Non-ionic surfactant-assisted controlled release of oxyresveratrol on dendritic fibrous silica for topical applications.

We present a simple and eco-friendly method for controlled drug release using a surfactant-assisted method. Oxyresveratrol (ORES) was co-loaded with a non-ionic surfactant onto KCC-1, a dendritic fibrous silica, using an ethanol evaporation technique. The carriers were characterized using FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy, and the loading and encapsulation efficiencies were assessed using TGA and DSC techniques. Contact angle and zeta potential were used to determine the surfactant arrangement and the particle charges. To investigate the effects of different surfactants (Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 80, Tween 85, and Span 80) on ORES release, we conducted experiments under different pH and temperature conditions. Results showed that the types of surfactants, drug loading content, pH, and temperature significantly affected the drug release profile. The percentage of drug loading efficiency of the carriers was in the range of 80 %-100 %, and the release of ORES was in the order of M/KCC-1 > M/K/S80 > M/K/T40 > M/K/T20 > MK/T80 > M/K/T85 at 24 h. Furthermore, the carriers provided excellent protection for ORES against UVA and maintained its antioxidant activity. KCC-1 and Span 80 enhanced the cytotoxicity to HaCaT cells, while Tween 80 suppressed the cytotoxicity.

Synthesis of 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural Monoesters and Alcohols as Fuel Additives toward Their Performance and Combustion Characteristics in Compression Ignition Engines.

The synthesis of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) and conversion to the corresponding HMF-monoesters upon certain treatment are presented with their properties that are validated in a diesel engine. With a collection of fatty acids (C8-C18) using cyanuric acid as a catalyst under mild reaction conditions, the subsequent reduction of the HMF-monoesters with NaBH4 produced the corresponding alcohols. After purification, both HMF-monoesters and their alcohol derivatives were determined for their solubility, cetane index, heat of combustion, viscosity, and specific gravity. HMF-Capric (1-C10), HMF-Oleic (1-C18:1), HMF-Caprylic-OH (2-C8), and HMF-Oleic-OH (2-C18:1) were soluble in a neat diesel fuel. The observed highest cetane index and heat of combustion of 1-C10 and 1-C18:1 were evaluated for combustion characteristics in a single-cylinder compression ignition engine. The diesel fuel containing 3% 1-C10 displayed comparable properties during burning in terms of thermal efficiency, cylinder pressure, and heat release rate with respect to the neat diesel fuel (D100) for all usage engine speeds. In general, all tested fuels initiated their burning onset with a similar ignition delay period. The 3% 1-C10-blended diesel fuel emitted slightly higher smoke opacity but an equivalent nitric oxide level compared to those of D100. The HMF-Capric (1-C10) synthesized in this study represents a promising additive for diesel fuel. Blended fuel lubricity and other unregulated emissions upon broader engine test cycles are suggested to be accomplished in future work.