Facile Preparation of Tough, Puncture-Resistant Antibacterial Polyrotaxane Hydrogel.

Slide-ring hydrogels containing polyrotaxane structures have been widely developed, but current methods are more complex, in which modified cyclodextrins, capped polyrotaxanes, and multistep reactions are often needed. Here, a simple one-pot method dissolving the pseudopolyrotaxane (pPRX) in a mixture of acrylamide and boric acid to form a slide-ring hydrogel by UV light is used to construct a tough, puncture-resistant antibacterial polyrotaxane hydrogel. As a new dynamic ring cross-linking agent, boric acid effectively improves the mechanical properties of the hydrogel and involves the hydrogel with fracture toughness. The polyrotaxane hydrogel can withstand 1 MPa compression stress and maintain the morphology integrity, showing 197.5 mJ puncture energy under a sharp steel needle puncture. Meanwhile, its significant antibacterial properties endow the hydrogel with potential applications in the biomedical field.

Assessing the efficacy of various irrigation solutions in dissolving organic tissue.

For successful root canal treatment, adequate chemomechanical instrumentation to eliminate microorganisms and pulp tissue is crucial. This study aims to assess the organic tissue dissolving activity of various irrigation solutions on bovine tooth pulp tissue. 40 extracted bovine mandibular anterior teeth (n = 10) were used for the study. Bovine pulp pieces (25 ± 5 mg) were placed in 1.5 ml Eppendorf tubes. Each tooth pulp sample was then covered with 1.5 ml of different irrigation solutions, dividing them into four groups: Group 1 with freshly prepared 5% Boric acid, Group 2 with 5% NaOCl, Group 3 with Irritrol, and Group 4 with Saline. Samples were left at room temperature for 30 min, then dried and reweighed. The efficacy of tissue dissolution ranked from highest to lowest was found to be NaOCl, Boric Acid, Irritrol, and saline (p < 0.05). It was observed that the decrease in the NaOCl group was greater than the decrease in the Irritrol and saline groups, and the decrease in the Boric acid group was significantly greater than the decrease in the saline group (p < 0.05). It also emphasizes the need for future studies to further investigate the effects of Irritrol and Boric Acid on tissue dissolution.

The impact of Boric Acid tubes on quantitative urinary bacterial cultures in hospitalized patients.

INTRODUCTION: The accuracy of urine culture results can be affected by pre-analytical factors such as transport delays and storage conditions. The objectives of this study were to analyze urine collection practices and assess the impact of introducing boric acid tubes for urine collection on quantitative urinary bacterial cultures of hospitalized patients in medical wards. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre-post study conducted in an acute care facility. In the pre-intervention phase (2020-2021), urine samples were transported without preservatives at room temperature. In 2022 (post-intervention), we transitioned to boric acid transport tubes, evaluating its effect on significant bacterial growth (≥ 105 CFU/ml). Bivariate and multivariate analyses identified predictors of culture positivity. RESULTS: Throughout the duration of the study, a total of 12,660 urine cultures were analyzed. Date and time documentation was complete for 38.3% of specimens. Culture positivity was higher with longer processing times: positivity was 21.3% (220/1034) when specimens were processed within 4 h, 28.4% (955/3364) when processed in 4-24 h, and 32.9% (137/417) when processed after 24 h (p < 0.0001). For 4-24-hour processing, positivity decreased from 30.4% (704/2317) pre-intervention to 24.0% (251/1047) post-intervention (p < 0.001), with no significant changes in < 4 or ≥ 24-hour specimens. Stratified analysis by processing time revealed that the intervention was associated with reduced positivity only in cultures processed within 4-24 h (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.67-0.94; p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The introduction of boric acid transport tubes predominantly influenced cultures transported within a 4-24-hour window. This presents an opportunity to improve urine tract infection diagnostic practices in healthcare settings.

