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Overexpression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in activated astrocytes following spinal cord injury is closely associated with glial scar formation, which harms axonal regrowth. In this study, we prepared ultrasmall cationic carbon quantum dots (CQDs) via one-step hydrothermal carbonization. Lycium barbarum oligosaccharides were used as the carbon source for the first time, and polyetherimide (PEI) and ethylenediamine (ED) were used as cationic reagents. Interestingly, the resultant CQDs show the bioactivity of specifically inhibiting GFAP protein expression, while promoting neuronal marker expression in neural stem cells (NSCs). Furthermore, CQDs together with NSCs can remarkably improve the motor activity of animals after implantation into the transection lesion of the rat spinal cord. Histological analysis confirmed that CQDs can enhance neuronal differentiation of NSCs while inhibiting glial scar formation in vivo. Altogether, this study represents the first report of producing CQDs from oligosaccharides and investigating their impact on NSCs differentiation, thus providing a paradigm for exploring the bioactivity of quantum dots., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent gastrointestinal cancer characterized by high mortality and an unfavorable prognosis. While combination therapies involving surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are advancing, targeted therapy for ESCC remains underdeveloped. As a result, the overall five-year survival rate for ESCC is still below 20%. Herein, ESCC-specific DNA aptamers and an innovative aptamer-modified nano-system is introduced for targeted drug and gene delivery to effectively inhibit ESCC. The EA1 ssDNA aptamer, which binds robustly to ESCC cells with high specificity and affinity, is identified using cell-based systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (cell-SELEX). An EA1-modified nano-system is developed using a natural egg yolk lipid nanovector (EA1-EYLNs-PTX/siEFNA1) that concurrently loads paclitaxel (PTX) and a small interfering RNA of Ephrin A1 (EFNA1). This combination counters ESCC's proliferation, migration, invasion, and lung metastasis. Notably, EFNA1 is overexpressed in ESCC tumors with lung metastasis and has an inverse correlation with ESCC patient prognosis. The EA1-EYLNs-PTX/siEFNA1 nano-system offers effective drug delivery and tumor targeting, resulting in significantly improved therapeutic efficacy against ESCC tumors. These insights suggest that aptamer-modified nano-systems can deliver drugs and genes with superior tumor-targeting, potentially revolutionizing targeted therapy in ESCC., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective: Magnolol (MG) and Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. oil (BJO) possess synergetic anti-tumor effects, but have poor water solubility and stability, which results in low oral bioavailability., Significance: The MG loaded self-microemulsion drug delivery system (MG-SMDDS) with BJO as oil phase component was utilized to improve the cellular uptake and synergetic anti-tumor effects., Methods: Compatibility study and pseudoternary phase diagram (PTPD) were respectively employed to screen for the composition and proportion of oil phase in the formulation. Central composite design-effect surface method was applied to optimize proportion of each formulation condition. The droplet size, ζ-potential, colloid stability, encapsulation rate (ER) and in vitro dissolution rate of MG-SMDDS were evaluated. Furthermore, cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of the microemulsion on HepG2 cells were assessed., Results: The optimal composition of MG-SMDDS was: MG (9.09%), castor oil (7.40%), BJO (2.47%), Cremophor EL 35 (54.04%) and 1, 2-propanediol (27.01%). The MG-SMDDS exhibited satisfactory droplet size, ζ-potential, colloid stability and ER, as well as faster dissolution rate than free MG. More importantly, SMEDDS containing BJO could enhance the cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of free BJO and free MG on tumor cells., Conclusions: The BJO self-microemulsion delivery technique can provide an idea for design of oral delivery vehicles based on BJO.

