Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 18, Issue 11, 2017

Background: Skin is the largest and most visible organ of the body. Many of its functions include temperature regulation, immunity from microorganisms, maintaining electrolyte balance, and protection from physical injuries, chemical agents and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Aging occurs in every layer of the skin, primarily due to the degradation of its components. Induction of degradative enzymes and the abundant production of reactive oxygen species lead to skin aging. Understanding the complexity of skin structure and factors contributing to the skin aging will help us impede the aging process. Applications of anti-aging products are a common method to prevent or repair damages that lead to aging. Conclusion: This review will provide information on the causes and indicators of skin aging as well as examine studies that have used plants to produce anti-aging products.

Background: High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is widely utilized to support critically ill adults, pediatrics and neonates. Through the continuous delivery of oxygen at high flow rates that meet or exceed patients' inspiratory flow, HFNC improves oxygenation, respiratory rates, patient comfort, and tolerance during therapy. As HFNC becomes more widely employed, clinicians have started to consider aerosol drug delivery through HFNC. Conclusion: Using HFNC along with nebulizers as a potential therapy in aerosol medicine is a new and innovative approach for aerosol drug delivery to patients with pulmonary diseases. The purpose of this paper is to review current in vitro and in vivo studies on aerosol drug delivery through HFNC in adults and children.

Background: Health benefits, including immune modulating capability, exerted by Bifidobacterium strains have been attributed to their exopolysaccharides (EPSs). Objective: The effects of the purified EPS from B. longum W11 on cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) alone or ConA-stimulated were investigated. Method: The production of IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 by PBMCs from healthy adult donors was analysed using purified EPS at two different concentrations (100 μg/mL and 200 μg/mL) and ConA, as an immunopotentiating marker. Moreover, the monosaccharide composition of the EPS from B. longum W11 was detected using HPLC analysis. Results: The results demonstrated the ability of purified EPS to increase the production of the tested cytokines, except IL-10, in ConA-stimulated PBMCs. In not-stimulated-PBMCs, EPS increased the production of IL-6 (at 200 μg/mL) and IL-10 (at 100 μg/mL). The HPLC analysis showed the presence of main monomers, galactose and glucose (ratio 1:1 wt/wt), and small amount of rhamnose. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the ability of the EPS produced by B. longum W11 to interact in vitro with the human PBMCs, showing an immune-regulatory profile alone and an immune stimulatory profile in ConA-stimulated PBMCs. This suggests putative applications for the EPS from B. longum W11 in different pathological conditions.

Background: The starting point for the development of new, functional products derived from Rubus fruticosus L. is to determine the optimal cultivation conditions that produce maximal yield of fruits containing desirable bioactive properties. Towards that goal, the effect of soil, soil/peat mixture and light intensity on the nutraceutical and cosmeceutical potential of two cultivars (‘Thornfree’ and ‘Loch Ness’) of Rubus fruticosus L. were evaluated. Methods: The assessment was carried out employing a range of methods for evaluating fruit properties associated with promoting good health such as total antioxidant capacity, secondary metabolites content (vitamin C, polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins) and inhibition analysis of skin-regulating enzymes. Results: ‘Thornfree’ cultivar produced fruits in all light conditions, while ‘Loch Ness’ did not produce fruits in low light conditions. The results showed that in Rubus fruticosus L. fruit, the chemical composition and bioactivity are strongly affected by both genetics factors and growing conditions. Extract from ‘Thornfree’ fruits obtained under low light and soil/peat conditions displayed superior properties such as high antioxidant capacity, high concentrations of phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins and high inhibitory potency towards the enzymes tyrosinase and elastase. This extract was used for the development of a topical skin care cream with excellent compatibility and stability. Conclusion: Our findings conclude that Rubus fruticosus L. cultivation may be efficiently and effectively manipulated through conventional cultivation techniques to produce promising bioactive ingredients with potential use in commercial cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Background: Recently, the development of a safe bioactive material with antioxidant properties, which can improve healing activity are focusing. Biosurfactants are very famous for their antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities. Thereof, the main aim of the present study was to investigate the antioxidant and wound healing activity of the lipopeptide biosurfactant (LBS) produced by Acinetobacter junii B6. DPPH radical scavenging activities and FRAP assays were used to measure the antioxidant properties. Methods: For evaluation of the wound healing activity, 36 rats (previously wounded in depilated thoracic region) were randomly distributed into six groups and chromatic, wound contraction, and histopathological feature were examined. The assessment levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after LBS exposure were determined using malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and glutathione (GSH) assay kits. Results: DPPH assay showed notable scavenging activities at the corresponding concentrations with IC50 value of 0.7 mg/ml. The reductive potency of the LBS showed lower performance at low concentration, while exhibited a remarkable increase at higher concentration. The best histopathological remission was achieved following treatment by 5 mg/ml of the LBS. Scar wounds at day 13 showed the lowest lesion sizes, increased re-epithelialization, hair follicle detection, and decreased amounts of neutrophilic inflammation, immaturity of the wound bed, erythema, edema, capillary, and retention of necrotic tissue. Conclusion: Results from MDA, H2O2, and GSH levels of the treated sample confirmed the scavenging property of the bacterial derived LBS through ROS. It could be concluded that the pharmaceutical formula encourages the wound healing because of its notable antioxidant capacity. Highlights: • DPPH and FRAP assays showed notable scavenging activity. • MDA, H2O2, and GSH; confirmed the scavenging property of the derived biosurfactant through ROS. • Synthesized formula encourages the healing of the wound because of its antioxidant capacity.

