Explore the vast range of titles available.

Curcumin is a bioactive component with anticancer characteristics; nevertheless, it has poor solubility and fast metabolism, resulting in low bioavailability and so restricting its application. Curcumin loaded in nano emulsions (Cur-NE) was developed to improve water solubility and eliminate all the limitations of curcumin. Size distribution, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, UV–Visible spectra, IR spectra and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were used to characterize the prepared Cur-NE. Cancer therapeutic efficacy was assessed by oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione–S–Transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), DNA damage, apoptotic proteins (caspase-3 and 9), besides investigating tumor histology and monitoring tumor growth. Additionally, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the liver, kidney, heart, and spleen tissues were examined to gauge the adverse effects of the treatment method’s toxicity. The results showed that Cur-NE is more effective than free curcumin at slowing the growth of Ehrlich tumors while significantly increasing the levels of apoptotic proteins. On the other hand, Cur-NE-treated mice showed some damage in other organs when compared to mice treated with free curcumin. Cur-NE has a higher efficacy in treating Ehrlich tumor.

The present work was to examine a combination of therapy for a low dose of cisplatin and a magnetic field (MF) on Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice. In this study, a total of 50 BALB/C female mice were equally distributed into five groups. Mice from the control group did not receive MF or cisplatin. The low and high dose cisplatin groups were injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) with 3 and 6 mg/kg cisplatin, respectively, on the experimental days (1, 4, and 8). Mice group of cisplatin + MF was injected with a low dose of cisplatin followed by MF exposure (50 Hz, 50 mT), and the MF group was exposed to MF only. The impact of MF and cisplatin on the tumor and kidney were evaluated by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, DNA injury (comet assay), histopathological investigation of tissues, and tumor progress. The results suggested that the combination of a low dose of cisplatin with MF was significantly elevated in MDA levels, reduced SOD activity, and GSH levels. Furthermore, it caused a rise in comet parameters and inhibition in tumor growth. These results showed that MF enhances the therapeutic efficacy of low cisplatin doses and reduces nephrotoxicity.

Background: Diosgenin, a powerful compound found in fenugreek and Dioscorea villosa, has diverse pharmacological effects. This study examines the anticancer potential of diosgenin nanoparticles (Dio-NPs) against DMBA-induced breast cancer in mice in combination with tamoxifen. Methods: In the current investigation, characterization of Dio-NPs was performed, including their size, shape, zeta potential, UV-vis, and FT-IR spectra. Dio-NPs (120 mg/kg) and tamoxifen (2 mg/kg) were given to mice with DMBA-induced breast cancer, either alone or in combination, over 4 weeks. We measured inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, as well as gene expressions related to apoptosis, using ELISA and qRT-PCR. Additionally, molecular docking studies were conducted to assess the binding affinity of diosgenin with specific proteins. Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted on CDK4, AKT, and CDK6 proteins with diosgenin using GROMACS. The systems were solved, neutralized, and equilibrated under NVT and NPT ensembles. Simulations ran for 100 ns, and trajectories were analyzed for RMSD, RMSF, RG, SASA, and hydrogen bonds. Results: The IC50 of Dio-NPs against MCF-7 cells was 47.96 ± 1.48 µg/mL. Dio-NPs had a zeta potential of −21.8 ± 0.6 mV and a size of 56.85 ± 3.19 nm and were uniform and spherical. The LD50 of Dio-NPs was 2400 mg/kg. DMBA exposure increased WBCs, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, and gene expression of CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, and Akt, while reducing Hb%, RBCs, PLTs, GSH, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels. Dio-NPs and tamoxifen, both alone and combined, significantly reduced these effects. The combination treatment was more effective than individual treatments. Histological analyses supported these findings. Molecular docking showed diosgenin had a stronger binding affinity with the target proteins compared to tamoxifen. The simulations revealed that diosgenin effectively binds to CDK4, AKT, and CDK6, maintaining their stability and structural integrity. CDK4, AKT, and CDK6 showed consistent RMSD, RG, and SASA values, with moderate flexibility and stable hydrogen bonding patterns, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets. Conclusions: Combining diosgenin and tamoxifen effectively inhibits breast cancer progression in DMBA-treated mice. This is primarily due to the reduction in expression of CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, and Akt proteins, which enhances the sensitivity of resistant breast cancer cells to tamoxifen.

