Curcumin as the active compound of turmeric has antioxidative, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial and anticancer properties among others. However, its disadvantageous properties like low solubility, poor bioavailability and rapid degradation under neutral or alkaline pH conditions or when exposed to light limit its clinical application. These problems can be solved by a smart combination of using a natural enhancer like piperine and preparing nanoparticles by a proper method like electrospray. Due to these facts it was aimed in this study to develop curcumin and piperine loaded zein-chitosan nanoparticles step by step. For that purpose various formulation parameters like the concentrations of zein, curcumin, piperine and chitosan and the preparation parameters like the applied voltage and the nozzle diameter were investigated step by step. The nanoparticles were characterised by investigating their shapes, morphologies, particle sizes with help of SEM images and the cytotoxicity on neuroblastoma cells. It was succeeded to prepare curcumin and piperine loaded zein-chitosan nanoparticles having a mean particle size of approximately 500 nm and high encapsulation efficencies for curcumin (89%) and piperine (87%). Using a curcumin concentration of 10-25 µg/ml resulted in reduction of the viability of approximately 50% of the neuroblastoma cells. The here developed nanoparticle formulation consisting of solely natural compounds showed good cytotoxic effects and is a promising approach with appropriate properties for final consumption.

Phytosphingosine (PS) is a natural antimicrobial ingredient present in the mammalian stratum corneum of the skin. The skin surface is the first line defense system against microbial colonization and infections. The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro antimicrobial effects of PS and PS-hydrochloride (PSHCl) nanoemulsion (NE) formulations and solutions against bacteria and fungi. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the PS-NE and PSHCl-NE formulations and PS/PSHCl solutions were determined by microdilution method against Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. Inhibitory effects were also examined by disc diffusion method and inhibition zone diameters were determined. PS/PSHCl solutions and PS-NE/PSHCl-NE formulations were prepared in different conditions. Physicochemical properties of the NEs were characterized and antimicrobial activities were evaluated. In this study we reported that the PS and PSHCl and NEs had variable antimicrobial activities for a variety of Gram-positive bacteria (MIC range 1 µg/ml to 1024 µg/ml), Gram-negative bacteria (MIC range 8 µg/ml to 1024 µg/ml) and Candida strains (MIC range 8 µg/ml to 512 µg/ml). Sphingolipids are part of the natural defense system of the body. We demonstrated that PS and PSHCl solutions and NEs have broad antimicrobial activity against bacteria and yeasts. In addition, the newly developed formulations may have potential for prophylactic and therapeutic intervention in infections.

With new consumption trends and mindset of a healthier way of life, there is an increasing demand for functional foods. To provide stable and functional products to consumers, the stability of the active compounds must be preserved during the processing of food. For this purpose, encapsulation techniques have been used in various industries in order to overcome problems such as stability, low solubility, and degradation under process conditions for food applications. Electrospinning and electrospraying are two highly versatile and scalable electrohydrodynamic methods, which have gained increasing attention in the various encapsulation applications. This review will give readers an overview of the latest electroencapsulation (electrospraying and electrospinning) of natural bioactive compounds for functional foods applications.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effects of curcumin and piperine loaded nanoparticles compared to docetaxel on the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. Curcumin, exerts anti-neoplastic and anti-apoptotic activities in cancer cell lines and piperine is effective for enhancing the bioavailability of curcumin. Docetaxel is an antimicrotubule agent used for cancer treatment. The cytotoxicity and gene expression effects of curcumin-piperine carrying nanoparticles compared to docetaxel were investigated. A reliable strategy for enhancing poor solubility is encapsulation through methods like electrospray as in this study. The cytotoxic effects of nanoparticles and docetaxel on cells were determined with IC₅₀ values by xCELLigence real-time cell analyzer. The gene expression analysis was performed to evaluate the molecular genetic changes for cancer related genes. The genes related to cancer formation, invasion and progression such as AKT1, MYC, NOTCH1, IL6, JUN, EGFR, MAPK1, RARB, BCL2, CCND1, MAPK8, BIRC5, ESR1 revealed decreased expression in the nanoparticles group compared to docetaxel. The gene expression results of curcumin and piperine loaded nanoparticles revealed higher significant effects on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in terms of cancer progression compared to docetaxel.