scholarly journals Design and Characterization of Sodium Alginate and Poly(vinyl) Alcohol Hydrogels for Enhanced Skin Delivery of Quercetin

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1149
Author(s):  
Ludovico Esposito ◽  
Ana Isabel Barbosa ◽  
Tânia Moniz ◽  
Sofia Costa Lima ◽  
Paulo Costa ◽  
...  

Nature has led to the discovery of biopolymers with noteworthy pharmaceutical applications. Blended biopolymers have demonstrated promising characteristics when compared with their individual counterparts. Sodium alginate (SA) is a marine polymer that has demonstrated the ability to form hydrogels, an interesting property for the development of cutaneous formulations. Predicting the good performance of blended biopolymers, a novel series of hybrid hydrogels based on SA and poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) were prepared. Quercetin, a natural polyphenolic flavonoid commonly found in fruits and vegetables, is widely known for its strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, thus with potential applications against melanoma, dermatitis, psoriasis, and skin ageing. Here, hydrogels were produced at different ratios of SA and PVA. The surface morphology, structure, interaction of polymers, the capacity to absorb water and the entrapment efficiency of quercetin were evaluated for the blended hydrogels. Targeting the cutaneous application of the formulations, the rheological properties of all unloaded and quercetin-loaded hydrogels revealed pseudoplastic behavior, evidence of non-thixotropy, good resistance to deformation, and profile maintenance with temperatures ranging from 20 °C up to 40 °C. The incorporation of quercetin in the hydrogel retained its antioxidant activity, confirmed by radical scavenging assays (ABTS and DPPH). The permeability of quercetin through the skin showed different penetration/permeation profiles according to the hydrogel’s blend. This behavior will allow the selection of SA-PVA at 2/1 ratio for a local and prolonged skin effect, making the use of these hydrogels a good solution to consider for the treatment of skin ageing and inflammation.

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shixin Deng ◽  
Brett J. West ◽  
'Afa K. Palu ◽  
C. Jarakae Jensen

Noni blossoms have a long history of medicinal uses in tropical areas. This study was conducted to investigate the major phytochemical components, toxicological properties, and antioxidant activity of noni blossoms. An HPLC-PDA method was developed and validated for the identification and quantification of major components. The major phytochemicals were iridoid glycosides, deacetylasperulosidic acid and asperulosidic acid, and flavonoids, quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside and kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside, each present at 3.764, 3.576, 1.513, and 3.096 mg/g, respectively. The aqueous extract of noni blossoms, at 500 μg/mL, exhibited greater antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay than green tea (88.11 ± 0.01% versus 76.60 ± 0.05%). A primary DNA damage test in E. coli PQ37 (SOS-chromotest) and a twenty-four hour brine shrimp toxicity test did not reveal any genotoxic or cytotoxic activity. These results provide a useful reference for the identification of noni blossoms as well as preliminary evaluation of safety and efficacy. Further evaluation of the potential applications of noni blossoms is warranted.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2381
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Bialik-Wąs ◽  
Ewelina Królicka ◽  
Dagmara Malina

Here, we report on studies on the influence of different crosslinking methods (ionic and chemical) on the physicochemical (swelling ability and degradation in simulated body fluids), structural (FT-IR spectra analysis) and morphological (SEM analysis) properties of SA/PVA hydrogels containing active substances of natural origin. First, an aqueous extract of Echinacea purpurea was prepared using a Soxhlet apparatus. Next, a series of modified SA/PVA-based hydrogels were obtained through the chemical crosslinking method using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA, Mn = 700 g/mol) as a crosslinking agent and, additionally, the ionic reaction in the presence of a 5% w/v calcium chloride solution. The compositions of SA/PVA/E. purpurea-based hydrogels contained a polymer of natural origin—sodium alginate (SA, 1.5% solution)—and a synthetic polymer—poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA, Mn = 72,000 g/mol, 10% solution)—in the ratio 2:1, and different amounts of the aqueous extract of E. purpurea—5, 10, 15 or 20% (v/v). Additionally, the release behavior of echinacoside from the polymeric matrix was evaluated in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37 °C. The results indicate that the type of the crosslinking method has a direct impact on the release profile. Consequently, it is possible to design a system that delivers an active substance in a way that depends on the application.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1604
Author(s):  
Andrea Dodero ◽  
Maila Castellano ◽  
Paola Lova ◽  
Massimo Ottonelli ◽  
Elisabetta Brunengo ◽  
...  

Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous mats containing ad hoc synthesized gold nanostructures were prepared via a single-step electrospinning procedure and investigated as a novel composite platform with several potential applications. Specifically, the effect of differently shaped and sized gold nanostructures on the resulting mat physical-chemical properties was investigated. In detail, nearly spherical nanoparticles and nanorods were first synthesized through a chemical reduction of gold precursors in water by using (hexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide as the stabilizing agent. These nanostructures were then dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) aqueous solutions to prepare nanofibrous mats, which were then stabilized via a humble thermal treatment able to enhance their thermal stability and water resistance. Remarkably, the nanostructure type was proven to influence the mesh morphology, with the small spherical nanoparticles and the large nanorods leading to thinner well defined or bigger defect-rich nanofibers, respectively. Finally, the good mechanical properties shown by the prepared composite mats suggest their ease of handleability thereby opening new perspective applications.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 5317
Author(s):  
Claudio Caprari ◽  
Francesca Fantasma ◽  
Fabio Divino ◽  
Antonio Bucci ◽  
Maria Iorizzi ◽  
...  

The chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) from dried and fresh flowers of Lavandula angustifolia L. (lavender), named LA 2019 and LA 2020, respectively, grown in central Italy was analyzed and compared by GC and GC-MS. For both samples, 61 compounds were identified, corresponding to 97.9% and 98.1% of the total essential oils. Explorative data analysis, performed to compare the statistical composition of the samples, resulted in a high level of global similarity (around 93%). The compositions of both samples were characterized by 10 major compounds, with a predominance of Linalool (35.3–36.0%), Borneol (15.6–19.4%) and 1,8-Cineole (11.0–9.0%). The in vitro antibacterial activity assay by disk diffusion tests against Bacillus subtilis PY79 and Escherichia coli DH5α showed inhibition of growth in both indicator strains. In addition, plate counts revealed a bactericidal effect on E. coli, which was particularly noticeable when using oil from the fresh lavender flowers at the highest concentrations. An in vitro antifungal assay showed that the EOs inhibited the growth of Sclerotium rolfsii, a phytopathogenic fungus that causes post-harvest diseases in many fruits and vegetables. The antioxidant activity was also assessed using the ABTS free radical scavenging assay, which showed a different antioxidant activity in both EOs. In addition, the potential application of EOs as a green method to control biodeterioration phenomena on an artistic wood painting (XIX century) was evaluated.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 ◽  
pp. 110935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiying Wang ◽  
Qianli Ma ◽  
Ruifei Wang ◽  
Qizhan Zhu ◽  
Liupeng Yang ◽  
...  

Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Luzi ◽  
Elisa Pannucci ◽  
Luca Santi ◽  
José Maria Kenny ◽  
Luigi Torre ◽  
...  

Gallic acid (GA) and quercetin (QC) were used as active ingredients in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film formulations obtained by solvent casting process. The effect of two different percentages (5 and 10 % wt.) on morphological behavior, thermal stability, optical, mechanical, and release properties of PVA were investigated, while migration with food stimulants and antioxidant properties were tested taking into account the final application as food packaging systems. The results showed how different dispersability in PVA water solutions gave different results in term of deformability (mean value of ε PVA/5GA = 280% and ε PVA/5QC = 255%, with 190% for neat PVA), comparable values for antioxidant activity at the high contents (Radical Scavenging Activity, RSA(%) PVA/10GA = 95 and RSA(%) PVA/10QC = 91) and different coloring attitude of the polymeric films. It was proved that GA, even if it represents the best antioxidant ingredient to be used with PVA and can be easily dispersed in water, it gives more rigid films in comparison to QC, that indeed was more efficient in tuning the deformability of the PVA films, due the presence of sole hydroxyl groups carrying agent. The deviation of the film coloring towards greenish tones for GA films and redness for QC films after 7 and within 21 days in the simulated conditions confirmed the possibility of using easy processable PVA films as active and intelligent films in food packaging.


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