Hydrogels are three-dimensional structures with specific features that render them useful for biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery systems, and wound dressings. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the search for improved mechanical properties of hydrogels derived from natural products to extend their applications in various fields, and there are different methods to obtain strengthened hydrogels. Cationic guar gum has physicochemical properties that allow it to interact with other polymers and generate hydrogels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Cell Int
August 2023
Dietary compounds in cancer prevention have gained significant consideration as a viable method. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) are heterocyclic and bioactive chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. They are synthesized after glycolysis from the glucosinolate structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWound healing is a complex process that involves restoring the structure of damaged tissues through four phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Wound dressings are the most common treatment used to cover wounds, reduce infection risk and the loss of physiological fluids, and enhance wound healing. Despite there being several types of wound dressings based on different materials and fabricated through various techniques, polymeric films have been widely employed due to their biocompatibility and low immunogenicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe search for materials and process parameters capable of generating hydrogels for soft tissue engineering applications, based on an experimental design strategy that allows the evaluation of several factors involved in their development and performance, has greatly increased. Nevertheless, the fabrication technique can influence their mechanical properties, swelling, crystallinity, and even their susceptibility to contamination by microorganisms, compromising their performance within the tissue or organ. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the freeze/thaw technique on different characteristics of polyvinyl alcohol-xanthan gum hydrogel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPesticides have been used in agricultural activity for decades because they represent the first defense against pathogens, harmful insects, and parasitic weeds. Conventional pesticides are commonly employed at high dosages to prevent their loss and degradation, guaranteeing effectiveness; however, this results in a large waste of resources and significant environmental pollution. In this regard, the search for biocompatible, biodegradable, and responsive materials has received greater attention in the last years to achieve the obtention of an efficient and green pesticide formulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA thermo-responsive hydrogel of Pluronic F-127, containing PLGA nanoparticles loaded with a platelet lysate for wound treatment, was prepared. A high rate of incorporation of the lysate (about 80%) in the nanoparticles was achieved by the double emulsion-solvent evaporation method. The nanoparticles were characterized by measuring their size (about 318 nm), polydispersity index (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe absorption modulating activity of two alkylglycerol derivatives (batyl and chimyl alcohol) on skin barrier properties was evaluated. Biophysical tests such as transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, as well as in vitro skin permeation studies, were performed in order to determine the effect of these compounds as chemical absorption modulators. Four drugs were used as models: three NSAIDS (diclofenac, naproxen, and piroxicam) and glycyrrhizic acid.
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