Evaluation of berberine nanoparticles as a strategy to modulate acetylcholinesterase activity.

Researchers have concentrated efforts in the search for natural-based reversible inhibitors for cholinesterase enzymes as they may play a key role in the treatment of degenerative diseases. Diverse plant alkaloids can inhibit the action of acetylcholinesterase and, among them, berberine is a promising bioactive. However, berberine has poor water solubility and low bioavailability, which makes it difficult to use in treatment.

Coating of SPIONs with a Cysteine-Decorated Copolyester: A Possible Novel Nanoplatform for Enzymatic Release.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have their use approved for the diagnosis/treatment of malignant tumors and can be metabolized by the organism. To prevent embolism caused by these nanoparticles, they need to be coated with biocompatible and non-cytotoxic materials. Here, we synthesized an unsaturated and biocompatible copolyester, poly (globalide--ε-caprolactone) (PGlCL), and modified it with the amino acid cysteine (Cys) via a thiol-ene reaction (PGlCLCys).

Preparation and cellular uptake behaviors of uniform fiber-like micelles with length controllability and high colloidal stability in aqueous media.

Fragmentation/disassembly of fiber-like micelles generated by living crystalline-driven self-assembly (CDSA) is usually encountered in aqueous media, which hinders the applications of micelles. Herein, we report the generation of uniform fiber-like micelles consisting of a π-conjugated oligo(-phenylenevinylene) core and a cross-linking silica shell with grafted poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains by the combination of living CDSA, silica chemistry and surface grafting-onto strategy. Owing to the presence of crosslinking silica shell and the outmost PEG chains, the resulting micelles exhibit excellent dispersity and colloidal stability in PBS buffer, BSA aqueous solution and upon heating at 80 °C for 2 h without micellar fragmentation/disassembly.

Cellulase immobilized on kaolin as a potential approach to improve the quality of knitted fabric.

Biopolishing is a textile process that uses cellulases to improve the pilling resistance of fabrics. Although the process improves the pilling resistance, softness and color brightness of fabrics, it causes a significant loss of tensile strength in treated fabrics. The present work studied the use of cellulase immobilized on kaolin by adsorption and covalent bonding in biopolishing to get around this problem.

Bovine Serum Albumin Conjugation in Superparamagnetic/Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanoparticles as an Alternative for Magnetic Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays.

Nanomaterials, such as magnetic nanoparticles have attracted significant attention of medical area due to their capacity to improve the performance of immunoassays. Therefore the aim of this work was to study the bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugation in superparamagnetic (MNPs)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles with further characterization and application in enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay. The successful conjugation of BSA in MNPs- PMMA nanoparticles was confirmed by several techniques, including light scattering, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Lowry protein quantification assay.

Immobilization of endoglucanase on kaolin by adsorption and covalent bonding.

In the current research, endoglucanase, one of the enzymes of the cellulolytic complex, was immobilized on kaolin by two different techniques, adsorption, and covalent bonding. A comparative study was conducted between free, adsorbed, and covalently immobilized endoglucanase. For the covalent bonding, the kaolin particles were functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and activated with glutaraldehyde.

Co-encapsulation of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC) and zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) in liposomes promotes increases phototoxic activity against (MDA-MB 231) human breast cancer cells.

There has been considerable interest in the development of novel photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The use of liposomes as drug delivery systems containing simultaneously two or more drugs is an attractive idea to create a new platform for PDT application. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the synergistic effect of diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC) and zinc phthalocyanine (PDT) co-encapsulated in liposomes.

Immobilization of lipase Eversa Transform 2.0 on poly(urea-urethane) nanoparticles obtained using a biopolyol from enzymatic glycerolysis.

In this work, the free lipase Eversa Transform 2.0 was used as a catalyst for enzymatic glycerolysis reaction in a solvent-free system. The product was evaluated by nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) and showed high conversion related to hydroxyl groups.

Benzyl propionate synthesis by fed-batch esterification using commercial immobilized and lyophilized Cal B lipase.

In this work, a fed-batch approach was adopted to overcome propionic acid lipase inactivation effects in the benzyl propionate direct esterification mediated by lipases. The ester synthesis was performed using commercial immobilized (Novozym 435) and lyophilized form Candida antarctica fraction B lipase (Cal B) as biocatalysts of the esterification between benzyl alcohol and propionic acid in a solvent-free system. The reaction involved the propionic acid-controlled addition during the first 5 h ensuring an excess of alcohol to dilute the media.

Enzymatic Synthesis of a Diene Ester Monomer Derived from Renewable Resource.