Boric acid alleviates periodontal inflammation induced by IL-1ß in human gingival fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND: Boric acid (BA) has been found to have therapeutic effects on periodontal disease through beneficially affecting antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory actions. METHODS: This study was conducted to determine the effect of BA on cell viability and on mRNA expressions of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and on oxidative stress enzymes induced by IL-1ß (1 ng/mL) in Human Gingival Fibroblasts (HGF) cultured for 24 and 72 h in DMEM media. The BA concentrations added to the media were 0.09 %, 0.18 %, 0.37 %, and 0.75 %. RESULTS: All of the BA concentrations increased the viability of cell cultured in DMEM media only, indicating that these concentrations were not toxic and actually beneficial to cell viability. The addition of 1 ng/m: of IL-1ß decreased cell viability that was overcome by all concentrations of BA at both 24 and 72 h. The IL-1ß addition to the media increased the expressions of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-17; the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10; and the oxidative stress enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD0 and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). The IL-1ß induced increase mRNA expression of IL-1ß was decreased at 24 h by the 0.37 % and 0.75 % BA additions to the media and decreased in a dose-dependent manner by all concentrations of BA at 72 h. The IL-1ß induced increase in the expression of IL-6 was decreased in dose-dependent manner at 72 h by BA. All BA concentrations decreased the IL-1ß induced expression of IL-8 at both 24 and 72 h. The induced increase in IL-17 by IL-1ß was not significantly affected by the BA additions. The increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 induced by IL-1ß was increased further by all BA additions in dose dependent manner at both 24 and 72 h. The mRNA expressions of SOD and GPX increased by IL-1ß were further increased by the 0.37 % and 0.75 % BA concentrations at 72 h. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that BA can significantly modulate the cytokines that are involved in inflammatory stress and reactive oxygen species action and thus could be an effective therapeutic agent in the treatment of periodontal disease.

Synergistic effect of seaweed extract and boric acid and/or calcium chloride on productivity and physico-chemical properties of Valencia orange.

Many citrus species and cultivars are grown successfully in tropical and subtropical countries, as well as in arid and semi-arid regions with low levels of organic matter and low cation exchange, resulting in lower nutrient uptake by the plant. The essential nutrients needed for citrus flowering and fruit set are limited in winter due to a reduction in transpiration rate, negatively effecting vegetative growth, flowering, yield, and fruit quality. The present investigation was carried out to assess the nutritional status, fruit yield parameters, and fruit quality of Valencia orange trees after foliar spraying of seaweed extract (SW) combined with calcium chloride and boric acid and their combinations in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons. The treatments were arranged in a split-plot design (three levels spraying seaweed extract × four levels spraying calcium chloride and boric acid and their combinations × four replicates × one tree/replicate). The results indicated that all of the characteristics measured, including leaf chlorophyll, leaf mineral contents, fruit yield parameters, fruit physical properties, and fruit chemical properties, were significantly affected by the foliar spraying of seaweed extract (SW) combined with calcium chloride and boric acid and their combinations. Although all treatments increased the productivity and the physical and chemical properties of Valencia orange fruits compared to the control, a treatment of 10 g/L SW combined with 0.5 g/L boric acid and 1 g/L calcium chloride produced superior results. This ratio of SW, boric acid, and calcium chloride is therefore recommended to enhance productivity and improve the physico-chemical properties of Valencia orange for greater fruit yield.

Preparing for laboratory automation and consolidation-Establishing the validity of pediatric-like low-volume urine samples in boric-acid containing tubes.

Microbiological services consolidation has increased the usage of preservative-containing urine tubes, potentially inhibiting pathogens in low-volume pediatric urine samples, yielding false-negative results. Our study demonstrates comparable growth with 1 ml versus the recommended 3 ml urine, following different shipping intervals. We advocate for regulators to consider similar large-scale validations, ensuring results' consistency.

