Resin composites have been widely used in dental restoration. However, polymerization shrinkage and resultant bacterial microleakage are major limitations that may lead to secondary caries. To overcome this, a new type of antibacterial resin composite containing ciprofloxacin-loaded silver nanoparticles (CIP-AgNPs) were synthesized. The chemical reduction approach successfully produced CIP-AgNPs, as demonstrated by FTIR, zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. CIP-AgNPs were added to resin composites and the antibacterial activity of the dental composite discs were realized against Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans, and the Saliva microcosm. The biocompatibility of modified resin composites was assessed and mechanical testing of modified dental composites was also performed. The results indicated that the antibacterial activity and compressive strength of resin composites containing CIP-AgNPs were enhanced compared to the control group. They were also biocompatible when compared to resin composites containing AgNPs. In short, these results established strong ground application for CIP-AgNP-modified dental composite resins.

Background: Tocopherol acetate (TA) is known as a skin moisturizing and photoprotective agent. One major drawback with tocopherol and its derivatives remains its limited stability. Aim: To develop highly stable TA-containing ethosomal gel (TAEG) as an advanced dosage form. Methods: A cold method technique was used to produce the ethosomes. An in vitro evaluation of viscosity, conductivity, and pH stability was carried out for three months. An in vitro physical characterization of the nanoparticles (NPs) that included particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis was then performed. Organoleptic evaluation, thermostability at 8 °C, 25 °C, 40 °C and 40 °C ± 75% RH, pH, conductivity, viscosity, and spreadability measurements were also performed in vitro for three months. An ex vivo permeation study was performed in phosphate-buffered solution (1× PBS; pH 5.5 or pH 7.4) at 37 ± 0.2 °C by using rat abdominal skin and the Franz diffusion cell method. The data of three independent experiments were expressed as mean ± SD. A two-way ANOVA was applied to compare data on TAEG versus TA control gel (TACG). Results: PS of the ethosomes was in the range of 144–289 nm. A total of nine formulations were developed. Optimized TAEG formulation (TA-5) was selected based on the highest entrapment efficiency (EE) of 99.71%, while the stability, the PS, and the uniformity-based polydispersity index (PDI) were also among the best. TA-5 exhibited smooth spherical ethosomal NPs with PS of 200.6 nm, ZP value of −18.6 V, and PDI of 0.465. Stability data obtained for TA-5 in terms of rheology, conductivity, and pH presented no significant change (p > 0.05) during the entire study duration. Rheological studies indicated that TA-5 followed a non-Newtonian behavior of shear thinning system. The ex vivo drug permeation was 44.55 ± 0.01% in TA-5 and the drug retention in skin was 51.20%, which was significantly higher than TACG as observed after 24 h permeation study (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The newly developed TAEG formulation appears promising to enhance the effectivity of TA and its topical application.

This research examined the role of nano curcumin (NC) on growth performances, body composition, and blood parameters of red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) challenged with Aspergillus flavus. Fish (5.0 g ± 0.30) were randomly distributed in four equal groups (20 fish per pond in triplicates) and fed various concentrations of NC fortified with 0 (Control), 40 mg/kg (NC1), 50 mg/kg (NC2), and 60 mg/kg diet (NC3) of nano curcumin. After eight weeks of the feeding trial, the fish were challenged with A. flavus for 15 days, and the cumulative mortality was recorded. Fish fed with different concentrations of NC improved significantly (p < 0.05) the growth performances, feed utilization, and survival rate. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference between NC2 and NC3 treatments. However, NC3 exhibited higher performances. Fish feed supplemented with NC decreased the mortality rate when challenged with A. flavus. Hence, dietary supplementation of NC enhanced the growth and health status of Oreochromis sp. and protected it from A. flavus infection. This study suggests the optimum inclusion level of NC is a 50–60 mg/kg diet.

Despite its effectiveness in treating inflammatory diseases and various malignancies, methotrexate (MTX) is well known to cause hepatotoxicity, which involves increased oxidative stress and inflammation, limiting its clinical use. Herein, we looked into the effect of punicalagin (PU), a polyphenolic molecule having a variety of health-promoting attributes, on MTX-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. PU (25 and 50 mg/kg/day) was given orally to the mice for 10 days, while a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) at day 7. The MTX-induced liver damage was demonstrated by remarkably higher transaminases (ALT and AST), ALP, and LDH, as well as significant histological alterations in hepatic tissues. MTX-injected mice also demonstrated increases in hepatic oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), with a concordant drop in glutathione (GSH) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. PU significantly attenuated the MTX-induced serum transaminases, ALP and LDH elevations, and hepatic oxidative stress measures and boosted antioxidant defenses in the liver. Moreover, the liver of MTX-treated mice showed increases in NF-κB p65 expression, pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and TNF-α) levels, and pro-apoptotic protein (caspase-3 and Bax) expression, whereas Bcl-2 and Nrf2 expressions were reduced, which were all attenuated by PU treatment. Collectively, PU inhibits oxidative damage, inflammation, and apoptosis and upregulates Nrf2 in the liver of MTX-induced mice. Thus, these findings suggest that PU may have great therapeutic potential for the prevention of MTX-induced hepatotoxicity, pending further exploration in upcoming studies.

