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Bioactive Agents (bioactive + agent)
Selected AbstractsHighly Porous Nano- and Microstructured Films Loaded with Bioactive Agents for Biomedical Applications: Structure,Release Profile EffectsADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 8 2009Adi Rachelson The current study focuses on the nanostructuring of our new drug-eluting porous films and its effect on the drug release profile of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. Nanostructuring was obtained using both the dispersion and the condensation methods of emulsion processing. These new highly porous nanostructured films can be used as basic elements of various drug-eluting medical devices. [source] Synthesis, characterization and application of poly[(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)- co -(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)] as controlled-release polymeric system for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic chloride using an ultrafiltration techniquePOLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 7 2008Guadalupe del C Pizarro Abstract BACKGROUND: Polymers supporting chemicals used in agriculture have recently been developed to overcome the serious environmental problems of conventional agrochemicals. The success of these formulations is based on a suitable choice of polymer support. Degradable polymeric hydrogels are of particular interest. The gradual release of the bioactive agent can be achieved by hydrolytic or enzymatic cleavage of the linking bond. RESULTS: In this context, poly[(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)- co -(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)] [poly(NVP- co -HEMA)] has been used as a bioactive carrier reagent. Herein, we report a controlled-release system with the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) using an ultrafiltration system. Hydrolysis was studied by testing the release at various pH values. A high release with poly(NVP- co -HEMA),2,4-D was observed at pH = 7 and 10 after two days (Z = 2). The release percentage of copolymer,herbicide increased at pH = 10. It showed release values between 79.0 and 94.5%. Poly(NVP- co -HEMA),herbicide can release a bioactive compound in aqueous solution at pH = 3, 7 and 10. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of homogeneous hydrolysis, it is argued that the herbicide release rate depends on the pH of the reaction environment. This functional polymer could be employed as a biodegradable material for applications in agrichemical release. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Therapeutic Window for Bioactive Nanocomposites Fabricated by Laser Ablation in Polymer-Doped Organic Liquids,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2010Anne Hahn Abstract Polymeric nanomaterials are gaining increased interest in medical applications due to the sustained release of bioactive agents. Within this study nanomaterials are fabricated using laser ablation of silver and copper in polymer-doped organic liquids thus allowing to produce customized drug release systems. A strategy is shown to determine the therapeutic window for cells relevant for cochlear implant electrodes, defined by the viability of L929 fibroblasts, PC12 neuronal cells, and spiral ganglion cells on different concentrations of silver and copper ions. The distribution of nanoparticles within the silicone polymer matrix is determined using transmission electron microscopy. Hexane doped with 1% silicone resin is found to be an appropriate liquid matrix to fabricate a nanocomposite with a constant ion release rate. Silver ions of 10,µmol L,1 or copper ions of 100,µmol L,1 cause a suppression of tissue growth without inhibiting neuronal cell growth. The copper nanoparticle content of 0.1,wt% of the silicone composite releases ion concentrations which fit the therapeutic window. [source] Potassium Channels in the Human MyometriumEXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Raheela N. Khan The contractility of the human uterus is under the fine control of a variety of interacting bioactive agents. During labour, the excitability of the uterus is drastically transformed in comparison with the non-labour state and is manifest at the membrane level via the acivity of uterine ion channels. This article reviews the contribution of potassium (K+) channels to human uterine excitability. [source] Antitumor and antifungal activities in endophytic fungi isolated from pharmaceutical plants Taxus mairei, Cephalataxus fortunei and Torreya grandisFEMS IMMUNOLOGY & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Yaojian Huang Abstract The purpose of this work was to screen the endophytic fungi having antitumor or antifungal activity, which were isolated from the inner barks of three kinds of pharmaceutical plants, Taxus mairei, Cephalataxus fortunei and Torreya grandis, collected from Fujian province, China. Antitumor activity was studied by the MTT assay and antifungal activity was determined by observing fungal growth inhibition. 13.4% of endophytic fungi fermentation broths displayed cytotoxic activity on HL-60 cells at and below a dilution of 1:50, and 6.4% on KB cells. 