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This paper reports the prebiotic efficacy of soluble crude polysaccharides (SCP) from palm kernel cake on the growth rates and acidifying property of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103, to investigate into the potential SCP of an agriculture by-product as a novel prebiotic. The highest extraction yield of SCP (2.90%) was obtained using NaOH. The extracted polysaccharides were highly soluble (>97%). The highest percentage of protein (0.63 ± 0.09%) and the total carbohydrate content (55.36 ± 0.33%) were observed in NaOH-extracted SCP (SCPN) and citric acid-extracted SCP (SCPCA). Water-extracted SCP (SCPW) contained the highest percentage of glucose, whereas SCPCA demonstrated the presence of two major monosaccharides, galactose and mannose. Structural analysis of SCP showed peaks in the range of 1000–1077 cm−1, an indication of the presence of polysaccharides and alpha (α)- or beta (β)-glycosidic linkages. The degree of hydrolysis increased with the increase of pH from 5 to 8 following 4 h incubation. SCPW and SCPCA were more resistant (95%) to α-amylase as compared to fructooligosaccharides (FOS). As in the case of FOS (∼98%), SCPW (∼99%) and SCPCA (∼98%) were resistant to artificial human gastric juice and their degree of hydrolysis had negative correlation with the pH. The product was found to markedly stimulate the proliferation of the tested probiotics and acid production. All the above findings are supportive of the fact that polysaccharides extracted from CKC have a vast potential to be exploited as novel prebiotic.

The bulk availability of banana waste in the world has made a move towards the development of alternative novel renewable sugars in present study as the pressed juice from banana frond and pseudostem was found to contain high level of renewable sugars such as glucose, sucrose and fructose. By using a simple sugarcane press, the glucose content in the banana frond juice was 16.6 g/L, which accounts for 55% of the total fermentable sugars. From the results, the lipase production reached ∼200 U/mL in medium comprising banana frond juice and banana pseudostem juice, comparable to basal medium with glucose (206.3 U/mL) as carbon source in basal media. As banana pseudostem possesses high content of starch, microwave heating pretreatment showed 36% enhancement of glucose content (10.4 g/L) in juice as compared to direct pressed juice (7.78 g/L). This result indicates that banana waste juice can be used as an alternative fermentable carbon source for lipase production and has potential as a fermentable carbon source.

This paper deliberates the modelling and validation of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) secretion by Pediococcus acidilactici Kp10 at different agitation speeds in a stirred tank bioreactor. A range of models namely the re-parameterised logistic, Luedeking–Piret and maintenance energy were assessed to predict the culture performance of the said bacterium. Growth of P. acidilactici Kp10 was enhanced with increased agitation speed up to 600 rpm while BLIS secretion was maximum at 400 rpm but decreased at higher agitation speed. Growth of P. acidilactici aptly subscribed to the re-parameterised logistic model while BLIS secretion and lactose consumption fitted well with the Luedeking–Piret model. The models revealed a relationship between growth of the bacterium and BLIS secretion. Bacterial growth and BLIS secretion were largely affected by the agitation speed of the stirred tank bioreactor which regulated the oxygen transfer to the culture. BLIS secretion by P. acidilactici Kp10 was however enhanced in oxygen-limited culture. The study also assessed BLIS from the perspective of its stability when subjected to factors such as temperature, pH and detergents. Results showed that BLIS produced by this strain was not affected by heat (at 25–100 °C for 20 min and at 121 °C for 15 min), surfactant (Tween 40, 60 and 80 and urea), detergents (up to 1% SDS), organic solvents (50% each of acetone, methanol and ethanol) and stable in a wide range of pH (2–10). The above information are pertinent with reference to commercial applications of this bacterial product in food manufacturing which invariably involve various sterilization processes and subjected to a wide pH range.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are of major interest in the food industry primarily by virtue of their biopreservative properties. LAB have ability to produce various types of antimicrobial compounds, the most important being bacteriocins. Bacteriocins and bacteriocin-producing cultures have the potential to increase the shelf-life of foods and contribute towards decreasing the incidence of food-borne diseases. In this respect, food preservation through in situ production of bacteriocins by LAB introduced into the food system would be the most logical approach. However, there is a need to understand the relationship between bacterial growth and bacteriocin production in various types of food system. Bacteriocin production by LAB is dependent on a number of factors such as the types of carbon and nitrogen sources and their concentrations in the media formulation. Other factors which need to be considered are the culture conditions which include pH, temperature and aeration which greatly influence the cultivation performance of bacteriocins producing LAB. Economic aspects pertaining to the optimization of fermentation process for the enhancement of bacteriocin production should also be given due considerations. Failure to acknowledge or recognize this hidden economic element would be a substantial financial loss to the industry especially from the point of view that the product is costly and highly sought after. Thus, the fermentation factors which influence the production of bacteriocins by LAB and the approaches to improve the production not only in term of yield and productivity but also in term of economic and regulation are reviewed in this paper.