Background: Biopolymers based materials (polysaccharides, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids) are one of the basic resources in bio-engineering sciences because of desirable features. Moreover, nanobiotechnology innovates nanomaterial and associated technique in nano medicine (drug delivery and tissue engineering). Methods: In the nano-medicine, fibers are introduced as a successful biomimetic extracellular matrix scaffolds and drug carrier systems. Electrospinning as a simple and cost-effective technique is used to design nanofibers. Natural polymers including chitosan, alginic acid, hyaluronic acid, collagen, gelatin, and albumin are excellent candidates for electrospinning. However, these types of biopolymers typically have difficulty in electrospinning. Results: Therefore, for spinning of these polymers, the condition of the procedure including solvent, copolymer addition, cross-linker addition, and optimization of spinning should be done. Conclusion: The present study gathered information about fiber-based nanodevices from biopolymers in a drug transportation or tissue engineering.

Objective: In this research, fatty acid profile and polyphenolic content of an ethanolic extract of walnut from Juglans regia L. collected in Central Italy, were characterized. The potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the extract were investigated in the human keratinocytes cell line. Methods: Fatty acid profile was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis, total phenolic content by Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride colorimetric method was used for determination of total flavonoids. Kertatinocytes were exposed to t-butyl hydroperoxide or Tumor Necrosis Factor alfa in the absence or presence of extract. Reduced glutathione was determined by Sedlak method; lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. t-butyl hydroperoxide and Tumor Necrosis Factor alfa-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species were monitored by fluorescent probes. The expression of some genes related to the inflammatory process (IL-6, IL-8, ikB, and ICAM) were analysed by Real-time PCR. Results: JRE contains a favourable fatty acid profile with low saturated fats (19%) and high-unsaturated fats (81%) with a prevalence of the omega-6 linoleic acid (48%). Also a significant amount of polyphenols was found (5,0052 mg gallic acid equivalent/gdw). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of JRE were observed on analysed cellular model. JRE antioxidants counteracted ROS production, GSH depletion and lipid peroxidation as well downregulated the expression of some genes related to the inflammatory process. Moreover, polyunsaturated fatty acids exhibited anti-inflammatory properties. Conclusion: The obtained results uphold walnut as dietary adjunct in health promotion and drive towards its development in drug therapy against chronic inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory skin diseases.

Objective: Optimization of the medium for recombinant arginine deiminase production in E. coli was performed using response surface methodology. This is the first study of optimization of recombinant arginine deiminase production in E. coli by the use of response surface methodology. Methods: A Mycoplasm arginine deiminase gene was computationally optimized and inserted into pET-3a (+) expression vector. The synthetic pET3a-arginine deiminase construct was cloned and overexpressed in E. coli. The effect of glucose, NH4Cl and MgSO4.7H2O concentrations on the expression of intracellular soluble arginine deiminase was investigated using central composite design (CCD). Results: The maximum arginine deiminase activity (U/mL) was obtained in optimal concentrations g/L of glucose, 6.6; NH4Cl, 1.81; MgSO4.7H2O, 0.94; KH2PO4, 3.0; Na2HPO4, 6.78; NaCl, 0.5; CaCl2, 0.1 mL/L (1M), which was about 6.6 fold higher than that in M9 standard medium. Conclusion: The obtained result can be utilized for large-scale production of this enzyme and related recombinant protein.