Nisin is a natural antimicrobial peptide produced by strains of
Lactococcus lactis subsp.
lactis that effectively inhibits Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and also the outgrowth of spores of ...Bacilli and Clostridia. Additionally it has been used as a biopreservative and a potential agent in pharmaceutical, veterinary and health care products. This review focuses on the nisin production in batch cultures utilizing milk skimmed and milk whey as an inexpensive medium for cultivation of
L. lactis, aiming to reduce the process cost. At the same time, the exploitation of milk whey as a bacterial substrate can be considered economically advantageous method to help diminish environment pollution problems.
Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) are toxic petroleum hydrocarbons pollutants that can affect the central nervous system and even cause cancer. For that reason, studies regarding BTEX ...degradation are extremely important. Our study aimed evaluate the microorganism
Bacillus subtilis
as a tool for degrading petroleum hydrocarbons pollutants. Assays were run utilizing water or soil distinctly contaminated with gasoline and diesel oil, with and without
B. subtilis
. The ability of
B. subtilis
to degrade hydrophobic compounds was analyzed by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography. The FTIR results indicated, for water assays, that
B. subtilis
utilized the gasoline and diesel oil to produce the biosurfactant, and, as a consequence, performed a biodegradation process. In the same way, for soil assay,
B. subtilis
biodegraded the diesel oil. The gas chromatography results indicated, for gasoline in soil assay, the
B. subtilis
removed BTEX. So,
B. subtilis
was capable of degrading BTEX, producing biosurfactant and it can also be used for other industrial applications. Bioremediation can be an efficient, economical, and versatile alternative for BTEX contamination.
A drug’s bioavailability, i.e., the extent to and rate at which it enters the systemic circulation, thus accessing the site of action, is largely determined by the properties of the drug ...
The presence of β-glucans and phenolic compounds in
suggests this mushroom can be used as a nutritional supplement. Two gestational conditions (before and after fetus implantation) were evaluated, ...and
exposure was performed in diabetes mellitus rat model induced by streptozotocin in pre-clinical tests.
On the 20th day of pregnancy, cesarean sections were performed. Blood was collected for biochemical, hematologic parameters and oxidative stress biomarkers. Placenta and amniotic fluid were collected, and fetuses were analyzed through morphological evaluation.
The mushroom did not reduce the severe hyperglycemia of the mother-concept but promoted an increase in maternal insulin levels; reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride and total cholesterol; protected the animals from post-implantation losses. Liver damage induced by streptozotocin was reversed in experimental groups.
mushroom has antioxidant properties that can minimize the damage caused by gestational diabetes mellitus.
Nanocomplexes systems made up natural poylymers have pharmacotechnical advantages such as increase of water solubility and a decrease of drugs toxicity. Amphotericin B (AmB) is a drug apply as ...anti-leishmanial and anti-fungal, however it has low water solubility and high toxicity, limiting its therapeutic application. With this in mind, the present study aimed to produce nanocomplexes composed by alginate (Alg), a natural polymer, with AmB covered by nanocrystals from bacterial cellulose (CNC). For this reason, the nanocomplexes were produced utilizing sodium alginate, amphotericin B in a borate buffer (pH 11.0). The CNC was obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of the bacterial cellulose. To CNC cover the nanocomplexes 1 ml of the nanocomplexes was added into 1 ml of 0.01% CNC suspension. The results showed an ionic adsorption of the CNC into the Alg-AmB nanocomplexes surface. This phenomena was confirmed by an increase in the particle size and PDI decrease. Besides, nanocomplexes samples covered by CNC showed uniformity. The amorphous inclusion of AmB complex into the polysaccharide chain network in both formulations. AmB in the nanocomplexes was in supper-aggregated form and showed good biocompatibility, being significantly less cytotoxic in vitro against kidney cells and significantly less hemolytic compared to the free-drug. The in vitro toxicity results indicated the Alg-AmB nanocomplexes can be considered a non-toxic alternative to improve the AmB therapeutic effect. All process to obtain nanocomplexes and it coat was conduce without organic solvents, can be considered a green process, and allowed to obtain water soluble particles. Furthermore, CNC covering the nanocomplexes brought additional protection to the system can contribut advancement in the pharmaceutical.
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Curcumin (CUR) is a phenolic compound present in some herbs, including Curcuma longa Linn. (turmeric rhizome), with a high bioactive capacity and characteristic yellow color. It is ...mainly used as a spice, although it has been found that CUR has interesting pharmaceutical properties, acting as a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumoral agent. Nonetheless, CUR is a hydrophobic compound with low water solubility, poor chemical stability, and fast metabolism, limiting its use as a pharmacological compound. Smart drug delivery systems (DDS) have been used to overcome its low bioavailability and improve its stability. The current work overviews the literature from the past 10 years on the encapsulation of CUR in nanostructured systems, such as micelles, liposomes, niosomes, nanoemulsions, hydrogels, and nanocomplexes, emphasizing its use and ability in cancer therapy. The studies highlighted in this review have shown that these nanoformulations achieved higher solubility, improved tumor cytotoxicity, prolonged CUR release, and reduced side effects, among other interesting advantages.
Based on the previous study, in which nisin and bacterial cellulose were utilized, this new experiment loads nisin into bacterial cellulose (N–BC) and evaluates the morphological characteristics, ...cytotoxicity, antimicrobial activity and stability of the developed system. The load efficiency of nisin in BC was evaluated by an agar diffusion assay, utilizing Lactobacillus sakei, and total proteins. After having found the ideal time and concentration for the loading process, the system stability was evaluated for 100 days at 4, 25 and 37 °C against Staphylococcus aureus and L. sakei. Thus, in this study, there is a system that proves to be efficient, once BC has enhanced the antimicrobial activity of nisin, acting as a selective barrier for other compounds present in the standard solution and protecting the peptide. After 4 h, with 45% of proteins, this activity was almost 2 log10 higher than that of the initial solution. Once the nisin solution was not pure, it is possible to suggest that the BC may have acted as a filter. This barrier enhanced the nisin activity and, as a consequence of the nisin loading, a stable N–BC system formed. The N–BC could create meaningful material for pharmaceutical and food applications.
In recent decades, there has been an increase in environmental problems caused by cosmetic products derived from toxic substances. Based on this issue, researchers and developers of new beauty ...cosmetics are looking for new natural alternatives that work well for the consumer and have biodegradable characteristics. This systematic review highlights the major publications of bacterial cellulose used strictly for cosmetics in the last 10 years. Bacterial cellulose is a natural product with great cosmetic properties and low cost that has shown excellent results. This study aimed at collecting rigorous information on bacterial cellulose in the cosmetic field in the last decade to produce a systematized review. A comprehensive search was conducted with selected descriptors involving the topic of "bacterial cellulose", "cosmetics", "clean beauty", and "skin mask". Seventy studies were found, which went through exclusion criteria that selected only those related to the topic that was searched. In the 12 remaining studies that met the criteria, bacterial cellulose showed conditions for use as a mask-forming product for facial care. The increase in the number of publications concerning bacterial cellulose in cosmetics in the last ten years is a strong indicator that this is a growing area for both research and the industry.
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