Date palm pollen as a preventative intervention in radiation- and chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis: a pilot study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of date palm pollen (DPP) in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis induced by radiation and chemotherapy.

Methods: Twenty subjects with varying head and neck cancers were enrolled. Ten subjects were treated with DPP administered orally (2 g daily for 42 days) as a swish and swallow suspension, and 10 control subjects received the facility standard of care.

Drug retention and stability of solid lipid nanoparticles containing azidothymidine palmitate after autoclaving, storage and lyophilization.

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were prepared using trilaurine (TL) as the SLN core and phospholipid (PL) as coating. Neutral and negatively charged PLs were used to produce neutral and negatively charged SLNs. An ester prodrug of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (Zidovudine, AZT), AZT palmitate (AZT-P), was synthesized and incorporated in the SLNs.

Evidence for phospholipid bilayer formation in solid lipid nanoparticles formulated with phospholipid and triglyceride.

Purpose: Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are comprised of a high-melting point triglyceride (TG) core with a phospholipid (PL) coating. This study has investigated the possible formation of multiple PL bilayers on the TG core of SLN's as a function of increasing the PL:TG molar ratio.

Methods: Trilaurin (TL) was used as the SLN core.

Use of fractal dimension in the study of fractured surfaces of insulin zinc crystals.

The micromorphology of two types of insulin zinc crystals was characterized by computerized image analysis. It was demonstrated that one can identify the recombinant DNA crystals from those of animal origin in a blinded sample by perimeter fractal dimension analysis. Fractal dimension analysis was also applied in the study of irregularly fractured surfaces produced by thermal and mechanical stress.

Evaluation of the surface roughness of cystine stones using a visible laser diode scattering approach.

To understand the processes of fragmentation and the chemical reactivity of solids, proper characterization of surface topography is crucial. This paper describes a non-destructive technique of quantifying the surface roughness of cystine renal stones, using visible laser diode scattering and fractal geometry. Fragments of cystine stones were mounted on microscope slides and coated by a carbon-sputtering apparatus.