Designing a functional and efficient blood-clotting agent is a major challenge. In this research, hemostatic scaffolds (GSp) were prepared from the superabsorbent, inter-crosslinked polymer sodium polyacrylate (Sp) bound to a natural protein gelatin (G) loaded with thrombin (Th) by a cost-effective freeze-drying method. Five compositions were grafted (GSp0.0, Gsp0.1, GSp0.2, GSp0.3, GSp0.3-Th) where the concentration of Sp varied but the ratios of G remained the same. The fundamental physical characteristics that increased the amounts of Sp with G gave synergistic effects after interacting with thrombin. Due to the presence of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) swelling capacities in GSp0.3 and GSp0.3-Th surge forward 6265% and 6948%, respectively. Pore sizes became uniform and larger (ranging ≤ 300 μm) and well-interconnected. The water-contact angle declined in GSp0.3 and GSp0.3-Th to 75.73 ± 1.097 and 75.33 ± 0.8342 degrees, respectively, thus increasing hydrophilicity. The pH difference was found to be insignificant as well. In addition, an evaluation of the scaffold in in vitro biocompatibility with the L929 cell line showed cell viability >80%, so the samples were nontoxic and produced a favorable environment for cell proliferation. The composite GSp0.3-Th revealed the lowest HR (%) (2.601%), and the in vivo blood-clotting time (s) and blood loss (gm) supported hemostasis. Overall, the results showed that a novel GSp0.3-Th scaffold can be a potential candidate as a hemostatic agent.

Background: Operculina turpethum (OT) is widely known for its use in traditional treatment practices to heal several diseases, such as bronchitis, pectoralgia, arthralgia, diarrhea, obesity, helminthiasis, gastropathy, ascites, sporadic fever, leucoderma, inflammation, pruritis, ulcers, erysipelas, tumors, jaundice, hemorrhoids, ophthalmia, etc. In this report, the antidiarrheal potential of the O. turpethum (EEOT) stem was assessed in an animal model along with a molecular docking study of previously isolated compounds to determine the mechanism involved in identifying prospective phytocompounds against diarrhea. Methods: Ethanolic stem extract was used in a mouse model of castor oil-induced in vivo antidiarrheal syndrome. In silico molecular docking analysis was performed using the ‘Vina Wizard’ program in PyRx – Python Prescription 0.8. Results: At 250 and 500 mg/kg, the EEOT stem dose-dependently demonstrated significant differences in antidiarrheal potential. During molecular docking analysis, out of four previously isolated compounds from O. turpethum stem, three (22,23-dihydro-α-spinosterol-ß-D-glucoside, 3-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-N-[2-(4-hydroxy phenyl)-ethyl]-acrylamide and β-sitosterol-β-D-glucoside) have shown satisfactory binding affinity against the target M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor compared with the reference standard drug loperamide. Conclusion: The EEOT stem has significant potential to prevent diarrhea, which can be rationalized by molecular docking analysis, in which secondary plant metabolites were found to bind promisingly to their target receptor.

Effective bone tissue engineering strategies require scaffolds with tailored properties to address specific bone abnormalities and fractures. Herein, porous biocomposite scaffolds were fabricated via repeated freeze-casting and three-layer coating. The prepared system consisted of spray-dried β-TCP granules and bio-macromolecule gelatin-based soya protein isolate (S) combined with a layer of the biomimetic adherent poly-dopamine (PDA) for simvastatin (SIM) coating via dopamine self-polymerization through the dip-coating process. Thrombin (Th) was then loaded to make the final hemostatic hybrid bone graft (TGS/SIM/Th). The PDA adhered layer improved the mechanical qualities as expected (13.93 MPa). Additionally, MC3T3-E1 cell migration (>90%) and osteogenic differentiation (∗∗∗p < 0.001) were superior in vitro. The sustained release of SIM (∼78%) can help form new capillary networks, and the burst release of Th (∼97.2%) supports the creation of stable blood coagulation. The hemostatic time of the TGS/SIM/Th significantly decreased (∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001) in the critical-sized rat calvarial defect model and tail amputation model, which would effectively enhance the bone repair. This study shows that the fabricated biocomposite could represent a new approach for treating bone defects while absorbing a large amount of blood from onsite bleeding.

Operculina turpethum is widely known for its use in traditional treatment practices to heal several diseases, such as bronchitis, pectoralgia, arthralgia, diarrhea, obesity, helminthiasis, gastropathy, ascites, sporadic fever, leucoderma, inflammation, pruritis, ulcers, erysipelas, tumors, jaundice, hemorrhoids, and ophthalmia. In this study, the antidiarrheal potential of the ethanolic extract of O. turpethum stem was assessed in an animal model, and molecular docking of previously reported stem-derived compounds was performed to determine the possible mechanism of action. The in vivo antidiarrheal effect was assessed using a castor oil-induced mouse model. In silico molecular docking analysis was performed using the ‘Vina Wizard’ program in PyRx 0.8. The stem extracts at 250 and 500 mg/kg produced significant, dose-dependent antidiarrheal activity. Among the four previously isolated compounds, three (22,23-dihydro-α-spinosterol-ß-D-glucoside, paprazine, and sitogluside) showed satisfactory binding affinity against the target M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, comparable to the reference standard drug loperamide. These findings suggest that the O. turpethum stem has significant potential to prevent diarrhea that warrants further phytochemical, pharmacological, and mechanistic investigations.