The current study was designed for the delivery of mycophenolate mofetil using microsponges. Quasi-emulsification and double-emulsification techniques were used to develop ethyl cellulose (EC)- and xanthan gum-facilitated EC microsponges. The microsponges were characterized using micromeritics, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface morphology, particle

Lipid-based polymers have been proved efficient drug carriers for overcoming the insufficiencies of conventional formulations. Ceresin wax was employed to improve permeability, oral bioavailability and patient compliance by preparing enalapril (EP)-loaded lipospheres with a simple solvent evaporation method. A Box–Behnken design with the proposed polynomial equations and quadratic model was applied

Drinking water resources are scarce and are gradually depleting throughout the world. Water contamination by heavy metals is making the situation worse because it makes water unsuitable for potable use. Heavy metals are hazardous to any aquatic ecosystem, as these adversely influence the food chain and consequently human health. In the present study, Curcuma longa-mediated silver nanoparticles (T-AgNPs)-based

Butterfly valves are most commonly used in aerospace and mechanical industries to regulate fluid flow. Although butterfly valves are known for their low pressure drop functions, still instabilities occur when operating the valves from closed to open positions. Disturbances like the skin friction and turbulence kinetic energy of the disc greatly reduce the outlet velocity of the fluid. Although there

Bisphosphonates cause irritation of the esophagus and stomach after oral administration. This study was planned to overcome the problems associated with bisphosphonates through the formation of rafts in the stomach and enhance the availability of the drug at the absorption site. A novel pectin raft was developed through the utilization of citrus pectin. The percentage of pectin and profile of neutralization

This study utilised native denitrifiers of cattle manure to oxidise its organic matter and induce calcium carbonate cementation in a synthetic soft soil. The soft soil is prepared by remoulding a 50% kaolinite + 50% sand mix with ultra-pure water at 21% water content. The prepared specimen is classified as soft soil based on its low unconfined compression strength of 16 kPa. Extraneous calcium nitrate

Lung adenosquamous carcinomas, cell line H125, with an expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (HER1), were cultured on two scaffolds of poly(ε-caprolactone) produced through electrospinning, one with a nanometric size and the other with a micrometric size. Cytotoxicity, adhesion and proliferation assays demonstrated the non-cytotoxicity of the scaffolds and the capacity of the cells

The use of plant extracts is a low-cost and green way to synthesize nanoparticles. In this research, the authors investigated the antibacterial, cytotoxic and antiangiogenic properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using Amaranthus cruentus extract. The fabricated nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier

The raft is an emerging drug delivery system that not only provides rapid relief from reflux disorders, but also sustains drug release. The objective of this work was to develop and characterize raft-forming bilayer tablets in which pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate (PSS) was targeted at sustained release and domperidone maleate (DM) was used to obtain an immediate-release effect and perform pharmacokinetic

Silk fibroin (SF) is one of the natural biomaterials with promising and growing potential in different clinical applications such as corneal transplantation, donor site skin substitute and tympanic membrane. Some of the SFs that are extracted from mulberry silkworm do not have the arginyl–glycyl–aspartic acid (RGD) sequence for properly supporting cell adhesion and proliferation. Therefore, in the

In this study, novel bone substitutes were prepared based on a powder phase composed of tetracalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate and calcium sulfate dihydrate and a liquid phase composed of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), citric acid and gelatin. Samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical

The novelty of the present work was focused on the synthesis of pH- and temperature-responsive cross-linked poly(methacrylic acid-co-acrylamide) (p(MAA-co-AM)) microgels for controlled drug delivery. A series of cross-linked microgels was successfully prepared by inverse-suspension polymerization using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linking agent and potassium persulfate as an initiator. The

In the present study, polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite scaffolds containing bioactive glass nanoparticles (BG-NPs) were successfully fabricated through the electrospinning process. The BG-NPs were synthesized through the sol–gel method. PU solutions (10% w/v) containing different weight percentages of the BG-NPs (5, 10 and 15 wt.%) in dimethylformamide/tetrahydrofuran were prepared. To determine both

Biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesised using the herbal extract of Triphala, and the authors assessed their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and toxicity. Synthesised nanoparticles were confirmed through ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and were characterised using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The structure, size and crystal density were evaluated through transmission electron

Crystallized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by using the eco-friendly Artocarpus heterophyllus biomaterial. The synthesis of AgNPs was a green approach and a rapid method. The AgNPs were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The FE-SEM