Background: Bufalin (BFL, an active anti-tumor compound derived from toad venom ) is limited in its application due to high toxicity and rapid metabolism of the cardiotonic steroid. Ester prodrug self-assembly nanoparticles have shown significant improved effects in addressing the above-mentioned issues., Methods: An ester bond was formed between linoleic acid and bufalin to synthesize linoleic acid-bufalin prodrug (LeB). The self-assembly nanoparticles (LeB-PSNs) containing different mass ratios of DSPE-PEG2k and prodrug (6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1 and 10:0) were prepared via co-precipitation method and defined as 6:4-PSNs, 7:3-PSNs, 8:2-PSNs, 9:1-PSNs and LeB-PSNs, respectively. Further, the characterization (particle size, zeta potential, surface morphology and stability) of the nanoparticles was carried out. Finally, we evaluated the impact of different ratios of DSPE-PEG2k on the hydrolysis rate, cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, cell migration and proliferation suppression potential of the prodrug nanoparticles., Results: The linoleic acid-bufalin prodrug (LeB) was successfully synthesized. Upon the addition of DSPE-PEG2k at different weight ratios, both particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) significantly decreased, while the zeta potential increased remarkably. No significant differences in particle size, PDI and Zeta potential were observed among the 9:1, 8:2 and 7:3 PSNs. Notably, the 8:2 (w/w) DSPE-PEG2k nanoparticles exhibited superior stability, hydrolysis and cellular uptake rates, along with efficient cell cytotoxicity, cell migration and proliferation suppression., Conclusion: These findings indicate that DSPE-PEG2k could improve the performance of BFL prodrug nanoparticles, namely enhancing stability and achieving adaptive drug release by modulating the hydrolysis rate of esterase. This study therefore provides more opportunities for the development of BFL application., Competing Interests: The authors report no competing interest in this work., (© 2024 Zhang et al.)

Background: Thrombospondin Type 1 Domain Containing Protein 1 (THSD1) has been suggested to be a new regulator of endothelial barrier function in the angiogenesis process, preserving vascular integrity. We sought to characterize the association of THSD1 genetic variants and mRNA expression with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HS) with population-based evidence., Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 843 HS cases and 1,400 healthy controls. A cohort study enrolled 4,080 participants free of stroke at baseline in 2009 and followed up to 2022. A synonymous variant, the main tag SNP rs3803264 of the THSD1 gene, was genotyped in all subjects, and peripheral leukocyte THSD1 mRNA expression was detected using RT-qPCR in 57 HS cases and 119 controls., Results: In the case-control study, rs3803264 AG/GG variations are associated with a decreased risk of HS with odd ratio ( OR ) and 95% confidence interval ( CI ) of the dominant model of 0.788 (0.648-0.958), p  = 0.017. In addition, rs3803264 and dyslipidemia had a multiplicative interaction [ OR (95% CI ) = 1.389 (1.032, 1.869), p  = 0.030]. In the cohort study, a similar association strength of rs3803264 dominant model and the risk of HS was observed with the incidence rate ratio ( IRR ) of 0.734 and p -value of 0.383. Furthermore, the risk of HS showed a non-linear as THSD1 mRNA expression increased ( p for non-linearity <0.001). For the subjects without hypertension, we observed THSD1 mRNA expression had a negative correlation with systolic blood pressure (SBP; ρ  = -0.334, p  = 0.022)., Conclusion: SNP rs3803264 polymorphisms in THSD1 are associated with the decreased risk of HS and interacted with dyslipidemia, and a non-linear association was observed between THSD1 mRNA expression and the risk of HS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chen, Gu, Liu, Sun, Mu, Jin, Sui, Geng, Li, Jiang and Shen.)

Periplocymarin (PPM), a cardiac glycoside isolated from Cortex periplocae , has a strong anti-tumor effect against various cancer cells. However, cardiotoxicity and rapid metabolism hinder its clinical applications. In this study, small molecule prodrug was integrated into PEGylated liposome to improve the efficiency of periplocymarin in vivo . The periplocymarin-linoleic acid (PL) prodrug was constructed by conjugating the linoleic acid with PPM via esterification, which was further facilitated to form PEGylated liposome (PL-Lip) through film dispersion. Compared with PL self-assembling nano-prodrug (PL-SNP), PL-Lip showed better colloid stability, sustained drug release kinetics, and enhanced cellular uptake by tumor cells. Notably, PL-Lip performed better than PPM and PL-SNP in terms of tumor distribution and pharmacokinetics, which include bioavailability and half-life. Altogether, the prodrug PEGylated liposome represents a good strategy and method for long-circulating and tumor-targeting delivery of periplocymarin with enhanced clinical application prospect.

