Konjac glucomannan-collagen-chitosan blend films were prepared successfully by the solvent-casting method and were characterized by FT-IR,X-ray diffraction, SEM and optical transmittance. Moreover, tensile strength, breaking extension, water absorption, water vapor permeation coefficients, adsorbability and penetrating rates were measured. The results indicated that some strong interaction and good compatibility existed among Konjac glucomannan /collagen and chitosan in the blend films. Some properties of the KCCS films were improved markedly in comparison with binary blend films or Konjac glucomannan, collagen and chitosan film. The results of culturing vessel endothelial cells on CKCS-5 film showed that the blend films have good cell compatibility which indicates the potential for a scalfold material in tissue engineering.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Cells, Cultured ; Chitosan ; chemistry ; Collagen ; chemistry ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Mannans ; chemistry ; Materials Testing ; Membranes, Artificial ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Tensile Strength ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; X-Ray Diffraction

Abstract: In this study, structural optimization of borneol was carried out to improve their solubility and promote their further application in stroke therapy. BP-3, a prodrug of borneol, was designed and synthesized based on the principle of phosphate modification. The solubility of BP-3 was determined by evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD), and the degree and speed of drug release were tested in mouse plasma, and the neuroprotective effect of BP-3 was evaluated in mouse model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). According to the results, BP-3 was completely soluble in saline at 20 mg/mL; in mouse plasma, approximately 40% of the borneol were released within 2 h; in the tMCAO mouse model, TTC staining showed that BP-3 was effective in reducing the infarct area; Nissl staining showed that BP-3 ameliorated the neuronal injury; the grip and grasping strength tests elucidated that BP-3 reduced the damage of sports ability caused by injury; and the rotating rod test proved that BP-3 could promote the recovery of motor ability in mice. BP-3 has good water solubility, suitable drug release rate and excellent neuroprotective effects, and has broad prospects for drug development.

Nano-fumed silica derivative with quaternary ammonium group was synthesized and the antimicrobial activity was investigated. The nano-fumed silica derivative was investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The zeta potential and the size of the nano-fumed silica derivative were measured. The antimicrobial properties of the nano-fumed silica derivative against selected microorganisms were tested by the quantitative suspension method. The zeta potential showed that the isoelectric points of nano-fumed silica and modified nano-fumed silica are pH=4. 8 and pH =10.5-10.8, respectively, and the shift of the isoelectric point is due to the quaternary ammonium salt. The obtained nano-fumed silica derivative inhibited the growth of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli), Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), and fungus (Candida albicans). The inhibiting effect of nano-fumed silica derivative on the microorganisms varied with the time of exposure. The bacteriostatic rates were noted to be 99.99%, 99.99% and 94.12% after 15 minutes' exposure, respectively. Thus the results indicate that nano-fumed silica derivative with quaternary ammonium group has significant inhibitory effect on the growth of bacteria.
Anti-Infective Agents ; pharmacology ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; Fungi ; drug effects ; Nanotechnology ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ; chemistry ; Silicon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; Surface Properties

In 2015, more than 8 million people died from various kinds of cancers all over the world.Although traditional chemotherapeutic drugs are widely used in clinic, more than 50％ of cancers are significantly resistant to traditional chemotherapeutic drugs.Tubulin targeting agents have been confirmed to be effective anti-cancer drugs in clinic.However, some anti-microtubule agents developed resistance after long-term use, such as paclitaxel and vinblastine.In recent years, it is reported that tubulin modulators targeting on the colchicine-binding site are extremely effective against multi-drug resistant cancer cells.In this article, different anti-microtubule agents targeting multi-drug resistant cancers are reviewed.