Queen bee acid or 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) is one of the main and unique lipid components (fatty acids) in royal jelly. Previous studies have demonstrated that 10-HDA has various pharmacological and biological activities. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of 10-HDA alone and combined with cyclophosphamide (CP), as an alkylating agent which widely used for the treatment of neoplastic cancers, against the Ehrlich solid tumors (EST) in mice. Methods: A total of 72 female Swiss albino mice were divided into eight groups. EST mice were treated with 10-HDA (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) alone and combined with CP (25 mg/kg) orally once a day for 2 weeks. Tumor growth inhibition, body weight, the serum level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen tumor (CAE), liver and kidney enzymes, tumor lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO), antioxidant enzymes (e.g. glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase enzyme (CAT)), tumor necrosis factor alpha level (TNF-α), and the apoptosis-regulatory genes expression were assessed in tested mice. Results: the findings exhibited that treatment of EST-suffering mice with 10-HDA at the doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg especially in combination with CP significantly (p < 0.001) decreased the tumor volume and inhibition rate, tumor markers (AFP and CEA), serum level of liver and kidney, LPO and NO, TNF-α level, as well as the expression level of Bcl-2 in comparison with the mice in the C2 group; while 10-HDA at the doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg especially in combination with CP significantly (p < 0.001) improved the level of antioxidant enzymes of GPx, CAT, and SOD and the expression level of caspase-3 and Bax genes. Conclusions: According to the results of the present investigations, 10-HDA at the doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg especially in combination with CP showed promising antitumor effects against EST in mice and can be recommended as a new or alternative anticancer agent against tumor; nevertheless, further investigations, particularly in clinical setting, are required to confirm these results.

Background: Multidrug resistant MDR bacterial strains are causing fatal infections, such as mastitis. Thus, there is a need for the development of new target-oriented antimicrobials. Nanomaterials have many advantages over traditional antibiotics, including improved stability, controlled antibiotic release, targeted administration, enhanced bioavailability, and the use of antibiotic-loaded nanomaterials, such as the one herein reported for the first time, appear to be a promising strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The use of rationally designed metallic nanocomposites, rather than the use of single metallic nanoparticles (NPs), should further minimize the bacterial resistance. Aim: Green synthesis of a multimetallic/ternary nanocomposite formed of silver (Ag), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃), conjugated to chitosan (CS), in which the large spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) has been encapsulated. Methods: The metallic nanoparticles (NPs) Ag NPs, TiO₂ NPs, and Fe₂O₃ NPs were synthesized by reduction of Moringa concanensis leaf aqueous extract. The ternary junction was obtained by wet chemical impregnation technique. CIP was encapsulated into the ternary nanocomposite Ag/TiO₂/Fe₂O₃, followed by chitosan (CS) conjugation using the ionic gelation method. The resulting CS-based nanoparticulate drug delivery system (NDDS), i.e., CIP-Ag/TiO₂/Fe₂O₃/CS, was characterized in vitro by gold standard physical techniques such as X-ray diffractometry (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Pharmacological analyses (i.e., LC, EE, ex-vivo drug release behavior) were also assessed. Further, biological studies were carried out both ex vivo (i.e., by disk diffusion method (DDM), fluorescence-activated single cell sorting (FACS), MTT assay) and in vivo (i.e., antibacterial activity in a rabbit model, colony-forming unit (CFU) on blood agar, histopathological analysis using H&E staining). Results: The encapsulation efficiency (EE) and the loading capacity (LC) of the NDDS were as high as 94% ± 1.26 and 57% ± 3.5, respectively. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of the prepared formulation. FESEM revealed nanorods with an average diameter of 50–70 ± 12 nm. FTIR confirmed the Fe-O-Ti-CS linkages as well as the successful encapsulation of CIP into the NDDS. The zeta potential (ZP) of the NDDS was determined as 85.26 ± 0.12 mV. The antimicrobial potential of the NDDS was elicited by prominent ZIs against MDR E. coli (33 ± 1.40 mm) at the low MIC of 0.112 μg/mL. Morphological alterations (e.g., deformed shape and structural damages) of MDR pathogens were clearly visible overtime by FESEM after treatment with the NDDS at MIC value, which led to the cytolysis ultimately. FACS analysis confirmed late apoptotic of the MDR E. coli (80.85%) after 6 h incubation of the NDDS at MIC (p < 0.05 compared to untreated MDR E. coli used as negative control). The highest drug release (89% ± 0.57) was observed after 8 h using PBS medium at pH 7.4. The viability of bovine mammary gland epithelial cells (BMGE) treated with the NDDS remained superior to 90%, indicating a negligible cytotoxicity (p < 0.05). In the rabbit model, in which infection was caused by injecting MDR E. coli intraperitoneally (IP), no colonies were detected after 72 h of treatment. Importantly, the histopathological analysis showed no changes in the vital rabbit organs in the treated group compared to the untreated group. Conclusions: Taken together, the newly prepared CIP-Ag/TiO₂/Fe₂O₃/CS nanoformulation appears safe, biocompatible, and therapeutically active to fight MDR E. coli strains-causing mastitis.