Moringa seed extract containing 1-O-(4-hydroxy-methylphenyl)-α-l-rhamno-pyranoside (GR) has been reported to ameliorate CCl4 induced hyperlipidemia in the liver. However, it is unclear whether GR has any therapeutic effect on NAFLD. This study aimed to determine the hypolipidemic and concomitant hepatoprotective potential of GR. The structure and purity of GR were assessed and characterized using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The NAFLD model was established based on the L02 cells in vitro. After GR intervention, intracellular fat deposition and reactive oxygen content were significantly reduced, GR could up-regulation of AMPK and PPARα and the down-regulation of mTOR and SREBP-1, which play a key role in liver lipid homeostasis. In vivo experiments revealed that GR intervention significantly decreased serum fat content, inhibited liver injury, and increased antioxidant mechanism in mice fed with high fat diet. Hence, GR demonstrated promising hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective activities, serving as a potential candidate for NAFLD therapy., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It is critical to obtain an anti-inflammatory microenvironment when curing spinal cord injury (SCI). On the basis of this, we prepared Lycium barbarum oligosaccharide (LBO)-nasal mucosa-derived mesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) fibronectin hydrogel for SCI restoration via inflammatory license effect and M2 polarization of microglias. LBO exhibited remarkable M2 polarization potential for microglia. However, EMSCs primed by LBO generated enhanced paracrine effects through the inflammatory license-like process. The observed dual function is likely based on the TNFR2 pathway. In addition, LBO-EMSC hydrogel possesses a synergistic effect on M2 polarization of microglia through the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. The obtained findings provide a simple approach for MSC-based therapies for SCI and shed more light on the role of TNFR2 on bidirectional regulation in tissue regeneration.

This study aimed to develop a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) to enhance the solubility, oral bioavailability, and hypolipidemic effects of syringic acid (SA), a bioactive and poorly-soluble polyphenol. Based on the response surface methodology-central composite design (RSM-CCD), an optimum formulation of SA-SMEDDS, consisting of ethyl oleate (oil, 12.30%), Cremophor-EL (surfactant, 66.25%), 1,2-propanediol (cosurfactant, 21.44%), and drug loading (50 mg/g), was obtained. The droplets of SA-SMEDDS were nanosized (16.38 ± 0.12 nm), spherically shaped, and homogeneously distributed (PDI = 0.058 ± 0.013) nanoparticles with high encapsulation efficiency (98.04 ± 1.39%) and stability. In vitro release study demonstrated a prolonged and controlled release of SA from SMEDDS. In vitro cell studies signified that SA-SMEDDS droplets substantially promoted cellular internalization. In comparison with the SA suspension, SA-SMEDDS showed significant prolonged T max , t 1/2 , and MRT after oral administration. Also, SA-SMEDDS exhibited a delayed in vivo elimination, increased bioavailability (2.1-fold), and enhanced liver accumulation. Furthermore, SA-SMEDDS demonstrated significant improvement in alleviating serum lipid profiles and hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia in mice. Collectively, SMEDDS demonstrated potential as a nanosystem for the oral delivery of SA with enhanced bioavailability and hypolipidemic effects.

Ectomesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) are typical adult stem cells obtained from the cranial neural crest. They have the potential to differentiate into various cell types, such as osseous cells, neurons and glial cells. Three-dimensional (3 D) printing is a novel method to construct biological structures by rapid prototyping. Previously, our group reported on the stemness and multi-lineage differentiation potential of EMSCs on gels. However, the exploration of EMSCs in 3 D printing and then evaluation of the growth and neuronal differentiation of EMSCs on extruded 3 D printable hybrid hydrogels has not been reported. Therefore, the current study explored the novel hybrid Sodium alginate-Matrigel (SA-MA) hydrogel extruded 3 D printing to design an in vitro scaffold to promote the differentiation and growth of EMSCs. In addition, the physical properties of the hydrogel were characterized and its drug-releasing property determined. Notably, the results showed that the construct exhibited a sustain-released effect of growth factor BDNF in accordance with the Higuchi equation. Moreover, the cell survival rate on the 3 D printed scaffold was 88.22 ± 1.13% with higher neuronal differentiation efficiency compared with 2 D culture. Thus, SA-MA's ability to enhanced EMSCs neuronal differentiation offers a new biomaterial for neurons regeneration in the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Curcumin (CUR), a nontoxic natural compound with potent antitumor activity, was limited in clinical application due to its insolubility and exceedingly low bioavailability. In this study, a novel prodrug-nanoparticle (CSSV/TPGS-NPs) self-assembled by co-nanoprecipitation of CUR-s-s-vitamin E conjugate and d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (vitamin E TPGS) was prepared in attempt to solve aforementioned obstacles. CSSV/TPGS-NPs showed smaller sizes and better stability compared with that of CUR-s-s-vitamin E conjugate prodrug-nanoparticles (CSSV-NPs). Significantly, the absorption constant and effective permeability of CSSV/TPGS-NPs in different intestinal tracts increased 1.31-2.78 times and 1.81-6.95 times than that of CUR suspension, respectively. Pharmacokinetic study in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats demonstrated that orally administered CSSV/TPGS-NPs displayed a prolonged plasma circulation with 8.06-fold increase in relative bioavailability compared to that of the CUR suspension. Altogether, conjugation of hydrophobic native CUR with vitamin E to form CSSV/TPGS-NPs is a promising technology for sustained and controlled drug delivery of CUR with improved oral bioavailability in vivo .

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the prevalent and typical chronic liver diseases. In this study, we extracted a novel Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) with low molecular weight (MW) of 3.2 kDa through optimized "one-step" purification process. The major monosaccharide components of ASP were mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galactose, arabinose, and xylose with weight ratio of 0.23:0.17:14.41:0.39:1.68:0.87, respectively. Herein, "small" ASP could serve as an effective therapeutic option for NAFLD both in free fatty acid-induced L02 models and in high-fat diet-induced mice models. Results revealed that low MW ASP dose-dependently decreased TG, TC in vitro and TG, TC, ALT, HDL-C, and LDL-C in vivo. Oil Red O-positive area and Nile red fluorescence intensity decreased in ASP treatment groups both in vitro and in vivo which suggested ASP could reduce lipid accumulation and fatty regeneration. Hematoxylin-eosin staining results shown a decrease in hepatocytes ballooning indicating that ASP could ameliorate liver lipid degeneration. Briefly, a novel polysaccharide with low MW was successfully obtained which can prospectively act as NAFLD therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Syringic acid (SA), a natural polyphenol found in fruits and vegetables, is claimed to show notable hepatoprotection. Nevertheless, low solubility and bioavailability hamper the application of SA. This study aimed to investigate the potential of TPGS/F127/F68 mixed polymeric micelles as a sustained and liver-targeting nanocarrier for SA. Herein, the prepared SA-loaded TPGS/F127/F68 mixed polymeric micelles (SA-TPGS-Ms) were spherically-shaped and homogeneously-distributed nanoparticles with high entrapment efficiency (94.67 ± 2.05%) and sustained release. Besides, in-vitro cell culture studies revealed that SA-TPGS-Ms substantially promoted cellular uptake with excellent biocompatibility. After oral administration, SA-TPGS-Ms demonstrated an increased bioavailability (2.3-fold) and delayed in-vivo elimination compared with the free SA. Furthermore, the alleviation of oxidative stress and amelioration of hepatic injury in CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity mice further demonstrated the excellent hepatoprotection of SA-TPGS-Ms. Collectively, SA-TPGS-Ms could be a promising nanocarrier for the utilization of SA in functional foods, with enhanced bioavailability and hepatoprotection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cardiac glycosides (CGs) have been used to treat cancer for hundreds of years. However, the narrow therapeutic window and system toxicity have hindered their wide clinical applications. Herein, the small molecule prodrug strategy and nanotechnology were integrated into one drug delivery system with enhanced therapeutic effect. Using periplocymarin (PPM) as a target agent, we designed a novel redox-responsive prodrug conjugated with linoleic acid (PPM-ss-LA), which was capable of self-assembling independent of exogenous excipients. This prodrug could co-assemble with DSPE 2k