RESUMEN
The short shelf-life of water-soluble quantum dots (QDs) due to colloidal instability represents a major drawback to their exploitation. This work examines the colloidal stability of PbS nanoparticles capped with dihydrolipoic acid-polyethylene glycol (DHLA-PEG) ligands terminated with functional groups such as -NH2, -COOH, OMe and -N3. and their application for in vivo imaging. We prove a mechanism of colloidal instability and develop a strategy to produce for the first time stable PEG-capped PbS quantum dots with high quantum yield and optical emission in the first and the second near-infrared (NIR) windows of low absorption of biological tissues. The NIR imaging of in vivo biodistribution is demonstrated at wavelengths >1000 nm, with benefits of reduced tissue absorption and light scattering. The stability, biocompatibility and potential for further QD functionalization open up realistic prospects for non-invasive bioimaging applications.
RESUMEN
The nature of and factors effecting sodium interactions with psyllium were investigated in vitro. In a batch extraction system, psyllium mucilage gel retained at least 50% of sodium across a range of concentrations (5-300 mg sodium per g psyllium) and pH (2-10) environments. FTIR and Na NMR analyses of psyllium gels indicated that binding was complex with non-specific multi-site interactions. The potential use of psyllium husk as a binding agent for the reduction of bioavailable sodium was therefore evaluated. The binding of sodium at physiologically relevant conditions (pH 1.2 (stomach) and 6.8 (intestine)) was studied in a gastrointestinal tract (GIT) pH simulated model. Results show consistently high sodium retention (â¼50%) across the GIT model and less than 20% loss of bound sodium under the simulated intestinal pH conditions after repeated washings.