Investigation of the efficacy of epidermal growth factor, boric acid and their combination in cartilage injury in rats: An experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to determine the bioefficacy of epidermal growth factor (EGF), boric acid (BA), and their combination on cartilage injury in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In in vitro setting, the cytotoxic effects of BA, EGF, and their combinations using mouse fibroblast cell (L929), human bone osteosarcoma cell (Saos-2), and human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) were determined by applying MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] test. In in vivo setting, 72 rats were randomly divided into four groups. A standard chondral defect was created and microfracture was performed in all groups. Group A was determined as the control group. In addition to the standard procedure, Group B received 100 ng/mL of EGF, Group C received a combination of 100 ng/mL of EGF and 10 µg/mL of BA combination, and Group D 20 µg/mL of BA. RESULTS: The cytotoxic effect of the combinations of EGF dilutions (1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 ng/mL) with BA (100, 300, 500 µg/mL) was observed only in the 72-h application period and in Saos-2. The cytotoxic effect of BA was reduced when combined with EGF. There was no significant difference in the histopathological scores among the groups (p=0.13). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that EGF and low-dose BA application had a positive effect on cartilage healing in rats. Significant decreases in recovery scores were observed in the other groups. The combination of EGF and BA promoted osteoblast growth. Detection of lytic lesions in the group treated with 20 µg/mL of BA indicates that BA may have a cytotoxic effect.

Nonylphenol Exposure-Induced Oocyte Quality Deterioration Could be Reversed by Boric Acid Supplementation in Rats.

In this study, we reported boric acid's protective effects on the quality of nonylphenol (NP)-exposed oocytes. Female rats were classified into 4 groups: control, boric acid, NP, and NP+boric acid. Histopathological studies and immunohistochemical analysis of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), Sirtuin1 (SIRT1), stem cell factor (SCF) studies were done. The comet assay technique was utilized for DNA damage. The ELISA method was used to determine the concentrations of oxidative stress indicators (SOD, CAT, and MDA), ovarian hormone (INH-B), and inflammation indicators (IL-6 and TNF-α). Boric acid significantly reduced the histopathological alterations and nearly preserved the ovarian reserve. With the restoration of AMH and SCF, boric acid significantly improved the ovarian injury. It downregulated SIRT1 and upregulated the mTOR signaling pathway. It provided DNA damage protection. Ovarian SOD, CAT levels were decreased by boric acid. Boric acid co-administration significantly reduced NP's MDA, IL-6, and TNF-activities. This results imply that boric acid has a protective role in ovarian tissue against NP-mediated infertility.

Investigating effects of locally applied boric acid on fracture healing with and without low-level laser therapy.

This study aimed to investigate the effects on fracture healing of locally applied boric acid (BA) with and without low-level laser therapy (LLLT). A unicortical femoral defect was surgically created on the anterolateral surface of proximal femur of each subject. The subjects, totaling 56 Wistar albino rats, were randomly allocated into four groups (n = 14 each): control, LLLT (λ = 905 µm, 10,000 Hz, 25 mW, and peak power 25 W), BA (40 mg/kg), and BA + LLLT groups. On the 30th day, the highest radiological score was recorded for the BA + LLLT group (3.63 [2-4]), followed by the BA (3.38 [2.75-3.75]), control (3 [2-3.25]), and LLLT (2.5 [1.25-3]) groups. On days 15 and 30 post-surgery, malondialdehyde levels were significantly lower among the BA + LLLT group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). On day 30, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and alkaline phosphatase levels were highest in the BA + LLLT group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). When the histopathological, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemical findings on the 15th and 30th days were compared with the control group, a statistically significant difference was found for the BA and BA + LLLT groups (p ˂ 0.05). This study suggests that locally applied BA with LLLT may accelerate fracture healing.