to form PEGylated prodrug nanoparticles (PPM-ss-LA/DSPE 2k -NPs) with enhanced colloidal stability and blood circulation. Compared with free PPM, PPM-ss-LA/DSPE 2k -NPs retained high anti-proliferative activity and showed increased cell uptake and therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the PPM-ss-LA/DSPE 2k -NPs acquired a greatly enhancement of 50% lethal dose (LD 50 ) in mice and reduced system toxicity compared with the free drug. Overall, the on-demand release of nanoprodrug delivery system could improve the therapeutic window and anticancer efficacy of CGs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Gastrodigenin rhamnopyranoside (GR) is a hepatoprotective compound that exists in Moringa oleifera seeds. However, the UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of GR (in-vitro/in-vivo) is lacking clarification. Herein, this study established the UPLC-MS/MS technique, which was effective and sensitive for the investigation of the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of GR in rats and mice. The separation was achieved with a Shim-pack XR-ODS III C 18 column (2.0 × 75 mm, 1.6 μm) at 40 °C, while the mobile phase (Acetonitrile/0.1% Formic acid =12:82, v/v) was at an eluting rate of 0.2 mL/min. The Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) was selected for quantification, i.e., m/z [M + HCOO] - 314.9 → 269 for GR and m/z [M + HCOO] - 182.85 → 137 for Tyrosol as the internal standard. The calibration curves were linearly ranged from 10 to 2500 ng/mL (r ≥ 0.999) with a lower-limit-of-quantification (LLOQ) of 10 ng/mL in the various biological samples (plasma, liver, heart, lung, spleen, brain, kidney). The intra- and inter-day precision was within 5%, while accuracy ranged from -11.4% - 8.33%. Recovery and matrix effect were with 80.32 to 101.31% and 90.36 to 103.76%, respectively, in a reasonable range. After oral and intravenous administration, GR was detected within 3 h but decreased rapidly in plasma, indicating fast elimination. Also, GR was quickly distributed in the various tissues, particularly in the kidney and spleen. The results demonstrated that the established UPLC-MS/MS method was highly linear, precise and accurate with the potential to be used for the quantitative analysis of GR in-vivo., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

1-O-(4-hydroxymethylphenyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (MPG) is a phenolic glycoside that exists in Moringa oleifera seeds with various health benefits, whereas its hepatoprotective effect is lacking clarification. Herein, MPG was isolated from Moringa oleifera seeds, and its hepatoprotection against CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity in L02 cells and ICR mice was investigated. Toxicity studies showed that MPG did not induce significant changes in organ coefficients and histological analysis, as well as exhibited no cytotoxicity. In vitro studies indicated that MPG substantially increased cell viability and intracellular SOD activities, and significantly inhibited LDH leakage in CCl 4 -treated cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that MPG significantly alleviated CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity in mice, as indicated by diagnostic indicators of hepatic injury, as well as the histopathological analysis. Moreover, MPG reduced the lipid peroxidation levels and regulated the inflammatory cytokines. Notably, MPG substantially suppressed the significant elevation of ROS production in hepatocytes of mice intoxicated with CCl 4 . Moreover, TUNEL assay demonstrated that MPG obviously inhibited hepatic apoptosis induced by CCl 4 . Altogether, these results suggested that MPG has excellent liver-protecting effects against hepatocytotoxicity induced by CCl 4 in mice and L02 cells, which can be further developed as a valuable functional food additive or drug for the treatment of hepatic injury., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The prevalence of hyperuricemia is relatively high worldwide, and a great number of patients are suffering from its complications. 6-shogaol, an alkylphenol compound purified from the root of ginger ( Zingiber officinale Roscoe), has been proved to possess diverse pharmacological activities. However, its poor aqueous solubility usually leads to low bioavailability, and further clinical applications will be greatly discounted. The current study aimed to formulate a 6-shogaol-loaded-Self Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SMEDDS) to amend low aqueous solubility and bioavailability orally, as well as, potentiate the hyperuricemic activity of the 6-shogaol. SMEDDS was developed with central composite design established on a two system components viz., 18.62% W/W ethyl oleate (oil phase) and ratio of tween 80 (surfactant) to PEG 400 (co-surfactant) (1.73:1, W/W). Based on quadratic model, the navigation of the design space could generate spherically-shaped and homogenous droplets with respective mean particle diameter, polydispersity and of 20.00 ± 0.26 nm and 0.18 ± 0.02. The 6-shogaol-SMEDDS showed significant elevation of cumulative release compared with the free 6-shogaol and more importantly a 571.18% increment in the relative oral bioavailability of the drug. The predominant accumulation of 6-shogaol-SMEDDS in the liver suggested hepatic-targeting potentiality of the drug. Oral administration of 6-shogaol-SMEDDS in hyperuricemic rats also significantly decreased uric acid level and xanthine oxidase activity. Histological studies confirmed formulation groups indeed could provide better protection of kidney than free drug groups. Collectively, these findings indicated that the SMEDDS hold much promise in enhancing the oral delivery and therapeutic efficacy of 6-shogaol.