Using only type B gelatin produces hard capsule shells which are too brittle. This study examines the blending of type B bovine gelatin with sodium alginate to produce hard capsule shells and through evaluation of their in vitro physicochemical properties provides a reflection on the role of gelatin and sodium alginate in the blend. The compositions and formulation of the capsule shells in this study comprised gelatin (10%, 20% and 30%), sodium alginate (1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5%), water, and opacifying agents (titanium dioxide; TiO2) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) whose concentrations were kept constant. From the 15 films prepared, five were found to form hard capsule shells. Increased concentrations of sodium alginate increased the viscosity of the blends accompanied by capsule thickening. There was a good molecular compatibility between gelatin and sodium alginate. Increased gelatin and sodium alginate concentrations increased the water-holding capacity of the film, which decreased the redness (a*), lightness (L*), blueness (b*), variation in the color parameters (ΔE*) and the whiteness index (WI). The weight of the capsule shells ranged between 0.080 g and 0.25 g and the moisture content was between 5% and 11%. Ash contents for all the formulations were below 5% and the sensitivity of capsules at pH 7 was higher than that at acidic pH. Highest rupture times were observed with simulated gastric fluid (SGF, pH 1) for all formulations. Increased gelatin concentration decreased the resistance of the capsule to force while increased sodium alginate concentration had no effect on resistance to force.

The present study investigates the detection of lard in cocoa butter through changes in fatty acids composition, triacylglycerols profile, and thermal characteristics. Cocoa butter was mixed with 1% to 30% (v/v) of lard and analyzed using a gas chromatography flame ionization detector, high performance liquid chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results revealed that the mixing of lard in cocoa butter showed an increased amount of oleic acid in the cocoa butter while there was a decrease in the amount of palmitic acid and stearic acids. The amount of POS, SOS, and POP also decreased with the addition of lard. A heating thermogram from the DSC analysis showed that as the concentration of lard increased from 3% to 30%, two minor peaks at −26 °C and 34.5 °C started to appear and a minor peak at 34.5 °C gradually overlapped with the neighbouring major peak. A cooling thermogram of the above adulterated cocoa butter showed a minor peak shift to a lower temperature of −36 °C to −41.5 °C. Values from this study could be used as a basis for the identification of lard from other fats in the food authentication process.

Context: Zerumbone (ZER) is known to exhibit anticancer properties on various cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. However, the anti-angiogenesis effect of ZER on liver cancers in vivo is not yet addressed clearly. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the in vivo antiproliferative and antiangiogenesis effects of ZER using rats with diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: The antiproliferative and anti-angiogenesis effects of ZER were determined using the hepatosomatic index, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) immunoassay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry analysis. Results: Nontreated rats with HCC had higher median liver weight than those treated with ZER or suramin. The expression of VEGF, matrix metalloprotease, and Ki-67 that were high in nontreated HCC rats was down-regulated with ZER or suramin treatments. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science version 21.0 (SPSS Inc, IBM, Maryland, USA). The data were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation and analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. P Abbreviations used: ZER: Zerumbone; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; MMP-9: Matrix metalloproteinase-9; VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; DEN: Diethylnitrosamine; PBS: Phosphate-buffered saline; ELISA: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; TUNEL: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling; FFPE: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded; H and E: Hematoxylin and Eosin; DAB: Dako Envision®+Dual Link System; HRP: Horseradish peroxidase; H2O2: Hydrogen peroxide; PBST: PBS in Tween 20; SPSS: Statistical Package for Social Science; RUGS: Research University Grant Scheme. Correspondence

