3D-Printed Alginate/Pectin-Based Patches Loaded with Olive Leaf Extracts for Wound Healing Applications: Development, Characterization and In Vitro Evaluation of Biological Properties.

Traditional wound dressings may lack suitability for diverse wound types and individual patient requirements. In this context, this study aimed to innovate wound care by developing a 3D-printed patch using alginate and pectin and incorporating Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) as an active ingredient. Different polymer-to-plasticizer ratios were systematically examined to formulate a printable ink with optimal viscosity. The resultant film, enriched with OLE, exhibited a substantial polyphenolic content of 13.15 ± 0.41 mg CAE/g, showcasing significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Notably, the film demonstrated potent scavenging abilities against DPPH, ABTS, and NO radicals, with IC50 values of 0.66 ± 0.07, 0.47 ± 0.04, and 2.02 ± 0.14 mg/mL, respectively. In vitro release and diffusion studies were carried out and the release profiles revealed an almost complete release of polyphenols from the patch within 48 h. Additionally, the fabricated film exhibited the capacity to enhance cell motility and accelerate wound healing, evidenced by increased collagen I expression in BJ fibroblast cells. Structural assessments affirmed the ability of the patch to absorb exudates and maintain the optimal moisture balance, while biocompatibility studies underscored its suitability for biomedical applications. These compelling findings endorse the potential application of the developed film in advanced wound care, with the prospect of tailoring patches to individual patient needs.

Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis as a Tool To Characterize Molecularly Imprinted Nanogels in Solution.

In this work, an innovative and accurate affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) method was set up to monitor the complexation of aqueous MIP nanogels (NGs) with model cancer-related antigens. Using α2,6'- and α2,3'-sialyllactose as oversimplified cancer biomarker-mimicking templates, NGs were synthesized and characterized in terms of size, polydispersity, and overall charge. A stability study was also carried out in order to select the best storage conditions and to ensure product quality. After optimization of capillary electrophoresis conditions, injection of MIP NGs resulted in a single, sharp, and efficient peak. The mobility shift approach was applied to quantitatively estimate binding affinity, in this case resulting in an association constant of K ≈ 106 M-1. The optimized polymers further displayed a pronounced discrimination between the two sialylated sugars. The newly developed ACE protocol has the potential to become a very effective method for nonconstrained affinity screening of NG in solution, especially during the NG development phase and/or for a final accurate quantitation of the observed binding.

Natural and Synthetic Polymeric Biomaterials for Application in Wound Management.

Biomaterials are at the forefront of the future, finding a variety of applications in the biomedical field, especially in wound healing, thanks to their biocompatible and biodegradable properties. Wounds spontaneously try to heal through a series of interconnected processes involving several initiators and mediators such as cytokines, macrophages, and fibroblasts. The combination of biopolymers with wound healing properties may provide opportunities to synthesize matrices that stimulate and trigger target cell responses crucial to the healing process. This review outlines the optimal management and care required for wound treatment with a special focus on biopolymers, drug-delivery systems, and nanotechnologies used for enhanced wound healing applications. Researchers have utilized a range of techniques to produce wound dressings, leading to products with different characteristics. Each method comes with its unique strengths and limitations, which are important to consider. The future trajectory in wound dressing advancement should prioritize economical and eco-friendly methodologies, along with improving the efficacy of constituent materials. The aim of this work is to give researchers the possibility to evaluate the proper materials for wound dressing preparation and to better understand the optimal synthesis conditions as well as the most effective bioactive molecules to load.

Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels and Their Application as Drug Delivery Systems in Cancer Treatment: A Review.

Hydrogels are three-dimensional crosslinked structures with physicochemical properties similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM). By changing the hydrogel's material type, crosslinking, molecular weight, chemical surface, and functionalization, it is possible to mimic the mechanical properties of native tissues. Hydrogels are currently used in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields for drug delivery systems, wound dressings, tissue engineering, and contact lenses. Lately, research has been focused on hydrogels from natural sources. Polysaccharides have drawn attention in recent years as a promising material for biological applications, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and excellent mechanical properties. Polysaccharide-based hydrogels can be used as drug delivery systems for the efficient release of various types of cancer therapeutics, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and minimizing potential side effects. This review summarizes hydrogels' classification, properties, and synthesis methods. Furthermore, it also covers several important natural polysaccharides (chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid, cellulose, and carrageenan) widely used as hydrogels for drug delivery and, in particular, their application in cancer treatment.

Synthesis and evaluation of wound healing properties of hydro-diab hydrogel loaded with green-synthetized AGNPS: in vitro and in ex vivo studies.

In diabetic patients, the presence of neuropathy, peripheral vascular diseases and ischemia, leads to the formation of foot ulcerations with a higher risk of infection because the normal response to bacterial infection is missing. In the aim to control and treat diabetic foot ulcerations (DFUs), wound dressings that are able to absorb exudate, to prevent infections, and to promote wound healing are needed. For this reason, the aim of the present research was to synthetize a biocompatible hydrogel (called HyDrO-DiAb) composed of carboxymethylcellulose loaded with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. In this study, AgNPs were obtained by a green synthesis and, then, were dissolved in a CMC hydrogel that, after a freeze drying process, becomes a flexible and porous structure. The in vitro and in ex vivo wound healing activity of the obtained HyDrO-DiAb hydrogel was evaluated.

