Vesicular Formation of Trans-Ferulic Acid: an Efficient Approach to Improve the Radical Scavenging and Antimicrobial Properties

Abstract Purposes Reactive oxygen species production is harmful to human’s health. The presence of antioxidants in the body may help to diminish reactive oxygen species. Trans-ferulic acid is a good antioxidant, but its low water solubility excludes its utilization. The study aims to explore whether a vesicular drug delivery could be a way to overcome the poor absorption of trans-ferulic acid hence improving its antimicrobial efficiency and antioxidant effect. Methods Niosomal vesicles containing the drug were prepared by film hydration method. The obtained vesicles were investigated in terms of morphology, size, entrapment efficiency, release behavior, cellular cytotoxicity, antioxidant, cellular protection study, and antimicrobial evaluations. Results The optimized niosomal formulation had a particle size of 158.7 nm and entrapment efficiency of 21.64%. The results showed that the optimized formulation containing 25 μM of trans-ferulic acid could enhance the viability of human foreskin fibroblast HFF cell line against reactive oxygen species production. The minimum effective dose of the plain drug and the niosomal formulation against Staphylococcus aurous (ATCC 29213) was 750 µg/mL and 375 µg/mL, respectively, and for Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), it was 750 µg/mL and 187/5 µg/mL, respectively. The formulation could also improve the minimum bactericidal concentration of the drug in Staphylococcus aurous, Escherichia coli, and Acinobacter baumannii (ATCC 19606). Conclusion These results revealed an improvement in both antibacterial and antioxidant effects of the drug in the niosomal formulation.

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Pleiotropic Effects of Biguanides on Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Production

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity ◽

10.1155/2017/7038603 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Alena Pecinova ◽

Zdenek Drahota ◽

Jana Kovalcikova ◽

Nikola Kovarova ◽

Petr Pecina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Respiratory Chain ◽

Reactive Oxygen Species Production ◽

Reactive Oxygen ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

The Body ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Brown Adipose ◽

First Choice ◽

Species Production

Metformin is widely prescribed as a first-choice antihyperglycemic drug for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and recent epidemiological studies showed its utility also in cancer therapy. Although it is in use since the 1970s, its molecular target, either for antihyperglycemic or antineoplastic action, remains elusive. However, the body of the research on metformin effect oscillates around mitochondrial metabolism, including the function of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) apparatus. In this study, we focused on direct inhibitory mechanism of biguanides (metformin and phenformin) on OXPHOS complexes and its functional impact, using the model of isolated brown adipose tissue mitochondria. We demonstrate that biguanides nonspecifically target the activities of all respiratory chain dehydrogenases (mitochondrial NADH, succinate, and glycerophosphate dehydrogenases), but only at very high concentrations (10−2–10−1 M) that highly exceed cellular concentrations observed during the treatment. In addition, these concentrations of biguanides also trigger burst of reactive oxygen species production which, in combination with pleiotropic OXPHOS inhibition, can be toxic for the organism. We conclude that the beneficial effect of biguanides should probably be associated with subtler mechanism, different from the generalized inhibition of the respiratory chain.

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