Effects of boric acid and potassium metaborate on cytokine levels and redox stress parameters in a wound model infected with methicillin­resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin­resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are usually found in hospital settings and, frequently, in patients with open wounds. One of the most critical virulence factors affecting the severity and recurrence of infections is the biofilm; increasing antibiotic resistance due to biofilm formation has led to the search for alternative compounds to antibiotics. The present study aimed to use boric acid and potassium metaborate against MRSA infection in a fibroblast wound model. For this purpose, a two­part experiment was designed: First, MRSA strains were used for the test, and both boric acid and potassium metaborate were prepared in microdilution. In the second step, an MRSA wound model was prepared using a fibroblast culture, and treatments with boric acid and potassium metaborate were applied for 24 h. For the evaluation of the effects of treatment, cell viability assay (MTT assay), analysis of redox stress parameters, including total oxidant status and total antioxidant capacity analyses, lactate dehydrogenase analysis and immunohistochemical staining were performed. In addition, IL­1ß and IL­10 gene expression levels were assayed. According to the results, potassium metaborate was more effective and exhibited a lower toxicity to fibroblast cells compared to boric acid; moreover, potassium metaborate decreased the level of prooxidant species and increased the antioxidant status more effectively than boric acid. The IL­1ß level in the bacteria group was high; however, boric acid and potassium metaborate significantly decreased the expression levels of inflammatory markers, exhibiting the potential to improve the resolution of the lesion. On the whole, the findings of the present study suggest that boric acid and potassium metaborate may be effective on the tested microorganisms.

In vitro antifungal effect of phenylboronic and boric acid on Alternaria alternata.

The ascomycete fungus Alternaria alternata causes early blight, one of economically the most important tomato diseases. Due to frequent use of fungicides, A. alternata has developed resistance with negative economic and environmental consequences. Research of new ways to control fungal pathogens has turned its eye to environmentally friendly chemicals with low toxicity such as boronic acids. The aim of our study was therefore to test the antifungal effects of phenylboronic and boric acid in vitro on A. alternata. We isolated the pathogen from a symptomatic tomato plant and determined the minimum inhibitory concentration of phenylboronic and boric acid on A. alternata mycelial growth using the poisoned food technique. The antifungal effect was tested on a wide range of phenylboronic and boric acid concentrations (from 0.04 % to 0.3 %) applied separately to agar with mycelial disc of the pathogen. After five days of incubation, phenylboronic acid at low concentration (0.05 %) completely inhibited mycelial growth. Boric acid, in turn, did not significantly slow down mycelial growth but did reduce sporulation and confirmed its fungistatic effect. Our findings point to the potential use of phenylboronic acid to control phytopathogenic fungi. This is, to our knowledge, the first report on its antifungal effect on an agriculturally important pathogen in vitro. Moreover, since A. alternata is also a human pathogen, these results may have clinical ramifications.

Boric acid suppresses cell proliferation by TNF signaling pathway mediated apoptosis in SW-480 human colon cancer line.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers. Treatment success and survival rates are not high enough with current approaches. Therefore, there is a need to develop new agents and treatment methods. Boric acid is the most frequently observed form of boron. Some epidemiological data suggest that environmental exposure to boric acid reduces the incidence of prostate cancer in men, cervical and lung cancers in women. Experimental studies show, boric acid reduces cell proliferation and stimulates apoptosis in some prostate, melanoma, breast cancer cell lines. In this study, it was investigated whether boric acid could be a new candidate molecule that could be used in the treatment of colon cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of boric acid on human colon adenocarcinoma cell line SW-480 were investigated with BrdU, TUNEL, Caspase-3, and AIF immunohistochemical studies in both 2D and 3D culture systems. In addition, a qRT-PCR study was carried out to determine the expression changes in key genes that take part in apoptosis. RESULTS: We observed that boric acid suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis both in 2D and 3D culture conditions. In addition, as a result of qRt-PCR studies, it was revealed that the observed apoptotic process was related to the TNF signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Boric acid can be considered as a potential anti-cancer agent candidate for colon cancer treatment. DATA AVAILABILITY: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Boric acid transport activity of human aquaporins expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

Boric acid is a vital micronutrient that is toxic at high concentrations in animals. However, the mechanisms underlying boric acid transport in animal cells remain unclear. To identify the plasma membrane boric acid channels in animals, we analyzed the function of human aquaporins (AQPs), which are homologous to the nodulin-like intrinsic protein family of plant boric acid channels. When human AQPs were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, the results of the swelling assay showed that boric acid permeability significantly increased in oocytes expressing AQP3, 7, 8, 9, and 10, but not in those expressing AQP1, 2, 4, and 5. The boric acid influxes of these oocytes were also confirmed by elemental quantification. Electrophysiological analysis using a pH microelectrode showed that these AQPs transported boric acid (B(OH)3 ) but not borate ions (B(OH)4- ). These results indicate that AQP3, 7, 8, 9, and 10 act as boric acid transport systems, likely as channels in humans.

