Differential Etching of Rays at Wood Surfaces Exposed to an Oxygen Glow Discharge Plasma.

Basswood samples were exposed to oxygen glow-discharge plasmas for 30 min, and etching of radial and tangential longitudinal surfaces was measured. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between etching and plasma energy, and differential etching of wood surfaces because of variation in the microstructure and chemical composition of different woody tissues. Etching at the surface of basswood samples was examined using profilometry. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine the microstructure of samples exposed to plasma. There was a large effect of plasma energy on etching of basswood surfaces, and radial surfaces were etched to a greater extent than tangential surfaces. However, rays at radial surfaces were more resistant to etching than fibers, resulting in greater variation in the etching of radial versus tangential surfaces. The same phenomenon occurred at radial surfaces of balsa wood, jelutong and New Zealand white pine subjected to plasma etching. The possible reasons for the greater resistance of rays to plasma etching are explored, and it is suggested that such differential etching of wood surfaces may impose a limitation on the use of plasma to precisely etch functional patterns at wood surfaces (raised pillars, grooves), as has been done with other materials.

Total Synthesis of Tanshinone I.

A novel total synthesis of tanshinone I (1) via the intermediate 3-hydroxy-8-methyl-1,4-phenanthrenedione (8) is described. The low overall yields and the use of expensive reagents in the synthesis process were minimized by the use of the Diels-Alder reaction to directly construct the 1,4-phenanthrenedione scaffold, providing tanshinone I (1) in only three steps.

Development of intravenous lipid emulsion of α-asarone with significantly improved safety and enhanced efficacy.

Severe adverse events have been frequently associated with taking the commercially available formulation of α-asarone injection (α-asarone-I). Hence, we sought to develop an intravenous lipid emulsion of α-asarone (α-asarone-LE), where we hypothesized that these adverse events could be prevented. Using a central composite design-response surface methodology, we developed and optimized an emulsion formulation of α-asarone-LE that composed of 10.0% (w/v) soybean oil, 0.4% (w/v) α-asarone, 1.2% (w/v) soybean lecithin, 0.3% (w/v) F68, and 2.2% (w/v) glycerol. The mean particle size of α-asarone-LE was 226±11 nm, the ζ-potential was -25.6±1.2 mV, the encapsulation efficiency was 99.2±0.1% and the drug loading efficiency was 3.45%. Stability, safety, and efficacy studies of α-asarone-LE were systematically investigated and compared to those of α-asarone-I. The α-asarone-LE not only showed a desired stability, but also exhibited excellent safety and improved efficacy in vivo, indicating its great potential for clinical application in the future.

Formulation optimization of prostaglandin E1-loaded lipid emulsion: enhanced stability and reduced biodegradation.

The purpose of this study is to develop a new formulation for prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)-loaded lipid emulsion (Lipo-PGE1) with improved stability and reduced biodegradation. High-pressure homogenization was used to prepare the Lipo-PGE1, and high-performance liquid chromatography and accelerated test were used to evaluate its physicochemical stability. A tissue homogenate incubation test was firstly established and validated to assess its biodegradation. The factors influencing the stability of Lipo-PGE1, including oil phase, emulsifier, pH value, and drug concentration were systematically investigated. The optimized formulation consisting of poloxamer188 1.5% (w/v), egg lecithin 0.5% (w/v), soybean oil 10.0% (w/v), oleic acid 0.24% (w/v), and glycerol 2.2% (w/v), with the pH value at 4.0, was defined and characterized. When compared with the currently available commercial product of Lipo-PGE1, the degradation percentage of this optimized Lipo-PGE1 reduced by 47.1% after sterilization, the drug remaining percentage increased by 13.9% after storage at 4°C over 6 months. Also, a significant reduction in biodegradation of the optimized Lipo-PGE1 in comparison with the commercial Lipo-PGE1 was observed by a tissue homogenate incubation test. Overall, we provided a novel formulation for Lipo-PGE1 with a better physicochemical stability and a less biodegradation than the currently available commercial product of Lipo-PGE1, indicating its potential superiority in clinical application.

Development of intravenous lipid emulsion of tanshinone IIA and evaluation of its anti-hepatoma activity in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to develop a lipid emulsion of tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA-LE) for intravenous administration and to investigate its feasibility for future clinical practice. The formulation was optimized using central composite design-response surface methodology (CCD-RSM), and the homogenization process was investigated systematically. The Tan IIA-LE was evaluated in terms of stability, safety and in vitro anti-hepatoma activity. The formulation of Tan IIA-LE is composed of 0.05% (w/v) Tan IIA, 20% (w/v) soybean oil-MCT mixture (1:1, w/w), 1.2% (w/v) soybean lecithin, 0.3% (w/v) F68 and 2.2% (w/v) glycerol, a high pressure homogenization at 100 MPa for 3 cycles was selected as the optimal homogenization process. The Tan IIA-LE was light-sensitive but stable for at least 12 months at room temperature in dark. The safety study demonstrated that the Tan IIA-LE did not cause venous irritation or obvious acute toxicity. Furthermore, the Tan IIA-LE displayed significant anti-tumor activity against human hepatoma cell lines in vitro. Overall, the Tan IIA-LE developed in this study was suggested to be a suitable and safe dosage form of Tan IIA for intravenous administration and has potential in liver cancer therapy in future.