：6-shogaol is a promising anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory agent. However, the treatment effectiveness of 6-shogaol is limited by poor water solubility, poor oral absorption and rapid metabolism. Herein, 6-shogaol loaded in micelles (SMs) were designed to improve 6-shogaol's solubility and bioavailability. The micelles of a PEG derivative of linoleic acid (mPEG 2k -LA) were prepared by the nanoprecipitation method with a particle size of 76.8 nm, and entrapment of 81.6 %. Intriguingly, SMs showed a slower release in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) (pH = 7.4) compared to free 6-shogaol while its oral bioavailability increased by 3.2⁻fold in vivo. More importantly, the in vitro cytotoxic effect in HepG2 cells of SMs was significantly higher than free 6-shogaol. Furthermore, SMs could significantly improve the tissue distribution of 6-shogaol, especially liver and brain. Finally, SMs showed a better hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic injury in vivo than free 6-shogaol. These results suggest that the novel micelles could potentiate the activities of 6-shogaol in cancer treatment and hepatoprotection.

In this present study, we investigated the anti-hyperuricemic and anti-gouty arthritis effect of a puried water-soluble polysaccharide (LJP-1) obtained from Lonicera japonica. A series of characterization of the purified polysaccharide were carried out in this paper. Monosaccharide analysis showed that LJP-1 composed of glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, arabinose, and xylose at the ratio of 2.43:1:2.09:1.95:1.96, respectively. The estimated molecular weight of LJP-1 was 17.5 kDa. LJP-1 belonged to pyranose and possessed α- and β -glycosidic configurations. Congo red test showed that LJP-1 had a spatial triple helix structure. In pharmacodynamic experiments, the anti-hyperuricemic activity of LJP-1 was studied using hyperuricemic SD rat model induced via potassium oxonate and hypoxanthine. The result showed that LJP-1 could obviously decrease the serum uric acid level and suppress xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity. Moreover, in the gouty arthritis model established by sodium urate crystals, the degree of swelling of the ankle joint, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and COX-2-related inflammatory factors levels in murine serum all declined. Taken together, these results demonstrated that LJP-1 has anti-gouty arthritis effect. Therefore, LJP-1 could serve as a promising candidate for developing novel natural anti-gouty agent., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this study, syringic acid-loaded TPGS liposome (SA-TPGS-Ls) was successfully prepared to improve oral bioavailability of syringic acid (SA). SA is a natural and notable antioxidant activity compound with its limited bioavailability ascribable to its poor aqueous solubility and fast elimination. Recently, TPGS has become a perfect molecular biomaterial in developing several carrier systems with sustained, controlled, and targeted the drug delivery. SA-TPGS-Ls was prepared via thin-film dispersion method and characterized in terms of particle size, stability, morphology, and encapsulation efficiency (EE). The results showed that SA-TPGS-Ls had regular spherical-shaped nanoparticles with EE of 96.48 ± 0.76%. The pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated a delayed MRT and prolonged t 1/2 , while relative oral bioavailability increased by 2.8 times. Tissue distribution showed that SA-TPGS-Ls maintained liver drug concentration while delayed elimination was also observed in the kidney. In CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity study, the activities of hepatic T-AOC, GSH-Px, CAT, GSH, and SOD were greatly elevated, while serum biological markers ALT, AST, and AKP were reduced after treatment of mice with SA-TPGS-Ls. Histopathological studies confirmed that SA-TPGS-Ls could remarkably improve the status of hepatic tissues. Collectively, SA-TPGS-Ls significantly improved the drug encapsulation efficiency, stability coupled with bioavailability of SA, hence increasing in vivo antioxidant activity of the drug.