Therapeutic Effects of Boric Acid in a Septic Arthritis Model Induced by Escherichia coli in Rats.

The study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of boric acid (BA) in experimentally induced septic arthritis. A total of 30 rats, 6 rats in each group (5 groups), were used in the study. No treatment was applied to the rats in the control group. Only BA was administered intraperitoneally (IP) to the rats in the bor group. Escherichia coli was administered at a single dose of 25 µL, 1 × 1010 cfu/rat from the right foot pad of the rats, via intra-articular route, to the mice in the arthritis, arthritis-bor, and arthritis-antb groups. Then, BA at a dose of 50 mg/kg and cefazolin at a dose of 25 mg/kg were administered to the rats in the arthritis-bor and arthritis-antb groups, respectively, for 7 days via the IP route. At the end of the study, all animals were euthanized following the ethical rules. Blood and tissue samples were taken from the rats for biochemical and histopathological analyses. The levels of GSH, MDA, Endoglin, Endocan, and TNF-ß markers were measured in the blood samples taken. A significant decrease was observed in MDA and Endoglin levels in the boric acid-administered group compared with the arthritis group, while a significant increase was observed at the GSH level. Histopathologically, it was determined that the reactive surrounding tissue response in the bor group was significantly reduced. As a result, a significant decrease in inflammation was found biochemically and histopathologically in the groups treated with BA.

Boric acid improves the behavioral, electrophysiological and histological parameters of cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in rats.

Boric acid (BA) has been used in many diseases because it increases the amount of reduced glutathione in the body and reduces oxidative damage. This study aims to investigate the effects of boric acid in cisplatin-induced neuropathy, in which oxidative stress is also effective in its pathophysiology. In this study, 8-10 weeks old, 170-190 g Wistar Albino rats were used. Each group contained seven rats (n = 35). Experimental groups consist of control, sham, neuropathy, treatment, and boric acid groups. For the neuropathy model, a single dose of cisplatin (3 mg/kg, i.p) was administered once a week for five weeks, and for the treatment group, boric acid was administered daily (100 mg/kg, intragastric) for five weeks. After drug administration, the rotarod test to evaluate motor performance, the tail-flick and hot/cold plate tests to evaluate sensory conduction states, the von Frey filament test to evaluate the mechanical allodynia, and the adhesive removal test to assess sensorimotor function were performed. The sciatic nerve's motoric conduction velocity was also assessed electrophysiologically. Oxidative stress parameters were also assessed biochemically in sciatic nerve tissue and serum. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to evaluate the sciatic nerve tissue histopathologically. The motor conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve, impaired by cisplatin, was increased considerably by boric acid (p < 0.05). It also reduced the latency time of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP), which was increased by cisplatin. (p < 0.05). The von Frey filament test results demonstrated increased pain sensitivity of the cisplatin group increased, and mechanical allodynia was observed. Boric acid significantly alleviated this condition (p < 0.05). In the cold plate, adhesive removal, and rotarod tests, boric acid attenuated the adverse effects of cisplatin (p < 0.05). Biochemically, BA reduced the level of MDA, which was raised by cisplatin, and significantly increased the level of SOD, which was lowered by cisplatin (p < 0.05). Histopathologically; BA reduced neuronal degeneration and vacuolization caused by cisplatin. As a consequence, it has been determined that boric acid alleviates the adverse effects of cisplatin. BA reduced the destructive effect of cisplatin by reducing oxidative stress, and this effect was verified electrophysiologically, behaviorally, and histopathologically.

