Bioactive compounds of Copaifera sp. impregnated into three-dimensional gelatin dressings.

This study investigates the immersion impregnation process of the copaiba oleoresin and leaf extract into SpongostanTM gelatin dressings to be used in wound healing treatment. Copaiba oleoresin and leaf extract were characterized by spectroscopic analyses in order to confirm the identity of bioactive compounds and their compatibility with dressing material. Their antibacterial properties were evaluated and oleoresin activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was confirmed while the leaf extract showed activity against S. aureus. Solubility assays in organic solvents revealed that copaiba oleoresin is miscible into dichloromethane, while leaf extract showed a 20 g/ml solubility coefficient at 35 °C in the same solvent. These miscibility and solubility conditions were selected for the impregnation process. Using the organic solvent immersion method, 11 mg of copaiba oleoresin and 19 mg of leaf extract were impregnated into 1 cm3 of 3D matrix. The main bioactives from copaiba products, such as ß-caryophyllene and lupeol, were tracked in the gelatin dressing. DSC and TGA assays showed no thermal changes in the samples after impregnation. Furthermore, the spatial organization of foam structure of the dressings was preserved after superficial distribution of oleoresin, as well as amorphous-like particulate deposition of leaf extract. The main compound of copaiba oleoresin, ß-caryophyllene, which exhibits well-known anti-inflammatory activities, and the main compound of copaiba leaf extract, lupeol, also an anti-inflammatory agent, were successfully impregnated using organic solvent in wound dressings and are promising for further application on tissue wound healing. Graphical Abstract.

Towards wound dressings with improved properties: Effects of poly(dimethylsiloxane) on chitosan-alginate films loaded with thymol and beta-carotene.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of poly(dimethylsiloxane) on the mechanical properties of chitosan-alginate (CA) polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) with potential application as wound dressing biomaterials. For that purpose, different amounts of poly(dimethylsiloxane) were incorporated during the formulation of the PECs. Results showed that the highest tensile strength was observed when using 0.1 g of poly(dimethylsiloxane) per gram of PEC (CAS10). This formulation was also non-hemolytic, capable of inducing thrombus formation to potentially reduce bleeding, and additionally presented high stability when exposed to physiological fluids and/or conditions simulating patient bathing. To improve its wound healing capacity, this formulation was loaded with thymol and beta-carotene (anesthetic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds) by the supercritical carbon dioxide impregnation/deposition (SSI/D) method at 250 bar and 45 °C for 14 h and at two depressurization rates (5 and 10 bar/min). The PECs were also loaded by conventional impregnation in solution for comparison purposes. Higher bioactive loadings, of 1.8 ±â€¯0.2 and 1.3 ±â€¯0.03 µg per milligram of PEC for thymol and beta-carotene, respectively, were observed when using SSI/D and a higher depressurization rate (10 bar/min). These values do not correspond to the maximum loaded amount of each bioactive, which were strongly retained in the PEC structure due to favorable bioactive-polymer interactions, originating matrices that should present a more sustained release during in vivo applications.

Comparison of yield, composition, and antioxidant activity of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) extracts obtained using various techniques.

Turmeric extracts were obtained from two lots of raw material (M and S) using various techniques: hydrodistillation, low pressure solvent extraction, Soxhlet, and supercritical extraction using carbon dioxide and cosolvents. The solvents and cosolvents tested were ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and their mixture in equal proportions. The composition of the extracts was determined by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and UV. The largest yield (27%, weight) was obtained in the Soxhlet extraction (turmeric (S), ethanol = 1:100); the lowest yield was detected in the hydrodistillation process (2.1%). For the supercritical extraction, the best cosolvent was a mixture of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol. Sixty percent of the light fraction of the extracts consisted of ar-turmerone, (Z)-gamma-atlantone, and (E)-gamma-atlantone, except for the Soxhlet extracts (1:100, ethanol), for which only ar-turmeronol and (Z)-alpha-atlantone were detected. The maximum amount of curcuminoids (8.43%) was obtained using Soxhlet extraction (ethanol/isopropyl alcohol). The Soxhlet and low pressure extract exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities.

Functional properties of spice extracts obtained via supercritical fluid extraction.

In the present study the antioxidant, anticancer, and antimycobacterial activities of extracts from ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), and turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) were evaluated. The extracts were obtained using supercritical CO(2) with and without ethanol and/or isopropyl alcohol as cosolvent. The extracts' antioxidant power was assessed using the reaction between beta-carotene and linolenic acid, the antimycobacterial activity against M. tuberculosis was measured by the MABA test, and their anticancer action was tested against nine human cancer ancestries: lung, breast, breast resistant, melanoma, colon, prostate, leukemia, and kidney. The rosemary extracts exhibited the strongest antioxidant and the lowest antimycobacterial activities. Turmeric extracts showed the greatest antimycobacterial activity. Ginger and turmeric extracts showed selective anticancer activities.