In this study, an optimized nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were developed and investigated for improving the solubility and oral availability of 6-Gingerol (6G), an active and abundant component of ginger with limited applications due to its poor water solubility plus oral biological availability. The NLCs consisted of a solid lipid (glyceryl monostearate), another liquid lipid (decanoyl/octanoyl-glycerides) and mixed surfactants (Tween 80 and Poloxamer 188), and was prepared by high pressure homogenization method. The optimal 6G-NLC formulation was evaluated through physical properties such as appearance, mean particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro drug release, alongside techniques viz., transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Pharmacokinetics were also evaluated in rats. The 6G-NLCs prepared with optimal formulation exhibited a homogenous spherical shape with mean particle size and zeta potential of 63.59 ± 5.54 nm and - 12.18 ± 1.06 mV. Encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were 76.71 ± 1.11 and 1.17 ± 0.35%, respectively. In vitro release profile of 6G from NLCs was sustained and fitted with Weibull equation. After oral administration of the 6G-NLCs, drug concentrations in serum, MRT, and AUC 0-t were significantly higher as compared with the free 6G suspension. All these results indicated that the developed NLC formulation could be effective and promising drug carriers to improve the water solubility of 6G while sustaining the drug release as well as prolonging in vivo acting time of the drug coupled with oral bioavailability enhancement.

In this study, two polysaccharide fractions (RRP1: Mw = 5.5 kDa, and RRP2: Mw = 425.7 kDa) were isolated from Rhodiola rosea to investigate their antioxidation and hepatoprotective effects. Physicochemical analysis showed that RRP1 was composed of mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose with a relative molar ratio of 0.69:0.11:0.15:1:0.51:7.5 and RRP2 was consisted of mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose (relative molar ratio = 0.15:0.19:1.01:0.18:0.47:1). Periodate oxidation and Smith degradation analysis revealed that, in RRP1, part of the arabinose and glucose residues were 1 → 3,6/1 → 3/1 → 2,3/1 → 3,4/1 → 2,4/1 → 2,3,4-linked, and the mannose, rhamnose and galactose residues were 1 → 2,6/1 → 6/1 → 2/1→/1 → 4,6/1 → 4-linked. In RRP2, the rhamnose, glucose and galactose residues were linked by 1 → 3,6/1 → 3/1 → 2,3/1 → 3,4/1 → 2,4/1 → 2,3,4 linkages, and the arabinose and mannose residues were 1 → 2/1 → 6/1 → 4-linked. The methylation analysis confirmed the structure information of the two fractions. Importantly, fraction RRP1 demonstrated stronger antioxidative activities than RRP2 by scavenging DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals in vitro. Correspondently, RRP1 showed more significant effects than RRP2 on decreasing the levels of ALT, AST and MDA, and increasing the GSH, SOD and CAT levels in the CCl 4 -treated mice. These data demonstrated that the polysaccharide RRP1 could be developed as a promising candidate for preventing and treating liver damage induced by toxic chemicals., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An optimized perillaldehyde-loaded liposomal nanoformulation (PAH-LNF) was successfully applied to improve the pharmacological effect of perillaldehyde (PAH) in poloxamer 407-induced hyperlipidemia. Oral administration of PAH-LNF (240mg/kg per body weight) in rats significantly enhanced solubility and relative bioavailability (270.7%) compared to the free PAH with about 2.7-, 1.5-, 1.3-, 1.3- and 1.5-fold increase in AUC, T 1/2 , MRT, C max and T max , respectively. Tissue distribution study also revealed the accumulation of PAH in the liver, lungs, spleen, kidney, brain and heart in order of decreasing affinity. Moreover, a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with simultaneous increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was observed in the chemically-induced hyperlipidemic mice which further confirmed PAH's anti-hyperlipidemic properties. Additionally, PAH-LNF also significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) with a concurrent decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) to affirm the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of PAH. Thus, liposomal nanoformulation promises to be a useful drug delivery system for the development of