16851-66.
PMID: 24322561 DOI: 10.3390/s131216851

A novel method for the rapid modification of fullerene for subsequent enzyme attachment to create a potentiometric biosensor is presented. Urease was immobilized onto the modified fullerene nanomaterial. The modified fullerene-immobilized urease (C60-urease) bioconjugate has been confirmed to catalyze the hydrolysis of urea in solution. The biomaterial was then deposited on a screen-printed electrode containing a non-plasticized poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) membrane entrapped with a hydrogen ionophore. This pH-selective membrane is intended to function as a potentiometric urea biosensor with the deposition of C60-urease on the PnBA membrane. Various parameters for fullerene modification and urease immobilization were investigated. The optimal pH and concentration of the phosphate buffer for the urea biosensor were 7.0 and 0.5 mM, respectively. The linear response range of the biosensor was from 2.31 × 10-3 M to 8.28 × 10-5 M. The biosensor's sensitivity was 59.67 ± 0.91 mV/decade, which is close to the theoretical value. Common cations such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and NH4+ showed no obvious interference with the urea biosensor's response. The use of a fullerene-urease bio-conjugate and an acrylic membrane with good adhesion prevented the leaching of urease enzyme and thus increased the stability of the urea biosensor for up to 140 days.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
A simple microextraction and preconcentration approach based on a mixed matrix membrane

Kamaruzaman S, Hauser PC, Sanagi MM, Ibrahim WA, Endud S, See HH

Anal Chim Acta, 2013 Jun 14;783:24-30.
PMID: 23726096 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2013.04.042

A simple adsorption/desorption procedure using a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) as extraction medium is demonstrated as a new miniaturized sample pretreatment and preconcentration technique. Reversed-phase particles namely polymeric bonded octadecyl (C18) was incorporated through dispersion in a cellulose triacetate (CTA) polymer matrix to form a C18-MMM. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) namely diclofenac, mefenamic acid and ibuprofen present in the environmental water samples were selected as targeted model analytes. The extraction setup is simple by dipping a small piece of C18-MMM (7 mm × 7 mm) in a stirred 10 mL sample solution for analyte adsorption process. The entrapped analyte within the membrane was then desorbed into 100 μL of methanol by ultrasonication prior to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Each membrane was discarded after single use to avoid any analyte carry-over effect. Several important parameters, such as effect of sample pH, salting-out effect, sample volume, extraction time, desorption solvent and desorption time were comprehensively optimized. The C18-MMM demonstrated high affinity for NSAIDs spiked in tap and river water with relative recoveries ranging from 92 to 100% and good reproducibility with relative standard deviations between 1.1 and 5.5% (n=9). The overall results obtained were found comparable against conventional solid phase extraction (SPE) using cartridge packed with identical C18 adsorbent.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Fulltext Microencapsulated frankincense essential oil: a potential remedy and prevention of mouth diseases

Mohamed Soleiman Barre, Fathilah Ali, Mohamed Elwathig Saeed Mirghani, Noor Faizul Hadri Nordin

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(108):22-22.
MyJurnal

The global burden of disease studies estimated that oral diseases affected half of the world’s population (3.58 billion people) with dental caries (tooth decay) in permanent teeth being the most prevalent condition assessed. On the other hand, the increasing resistance of dental caries towards the available antimicrobials and extensive use of the controversial synthetic chemicals to overcome these problems have attracted the scientific community’s attention to the search for new cost-effective remedies of natural products. Frankincense or Boswellia species are highly import-ant aromatic plants belonging to the Burseraceae family. The present study will focus on an in-vitro anti-inflamma-tion and anti-bacterial activity of Boswellia carterii (BC) Essential oil (EO) encapsulated into the Gum Arabic (GA) polymer. Thus, certain mouth pathogenic bacteria, which are the main contributors to dental caries and gingivitis, namely (Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus species), and their in-vitro responses to the defined micro-particles, will pave the way to introduce a new potential remedy to the forth mentioned problems.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Fulltext Induction of apoptosis and role of paclitaxel-loaded hyaluronic acid-crosslinked nanoparticles in the regulation of AKT and RhoA

Chaudhry GE, Akim A, Zafar MN, Abdullah MA, Sung YY, Muhammad TST

J Adv Pharm Technol Res, 2020 07 14;11(3):101-106.
PMID: 33102192 DOI: 10.4103/japtr.JAPTR_26_20

Cancer is a complex multifactorial disease and leading causes of death worldwide. Despite the development of many anticancer drugs, there is a reduced survival rate due to severe side effects. The nontargeted approach of convention drugs is one of the leading players in context to toxicity. Hyaluronan is a versatile bio-polymer and ligand of the receptor (CD44) on cancer cells. The MCF-7 and HT-29 cancer cell lines treated with hyaluronic acid-paclitaxel (HA-PTX) showed the distinguishing morphological features of apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis showed that HA-PTX induces apoptosis as a significant mode of cell death. The activation level of tumor suppressor protein (p53) increased after PTX treatment in MCF-7, but no changes observed in HT-29 might be due to hereditary mutations. The lack of suppression in AKT and Rho A protein suggest the use of possible inhibitors in future studies which might could play a role in increasing the sensitivity of drug towards mutated cells line and reducing the possibilities for cancer cell survival, migration, and metastasis.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
The bactericidal potential of LLDPE with TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites against multidrug resistant pathogens associated with hospital acquired infections

Harun NH, Mydin RBSMN, Sreekantan S, Saharudin KA, Basiron N, Seeni A

J Biomater Sci Polym Ed, 2020 10;31(14):1757-1769.
PMID: 32498665 DOI: 10.1080/09205063.2020.1775759