Promising potential of boron compounds against Glioblastoma: In Vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer studies.

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and aggressive primary malignant astrocytoma correlated with poor patient survival. There are no curative treatments for GB, and it becomes resistant to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy. Resistance in GB cells is closely related to their states of redox imbalance, and the role of reactive oxygen species and its impact on cancer cell survival is still far from elucidation. Boron-containing compounds, especially boric acid (BA) and borax (BX) exhibited interesting biological effects involving antibacterial, antiviral, anti-cancerogenic, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory as well as anti-oxidative features. Recent studies indicated that certain boron compounds could be cytotoxic on human GB. Nevertheless, there is gap of knowledge in the literature on exploring the underlying mechanisms of anti-GB action by boron compounds. Here, we identified and compared the potential anti-GB effect of both BA and BX, and revealed their underlying anti-GB mechanism. We performed cell viability, oxidative alterations, oxidative DNA damage potential assays, and explored the inflammatory responses and gene expression changes by real-time PCR using U-87MG cells. We found that BA and BX led to a remarkable reduction in U-87MG cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. We also found that boron compounds increased the total oxidative status and MDA levels along with the SOD and CAT enzyme activities and decreased total antioxidant capacity and GSH levels in U-87MG cells without inducing DNA damage. The cytokine levels of cancer cells were also altered. We verified the selectivity of the compounds using a normal cell line, HaCaT and found an exact opposite condition after treating HaCaT cells with BA and BX. BA applications were more effective than BX on U-87MG cell line in terms of increasing MDA levels, SOD and CAT enzyme activities, and decreasing Interleukin-1α, Interleukin-6 and Tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α) levels. We finally observed that anticancer effect of BA and BX were associated with the BRAF/MAPK, PTEN and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in respect of downregulatory manner. Especially, BA application was found more favorable because of its inhibitory effect on PIK3CA, PIK3R1, PTEN and RAF1 genes. In conclusion, our analysis indicated that boron compounds may be safe and promising for effective treatment of GB.

Boric acid as a promising agent in the treatment of ovarian cancer: Molecular mechanisms.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the therapeutic effects of boric acid cell proliferation, invasion, migration, colony formation, cell cycle and apoptosis mechanisms in ovarian cancer cell line under in vitro conditions. METHODS: MDAH-2774 ovarian cancer cells were employed. Real-time PCR test was used to investigate changes in genes and proteins of cell cycle and apoptosis and identified miRNAs under the addition of boric acid. The apoptosis rates were calculated by TUNEL assay. Matrigel invasion, colony formation and Wound healing tests were used to determine invasion and migration. Oxidative stress index value was calculated for oxidative stress. RESULTS: Boric acid inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, migration and colony formation, but induces apoptosis and oxidative stress. Also, the expression of miRNA-21, miRNA-200a, miRNA-130a and mi-RNA-224 (which are indicators of poor prognosis of ovarian cancer) decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: The potential of boric acid as a natural molecule may supports its effectiveness in reducing adverse effects arising from conventional ovarian cancer treatments.

Antifungal activity of boric acid, triclosan and zinc oxide against different clinically relevant Candida species.

