NISCAIR Online Periodicals Repository Collection: IJBB Vol.47(1) [February 2010]

Preparation and characterization of biopolymeric nanoparticles used in drug delivery

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Preparation and characterization of biopolymeric nanoparticles used in drug delivery

Authors: Ramachandran, Radhika; Shanmughavel, Piramanayagam

Abstract: Nanotechnology plays an important role in advanced biology and medicine research particularly in the development of potential site-specific delivery systems with lower drug toxicity and greater efficiency. These include microcapsules, liposomes, polymeric microspheres, microemulsions, polymer micelles, hydrogels, solid nanoparticles etc. In the present study, preparation and characterization of biopolymeric gelatin nanoparticles for encapsulating the antimicrobial drug sulfadiazine and its in vivo drug release in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) have been investigated. The nanoparticles prepared by second desolvation process varied in a size range 200 nm and 600 nm with a drug entrapment efficiency of 50% characterized by atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The drug release from the nanoparticles occurred up to 30% in a controlled manner.

Page(s): 56-59

Antioxidant levels in blood and seminal plasma and their impact on sperm parameters in infertile men

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Antioxidant levels in blood and seminal plasma and their impact on sperm parameters in infertile men

Authors: Shamsi, M B; Venkatesh, S; Kumar, R; Gupta, N P; Malhotra, N; Singh, N; Mittal, S; Arora, S; Arya, D S; Talwar, P; Sharma, R K; Dada, R

Abstract: Excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) beyond the scavenging capacity of antioxidants leads to DNA damage and oxidation of lipoprotein components at the cellular and subcellular level. The oxidative stress (OS) adversely affects sperm function by altering membrane fluidity, permeability and impairs sperm functional competence. In the present study, the OS status in seminal plasma and blood serum in infertile men and its relationship with spermatozoa parameters have been investigated. Four groups of infertile men viz., oligozoospermic (n = 15), asthenozoospermic (n = 17), teratozoospermic (n = 19), and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (n = 9), and healthy fertile controls (n = 40) have been analyzed for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in seminal plasma and blood serum. Significant correlation between blood serum SOD and sperm count has been observed in patients (p = 0.018) and controls (p = 0.021). Similarly, significant correlation between blood serum GSH and sperm progressive motility in patients (p = 0.036) and controls (p = 0.029) is observed. The low seminal MDA is associated with increase in sperm progressive motility in patients (p = 0.039) and controls (p = 0.028). Positive correlation is found between increased seminal MDA levels and abnormal sperm morphology in both patients and controls (r = 0.523, p = 0.029; r = 0.612, p = 0.034 respectively). Correlations between blood SOD and sperm count and between blood GSH levels and progressive motility suggest that these can be important biochemical markers in assaying the sperm count and motility. A negative correlation of motility with seminal MDA indicates that sperm membrane lipid peroxidation affects the fluidity and thus mobility of sperm axoneme. This affects functional competence of the sperm and acts like a biological safeguard. The results of the present study suggest the prospects of using the blood serum and seminal plasma antioxidants as a valuable tool to evaluate the sperm reproductive capacity and functional competence.

Page(s): 38-43

Isolation of 1,4-naphthalenedione, an antibacterial principle from the leaves of Holoptelea integrifolia and its activity against β-lactam resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Isolation of 1,4-naphthalenedione, an antibacterial principle from the leaves of Holoptelea integrifolia and its activity against β-lactam resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Authors: Vinod, N V; Haridas, M; Sadasivan, C

Abstract: Antimicrobials derived from plants have been receiving increasing attention in recent years. Antimicrobial activities of a number of phytochemicals have been reported. Many present day antibiotics are ineffective against several pathogenic organisms. About 90% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from clinical specimens is reported to have resistance against β-lactam antibiotics. In the present study, the effect of hexane, diethyl ether, acetone and water extracts of leaves of a medicinal plant Holoptelea integrifolia has been tested against β-lactam resistant strain of S. aureus in presence of antibiotics such as ampicillin, amoxicillin, cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. The diethyl ether extract has shown the maximum antibacterial activity and the active principle is found to be 1,4-naphthalenedione which is characterized by GC-MS and FTIR spectroscopy. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the compound is found to be 4 mg/ml. Structural similarity of this compound with a func- tional group of a β-lactamase-resistant antibiotic indicates that 1,4-naphthlenedione may be acting as an inhibitor to β-lactamase.

Page(s): 53-55

Protective effect of resveratrol and vitamin E against ethanol-induced oxidative damage in mice: Biochemical and immunological basis

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Protective effect of resveratrol and vitamin E against ethanol-induced oxidative damage in mice: Biochemical and immunological basis

Authors: Das, Subir Kumar; Mukherjee, Sukhes; Gupta, Geetanjali; Rao, D N; Vasudevan, D M

Abstract: The metabolism of ethanol gives rise to the generation of excess amounts of reactive oxygen species and is also associated with immune dysfunction. We examined the efficacy of resveratrol and vitamin E on the immunomodulatory activity and vascular function in mice with liver abnormalities induced by chronic ethanol consumption by measuring the protein, liver-specific transaminase enzymes, antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymes such as reduced glutathione (GSH) content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) level, nitrite level, and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-, gamma interferon (IFN-), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and transforming growth factor (TGF)-1 in mice blood. Ethanol (1.6 g/kg body wt/day) exposure for 12 wks significantly increased TBARS and nitrite levels and GST activity, and significantly decreased GSH content and the activities of SOD, CAT, GR and GPx in whole blood hemolyzate of 8-10 wks-old male BALB/c mice (weighing 20-30 g). Ethanol exposure also elevated the activities of transaminase enzymes (AST and ALT), IL-10, TNF-, IFN-, VEGF-A and TGF-1, while decreasing the albumin concentration and IL-4 activity in the serum. Both resveratrol (5 mg kg^-1 day^-1) and vitamin E (80 mg kg^-1 day^-1) treatment significantly reduced AST, ALT, GST, IL-10, TNF-, IFN-, VEGF-A and TGF-1 activities and levels of TBARS and nitrite, and elevated albumin content, GSH level and activities of SOD, CAT, GR and GPx, compared to ethanol-treated group. Thus, results from the study demonstrated that both resveratrol (5 mg kg^-1 day^-1) and vitamin E (80 mg kg^-1 day^-1) can effectively ameliorate ethanol (1.6 g kg^-1 day^-1)-induced oxidative challenges, immunomodulatory activity and angiogenesis processes.

Page(s): 32-37