Encapsulation of Saccharomyces pastorianus Residual Biomass in Calcium Alginate Matrix with Insights in Ethacridine Lactate Biosorption

Pharmaceuticals are recognized as emerging water microcontaminants that have been reported in several aquatic environments worldwide; therefore, the elimination of these pollutants is a global challenge. This study aimed to develop a biosorbent based on Saccharomyces pastorianus residual biomass encapsulated in a calcium alginate matrix and to evaluate its biosorption performance to remove Ethacridine Lactate (EL) from aqueous solutions. Firstly, the synthesis and characterization of biosorbent has been carried out. Then, the impact of main parameters on biosorption process were investigated by batch experiments. Finally, the kinetics behavior and equilibrium isotherms were evaluated. The resulted beads have an irregular and elongated shape with about 1.89 mm ± 0.13 mm in size with a homogeneous structure. The best removal efficiency for EL of over 85% was obtained at acidic pH 2 and 25 °C for 50 mg/L initial concentration and 2 g/L biosorbent dose. The pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion kinetics describe the biosorption process. The maximum calculated biosorption capacity was 21.39 mg/g similar to that recorded experimentally. The equilibrium biosorption data were a good fit for Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherms. Our findings reveal that the low cost and eco-friendly obtained biosorbent can be easily synthesized and suitable to remove Ethacridine Lactate from water matrices.

Wound Antiseptics and European Guidelines for Antiseptic Application in Wound Treatment

Issues arising in wound healing are very common, and chronic wound infections affect approximately 1.5% of the population. The main substances used in wound washing, cleansing and treatment are antiseptics. Today, there are many compounds with a known antiseptic activity. Older antiseptics (e.g., boric acid, ethacridine lactate, potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, iodoform, iodine and dyes) are not recommended for wound treatment due to a number of disadvantages. According to the newest guidelines of the Polish Society for Wound Treatment and the German Consensus on Wound Antisepsis, only the following antiseptics should be taken into account for wound treatment: octenidine (OCT), polihexanide (PHMB), povidone-iodine (PVP-I), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and nanosilver. This article provides an overview of the five antiseptics mentioned above, their chemical properties, wound applications, side effects and safety.

Antibacterial Effect of Disinfectants and Antiseptics

Disinfectants and antiseptics are substances or solvents which play a key role inthe control of infections. Their wide functionality is applied in almost all human activities. Theseagents can have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal effects. Disinfectants are synthetic agents thebiocidal effect of which destroys microorganisms in the environment, while antiseptics are appliedlocally, primarily on skin and/or mucosae. The morphological differences between Gram (+) andGram (–) bacteria raise questions regarding the biocidal effects of antibacterial agents againstdifferent types of infectious agents. The aim of our study is to evaluate the biocidal effect ofdisinfectants and antiseptics available on the market. The study uses a reference strain ofEscherichia coli and a laboratory isolate of Staphylococcus aureus. The analysis was conductedusing the agar well diffusion method. Results show that sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxideH2O2 and mouthwashing water demonstrate strong bactericidal effect on both Gram (+) and Gram(–) bacteria. The bath cleaner gel, which is considered effective against Escherichia coli,demonstrated effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus instead. The dishwashing gel,ethacridine lactate, silver water and lavandula water show intermediate or zero effect againstEscherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Eco-Friendly Biosorbents Based on Microbial Biomass and Natural Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization and Application for the Removal of Drugs and Dyes from Aqueous Solutions

Pharmaceuticals and dyes are a very important part of the nonbiodegradable or hard biodegradable substances present in wastewater. Microorganisms are already known to be effective biosorbents, but the use of free microbial cells involves difficulties in their separation from effluents and limits their application in wastewater treatment. Thus, this study aimed to develop biosorbents by immobilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces pastorianus and Saccharomyces pastorianus residual biomass on natural polymers (alginate and chitosan) and to evaluate the biosorptive potential for removal of pharmaceuticals and dyes from water. Six types of biosorbents were synthesized and characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy techniques and their biosorptive capacities for three drugs (cephalexin, rifampicin, ethacridine lactate) and two dyes (orange II and indigo carmine) were evaluated. The obtained results show that the removal efficiency depends on the polymer type used for the immobilization. In case of alginate the removal efficiency is between 40.05% and 96.41% for drugs and between 27.83% and 58.29% for dyes, while in the case of chitosan it is between 40.83% and 77.92% for drugs and between 17.17% and 44.77% for dyes. In general, the synthesized biosorbents proved to be promising for the removal of drugs and dyes from aqueous solutions.