BACKGROUND: The genus Candida includes about 200 different species, but only a few are able to produce disease in humans. The species responsible for the highest proportion of human infections is Candida albicans. However, in the last two decades there has been an increase in the proportion of infections caused by other Candida species, including C. glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabrata), C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. krusei (Pichia kudriavzevi) and more recently C. auris. Decolonisation of patients has been used as an infection control strategy for bacterial infections, but information about decolonisation products used in clinical practice for Candida and other fungal pathogens is limited. Compounds with antimicrobial activity, such as triclosan (TR), boric acid (BA) and zinc oxide (ZO), are mainly used in personal care products. These products can be used for long periods of time without an abrasive skin effect and are a possible alternative for patient decolonisation in healthcare settings. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of boric acid (BA), triclosan (TR) and zinc oxide (ZO), individually and combined, against clinically relevant Candida species. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Compounds to be screened for antifungal activity were evaluated at different concentrations, alone, and combined, using a well diffusion assay. The statistical evaluation was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a post hoc analysis using the multiple comparisons method. RESULTS: Individually, BA and TR showed antifungal activity against all Candida species evaluated but ZO did not show any antifungal activity. Mixtures of BA [5%]-TR [0.2%]; BA [5%]-TR [0.3%]; BA [5%]-TR [0.2%]-ZO [8.6%]; and BA [5%]-TR [0.2%]-ZO [25%] yielded the highest antifungal activity. An increased antifungal effect was observed in some mixtures when compared with individual compounds. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated antifungal activity of BA and TR against multiple Candida species, including against a clade of the emerging healthcare-associated pathogen C. auris. Additionally, this study shows enhancement of the antifungal effect and no antagonism among the mixtures of these compounds. Further research is needed to determine whether these compounds can reduce the burden of Candida on skin.

Boric acid is as effective as hyaluronic acid-based agent in preventing intra-abdominal adhesions in a rat model.

BACKGROUND: In this experimental rat model, we aimed to investigate boric acid's possible protective effect against the formation of post-operative abdominal adhesions through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. METHODS: Forty healthy male albino rats were randomly and evenly allocated to vehicle, hyaluronic acid-based (HA-b) material, boric acid 50 (BA50), boric acid 100 (BA100), and sham groups. Intra-abdominal adhesions were induced by mechanical cecal abrasion. Macroscopic and pathologic assessments of the adhesions were done and tissue tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) levels were measured. RESULTS: Total abdominal adhesion scores were 129.7, 91.07, 53.77, 90.07, and 140.5 for the vehicle, HA-b, BA50, BA100, and sham groups, respectively, with the highest score indicating more severe adhesions. A significant difference in fibrosis scores was noted between both BA50 and BA100, and the sham group (p=0.018). When objective parameters were analyzed, TNF-α levels were significantly lower in the BA50 group than the sham, BA100, and vehicle groups (p=0.01, 0.019, and 0.03, respectively). TGF-ß1 levels were also significantly lower in BA50 group than the sham, BA100, and the vehicle groups (p=0.013, 0.016, and 0.05, respectively). No difference was observed for any parameter between BA50 group and HA-b group. CONCLUSION: Topical boric acid at a dose of 50 mg/kg is found safe and as effective as the hyaluronic acid-based agent in preventing postoperative abdominal adhesions in our rat model.

Polymers Based on Phenyl Boric Acid in Tumor-Targeted Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Tumors are still among the major challenges to human health. Tumor-targeted therapy is an effective way to treat tumors based on precise medical models. Sialic acid (SA) is overexpressed on the surface of tumor cells, and Phenyl Boric Acid (PBA) can specifically bind to SA. However, studies on the use of PBA in tumor-targeted therapy are few. OBJECTIVE: To summarize and analyze the characteristics and influencing factors of tumor targeted therapy in recent years, and the influencing factors of phenyl boric acid modified polymers in tumor targeted therapy, such as hydrogen ion concentration (pH), Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), and sugars. This paper describes the application of phenyl boric acid partially functionalized nano-polymers in various types of targeted tumors, such as breast cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, liver cancer, and so forth. In order to further improve the basic research and clinical workers' understanding of nano-preparations and tumor targeted therapy. At the same time, it is also expected to promote the development value of phenyl boric acid. METHODS: The findings on tumor-targeted therapy and the role of partially functionalized polymers with PBA in different tumors at home and abroad has been analyzed and summarized in recent years. RESULTS: Tumor-targeted therapy is a promising treatment for tumors. PBA promotes the treatment of tumors using SA, which is highly expressed on the surface of tumor cells. CONCLUSION: Tumor-targeted therapy has shown great prospects for clinical application in recent years. PBA is beneficial as a member of the drug loading system. Further studies are still needed to promote its development and application.