Mara Dumitrache

Since the introduction of bioabsorbable magnesium alloys into cardiovascular stent technology, many researches have been conducted to improve these metallic scaffolds. Various coatings and different coating techniques, super plastic deformation techniques and synthesizing different Mg-based alloy are examples of such efforts. In this study, a magnesium based alloy (WE43) was coated with dexamethasone loaded polymeric nanoparticles via electrospraying method. Drug release behavior, drug inhibitory effects, surface properties and cell responses to the surface were evaluated. Drug release profile was investigated and compared to drug-loaded nanoparticle on stainless steel as a control. The inhibitory effects of the drug-loaded nanoparticle coatings on smooth muscle cells was evaluated via MTT assay. Endothelial cells response to the surface was investigated by SEM. The results showed that contact angle and roughness of the surface were 131° and 600–800 nm, respectively. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1350453322001266

Antiepileptic drugs (ADEs) are now used to treat a wide range of neurological problems, although their usage is still restricted due to their side effects, particularly hepatotoxicity. Thus, this study consists of the therapeutic effects of non-conditioned Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and the MSCs preconditioned with cherry extract (MSCs CM) on mitigation of liver damage induced by the dual administration of antiepileptic drugs such as Levetiracetam (L) and Oxcarbazepine (O). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018364723002835

This study aims to evaluate the properties of essential oils (EOs) from cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) and clove (Eugenia caryophyllus). Mixtures of cinnamon and clove EOs at ratios of 75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 were encapsulated and applied in fresh sausage. The research includes a kinetic examination of active component release and preservation parameter monitoring. Clove EO showed superior antioxidant activity (0.039 mg/mL), while cinamon oil exhibited promising bacterial inhibition (minimum inhibitory concentration lower 1.5). Combinations of cinnamon and clove EOs demonstrated synergistic antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. Encapsulation efficiency for the 25:75 cinnamon and clove oil mixture reached 89.4%, with 80.9% EO retention. The microencapsulated mixture displayed commendable antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, slowing compound release (>50% after 15 days). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212429224010794

Food labels are widely used to convey the health benefits of conventional foods or a component of food (eg, nutrient) to the consumer. The increasing amount of health information available regarding the health benefits of foods has resulted in consumer interest in health issues and has become a leading factor in purchasing decisions. Therefore, labeling and advertising should not be misleading. The requirement to protect consumers and ensure their right to obtain accurate information on food functionality has led to the introduction of regulations about health claims worldwide. In the United States, health claims were first authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after enactment of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (1). Health claims are made on the label or in the labeling of foods, including dietary supplements, that expressly or by implication (including “third party” references, written statements, symbols, or vignettes) characterize the relation between a substance and a disease or health-related condition (2). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523239325

A large number of chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic agents have been shown to be less effective when exposed to a hypoxic solid tumor. The tumor hypoxia microenvironment contributes to multidrug resistance and immunosuppression, and current delivery of oxygen or enzyme to alleviate hypoxic microenvironment is often limited by the oxygen supplying capacity of material-based carriers and short window of oxygen production. Herein, macrophage membrane coated chlorella (M-Chl) is constructed for targeted delivery to the solid tumor and sustainable oxygen production via photosynthesis, which provides a new general strategy to overcome tumor hypoxia and improve chemotherapy and immunotherapy. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S136970212200181X

Fruits and vegetables or their natural constituents which increase detoxication enzymes and/or reduce activating enzymes are considered as good candidates to prevent chemically-induced carcinogenesis. In this study, rats were fed a diet supplemented with 20% onion powder for 9 days. Several cytochrome P450 (CYP)s enzymes (CYP 1A, 2B, 2E1, 3A), which are involved in carcinogen activation, were determined by measuring their enzyme activities using specific substrates. In addition, phase II enzymes activities such as UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), involved in detoxication of carcinogens, were measured. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691501000564

The aim was to formulate self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) to hasten dissolution and oral bioavailability of gliquidone (GLQ) as lipophilic oral hypoglycemic. In the developed formulations, cinnamon oil served as the oily phase, while Tween 20 and Transcutol® HP constituted the surfactant/cosurfactant system. A phase diagram was employed to select formulations showing transparent/translucent system after dispersion. These formulations were loaded with GLQ and subjected to in vitro dissolution studies relative to unprocessed GLQ. Optimum systems providing the fastest release were characterized for globule size and morphology. In addition, the in vivo hypoglycemic effect GLQ-loaded SEDDSs was assessed after oral administration to diabetic rats relative to GLQ aqueous dispersion (control). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1773224724004908