52.3% of endophytic fungi fermentation broths displayed growth inhibition on at least one pathogenic fungi, such as Neurospora sp., Trichoderma sp. and Fusarium sp. Among all endophytic fungi isolated, the genus Paecilomyces sp. has the highest positive rate of antitumor and antifungal activity. These results indicate that endophytic fungi could be a promising source for antitumor and antifungal bioactive agents. [source] Stimuli-Responsive Thin Coatings Using Elastin-Like Polymers for Biomedical ApplicationsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 20 2009Rui R. Costa Abstract Smart thin coatings using a recombinant elastin-like polymer (ELP) containing the cell attachment sequence arginine,glycine,(aspartic acid) (RGD) are fabricated for the first time through simple deposition of the ELP dissolved in aqueous-based solutions. The biopolymer is produced and characterized using electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy. The temperature and pH responsiveness are assessed by aggregate size measurements and differential scanning calorimetry. The deposition of the studied ELP onto chitosan is followed in situ with a quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Contact angle measurements are performed at room temperature and at 50,°C, showing reversible changes from a moderate hydrophobic behavior to an extremely wettable surface. AFM analysis performed at room temperature reveals a smooth surface and no organized structure. At 50,°C, the surface presents spherical nanometer-sized structures of collapsed biopolymer chains. Such results suggest that the ELP chains, when collapsed, aggregate into micelle-like structures at the surface of the substrate, increasing its water affinity. Cell adhesion tests on the developed coatings are conducted using a SaOS-2 cell line. Enhanced cell adhesion could be observed in the H-RGD6-coated surfaces, as compared with the original chitosan monolayer. An intermediate behavior is found in chitosan coated with the corresponding ELP without the RGD sequence. Therefore, the developed films have great potential as biomimetic coatings of biomaterials for different biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and controlled delivery of bioactive agents. Their thermo-responsive behavior can also be exploited for tunable cell adhesion and controlled protein adsorption. [source] Spatiotemporal Control over Molecular Delivery and Cellular Encapsulation from Electropolymerized Micro- and Nanopatterned Surfaces,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2009Eric Stern Abstract Bioactive, patterned micro- and nanoscale surfaces that can be spatially engineered for three-dimensional ligand presentation and sustained release of signaling molecules represent a critical advance for the development of next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic devices. Lithography is ideally suited to patterning such surfaces due to its precise, easily scalable, high-throughput nature; however, to date polymers patterned by these techniques have not demonstrated the capacity for sustained release of bioactive agents. Here a class of lithographically defined, electropolymerized polymers with monodisperse micro- and nanopatterned features capable of sustained release of bioactive drugs and proteins is demonstrated. It is shown that precise control can be achieved over the loading capacity and release rates of encapsulated agents and this aspect is illustrated using a fabricated surface releasing a model antigen (ovalbumin) and a cytokine (interleukin-2) for induction of a specific immune response. Furthermore, the ability of this technique to enable three-dimensional control over cellular encapsulation is demonstrated. The efficacy of the described approach is buttressed by its simplicity, versatility, and reproducibility, rendering it ideally suited for biomaterials engineering. [source] Permeation of bioactive constituents from Arnica montana preparations through human skin in-vitroJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 9 2006I. A. Tekko This study investigated and characterised transdermal permeation of bioactive agents from a topically applied Arnica montana tincture. Permeation experiments conducted over 48 h used polydimethylsiloxane (silastic) and human epidermal membranes mounted in Franz-type diffusion cells with a methanol-water (50:50 v/v) receptor fluid. A commercially available tincture of A. montana L. derived from dried Spanish flower heads was a donor solution. Further donor solutions prepared from this stock tincture concentrated the tincture constituents 1, 2 and 10 fold and its sesquiterpene lactones 10 fold. Permeants were assayed using a high-performance liquid chromatography method. Five components permeated through silastic membranes providing peaks with relative retention factors to an internal standard (santonin) of 0.28, 1.18, 1.45, 1.98 and 2.76, respectively. No permeant was detected within 12 h of applying the Arnica tincture onto human epidermal membranes. However, after 12 h, the first two of these components were detected. These were shown by Zimmermann reagent reaction to be sesquiterpene lactones and liquid chromatography/diode array detection/mass spectrometry indicated that these two permeants were 11,13-dihydrohelenalin (DH) analogues (methacrylate and tiglate esters). The same two components were also detected within 3 h of topical application of the 10-fold concentrated tincture and the concentrated sesquiterpene lactone extract. [source] Porous Biodegradable Scaffold: Predetermined Porosity by Dissolution of Poly(ester-anhydride) Fibers from Polyester MatrixMACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE, Issue 7 2009Jaana Rich Abstract A novel selective leaching method for the porogenization of the biodegradable scaffolds was developed. Continuous, predetermined pore structure was prepared by dissolving fast eroding poly(, -caprolactone)-based poly(ester-anhydride) fibers from the photo-crosslinked poly(, -caprolactone) matrix. The porogen fibers dissolved in the phosphate buffer (pH 7.4, 37,°C) within a week, resulting in the porosity that replicated exactly the single fiber dimensions and the overall arrangement of the fibers. The amount of the porosity, estimated with micro-CT, corresponded with the initial amount of the fibers. The potential to include bioactive agents in the porogen fibers was demonstrated with the bioactive glass. [source] |