The emerging polymer nanocomposites have received industrial interests in diverse fields because of their added value in metal oxide-based nanocomposites, such as titanium (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO). Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)-based polymer has recently generated a huge market in the healthcare industry. TiO2 and ZnO are well known for their instant photocatalytic killing of hospital-acquired infections, especially multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. This study investigated the actions of LLDPE/TiO2/ZnO (1:3) nanocomposites in different weight% against two representative MDR pathogens, namely, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Klebsiella pneumonia (K.pneumoniae). Antibacterial activities were quantified according to international standard guidelines of CLSI MO2-A11 (static condition) and ASTM E-2149 (dynamic condition). Preliminary observation via a scanning electron microscope revealed that LLDPE matrix with TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites changed the bacterial morphology and reduced the bacterial adherence and biofilm formation. Furthermore, a high ZnO weight ratio killed both types of pathogens. The bactericidal potential of the nanocomposite is highlighted by the enhancements in photocatalytic activity, zinc ion release and reactive species, and bacteriostatic/bactericidal activity against bacterial growth. This study provides new insights into the MDR-bactericidal potential of LLDPE with TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites for targeted healthcare applications.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of diclofenac from water: Synthesis and characterization

Samah NA, Sánchez-Martín MJ, Sebastián RM, Valiente M, López-Mesas M

Sci Total Environ, 2018 Aug 01;631-632:1534-1543.
PMID: 29727977 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.087

Contaminants of Emerging Concerns (CECs) have been introduced as one type of recalcitrant pollutant sources in water. In this study, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac (DCF) has been removed from water solutions using Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP), synthetized via bulk polymerization with allylthiourea (AT) as the functional monomer and using DCF as template (MIP-DCF). DCF detection has been performed by UV spectrophotometer. From the kinetic study in batch mode, approximately 100% of removal is observed by using 10mg of MIP-DCF, with an initial concentration of 5mg/L of DCF at pH7, within 3min and agitated at 25°C. In continuous flow mode study, using a cartridge pre-packed with 10mg of MIP-DCF, a high adsorption capacity of 160mgDCF/g MIP was obtained. To study the porosity of MIPs, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used. In order to characterize the chemical interaction between monomer and template, the pre-polymerization mixture for MIP and DCF has also been studied by 1H NMR. One of the chemical shift observed has been related to the formation of a complex between amine protons of thiourea group of AT with carboxylic acid on DCF. In conclusion, the developed MIP works as a good adsorbent for DCF removal, and is selective to DCF in the presence of indomethacin and ibuprofen.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Fulltext Baccaurea angulata fruit juice protects rabbit's liver from hypercholesterolemia-induced injury

Idris Adewale Ahmed, Maryam Abimbola Mikail, Muhammad Ibrahim

Malaysian Journal of Medical Research, 2018;1(4):18-21.
MyJurnal

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinicopathological syndrome strongly associated with
hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance and obesity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the
potential health benefits of Baccaurea angulata fruit in preventing liver damage due to hypercholesterolemia.
Twenty-five healthy adult New Zealand White rabbits were assigned to five groups for 90 days diet and
intervention plan. While four groups (atherogenic groups) were fed 1% cholesterol diet and 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mL
of B. angulata juice kg/per day, the fifth group (negative control) was fed with commercial rabbit pellet only.
After overnight fasting and sacrifice, the thoracic cavity was opened and the liver was carefully removed,
specifically observing for any presence of a gross lesion and then immediately fixing in 4% paraformaldehyde for
at least 48 hours for histopathological analysis. The hepatoprotective effect of B. angulata fruit juice was evident
in the histological examination of liver tissues. The results indicate the potential health benefits of the antioxidantrich
B. angulata fruit juice as a functional food with a therapeutic effect against hypercholesterolemia-induced
liver injury.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers
Fulltext Carbamazepine Gel Formulation as a Sustained Release Epilepsy Medication for Pediatric Use

Mawazi SM, Al-Mahmood SMA, Chatterjee B, Hadi HA, Doolaanea AA

Pharmaceutics, 2019 Sep 20;11(10).
PMID: 31547112 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11100488

This study aimed to develop a carbamazepine (CBZ) sustained release formulation suitable for pediatric use with a lower risk of precipitation. The CBZ was first prepared as sustained release microparticles, and then the microparticles were embedded in alginate beads, and finally, the beads were suspended in a gel vehicle. The microparticles were prepared by a solvent evaporation method utilizing ethyl cellulose as a sustained release polymer and were evaluated for particle size, encapsulation efficiency, and release profile. The beads were fabricated by the dropwise addition of sodium alginate in calcium chloride solution and characterized for size, shape, and release properties. The gel was prepared using iota carrageenan as the gelling agent and evaluated for appearance, syneresis, drug content uniformity, rheology, release profile, and stability. The microparticles exhibited a particle size of 135.01 ± 0.61 µm with a monodisperse distribution and an encapsulation efficiency of 83.89 ± 3.98%. The beads were monodispersed with an average size of 1.4 ± 0.05 mm and a sphericity factor of less than 0.05. The gel was prepared using a 1:1 ratio (gel vehicle to beads) and exhibited no syneresis, good homogeneity, and good shear-thinning properties. The release profile from the beads and from the gel was not significantly affected, maintaining similarity to the tablet form. The gel properties were maintained for one month real time stability, but the accelerated stability showed reduced viscosity and pH with time. In conclusion, CBZ in a gel sustained release dosage form combines the advantages of the suspension form in terms of dosing flexibility, and the advantages of the tablet form in regards to the sustained release profile. This dosage form should be further investigated in vivo in animal models before being considered in clinical trials.

Matched MeSH terms: Polymers

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