Methods: Plant gum was collected, polysaccharide was extracted, purified, characterized using UV-Vis, FTIR, TGA and GCMS and subjected to various bioactive studies. The purified polysaccharide was used for making curcumin-loaded nanocarriers using STMP (sodium trimetaphosphate). Bioactivities were performed on the crude, purified and drug-loaded nanocarriers. These polysaccharide-based nanocarriers were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, SEM, and AFM. Drug release kinetics were performed for the drug-loaded nanocarriers.
Results: The presence of glucose, xylose and sucrose was studied from the UV-Vis and GCMS analysis. Purified polysaccharides of both the plants showed antioxidant activity and also antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. Purified polysaccharides were used for nanocarrier synthesis, where the size and shape of the nanocarriers were studied using SEM analysis and AFM analysis. The size of the drug-loaded nanocarriers was found to be around 200 nm. The curcumin-loaded nanocarriers were releasing curcumin slow and steady.
Conclusion: The extracted pure polysaccharide of A. heterophylla and P. chilensis acted as good antioxidants and showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. These polysaccharides were fabricated into curcumin-loaded nanocarriers whose size was below 200 nm. Both the drug-loaded nanocarriers synthesized using A. heterophylla and P. chilensis showed antibacterial activity with a steady drug release profile. Hence, these natural exudates can serve as biodegradable nanocarriers in drug delivery.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study collected sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, stoma output, and dietary intake upon discharge, hospitalization, and readmission within 30 d of discharge.
RESULTS: A total of 29 participants were recruited, with 72.4% having moderate malnutrition risk. Patients who received partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) fiber reported lower stoma output with firmer output consistency than patients who received standard care (SC) (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Patients who received PHGG achieved higher energy, protein, and soluble fiber intake than did the SC group (P < 0.01) upon discharge. There was a significant inverse association between soluble fiber (PHGG fiber + dietary soluble fiber) intake and ileostomy output (r, -0.494; P = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS: Partially hydrolyzed guar gum fiber acts as an agent to hold water, reduce the speed of gastrointestinal tract transit, increase effluent viscosity, and potentially decrease water losses. Supplementation with PHGG fiber appeared to minimize ileostomy output and improve clinical outcomes among postoperative ileostomy patients. This needs to be evaluated further with a randomized controlled trial to confirm this preliminary finding.
METHODS: Adult patients undergoing pelvic radiation were recruited and randomly assigned to receive supplementation of either 10 g of PHGG or placebo (maltodextrin) twice daily, 14 days prior and 14 days during pelvic radiation. Diarrhea frequency, fecal samples, nutrition status, and QoL were assessed at baseline and days 14, 28 (2 weeks after pelvic radiation), and 45 (at the completion of pelvic radiation, 2 weeks' postsupplementation).
RESULTS: A total of 30 patients (mean age 56.5 ± 10.8 years, 75% malnourished) participated. The mean of diarrhea frequency in the intervention group (IG) was higher compared with the control group (CG) from days 14 and 28 but reduced at day 45. There was a significant intervention effect after controlling for confounders (ie, baseline diarrhea, age, nutrition status) (P < .05). Bifidobacterium count increased by double among the IG at 14 days of PHGG supplementation, whereas such trend was not observed in the CG.
CONCLUSION: Supplementation of PHGG potentially increased the bifidobacterial count and seemed to have post-supplementation effects by reducing the frequency of diarrhea upon the completion of pelvic radiation treatment.