PAH., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to develop a novel drug delivery system using two biocompatible copolymers of Solutol(®)HS15 and Soluplus(®) to improve solubility, oral bioavailability and anticancer activity of paclitaxel (PTX). The PTX-loaded mixed micelles (PTX-M) were prepared by ethanol thin-film hydration method. The optimal PTX-M were provided with small size (164.8±2.0nm) and spherical shape at ratio of 1: 3 (Solutol(®)HS15: Soluplus(®)), thus increasing the solubility to 15.76±0.15mg/mL in water. The entrapment efficiency and drug loading of PTX-M were 98.48±0.91% and 10.59±0.09% respectively. In vitro release study indicated a sustained release of PTX-M. Transcellular transport study showed that the efflux ratio were decreased by 89.72% dramatically in Caco-2 cell transport models, and the pharmacokinetics study of PTX-M compared with PTX, showed a 3.68-fold increase in relative oral bioavailability, indicating the mixed micelles may promote absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the MTT assay demonstrated that the IC50 value of PTX-M was reduced by 40.21% (PTX-M: 22.6±2.1μg/mL, PTX: 37.8±1.4μg/mL), and in vivo anti-tumor study (15days' therapy) showed PTX-M achieved higher anti-tumor efficacy (57.66%) compared with PTX (41.13%). Furthermore, a gastrointestinal safety assay also provided the reliability and safety of PTX-M. Collectively, these findings present an oral micelle formulation with increased solubility, oral bioavailability and anticancer activity of PTX., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, a formulation system consisting of cholesterol and phosphatidyl choline was used to prepare an effective chlorogenic acid-loaded liposome (CAL) with an improved oral bioavailability and an increased antioxidant activity. The developed liposomal formulation produced regular, spherical and multilamellar-shaped distribution nanoparticles. The pharmacokinetic analysis of CAL compared with chlorogenic acid (CA), showed a higher value of Cmax(6.42 ± 1.49 min versus 3.97 ± 0.39 min) and a delayed Tmax(15 min versus 10 min), with 1.29-fold increase in relative oral bioavailability. The tissue distribution in mice also demonstrated that CAL predominantly accumulated in the liver which indicated hepatic targeting potential of the drug. The increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (Total Superoxide Dismutase (T-SOD) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px)) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), in addition to decreased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity study further revealed that CAL exhibited significant hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects. Collectively, these findings present a liposomal formulation with significantly improved oral bioavailability and an increased in vivo antioxidant activity of CA., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

For quantitative and other related bioactive studies of hydnocarpin, there is a need to establish an efficient, specific and sensitive analytical method (in vitro and in vivo). In this paper, an efficient HPLC method has been established and validated to analyze hydnocarpin in a nanomicelle formulation for the first time. Various chromatographic conditions for in vitro and in vivo determinations were investigated, with the application examined by pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution studies. The analysis was carried out using an HPLC system with a Waters symmetry C18 column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 µm) at 25°C with a detecting wavelength of 342 nm. Eluting at a rate of 1.0 mL/min, a 65% methanol and 35% acetic acid solution (0.1%) served as the mobile phase for the in vitro determinations while a 62% methanol and 38% acetic acid solution (0.1%) was used for in vivo analysis with isoliquiritigenin as internal standard. The established in vitro linearity range for hydnocarpin was 0.2-20 µg/mL (R(2) = 0.9996), with the biological (in vivo) samples following the same trend. The accuracy of the method was >99% (in vitro) and 92.4-105.3% (in vivo). Also, the precision met the acceptance criterion. These results indicate that the established method exhibited high specificity, accuracy, linearity and precision. Additionally, this efficient HPLC method was applied to pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution studies., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)