HIGHLIGHTS: EDTA induces platelet microparticles (PMPs) vesiculation. Sodium citrated tubes are better than EDTA tubes in PMPs analysis. Sodium citrate has a minor impact on platelet structure. ABSTRACT: Platelet microparticles (PMPs) are small membrane fragments released from activated platelets in response to various stimuli. PMPs serve as biomarkers for several diseases and conditions and are useful tools for prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic purposes. The objective of our study was to compare the direct effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and sodium citrate anticoagulants on platelet structure and PMP vesiculation using transmission electron microscopy to visualize the morphologic changes in platelets. Micrographs revealed that platelets in the EDTA-anticoagulated tube manifested with significant morphologic changes and induced PMP vesiculation. On the other hand, the sodium citrate-anticoagulated tube showed a normal platelet structure and minor modifications in some cases, with poor indication of PMP vesiculation. In conclusion, EDTA induced platelet activation and PMP vesiculation and represents a major source of artifacts during the pre-analysis steps of PMP vesiculation.

In this study, isolated spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and Sertoli cells using enzymatic digestion from patients with maturation arrest of spermatogenesis were grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum in three different groups: (1) SSCs cultured without Sertoli cells (2) SSCs co-cultured with Sertoli cells (as control group), (3) SSCs co-cultured with Sertoli cells and adding different concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (0.1, 1, 10 ng ml(-1)) and human leukaemia inhibitory factor (1000, 1200, 1500 unit ml(-1)) as experimental groups. The assessment of colonies every 10 days during 5-week cultures showed that in the first group, the average number and diameter of the colonies were significantly lower than in the other groups (P < 0.05). The largest number of colonies was observed in control condition (32.29 ± 9.15) in day 30. The largest diameter of colonies was formed in combination dosages of 1 ng ml(-1) basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) + 1500 unit ml(-1) leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) (302.93 ± 37.68) and 10 ng ml(-1) bFGF and 1200 unit ml(-1) LIF (262.87 ± 35.54) in day 30 respectively. Isolated SSCs were positive for spermatogonial cell markers such as Oct4, Stra8, Piwil2 and Vasa but negative for Nanog. Transplantation technique indicated that hSSCs have good efficiency for colonisation of mouse seminiferous tubules after proliferation in culture system.

The effect of medium composition (type and concentration of carbon and nitrogen sources) and culture conditions (pH, aeration and temperature) on the production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) by Lactobacillus paracasei LA07 was studied in shake flask culture. The highest BLIS production was obtained from de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) broth, which was 4%, 22%, 51% and 63% higher than those obtained in M17 Broth, Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), Brain Heart Infusion Broth (BHIB) and Nutrient Broth (NB) respectively. The addition of meat extract (5 g/L) and yeast extract (5 g/L) to MRS broth increased further BLIS production by 5% and 8%, respectively. The production of BLIS was further improved by 11% and 13% through the addition of tryptone (3 g/L) and glucose (10 g/L), respectively. The growth of Lb. paracasei LA07 and BLIS production were not significantly affected by agitation, either in anaerobic or in aerobic conditions. The optimum initial pH and temperature for BLIS production by...

