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Objective(s): This study uses the blend-electrospinning method to explore the development of apigenin) APG(-loaded PCL nanofibers as a promising wound dressing material. Materials and Methods: The approach combines APG's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties with the advantages of nanofibers for wound healing. The research investigates the electrospinning process for optimal parameters and characterizes the resulting nanofibers using FE-SEM, FTIR, and contact angle measurements. Results: The findings demonstrate successful APG incorporation into PCL nanofibers at concentrations up to 0.5 wt%. The APG release profile indicates a sustained release over 48 hours. Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity assessments using the Alamar Blue assay reveal excellent biocompatibility of APG-loaded PCL nanofibers (over 90% viability). Additionally, the nanofibers exhibit a porous, bead-free structure with improved hydrophilicity due to APG incorporation. Conclusion: Overall, this study highlights the development of APG/PCL nanofibers with promising characteristics for wound dressing applications. The combination of APG's therapeutic properties, sustained release profile, and biocompatible nanofiber structure suggests their potential for effective wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a corneal sight-threatening infection caused by the free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba. Early and appropriate treatment significantly impacts visual outcomes. Mucoadhesive polymers such as chitosan are a potential strategy to prolong the residence time and bioavailability of the encapsulated drugs in the cornea. Regarding the recent administration of miltefosine (MF) for treating resistant AK, in the present study, we synthesized miltefosine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (MF-CS-NPs) and evaluated them against Acanthamoeba. Methodology/Principal findings: Chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) were prepared using the ionic gelation method with negatively charged tripolyphosphate (TPP). The zeta-potential (ZP) and the particle size of MF-CS-NPs were 21.8±3.2 mV and 46.61±18.16 nm, respectively. The release profile of MF-CS-NPs indicated linearity with sustained drug release. The cytotoxicity of MF-CS-NPs on the Vero cell line was 2.67 and 1.64 times lower than free MF at 24 and 48 hours. This formulation exhibited no hemolytic activity in vitro and ocular irritation in rabbit eyes. The IC50 of MF-CS-NPs showed a significant reduction by 2.06 and 1.69-fold in trophozoites at 24 and 48 hours compared to free MF. Also, the MF-CS-NPs IC50 in the cysts form was slightly decreased by 1.26 and 1.21-fold at 24 and 48 hours compared to free MF. Conclusions: The MF-CS-NPs were more effective against the trophozoites and cysts than free MF. The nano-chitosan formulation was more effective on trophozoites than the cysts form. MF-CS-NPs reduced toxicity and improved the amoebicidal effect of MF. Nano-chitosan could be an ideal carrier that decreases the cytotoxicity of miltefosine. Further analysis in animal settings is needed to evaluate this nano-formulation for clinical ocular drug delivery. Author summary: Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a painful corneal disease that causes vision loss if not treated promptly. AK incidence is increasing worldwide, especially among those who wear contact lenses. Prompt and proper treatment is essential for complete recovery of vision. The successful treatment has been complicated due to low efficacy, toxicity, and ineffectual ocular drug delivery. Mucoadhesive polymers, like chitosan nanoparticles, are a promising approach to enhancing drug residence time and transcorneal permeation. Miltefosine (MF) is an effective medication for treating refractory AK. In the present study, miltefosine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared, and their therapeutic effect and cytotoxicity were compared with free miltefosine. The MF-CS-NPs demonstrated a significant decrease in the viability of trophozoite forms compared to free miltefosine. The nano-chitosan formulation was more effective toward trophozoites than the cysts form. Overall, the chitosan nanoparticles improved the effectiveness of miltefosine against Acanthamoeba. Besides, this formulation notably reduced toxicity compared to free MF, exhibiting no in-vivo irritation. The nano-chitosan carrier can be proposed as an ideal nanocarrier for future evaluation in AK treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of dietary mixed and sprayed of Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum IS02 (B.s.i. IS02) on growth performance and digestive enzyme activity of whiteleg shrimp. Three different dosages of B.s.i. IS02 were applied via two application methods: mixed with (TM) and sprayed on (TS) feed containing 108 (TM1 and TS1), 107 (TM2 and TS2), 106 (TM3 and TS3) CFU Kg−1. Compared to control groups, growth performance was significantly higher in treated shrimp. There was a significant difference in survival rate between TM1 (94.44 ± 1.57%) and TM2 (87.78 ± 1.92%) compared to the other diets. Furthermore, the activity of digestive enzymes was significantly higher in TS1. Overall, it can be concluded that spraying B.s.i. IS02 at the dosage of 107 or 108 CFU kg−1 on feed can be a useful method in the farm; also, mixing at the dose of 108 CFU kg−1 may prove effective in feed factories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study evaluates the effectiveness of Clark's Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph (IUH) model from the accuracy of different Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) including TOPO, ALOS PALSAR, ASTER, SRTM and GTOPO in the Amameh watershed. For this purpose, at first, 34 rainfall-runoff events were selected. Also, the drainage network, the length and slope of the main river in each of the five DEMs were calculated using Arc GIS software. Then, the 30-minute isochrone map of the watershed was extracted using the spatial distribution of travel time method. Finally, the dimensions of Clark's IUH were estimated for each rainfall-runoff event and DEM. The results showed that with the decrease in the length of the main river following the decrease in DEM spatial resolution, the number of isochrone has been decreased, so that TOPO DEM has estimated the largest number of isochrone with the largest estimate of the length of the main river. The average percentage of the Relative Error (RE) of the runoff volume was estimated as 22.92, 26.68, 27.7, 32.15 and 35.66% respectively for the aforementioned DEMs. Regarding peak flow estimation, there is a significant difference between the average RE values in different DEMs. So that the lowest average value of the RE is related to TOPO DEM with a value of 30.11%. On the other hand, the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values also show that TOPO DEM has the lowest RMSE value (3.9 m3/s) compared to other DEMs. In general, it can be said that the use of TOPO DEM in Clark's IUH model will provide acceptable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]