Chitosan films are increasingly being applied in the biomedical field owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, mucoadhesive nature, hemostatic properties, antibacterial and biological activities. This study aimed to enhance the mechanical properties of chitosan films by doping niosomal sage nanoparticles (NS-SagNPs) at various concentrations (100–300 μ g). The NS-SagNPs were prepared by a thin-film hydration process with an average particle size of 21.5 nm. The doped chitosan films were fabricated through a simple casting method. FTIR and DSC measurements confirmed the successful incorporation of NS-SagNPs in the chitosan films. The mechanical properties of the doped films were improved and the most significant improvement was found in tensile strength and elasticity when the NS-SagNPs loading was increased to 300 μ g. Based on these results, chitosan films doped with NS-SagNPs have the advantageous feature of sage and show enhanced mechanical properties compared with pure chitosan, rendering them more suitable for biomedical applications.

Heavy metals and pathogens from contaminated water sources may undoubtedly be removed by creating an efficient bio-adsorbent based on functional spots. Thus, the goal of this work was to produce chitosan (Ch)-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) biofilm decorated with graphene oxide (GO) sheets doped with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The nanostructure of prepared GO/Ag nanosheets is examined by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The fabricated film (GO/Ag Ch-PVA) is compared by the control films (Ch, PVA and Ch-PVA). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and tensile strength are used to study the films’ structure. Also, the antimicrobial activity was assessed for the films. After doping the polymer matrix with GO/Ag, it was discovered that the tensile strength increased to about 46.18 MPa. Moreover, adsorption experiment for arsenic As (III) ions is explored by the prepared film at different operating conditions. The obtained results validated the enhanced adsorption ability of the GO/Ag Ch-PVA film towards As (III) with the highest adsorption capacity of 54.3 mg g −1 obtained from the isotherm model of Langmuir. Moreover, kinetic mathematical models for the adsorption effectiveness of GO/Ag Ch-PVA film are assessed. The results gathered demonstrated that GO/Ag Ch-PVA film is a potentially useful material for eliminating As (III) and microbial strains from essential water resources.

Scientists are seeking to find an effective treatment for tumors that has no side effects. N-Acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) is a thiol compound extracted from garlic. Current study explores the potential of NAC-loaded niosomes (NAC-NIO) for tumor treatment in mice. NAC-loaded niosomes’ efficiency, morphology, UV absorption, size distribution, zeta potential, release, and FTIR analysis were evaluated. For vivo study, 25 male BALB/c mice were divided to five groups: gp1 negative control (receive saline), gp2 positive control (tumor group), gp3 treated with NAC, gp4 treated with NAC-NIO at the same time of tumor injection, and gp5 treated with NAC-NIO after tumor growth (day 14). The impact of NAC-NIO on the tumor treatment was evaluated by measuring tumor size progress, comet assay, oxidative stress parameters (GSH, nitric oxide, MDA), western blot analysis, and histopathological investigation of tissues. NAC-NIO showed 72 ± 3% encapsulation efficiency and zeta potential − 5.95 mV with spherical shape. It was found that oral administration of NAC-NIO in a dose of 50 mg/kg provided significant protection against tumor cells. Our formulation decreases DNA injury significantly ( P  < 0.05). It was noticed that NAC-NIO can increase oxidative stress levels in tumor tissue. On the other hand, the caspase 3 and caspase 9 gene expression were upregulated significantly ( P  < 0.001) in mice administrated NAC-NIO compared with all other groups. Histological studies confirmed the protective effect of NAC-NIO against tumor especially for treatment during tumor growth protocol. The results suggested that oral delivery of NAC-NIO formulation improved antioxidant effect.

