Enhancing osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells through rosuvastatin loaded niosomes optimized by Box-Behnken design and modified by hyaluronan: a novel strategy for improved efficiency.

Bone tissue engineering necessitates a stem cell source capable of osteoblast differentiation and mineralized matrix production. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), a subtype of mesenchymal stem cells from human teeth, present such potential but face challenges in osteogenic differentiation. This research introduces an innovative approach to bolster DPSCs' osteogenic potential using niosomal and hyaluronan modified niosomal systems enriched with rosuvastatin. While rosuvastatin fosters bone formation by regulating bone morphogenetic proteins and osteoblasts, its solubility, permeability, and bioavailability constraints hinder its bone regeneration application. Using a Box-Behnken design, optimal formulation parameters were ascertained. Both niosomes were analyzed for size, polydispersity, zeta potential, and other parameters. They displayed average sizes under 275 nm and entrapment efficiencies exceeding 62%. Notably, niosomes boosted DPSCs' cell viability and osteogenic marker expression, suggesting enhanced differentiation and bone formation. Conclusively, the study underscores the potential of both niosomal systems in ameliorating DPSCs' osteogenic differentiation, offering a promising avenue for bone tissue engineering and regeneration.

Promising potent in vitro activity of curcumin and quercetin nano-niosomes against Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomonosis, caused by infection with a motile protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Since the 1960s, metronidazole has been used as a drug of choice. Considering increased resistance to anti-trichomonial drugs, alternative treatments are urgently needed. In this study, the standard strain of T. vaginalis was cultured in TYM medium. Curcumin and quercetin loaded with hyaluronic acid niosomes were prepared by the thin film hydration method. The mean vesicle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential of each prepared formulation were characterized, and its anti-Trichomonas activity was assessed by concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/ml. The cytotoxicity effects of the mentioned drugs were determined using a MTT assay on L929 fibroblast cell viability. The particle sizes of curcumin, quercetin, and curcumin-quercetin entrapped modified nano-niosomes were characterised as 243 ± 5.28, 223 ± 7.21 and 266 ± 4.81 nm. The results showed that quercetin and curcumin at a concentration of 100 mg/ml after 24 h had anti-T. vaginalis activity. However, curcumin at a concentration of 100 at time 3h with 97% growth inhibition had better performance than positive control (metronidazole). According to the results of the MTT assay, all drugs, even at the highest concentration (400 mg/ml), had no toxic effect on the fibroblast cell line. According to potent in vitro activity of curcumin and quercetin nanoniosomes against T. vaginalis in comparison with metronidazole, it can be concluded these compounds could be promising therapeutic candidates for trichomonosis in future.

Preparation and Optimization of Controlled Release Nanoparticles Containing Cefixime Using Central Composite Design: An Attempt to Enrich Its Antimicrobial Activity.

BACKGROUND: Due to the increased resistance against existing antibiotics, research is essential to discover new and alternative ways to control infections induced by resistant pathogens. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the current scrutinization was to enrich the dissolution rate and antibacterial property of cefixime (CEF) orally. METHODS: To achieve the desired results, chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) containing CEF were fabricated using the ionic gelation method. Central Composite design has been applied to get the optimal formulation for the delivery of CEF. The effect of three variables, such as the concentration of chitosan, tripolyphosphate, and tween 80, on the characteristics of NPs was evaluated. RESULTS: The optimized NPs involved a relatively monodispersed size distribution with an average diameter of 193 nm and a zeta potential of about 11 mV. The scanning tunneling microscope confirmed the size of NPs. The surface morphology of NPs was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The calorimetric analysis indicated the amorphous state of cefixime in the formulation. The dissolution rate of NPs in aqueous media was acceptable and the model of release kinetics for CEF from NPs followed the Peppas model. The potency of CEF in NPs against various types of bacteria was hopefully efficient. The ex-vivo release study demonstrated higher penetration of NPs from the rat intestine compared to free drug. The cell culture study showed the safety of the optimized formulation. CONCLUSION: Chitosan NPs could be considered a significant system for the controlled delivery of CEF due to its antibacterial effectiveness.

