Effects of Oral Dosage of Lead Acetate II on Osteocalcin Gene Expression in Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Background: Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal that has devastating effects on many animal tissues. In this study we investigated the effects of orally-dosed lead acetate II on osteocalcin gene () expression in mesenchymal stem cells grown in an osteogenic medium. Osteocalcin is an abundant bone matrix differentiation protein.

Application of whey protein-pectin nano-complex carriers for loading of lactoferrin.

Our aim was to entrap lactoferrin (LF) in complex nano-particles of whey protein isolate (WPI)-high methoxyl pectin (HMP) with the ratios of 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2 through acidification at pH values of 3, 3.5, and 4. The zeta-potential, size, sedimentable-complex yield, LF content, encapsulation efficiency, SEM, AFM, FTIR, and DSC of nano-particles were investigated.