Zerumbone (ZER), a monosesquiterpene found in the subtropical ginger (Zingiber zerumbet Smith), possesses antiproliferative properties to several cancer cells lines, including the cervical, skin and colon cancers. In this study, the antitumourigenic effects of ZER were assessed in rats induced to develop liver cancer with a single intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg) and dietary 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) (0.02%). The rats also received intraperitoneal ZER injections at 15, 30 or 60 mg/kg body wt. twice a week for 11 weeks, beginning week four post-DEN injection. The hepatocytes of positive control (DEN/AAF) rats were smaller with larger hyperchromatic nuclei than normal, showing cytoplasmic granulation and intracytoplasmic violaceous material, which were characteristics of hepatocarcinogenesis. Histopathological evaluations showed that ZER protects the rat liver from the carcinogenic effects of DEN and AAF. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (AP) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in ZER-treated than untreated rats with liver cancer. The liver malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the untreated DEN/AAF rats indicating hepatic lipid peroxidation. There was also significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the hepatic tissue glutathione (GSH) concentrations. The liver sections of untreated DEN/AAF rats also showed abundant proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), while in ZER-treated rats the expression of this antigen was significantly (P < 0.05) lowered. By the TUNEL assay, there were significantly (P < 0.05) higher numbers of apoptotic cells in DEN/AAF rats treated with ZER than those untreated. Zerumbone treatment had also increased Bax and decreased Bcl-2 protein expression in the livers of DEN/AAF rats, which suggested increased apoptosis. Even after 11 weeks of ZER treatment, there was no evidence of abnormality in the liver of normal rats. This study suggests that ZER reduces oxidative stress, inhibits proliferation, induces mitochondria-regulated apoptosis, thus minimising DEN/AAF-induced carcinogenesis in rat liver. Therefore, ZER has great potential in the treatment of liver cancers.

Background Dead islets replaced with viable islets are a promising offer to restore normal insulin production to a person with diabetes. The main reason for establishing a new islet source for transplantation is the insufficiency of human donor pancreas while using xenogeneic islets perhaps assists this problem. The expression of PDX1 is essential for the pancreas expansion. In mature β-cells, PDX1 has several critical roles such as glucose sensing, insulin synthesis, and insulin secretion. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the expression of pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX1) in treated caprine islets in culture and to assess the protective effects of antioxidant factors on the PDX1 gene in cultured caprine islets. Materials and methods Purified islets were treated with serum-free, serum, IBMX, tocopherol, or IBMX and tocopherol media. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were carried out to compare the expression levels of PDX1 in treated purified islets cultured with different media. Results Islets treated with IBMX/tocopherol exhibited the highest fold change in the relative expression of PDX1 on day 5 post-treatment (relative expression: 6.80±2.08), whereas serum-treated islets showed the lowest fold changes in PDX1 expression on day 5 post-treatment (0.67±0.36), as compared with the expression on day 1 post-treatment. Insulin production and viability tests of purified islets showed superiority of islet at supplemented serum-free media with IBMX/tocopherol compared to other cultures (53.875%±1.59%). Conclusions Our results indicated that supplemented serum-free medium with tocopherol and IBMX enhances viability and PDX1 gene expression compared to serum-added and serum-free media.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is commonly used to treat diabetes. Cell isolation and purification methods can affect the structure and function of the isolated islet cells. Thus, the development of cell isolation techniques that preserve the structure and function of pancreatic islet cells is essential for enabling successful transplantation procedures. The impact of purification procedures on cell function can be assessed by performing ultrastructure and in vivo studies. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of caprine islets purification procedure on islet cell ultrastructure and functional integrity prior to and post-isolation/purification. The islets were isolated from caprine pancreas by using an optimized collagenase XI-S concentration, and the cells were subsequently purified using Euro-Ficoll density gradient. In vitro viability of islets was determined by fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide staining. Static incubation was used to assess functionality and insulin production by islet cells in culture media when exposed to various levels of glucose. Pancreatic tissues were examined by using light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. In vivo viability and functionality of caprine islets were assessed by evaluating the transplanted islets in diabetic mice. Insulin assay of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion test showed that the insulin levels increased with increasing concentration of glucose. Thus, purified islets stimulated with high glucose concentration (25 mM) secreted higher levels of insulin (0.542 ± 0.346 μg/L) than the insulin levels (0.361 ± 0.219, 0.303 ± 0.234 μg/L) secreted by exposure to low glucose concentrations (1.67 mM). Furthermore, insulin levels of recipient mice were significantly higher (p

