Morusin, a water-insoluble prenylated flavonoid is known for its numerous medicinal properties. It manifests its anticancer potential by suppression of genes involved in tumor progression. However, poor solubility of the drug results in low bioavailability and rapid degradation thus hindering its clinical utilization. In order to overcome this, we have synthesized a niosome system composed of non-ionic surfactant span 60 and cholesterol using a thin-layer evaporation technique to improve the aqueous-phase solubility of the drug. Highly cytocompatible niosomes of 479 nm average size with smooth and uniform spherical morphology were synthesized in a facile manner. Unlike free morusin, nanomorusin was found to be freely dispersible in aqueous media. Having an extremely high drug entrapment efficiency (97%), controlled and sustained release of morusin resulting in enhanced therapeutic efficacy was observed in cancer cell lines of 4 different lineages. The results demonstrate that the morusin-niosome system is a promising strategy for enhanced anti-cancer activity against multiple cancer types and could be an indispensable tool for future targeted chemotherapeutic strategies.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c8ra06362a | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
January 2025
Glycologix, Inc., 100 Cummings Center, Beverly, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Chemical modification of naturally derived glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) expands their potential utility for applications in soft tissue repair and regenerative medicine. Here we report the preparation of a novel crosslinked chondroitin sulfate (~200 to 2000 kilodaltons) that is both soluble in aqueous solution and microfilterable. We refer to these materials as "SuperGAGs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetab Brain Dis
January 2025
Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Hale Building for Transformative Medicine, Room 10006, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
α-Synuclein (αS) is a 140 amino-acid neuronal protein highly enriched in presynaptic nerve terminals. Its progressive accumulation in Lewy bodies and neurites is the hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). A growing number of studies highlights a critical interplay between lipid metabolism and αS biology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccines (Basel)
January 2025
Laboratory of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Effective cancer therapies must address the tumor microenvironment (TME), a complex network of tumor cells and stromal components, including endothelial, immune, and mesenchymal cells. Durable outcomes require targeting both tumor cells and the TME while minimizing systemic toxicity. Interleukin-2 (IL-2)-based therapies have shown efficacy in cancers such as metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma but are limited by severe side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Drugs
January 2025
Section of Food and Nutrition, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland.
A rise in antimicrobial resistance coupled with consumer preferences towards natural preservatives has resulted in increased research towards investigating antimicrobial compounds from natural sources such as macroalgae (seaweeds), which contain antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer compounds. This study investigates the antimicrobial activity of compounds produced by the Irish seaweed against and , bacterial species which are relevant for food safety. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), ultrasound-microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE), and conventional extraction technologies (maceration) were applied to generate extracts from , followed by their preliminary chemical composition (total phenolic content, total protein content, total soluble sugars) and antimicrobial activity (with minimum inhibitory concentration determined by broth microdilution methods), examining also the molecular weight distribution (via high performance size exclusion chromatography) and oligosaccharide fraction composition (via high-performance liquid chromatography) of the polysaccharides, as they were the predominant compounds in these extracts, aiming to elucidate structure-function relationships.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Fungi (Basel)
January 2025
Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil.
Fungal infections have become a growing concern in healthcare, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, with species like , , and posing significant challenges due to rising resistance and limited treatment options. In response, novel antifungal agents are being explored, including thiazolyl hydrazones. This study focuses on the development of a novel thiazolylhydrazone derivative, RW3.
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