Barrier effect and wound healing activity of the medical device REF-FTP78 in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

REF-FTP78 is a class IIb medical device present on the market with different trade names and developed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This medical device is based on polysaccharides from Aloe Barbadensis and fucoidans from brown seaweeds, such as Undaria pinnatifida and Fucus vesiculosus, and aims to exert a protective effect on the esophageal mucosa against the noxious components of refluxate. The present study reports on the efficacy of REF-FTP78 devoting a particular attention to the barrier effect and wound healing properties, combined with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Film-forming properties and barrier effect were investigated on in vitro reconstructed human esophageal epithelium, through TEER measurement and evaluation of caffeine and Lucifer yellow permeability, and in an ex vivo swine model of esophageal mucosa damage. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated in terms of scavenging activity towards DPPH, ABTS and NO radicals and a wound healing assay was carried out to study the influence of the product on cell migration. The obtained results highlighted a significant barrier effect, with a reduction in caffeine penetration equal to 65.3%, the ability to both repair and prevent the damage caused by an acid insult, confirmed by a good transepithelial resistance for the tissue treated with the tested item, and the capacity to promote wound healing. Furthermore, the tested product showed good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the performed radical scavenging assays. These findings support the use of REF-FTP78 in the treatment of GERD.

The Evolution of Molecular Recognition: From Antibodies to Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) as Artificial Counterpart.

Molecular recognition is a useful property shared by various molecules, such as antibodies, aptamers and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). It allows these molecules to be potentially involved in many applications including biological and pharmaceutical research, diagnostics, theranostics, therapy and drug delivery. Antibodies, naturally produced by plasma cells, have been exploited for this purpose, but they present noticeable drawbacks, above all production cost and time. Therefore, several research studies for similar applications have been carried out about MIPs and the main studies are reported in this review. MIPs, indeed, are more versatile and cost-effective than conventional antibodies, but the lack of toxicity studies and their scarce use for practical applications, make it that further investigations on this kind of molecules need to be conducted.

Design and development of plastic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 RBD based on molecularly imprinted polymers that inhibit in vitro virus infection.

The present research study reports the development of plastic antibodies based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) capable of selectively binding a portion of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Indeed, molecular imprinting represents a very promising and attractive technology for the synthesis of MIPs characterized by specific recognition abilities for a target molecule. Given these characteristics, MIPs can be considered tailor-made synthetic antibodies obtained by a templating process. After in silico analysis, imprinted nanoparticles were synthesized by inverse microemulsion polymerization and their ability to prevent the interaction between ACE2 and the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 was investigated. Of relevance, the developed synthetic antibodies are capable of significantly inhibiting virus replication in Vero cell culture, suggesting their potential application in the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Cardiac and Metabolic Impact of Functional Foods with Antioxidant Properties Based on Whey Derived Proteins Enriched with Hemp Seed Oil.

The impaired ability to feed properly, evident in oncologic, elderly, and dysphagic patients, may result in malnutrition and sarcopenia. Increasing the consumption of dietary proteins by functional foods and enriching their composition by adding beneficial nutrients may represent an adjuvant therapy. We aimed to evaluate the safety and the positive effects of a standard diet (SD) supplemented with whey-derived protein puddings (WDPP), with appropriate rheological properties, and hemp seed oil (HSO), rich in polyphenols. Rats were assigned to SD, WDPP, WDPP plus hemp seed oil (HSOP), and HSO supplemented diets for eight weeks. "Anthropometric", metabolic, and biochemical variables, oxidative stress, tissue injury, liver histology, and cardiac susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion were analyzed. All the supplementations did not induce significant changes in biochemical and metabolic variables, also in relation to glucose tolerance, and livers did not undergo morphological alteration and injury. An improvement of cardiac post-ischemic function in the Langendorff perfused heart model and a reduction of infarct size were observed in WDPP and HSOP groups, thanks to their antioxidant effects and the activation of Akt- and AMPK-dependent protective pathways. Data suggest that (i) functional foods enriched with WDPP and HSOP may be used to approach malnutrition and sarcopenia successfully under disabling conditions, also conferring cardioprotection, and that (ii) adequate rheological properties could positively impact dysphagia-related problems.

Controlled Release of 5-FU from Chi-DHA Nanoparticles Synthetized with Ionic Gelation Technique: Evaluation of Release Profile Kinetics and Cytotoxicity Effect.

The ionic gelation technique allows us to obtain nanoparticles able to function as carriers for hydrophobic anticancer drugs, such as 5-fluoruracil (5-FU). In this study, reticulated chitosan- docosahexaenoic acid (Chi-DHAr) nanoparticles were synthesized by using a chemical reaction between amine groups of chitosan (Chi) and carboxylic acids of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the presence of a link between Chi and DHA was confirmed by FT-IR, while the size and morphology of the obtained Chi-DHAr nanoparticles was evaluated with dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Drug-loading content (DLC) and drug-loading efficiency (DLE) of 5-FU in Chi-DHAr nanoparticles were 33.74 ± 0.19% and 7.9 ± 0.26%, respectively, while in the non-functionalized nanoparticles (Chir + 5FU), DLC, and DLE were in the ranges of 23.73 ± 0.14%, 5.62%, and 0.23%, respectively. The in vitro release profile, performed in phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4) at 37 °C, indicated that the synthetized Chi-DHAr nanoparticles provided a sustained release of 5-FU. Based on the obtained regression coefficient value (R2), the first order kinetic model provided the best fit for both Chir and Chi-DHAr nanoparticles. Finally, cytotoxicity studies of chitosan, 5-FU, Chir, Chir + 5-FU, Chi-DHAr, and Chi-DHAr + 5-FU nanoparticles were conducted. Overall, Chi-DHAr nanoparticles proved to be much more biocompatible than Chir nanoparticles while retaining the ability to release the drug with high efficiency, especially towards specific types of cancerous cells.