A polymer–salt aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) consisting of polyethylene–glycol (PEG) with sodium citrate was developed for direct recovery of a bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) from a culture of Pediococcus acidilactici Kp10. The influences of phase composition, tie-line length (TLL), volume ratio (VR), crude sample loading, pH and sodium chloride (NaCl) on the partition behaviour of BLIS was investigated. Under optimum conditions of ATPS, the purification of BLIS was achieved at 26.5% PEG (8000)/11% sodium citrate with a TLL of 46.38% (w/w), VR of 1.8, and 1.8% crude load at pH 7 without the presence of NaCl. BLIS from P. acidilactici Kp10 was successfully purified by the ATPS up to 8.43-fold with a yield of 81.18%. Given that the operation of ATPS is simple, environmentally friendly and cost-effective, as it requires only salts and PEG, it may have potential for industrial applications in the recovery of BLIS from fermentation broth.

The synthesis of pure calcium carbonate nanocrystals using a high pressure homogeniser (HPH) via a microemulsion system produced uniform nanosized particles, which were characterised using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The identified particles were aragonite polymorphs with a rod shape and were approximately 50 nm in size. The aragonite polymorph of calcium carbonate was prepared from biogenic materials, cockle shells, and exhibited unique characteristics (i.e., a higher density than that of calcite), which makes it biocompatible and potentially suitable for applications in the medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and paint industries. The methods adopted and the nonionic surfactant used in the synthesis of calcium carbonate nanocrystalline aragonite polymorphs were environmentally friendly and can be scaled up for industrial production. The sources are naturally available materials that are by-products of the seafood industry, which offers an opportunity for exploitation in numerous industrial applications.

The synthesised biobased calcium carbonate nanocrystals had demonstrated to be an effective carrier for delivery of anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). The use of these nanocrystals displayed high levels of selectivity and specificity in achieving effective cancer cell death without nonspecific toxicity. These results confirmed that DOX was intercalated into calcium carbonate nanocrystals at high loading and encapsulation efficiency (4.8 and 96%, resp.). The CaCO3/DOX nanocrystals are relatively stable at neutral pH (7.4), resulting in slow release, but the nanocrystals progressively dissociated in acidic pH (4.8) regimes, triggering faster release of DOX. The CaCO3/DOX nanocrystals exhibited high uptake by MDA MB231 breast cancer cells and a promising potential delivery of DOX to target cells.In vitrochemosensitivity using MTT, modified neutral red/trypan blue assay, and LDH on MDA MB231 breast cancer cells revealed that CaCO3/DOX nanocrystals are more sensitive and gave a greater reduction in cell growth than free DOX. Our findings suggest that CaCO3nanocrystals hold tremendous promise in the areas of controlled drug delivery and targeted cancer therapy.

Background Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be isolated from traditional milk products. LAB that secrete substances that inhibit pathogenic bacteria and are resistant to acid, bile, and pepsin but not vancomycin may have potential in food applications. Results LAB isolated from a range of traditional fermented products were screened for the production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances. A total of 222 LAB strains were isolated from fermented milk products in the form of fresh curds, dried curds, and ghara (a traditional flavor enhancer prepared from whey), and fermented cocoa bean. Eleven LAB isolates that produced antimicrobial substances were identified as Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Pediococcus acidilactici strains by biochemical methods and 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Of these, the cell-free supernatant of Kp10 (P. acidilactici) most strongly inhibited Listeria monocytogenes. Further analysis identified the antimicrobial substance produced by Kp10 as proteinaceous in nature and active over a wide pH range. Kp10 (P. acidilactici) was found to be catalase-negative, able to produce β-galactosidase, resistant to bile salts (0.3%) and acidic conditions (pH 3), and susceptible to most antibiotics. Conclusion Traditionally prepared fermented milk products are good sources of LAB with characteristics suitable for industrial applications. The isolate Kp10 (P. acidilactici) shows potential for the production of probiotic and functional foods.

