Preparation of efficient quercetin delivery system on Zn-modified mesoporous SBA-15 silica carrier.

Mesoporous silica material type SBA-15 was modified with different amounts of Zn (2 and 4wt.%) by incipient wetness impregnation method in ethanol. The parent, Zn-modified and quercetin loaded samples, were characterized by XRD, N2 physisorption, TEM, thermal gravimetric analysis, UV-vis and FT-IR spectroscopies and in vitro release of quercetin at pH5.5 which is typical of dermal formulations. By this loading method anhydrous quercetin was formed on the silica carrier It was found that the different hydrate forms of quercetin (dihydrate, monohydrate, anhydrite) significantly influence the physico-chemical properties of the delivery system. It was found that hydrate forms of quercetin can be differentiated by XRD and by FT-IR spectroscopic methods. Thus, by evaluating the interaction of the drug with the silica carrier the changes due to its hydration state always have to be taken into account. Formation of Zn-quercetin complex was evidenced on zinc modified SBA-15 silica by FT-IR spectroscopy. High quercetin loading capacity (over 40wt.%) could be achieved on the parent and Zn-containing SBA-15 samples. The in-vitro release process at pH=5.5 showed slower quercetin release from Zn-modified SBA-15 samples compared to the parent one. Additionally, the comparative cytotoxic experiments evidenced that quercetin encapsulated in Zn-modified silica carriers has superior antineoplastic potential against HUT-29 cells compared to free drug. Zn-modified SBA-15 silica particles could be promising carriers for dermal delivery of quercetin.

Evaluation of changes in the element content and biomass of invaded with Meloidogyne arenaria Tiny Tim tomato plants under NH4VO3 treatment.

The parasite-host system Meloidogyne arenaria--Tiny Tim tomato plants has been studied in order to investigate the influence of the process of invasion on the chemical composition and biomass of plants. The concentrations of seven chemical elements Cu, Zn, Mg, K, Na, Mn and Fe have been determined using AAS in controls and invaded plants, and their changes have been evaluated under treatment with NH4VO3 in three different concentrations 0.01, 0.1 and 0.13 mg/100 ml H2O. The process of treatment with NH4VO3 disbalances significantly the trace element content of plants. The lowest concentration (0.01 mg NH4VO3) causes bigger changes in the concentrations of Mn, Fe and Na in non-invaded plants. The highest concentration (0.13 mg NH4VO3) balances the content of the elements back to their levels in the control plants for the elements Zn, Fe and Na. The pure effect of the process of invasion with Meloidogyne arenaria on the biomass (leaves, stems, roots and total biomass) of Tiny Tim plants is expressed in a significant increasing, mainly due to the development of the parasites. After treatment with different concentrations of NH4VO3 the decreasing in the biomass of leaves, stems and roots is observed which reflects on the total biomass of plants. The concentration of NH4VO3 eliminates the unfavourable changes not only in the chemical content of plants but also in their biomass. It could be taken into consideration as an alternative method used instead of treatment with nematocides.