Improved oral delivery of quercetin with hyaluronic acid containing niosomes as a promising formulation.

Quercetin, a substance from nature has various biological effects; while, some challenges like low solubility in water and absorption, and high first-pass metabolism hindered its clinical efficiencies. So, various strategies using novel nanocarriers have been designed to overcome these obstacles. This study aimed to fabricate the polymeric niosomes by incorporating hyaluronic acid to deliver quercetin. After preparation, quercetin entrapped niosomes were investigated in terms of size, zeta potential, quercetin entrapment, CTAB turbidimetric assay, AFM, TEM, differential scanning Calorimetry, X-Ray diffraction, DPPH antioxidant determination, and in vivo anti-inflammatory analysis. The analysis of the results exhibited that size of niosomes containing quercetin and hyaluronic acid was 231.07 ± 8.39 nm with a zeta potential of -34.00 ± 0.95 mV. Moreover, quercetin entrapment efficiency and loading were 94.67 ± 1.62% and 1.65 ± 0.37%, respectively. TEM and AFM showed that polymeric niosomes were spheres. The release data presented that the Higuchi model was the best-fitted model. DPPH antioxidant determination displayed that 80 µl of polymeric niosomes with 7.46 × 10-8 mol of quercetin had a remarkable antioxidant potency. According to the in vivo oedema evaluation, the potency of polymeric formulations was superior to the simple suspension of quercetin to control inflammation in rats by oral administration.

Curcumin entrapped hyaluronan containing niosomes: preparation, characterisation and in vitro/in vivo evaluation.

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, has numerous pharmacological activities; while it faces several bioavailability problems, due to its poor solubility and stability. So, many nanostructures have been designed to overcome these drawbacks. The aim of this study was to prepare a polymeric niosomal structure by incorporating hyaluronan to improve curcumin efficiencies. Hyaluronan containing niosomes were prepared by thin film hydration medium with slight modifications. In the formulation of hyaluronan containing niosomes size and zeta potential studies, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), in-vitro release test, DPPH antioxidant assay and in-vivo anti-inflammatory test were investigated. The results showed that hyaluronan containing niosomes were 249.83 ± 6.38 nm and the entrapment of curcumin was 98.28 ± 0.278% (w/w). In addition, the shape of the hyaluronan containing niosomes was spherical. 500 µl of the prepared formulation with 4.002 × 10-7 moles of curcumin showed 100% antioxidant effect. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effect of the hyaluronan containing niosomes was higher than the anti-inflammatory effect of the simple suspension of curcumin.

Preparation, characterization and in vivo evaluation of novel hyaluronan containing niosomes tailored by Box-Behnken design to co-encapsulate curcumin and quercetin.

Designing novel drug delivery systems to improve drug efficiencies have gained great interests in recent years. In this study, a new vesicular system has been prepared using thin film hydration method with slight modifications, hydrophobic drugs have been used in both lipophilic and hydrophilic phases and dry film was hydrated by hyaluronan polymeric solution, to overcome curcumin and quercetin formulation drawbacks. Briefly, different formulations were prepared according to Box-Behnken design to assess the effect of HLB value, cholesterol and hyaluronan contents on the properties of niosomes. Then, the best formulation was selected for further studies and compared with conventional niosomes. The results showed that both niosomes had spherical shapes according to Transmission Electron and Atomic Force Microscopic images. Results also showed that hyaluronan containing niosomes had smaller size and higher values of zeta potential and entrapment than conventional niosomes. The average size of hyaluronan containing niosomes was 260.37 ±â€¯6.58 nm, the zeta potential was -34.97 ±â€¯1.50 mv and the entrapment for curcumin and quercetin were 98.85 ±â€¯0.55% and 93.13 ±â€¯1.22%, respectively. The release kinetic of quercetin was best fitted to Peppas model for both conventional niosome and hyaluronan containing niosomes; while, the release kinetic of curcumin was best fitted with non-conventional order 2 and three second roots of mass for hyaluronan containing niosomes and conventional niosomes, respectively. Hyaluronan containing niosomes showed higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in comparison with conventional niosomes.