A case of impetigo herpetiformis in which termination of pregnancy was required

Impetigo herpetiformis is a rare variant of generalized pustular psoriasis that occurs during pregnancy or is triggered by pregnancy, often in association with hypocalcemia. This condition is associated with increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. We report a 29-year-old pregnant woman who presented to hospital at the gestational age of 20 weeks with widespread erythema covered with pustules that coalesced to form lakes of pus. She did not respond to corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, or phototherapy. Finally, intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate was administered to terminate the pregnancy, and the patient showed complete recovery in 3 months. Insight from this case report may facilitate optimal management of this relatively rare entity.

Effect of bathing in a 0.1% aqueous solution of ethacridine lactate on selected physiological parameters of Cornu aspersum Müller edible snails

IntroductionThe prohibition of antibiotic use in edible snails obligates breeders to treat bacterial infections by different means, of which a common one is a bath in Gram-positive– and partially Gram-negative–bactericidal ethacridine lactate solution. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of bathing Cornu aspersum Müller snails in a 0.1% aqueous solution of ethacridine lactate on selected physiological parameters of haemolymph.Material and MethodsThe study included 80 snails, divided into two equal groups (study and control). The study group was subjected to bathing in ethacridine lactate and the control group to bathing in tap water. Both groups were treated daily for seven days. The number of haemocytes in the haemolymph, the activity of alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST) aminotransferases, and the concentration of urea were determined.ResultsIn the study group, after exposure to ethacridine lactate solution an increase in ALT activity, changes in the De Ritis ratio, an increase in the amount of haemocytes, and a decrease in body weight were found. No such changes were detected in the control group snails or in animals after the first bath.ConclusionMultiple applications of a 0.1% ethacridine lactate bath may adversely affect Cornu aspersum Müller snails.

Outcomes of intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate for pregnancy termination in the third trimester or pregnancy termination in women with prior cesarean section

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate in third trimester pregnancy patients and in patients with a history of cesarean section to induce labor.Methods : This retrospective clinical investigation analyzed 270 patients who underwent second or third trimester pregnancy termination at the affiliated hospital of Guangxi Guilin Medical University between January 1, 2017 and February 29, 2020, including those with and without cesarean section histories. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of all patients were analyzed following treatment with ethacridine lactate.Results: A total of 270 patients were hospitalized for pregnancy terminations, including 234 patients in a second trimester group, 36 patients in a third trimester group, 209 patients in a non-cesarean section group, and 61 patients in a cesarean section group. Among the 270 patients studied, five had twin pregnancies, and eight had two previous cesarean sections. All the included cases had successful vaginal delivery. There was no significant difference in prenatal and postpartum hemoglobin, incidence of massive hemorrhage, the rate of residual placenta and membranes, manual removal of placenta, uterine curettage,and blood transfusion between the second and third trimester groups (P > 0.05), as well as between the non-cesarean and cesarean section groups (P > 0.05). The abortion interval (AI) in the second trimester group was longer than that in the third trimester group (P = 0.014), and the hemorrhage of delivery in the third trimester group was significantly higher than in the second trimester group (P = 0.019). The hemorrhage of delivery in the cesarean section group was higher than that in the non-cesarean section group but displayed no significant difference (P > 0.05). No uterine rupture and placental abruption occurred in any of the patients.Conclusions : Intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate demonstrated good clinical effects and could be used as a suitable method for third trimester pregnancy termination or pregnancy termination in women with prior cesarean sections, and it can also be used to induce labor in the second trimester for twin pregnancies and in patients with a history of two cesarean sections.

Porous poly(lactic acid) based fibres as drug carriers in active dressings

Purpose: The polymeric porous surface of fibres (PLA) may influence the kinetics of release of biologically active compounds (gentamicin, G and ethacridine lactate, R) affecting development of a bacterial biofilm. Methods: The porous fibres with different morphology were manufactured by the electrospinning method from ternary systems composed of PLA and selected solvents. Fibres morphology was examined using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), their structure was analyzed by FT-IR ATR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Changes in the drug release profile were measured using ICP/UV-Vis methods and the resulting bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties were tested by two-layer disk diffusion test in relation to various drug incorporation methods. Results: The porous fibres can be applied to produce drug-bearing membranes. The spectroscopic studies confirmed incorporation of gentamicin into the fibres and the presence of ethacridine lactate on their surface. Bimodal fibres distribution (P3) promoted faster release of gentamicin and ethacridine lactate from P3G and P3R materials. The electrospinning process coupled with the vapor induced phase separation influenced the glass transition temperature of the porous polymer fibres. The pre/post-electrospinning modification influenced the glass transition, maximum temperature of cold crystallization and melting point of the porous membrane, compared to the neat polymer. The polylactide fibres with gentamicin showed strong bactericidal effect on Gram-positive bacteria, while fibres with ethacridine lactate were bacteriostatic. Conclusions: The obtained fibres with complex surface morphology can be used as a membrane in active dressings as they make it possible to control the release profile of the active compounds.