Background: Currently, there has been extensive research interest for inorganic nanocrystals such as calcium phosphate, iron oxide, silicone, carbon nanotube and layered double hydroxide as a drug delivery system especially in cancer therapy. However, toxicological screening of such particles is paramount importance before use as delivery carrier. In this study we examine the biocompatibility of CaCO3 nanocrystal on NIH 3T3 cell line. Material and Methods: Transmission and field emission scanning electron microscopy (TEM and FESEM) were used for the characterisation of CaCO3 nanocrystals. Cytotoxicity and genotoxic effect of calcium carbonate nanocrystals in cultured mouse embryonic fibroblast NIH 3T3 cell line using various bioassays including MTT, and Neutral red/Trypan blue double-staining assays. LDH, BrdU and reactive oxygen species were used for toxicity analysis. Cellular morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal fluorescence microscope. Results: The outcome of the analyses revealed a clear rod-shaped aragonite polymorph of calcium carbonate nanocrystal. The analysed cytotoxic and genotoxicity of CaCO3 nanocrystal on NIH 3T3 cells using different bioassays revealed no significance differences as compared to control. A slight decrease in cell viability was noticed when the cells were exposed to higher concentrations of 200 to 400 µg/ml, while increase in ROS generation and LDH released at 200 and 400 µg/ml was observed. Conclusions: The study has shown that CaCO3 nanocrystal is biocompatible and non toxic to NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. The analysed results offer a promising potential of CaCO3 nanocrystal for the development of intracellular drugs, genes and other macromolecule delivery systems.

There has been increasing evidence that cancers are dependent on a number of altered molecular pathways, which can develop diverse mechanisms of resistance to therapy with single agents. Therefore, combination regimens may provide the best hope for effective therapies with durable effects. In this current investigation, the anti-cancer effect of zerumbone (ZER), a natural compound from Zingiber zerumbet smith of Zingiberaceae family and curcumin (a yellow pigment from Curcuma longa) were used in combination for probable treatment in liver cancer. Both compounds were investigated in MTT cell proliferative assay as well as flow cytometric analysis (annexinV-FITC, cell cycle and TUNEL assay) on HepG2 cells in 3 ratios of ZER: CUR (1:3, 3:1 and 1:1). The IC50 obtained were 13μg/mL, 4 μg/mL and 7μg/mL respectively and the combinations further showed no toxic effect on normal liver cell lines (WRL68). The current findings revealed that the best combination of ZER: CUR is 3:1. The outcome of this study demonstrates that this combination has the ability to increased efficacy with limited toxicity in liver cancer treatment.

Liver metastasis is the main cause of mortality related to colorectal cancer. CXCR4 is necessary for the outgrowth of colon cancer micrometastases. In oncology, it has been demonstrated that several human tumors release lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) into the circulation. CXCR4 gene expression and serum LDH levels are often increased in patients with colorectal cancer. Despite technological advances in cancer therapy, five-year overall survival is still around 50%. Therefore, better treatment needs to be developed. RNA interference (RNAi) is a modern and powerful tool for inhibition of gene expression. However, the rate-limiting step in this technology is effective delivery of RNAi agents. We have investigated a novel strategy of CXCR4 siRNA therapy and its effect on serum LDH levels in a BALB/C mouse model of colorectal cancer metastasis to the liver. Hepatic metastasis was established by injecting a CT26.WT mouse colon carcinoma cell line via the tail vein. Our results demonstrated that CXCR4 siRNA/ dextran-spermine nanoparticles achieved high silencing efficiency with low toxicity. Favorable localization of the nanoparticles was confirmed with CXCR4 gene expression in the liver, that was correlated with serum LDH levels. More research will be needed to determine the effect of CXCR4 silencing on serum LDH levels, which may be a useful marker for predicting liver metastasis in colorectal cancer.