Photocatalytic degradation has gained significant attention in treating water as an eco-friendly method and cost-effective solution. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is one of the most efficient and non-toxic photocatalysts used in water treatment. The main obstacle facing TiO 2 being applied on a large scale is requiring high light energy, mainly in the ultraviolet region (only 5% of sunlight), to activate the photocatalysts. Lowering the band gap of TiO 2 nanoparticles makes them easily activated by sunlight. Oxygen vacancies (OVs) or Ti 3+ -rich TiO 2 can have a lower band gap and enhance performance. Titanium hydroxide was calcinated in a vacuum to obtain modified TiO 2 and then immobilized in chitosan hydrogel as a great self-healable supporter with high availability and antimicrobial behavior. Characterization was done by using XRD and UV–visible absorbance spectroscopy. Photocatalytic studies were constructed on C.I. Acid Blue 324 as a model for dyes and on Pb, Cu, Cd, and Ni as models for heavy metals using modified-TiO 2 and white-TiO 2 encapsulated in chitosan beads separately under sunlight. The modified TiO 2 \\chitosan composite has a higher degrading ability than the white one. The study is considered a first step toward making a lifelong solution for water treatment with no power consumption.

Chitosan (CS) has excellent film-forming properties; unfortunately, its use as a film wound dressing is limited because of its weak mechanical properties, especially in its wet state. For this reason, modifications with different materials are investigated in this study. The aim of this work was the combination of chitosan with poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO), and glycerol as a plasticizer agent which can strengthen CS films, increase their flexibility, and enhance their resistance to microbes. Four types of films were prepared, i.e., CS, PVA, CS/PVA, and CS/PVA@MgO, using solvent casting method. The films’ ability for wound dressing was assessed by UV spectroscopy, mechanical properties, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, antimicrobial activity, and in vivo studies as a practical application on wounds. CS/PVA@MgO showed an improvement in mechanical properties as it has elongation at break of 522% and strain 585%. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of CS/PVA@MgO film was extensively enhanced as it inhibited Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Candida albicans by 90.78%, 88.83%, and 97.18%, respectively. The results showed that composite film has a good mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity expressed a suitable wound dressing material. Furthermore, in vivo experiment evaluated the clinical efficacy of CS/PVA@MgO film in wound healing.

Skin aging is a normal process that might be accelerated or delayed by altering the balance between antioxidants and free radicals due to increase in the exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS) into skin cells via UV radiation. Antioxidants can neutralize the harmful effects of ROS, and secondary plant metabolites might help protect against UV radiation. In this study, punicalagin was extracted from pomegranate, and concentrations of total polyphenolics and flavonoids were determined, and antioxidant activities were measured. Punicalagin was loaded onto niosomes, and its morphology and release were studied. An in vitro study was performed on human fibroblast cell line HFB4 cells with aging induced by H O and UV radiation. Cell cycle arrest was studied, and different genes ( , and ) involved in the skin aging process were selected to measure punicalagin's effect. Punicalagin succeeded in reducing the growth arrest of HFB4 cells, activated production of the and genes, maintained collagen level, and lowered . Punicalagin increased human concentration in skin cells. Punicalagin is promising as a natural antioxidant to protect human skin from aging.

Mohamad EA, Aly AA, Khalaf AA, et al. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2021;15:3151-3162. The Editor and Publisher of Drug Design, Development and Therapy wish to retract the published article. Concerns were raised regarding the integrity of the HPLC chromatograms presented in Figure 1, where the values of the peaks did not appear to correspond with the values shown along the x-axis. The authors did respond to our queries and explained that their laboratory does not have access to an HPLC device and the HPLC experiments were performed by a third-party. They further explained that errors had been made during calculations of the retention times, but they were unable to explain how this occurred. In addition, discrepancies remained in the retention times of the corrected HPLC chromatograms the authors provided, and there was a lack of adequate data associated with these experiments. The Editor determined that the explanation for the calculation errors and availability of original data were both insufficient and had concerns over the reliability of the reported findings. The Editor requested for the article to be retracted and the authors were notified of this. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as \"Retracted\".