The total or partial substitution of fossil raw materials by biobased materials from renewable resources is one of the great challenges of our society. In this context, the reaction under mild condition as enzyme-catalyzed esterification was applied to investigate the esterification of the biobased 10-undecenoic acid with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) to obtain a new diene ester monomer. The environmentally friendly enzymatic reaction presented up to 100% of conversion; moreover, the production of possible by-products was minimized controlling reaction time and amount of enzyme.

Functionalized kaolin as support for endoglucanase immobilization.

Endoglucanases are an enzyme of cellulases complex that has a great potential for many technological applications. One of the issues of its use concerns the recovery and reuse of this enzyme. Thus, in this study, the use of a surface-modified kaolin was evaluated to immobilize endoglucanase and evaluate the enzyme activity for its reuse.

Encapsulation of geranyl cinnamate in polycaprolactone nanoparticles.

Geranyl cinnamate is an ester derived from natural compounds that has excellent antibacterial properties but is susceptible to degradation in the presence of oxygen, light, heat, moisture and other aggressive agents, making it unstable. In this work, the encapsulation of geranyl cinnamate in polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles and its antibacterial properties towards Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were investigated. PCL nanoparticles loaded with geranyl cinnamate were obtained by a miniemulsification/solvent evaporation technique resulting in spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of 177.

Biocatalysis of aromatic benzyl-propionate ester by different immobilized lipases.

Benzyl propionate is an aromatic ester that possesses a fruity odor and is usually found in nature in the composition of some fruits such as plums and melons. This work aimed for the benzyl propionate synthesis by esterification using a new immobilized enzyme preparation with low-cost material from Candida antarctica (NS 88011) and three commercial immobilized lipases (Novozym 435, Lipozyme TL-IM and Lipozyme RM-IM). Novozym 435 had the best performance even when the solvent tert-butanol was absent of the reaction medium.

Evaluation of the in vivo acute antiinflammatory response of curcumin-loaded nanoparticles.

Curcumin is the main curcuminoid found in turmeric rhizomes and is a strong candidate to formulate foodstuff with specific properties. Among various bioactive properties of curcumin, its antiinflammatory activity is remarkable; on the other hand, its low water solubility leads to low absorption. Thus, new formulations need to be developed to improve its efficacy, and encapsulation is a promising alternative strategy in this regard.

Polyesters from Macrolactones Using Commercial Lipase NS 88011 and Novozym 435 as Biocatalysts.

The demand for environmentally friendly products allied with the depletion of natural resources has increased the search for sustainable materials in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Polyesters are among the most widely used biodegradable polymers in biomedical applications. In this work, aliphatic polyesters (from globalide and ω-pentadecalactone) were synthesized using a new commercial biocatalyst, the low-cost immobilized NS 88011 lipase (lipase B from Candida antarctica immobilized on a hydrophobic support).

Analytical validation of an ultraviolet-visible procedure for determining lutein concentration and application to lutein-loaded nanoparticles.

Lutein is a carotenoid presenting known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Lutein-rich diets have been associated with neurological improvement as well as reduction of the risk of vision loss due to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Micro and nanoencapsulation have demonstrated to be effective techniques in protecting lutein against degradation and also in improving its bioavailability.

Solid lipid nanoparticles for encapsulation of hydrophilic drugs by an organic solvent free double emulsion technique.

Encapsulation of hydrophilic compounds for drug delivery systems with high loading efficiency is not easily feasible and remains a challenge, mainly due to the leaking of the drug to the outer aqueous phase during nanoparticle production. Usually, encapsulation of hydrophilic drugs is achieved by using double emulsion or inverse miniemulsion systems that often require the use of organic solvents, which may generate toxicological issues arising from solvent residues. Herein, we present the preparation of solid lipid nanoparticles loaded with a hydrophilic compound by a novel organic solvent free double emulsion/melt dispersion technique.

Synthesis of ZnPc loaded poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles via miniemulsion polymerization for photodynamic therapy in leukemic cells.

The goal of this work was to synthesize and characterize ZnPc loaded poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles (NPs) by miniemulsion polymerization. Biocompatibility assays were performed in murine fibroblast (L929) cells and human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL). Finally, photobiological assays were performed in two leukemic cells: chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis (K562) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Jurkat).

Simultaneous encapsulation of magnetic nanoparticles and zinc phthalocyanine in poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles by miniemulsion polymerization and in vitro studies.

The aim of this work was the simultaneous encapsulation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (MNPsZnPc-PMMA) nanoparticles (NPs) by miniemulsion polymerization and to evaluate the photobiological activity and/or hyperthermia (HPT) against human glioblastoma cells (U87MG). MNPsZnPc-PMMA NPs presented an average diameter of 104 ± 2.5 nm with a polydispersity index (PdI) of 0.