Production of anti-inflammatory films based on cashew gum polysaccharide and polyvinyl alcohol for wound dressing applications.

In the present study, we aimed to produce CGP/PVA films containing entrapped anti-inflammatory drugs for wound dressing applications. Using a 3 fractional factorial design, the effect of each component was evaluated on the physicochemical and morphological properties of the produced materials. The best formulation for entrapment of diclofenac sodium and ketoprofen was also determined.

Development of a Halochromic, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Starch-Based Film Containing Phenolic Extract from Jaboticaba Peel.

In this study, the antioxidant, antimicrobial, mechanical, optical, and barrier attributes of starch bio-based edible films incorporated with a phenolic extract from jaboticaba peel were investigated. Aiming to determine the effect of the polymers and the phenolic extract on the properties of the films, a three-factor simplex-lattice design was employed, and the formulation optimization was based on the produced films' antioxidant potential. The optimized formulation of the starch-PEJP film showed a reddish-pink color with no cracks or bubbles and 91% antioxidant activity against DPPH radical.

Polysaccharide-Based Membrane Biocompatibility Study of L. and Polyvinyl Alcohol after Subcutaneous Implant in Rats.

Polymeric membranes are a viable and sustainable option for the biotechnology industry from an economic and environmental point of view. In this study, we evaluated tissue response and tolerance to the implantation of a polymeric membrane prepared with cashew gum polysaccharide (CGP) associated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The objective was to characterize the biocompatibility of the CGP/PVA membrane in vivo.

In vivo effect of orally given polyvinyl alcohol/starch nanocomposites containing bioactive peptides from Phaseolus vulgaris beans.

In this study, a nanocomposite produced with a blend of polyvinyl alcohol and partially hydrolyzed starch from Solanum lycocarpum was used as a matrix to entrap natural bioactive peptides from Phaseolus vulgaris. The nanocomposites were characterized by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. The nanocomposites were then orally administered to Wistar rats, and their absorption was determined using morphometric, histopathological, cytochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, and biochemical analysis.

Benefits of prolonged-release pirfenidone plus standard of care treatment in patients with advanced liver fibrosis: PROMETEO study.

Background And Aims: Pirfenidone (PFD), an oral antifibrotic drug, has been authorized by the EMA and FDA for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Few studies have addressed its use in advanced liver fibrosis (ALF). We evaluated a prolonged-release formulation (PR-PFD) plus standard of care on disease progression in ALF.

Use of Statistical Design Strategies to Produce Biodegradable and Eco-Friendly Films from Cashew Gum Polysaccharide and Polyvinyl Alcohol.

This work reports the production and characterization of biodegradable and eco-friendly films based on cashew gum polysaccharide (CGP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), using the statistical design strategy. Results show that CGP/PVA films are pH stimuli-responsive, allowing their use in a magnitude of biotechnological applications. The morphological and dimensional characterization evidences a positive influence of polymers in the dimensional properties.

Immobilization of antimicrobial trypsin inhibitors onto cashew gum polysaccharide/PVA films.

In this work, films produced by blending cashew gum polysaccharide (CGP) with PVA were used as support for immobilization of trypsin inhibitors with antimicrobial activity obtained from Platypodium elegans (PeTI) and Inga laurina (ILTI). The produced films had a homogeneous macroscopic surface with an absence of bubbles and cracks. SEM of CGP/PVA confirmed the porous structure of these materials, being observed a high incidence of pores with a diameter ranging from 0.

Interaction of polyelectrolyte complex between sodium alginate and chitosan dimers with a single glyphosate molecule: A DFT and NBO study.

The formation of a polyelectrolyte complex through dimers of alginate and chitosan in the presence of sodium cations (SA/CS), and its interaction with the glyphosate herbicide, has been investigated at the DFT level (B3LYP/6‒311+G(d,p)). The lowest energy structure for SA/CS presents one Na cation coordinated to both dimers and formation of two H-bonds involving COO- and NH. The coordination energy of Na contributes with about 40% of the total complex stabilization energy.

[Simultaneity of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in the elderly in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil].

This study aimed to describe the simultaneity of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases among the elderly (≤ 60 years) in a city in Southern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of 1,451 elderly in 2013. Cluster analysis was applied to selected risk factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, excess weight, and physical inactivity).

Social Support and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Among the Elderly: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Physical inactivity in elderly is a public health problem. The purpose of this study is to describe and test the association between social support and leisure-time physical activity among the elderly.

Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based study with 1,285 subjects (60+ years old) living in a city in southern Brazil was carried out in 2014.

Improvement of starch digestion using α-amylase entrapped in pectin-polyvinyl alcohol blend.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and pectin blends were used to entrap α-amylase (Termamyl) using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. The effect of glutaraldehyde concentration (0.25, 0.

Density functional theory study of the adsorption of formaldehyde on Pd4 and on Pd4/gamma-Al2O3 clusters.

B3LYP/LANL2DZ and B3LYP/6-31G(d)-restricted and -unrestricted calculations are employed to calculate energies and adsorption forms of formaldehyde adsorbed on planar and on tetrahedral Pd4 clusters and on a Pd4 cluster supported on Al10O15. Formaldehyde adsorbs on planar Pd4 in the eta(2)(C,O)-di-sigma adsorption mode, while on tetrahedral Pd4, it adsorbs in the eta(2)(C,O)-pi adsorption mode. The adsorption energy on planar Pd4 is -21.