Genus Trigonella has a history of folkloric medicinal uses in China, Japan, Egypt and India. There are a variety of therapeutic actions of Trigonella including hypocholesterolemia, hypoglycemia, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory activities, antioxidants and appetite stimulant. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing annually. The present study aims at investigating the protective effects of Trigonella stellata against the adverse effects of diabetes mellitus through investigation of the changes in phase I & II drug-metabolizing enzyme activities, protein expression of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes [CYP2E1 & 3A4], oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes as well as histopathology of both liver and kidney tissues. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874119344642

Graviola, soursop, or guanabana (Annona muricata L.), is an ethnomedical fruit consumed to alleviate headache, diarrhea, diabetes, and cancer. Pericarp is the inedible part of graviola least studied in comparison to seeds and leaves, even thought, it contains the highest concentration of graviola total polyphenols. Anticancer effect of graviola pericarp has been demonstrated in crude extracts attributing the effect to acetogenins, however, crude extracts contain several active molecules. Thus, the present work aimed to fractionate and purify an ethanolic crude extract from graviola pericarp. Purified graviola pericarp fraction (PGPF) was evaluated on cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines, and then was identified by NMR, TOF-MS, and HPLC. Finally, an in silico analysis was performed to predict targets cancer-related of the molecule detected. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878535222000363

Chlorpropham is a selective and systemic herbicide extensively used to control sprouting, a major process affecting the quality of stored potatoes. Main concern about the usage of chlorpropham arises from the fact that chlorpropham degrades to toxic aniline-based metabolites during thermal processing of potatoes. The issue has led to chlorpropham withdrawal from the treatment practices, however, cross contamination from storage facilities requires ongoing monitoring of pesticide residues for a prolonged period. This study offers a fast and economic method suitable for chlorpropham screening in potatoes. The developed method targets the potato peel, simply prepared and analyzed by GC/MS. The method performance and cost-effectiveness were compared to that of the official method for chlorpropham analysis approved by the European Food Safety Authority. The method was used for the targeted analysis of potato samples from southeastern Serbia. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713524004663

Red ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe var. Rubrum) is one of the type of spices in Indonesia which has wide usages. One of the popular derivate products from red ginger is red ginger extract. Ginger extract is a semi-solid extract from the rhizomes using organic solvents, such as acetone and ethanol (MacLeod & Pieris, 1984). Ginger extract has more advantages than the fresh form including: more practical for food processing, reducing weight and volume thus reducing transportation costs, reducing microbial contamination, longer shelf life (in ideal conditions), and unity of durability and delicacy. However, the viscous and sticky textures of ginger extract make it unconvenient in processing for industrial applications. More, unstable bioactives compounds in ginger extract will encounter destructive chemical changes during storage (Purseglove et al., 1981). Therefore, it is necessary to processed the ginger extract to a more convenient form while protects the bioactives compounds. Microencapsulation is one of the method that can be used to solves the problems. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814620313522

The COVID-19 pandemic has been disastrous for global health and economy. In attempts to reduce susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, many people have turned towards traditional food remedies, such as garlic, which are thought to contain antimicrobial properties. Differences in composition between plant varieties and numerous forms of garlic preparations have contributed to the controversy as to its effectiveness herbal medicine. We sought to explore whether purified oil or juice extracted from different garlic plant varieties could prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection of cells and whether any antiviral effects were common among the varieties tested. Of over 20 garlic cultivars tested (10 in oil form and 10 in juice form), only one oil extract demonstrated strong inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Similarly, only one juice extract from a different cultivar exhibited this property, effectively limiting infection and even destroying the virion genome. It is crucial to note that these two cultivars were distinct from each other. Our findings support the fact that not all garlic plants exhibit antimicrobial effects, potentiating caution when using their extracts as herbal medicine. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464624003955

Plants possess various defense mechanisms to cope with genotoxic and environmental challenges, with high temperatures posing a significant threat due to global warming. In this investigation, ten-day-old Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seedlings were cultivated in a controlled environment chamber with conditions set at 70–80% relative humidity, a day/night cycle of 25/18 °C, and a photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of 1000 μmol m−2 s−1. Other groups of seedlings were subjected to temperatures of 30, 35, or 40 °C. Our research aimed to investigate the relationship between temperature intensity, duration, growth responses, physiological and metabolic activities, and the stress alleviation by salicylic acid. The results demonstrated that high temperatures significantly reduced plant growth, membrane stability, while increasing proline and protein content, as well as electrolyte leakage in the leaves. The most pronounced results were observed when exposed to 40 °C for 24 h. Salicylic acid completely mitigated the negative impacts of high-temperature stress when it was applied at 40 °C for 24 h. We utilized two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry to examine proteins across three groups: control plants, stressed plants, and plants subjected to salicylic acid treatment. Our results revealed that, among the proteins influenced by high-temperature stress, 12 displayed the most significant differences in regulation. These stress-responsive proteins played roles in signal transduction, stress defense, detoxification, amino acid metabolism, protein metabolism (including translation, processing, and degradation), photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy pathways. These proteins may hold practical implications for diverse biological activities. In conclusion, salicylic acid treatment enhanced thermotolerance in fenugreek plants, although further investigation is required at the genome level to elucidate the mechanism of salicylic acid action under heat stress. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024032584