To gain insight into bio-inspired mineralisation processes that may be directed or influenced by the protein coat of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), microscopic studies are crucial. The authors elucidate key steps towards the understanding of the mineralisation mechanism by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging of the organic/inorganic interfaces. Wild-type TMV and mutants with distinct

In this study, chitosan nanoparticles containing atorvastatin calcium were prepared using the nanospray-drying method to be used in the local treatment of peripheral nerve injuries. The main focus was to investigate the effect of the molecular weight and concentration of the polymer, the concentration of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and the diameter of the spray nozzle (4·0, 5·5 and 7·0 μm)

In this study, chitosan was employed as a novel biomimetic mineralization model to repair damaged enamel to compare its performance with that of bioinspired zinc-doped nanohydroxyapatite. Fifty human premolar tooth slices were prepared, and artificial caries lesions were induced to produce demineralized enamel surfaces. The etched slices were randomly divided into two groups: a chitosan-hydrogel-treated

Nanotechnology describes precision manufacturing of materials at the nano scale. Nanotechnology has a vast range of applications, such as medicines, electronics, biomaterials and energy production. The present research work is a green eco-friendly approach to the production of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) by using the plant extract of Cannabis sativa. The appearance of a ruby-red color from a greenish

The effect of exposure to 0·1 Hz–0·1 kHz pulsed magnetic fields on models of gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial cells was investigated. The possible alterations in the electrical characteristics of dead and alive bacteria cells were monitored by using dielectric spectroscopy. The dielectric dispersions of cells were obtained over the range 42 Hz–8 MHz by measuring their dielectric permittivity

Nacre has been considered as one of the most important models for the development of hard bioinspired materials. This aragonite-based layered structure has been extensively studied because of its excellent mechanical properties, superior to those of monolithic aragonite. Calcite-based seashells have received less attention, as they display lower hardness and Young’s modulus. However, layered calcitic

Biomineralized tissue is considered the final product of successful cell culture in bone tissue engineering. Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) with fetal bovine serum (FBS) not only is used as a common culture medium but also provides a natural biomineralization environment, due to having similar ionic concentrations as blood plasma. Here, poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel with incorporated biphasic

The present work develops an eco-friendly protocol that was adopted to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from the aqueous extract of Corchorus depressus collected in three different seasons. Visually, the formation of AgNPs was confirmed by the change in the color of extracts to reddish brown and the AgNPs were further characterized by ultraviolet–visible studies of the absorption band at 435–450 nm

Green biogenic nanoparticles have medicinal applications. The aim of this study was to use silver nitrate solution to carry out plant-mediated synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles (AgNPs) in aqueous extracts of Bistorta affinis and Malcolmia cabulica. The purpose of using the aqueous medium was for it to act as a reducing agent, as well as a capping agent. The synthesized AgNPs were confirmed through

In this paper, preparation and characterization of a nanofibrous scaffold comprising both chitosan (CS) and gum tragacanth (GT) are reported for the first time. CS and GT were separately blended with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and simultaneously electrospun by a double-nozzle electrospinning apparatus, and the resulting nanofibrous mats were compared with CS/PVA and GT/PVA electrospun ones. Scanning

Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is a bioinspired improvement method of granular soils, as it can significantly affect their engineering characteristics. In fact, calcite nanoparticles produced through MICP increase the angle of internal friction and cohesion intercept of granular soils. As a consequence, the shear strength values of granular soils are improved following the increase

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels become muddy while used in artificial corneas. To enhance the antifouling property of PVA hydrogels, a PVA hydrogel was grafted with chondroitin sulfate (CdS) through a two-step reaction in this work. The surface chemical compositions, surface morphology and thermal property of the hydrogel were characterized by attenuated total reflectance FTIR, X-ray photoelectron

This work explored a facile way to fabricate superhydrophobic and antireflective polymer surfaces using Canna indica flower petals. A simple, inexpensive two-step soft-lithography technique was employed to replicate the surface structures of C. indica flower petals onto two different polymer surfaces namely, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) — a hydrophobic polymer and resorcinol–formaldehyde (RF) xerogel

When vigorous goats are running and jumping, their leg bones play a crucial role in dynamic loading. The hierarchical structure of diverse tissues at different length scales is commonly used to account for the superior mechanical properties of bone. Yet, how the goat tibia achieves its remarkable function remains mostly unknown. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to image the multi-scale microstructure