Acest studiu a fost realizat pentru a evalua efectele plantelor medicinale chinezești (CHM) și ale pulberii de ghimbir asupra performanței de producție a straturilor, metaboliților serici și a stării antioxidante în condiții de stres termic. Două sute cincizeci de straturi Lohmann au fost împărțite aleatoriu în 5 diferite, inclusiv două martori și trei grupuri experimentale (H1, H2 și H3). Grupurile de control au fost hrănite cu dieta de bază fără suplimente, în timp ce hrana a trei grupuri experimentale a fost suplimentată cu 3,32 g CHM, 10 g pulbere de ghimbir și, respectiv, 10 g pulbere de ghimbir + 3,32 g CHM per kg de dietă. Rezultatele au arătat că consumul de hrană și rata de producție au scăzut în grupul HC, în timp ce aportul și producția de hrană s-au îmbunătățit semnificativ atunci când păsările au primit o dietă suplimentară. Rata de producție și aportul de furaj al grupului H3 au fost chiar semnificativ mai mari decât grupul NC. Păsările care au primit o dietă suplimentară au avut un nivel mai mare de glucoză în comparație cu HC. Trigliceridele și colesterolul seric au scăzut semnificativ în grupurile suplimentate comparativ cu HC. Nivelul catalazei fungice (CAT) a fost îmbunătățit semnificativ în grupurile H2 și H3. Nivelul de oxid nitric (NO), glutation peroxidază (GSH-PX) și proteină totală (T-AOC) au fost îmbunătățite semnificativ în grupurile suplimentate. Descoperirile au arătat că pulberea de ghimbir și CHM ar putea fi o alternativă viabilă la antibioticul sintetic din hrana pentru păsări. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306456518304339

Făina de Chlorella este considerată o alternativă promițătoare la făina de pește în hrana acvatică, dar efectele încorporării făinii de Chlorella ca ingredient al furajului asupra creșterii și calității anghilei nu au fost explorate. Efectele înlocuirii parțiale a făinii de pește (0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 % și 20 %) cu făină de Chlorella asupra performanței de creștere, compoziției întregului corp, pigmentării și sănătății fiziologice a anghilei marmorate (Anguilla marmorata) au fost evaluate în acest studiu. Rezultatele au arătat că includerea alimentară a făinii de Chlorella a crescut semnificativ greutatea corporală finală (FBW), rata de creștere în greutate (WGR) și rata de creștere specifică (SGR), dar a scăzut semnificativ rata de conversie a furajelor (FCR), acești parametri prezentând tendințe liniare (P < 0,05). Conținutul de proteine și grăsimi pentru întregul corp a fost semnificativ mai mare în toate grupurile hrănite cu diete care conțin făină Chlorella comparativ cu grupul de control (P < 0,05). În plus, pielea dorsală și abdominală a anghilei marmorate a prezentat o culoare galben-portocalie, iar intensitatea culorii a crescut odată cu creșterea nivelului de făină alimentară Chlorella. Schimbarea culorii a corespuns cu valori crescute ale a* (roșeață), b* (gălbene) și conținutului de luteină în pielea peștilor (P < 0,05). Sănătatea fiziologică a anghilei marmorate s-a îmbunătățit și la grupurile în care a fost inclusă făină de Chlorella. Rata optimă de înlocuire a fost de aproximativ 10% (9% supliment de făină cu Chlorella), deoarece conținutul de proteine în întregul corp și majoritatea parametrilor fiziologici de sănătate au fost cei mai mari în această condiție, iar performanța de creștere nu a arătat o creștere semnificativă atunci când rata de înlocuire a făinii de pește. a depășit 10 % (P > 0,05). Aceste descoperiri indică potențialul făinii de Chlorella ca alternativă promițătoare la făina de pește în formulările de furaje, oferind beneficii în îmbunătățirea performanței de creștere și a calității anghilei marmorate. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211926424001358