Herein, a new process to manufacture multicore micelles nanoparticles reinforced with co-assembly via hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic interaction under the help of ultrasonication was developed. The precise co-assembly between negative/hydrophobic drug and positive charged amphiphilic copolymer based pluronic platform allows the formation of complex micelles structures as the multicore motif with predefined functions. In this study, curcumin was selected as a drug model while positively charged copolymer was based on a pluronic-conjugated gelatin with different hydrophobicity length of Pluronic F87 and Pluronic F127. Under impact of dual hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, the nCur-encapsulated core–shell micelles formed ranging from 40 nm to 70 nm and 40–100 nm by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), respectively. It is found that the structures emerged depended on the relative lengths of the hydrophobic blocks in pluronic. Regarding g2(τ) behavior from DLS measurement, the nanogels showed a high stability in spherical form. Surprisingly, the release profiles showed a sustainable behavior of Cur from this system for drug delivery approaches. In vitro study exhibited that nCur-encapsulated complex micelles increased inhibitory activity against cancer cells growth with IC50 is 4.02 ± 0.11 mg/L (10.92 ± 0.3 µM) which is higher than of free curcumin at 9.40 ± 0.17 mg/L (25.54 ± 0.18 µM). The results obtained can provide the new method to generate the hierarchical assembly of copolymers with incorporated loading with the same property.

Scutellaria barbata (SB) has been used in Chinese medicine to treat various cancers. This study investigated the effects of SB on prostate cancer prevention. Male TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) mice at 9 weeks were randomly divided into four groups and given daily oral feedings of 8, 16, or 32 mg SB or sterilized water. In the control group, palpable tumors initially appeared at 19 weeks of age and were present in all mice by 32 weeks. In the respective treatment groups, palpable tumor development was delayed by 2, 4, and 7 weeks and 22, 30, and 38% of the mice were free of palpable tumors. Palpable tumor development in 50% of the mice occurred at 25 weeks in the placebo group, 29 weeks in the low-dose and mid-dose treatment groups, and 33 weeks in the high-dose group (log rank, P = 0.0211). Histological assessment further showed that the SB treatment (32 mg) delayed prostate tumor progression in the TRAMP mice. Caspase 3 activation was observed in SB-treated prostate tissue. Positive TUNEL assay results were detected in TRAMP-C1 and LNCaP cells treated with SB (1 mg/ml), which indicated significant apoptosis induction. Western blotting of SB-treated LNCaP cells also showed elevated expression of Bax, p53, Akt, and JNK. In-vivo data showed that the SB delayed tumor development in TRAMP mice. Complementary in-vitro data indicated that SB might exert this function by upregulating the apoptotic pathway and downregulating the survival pathway in prostate cancer cells, thus suggesting that SB possesses chemopreventive properties and has potential for cancer treatment.

Plants of the genus Polyalthia can be seen as a rich resource of essential oils type terpenoids. In this study, the essential oils obtained by hydro-distillation from the leaf and stem of Polyalthia viridis were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry–flame ionization detection. Thirty-nine constituents (95.3%) were identified in the leaf oils and 42 constituents (90.9%) in the stem oils. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpenes were the main constituents of both oils, in which 2 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, germacrene D (45.1%-47.4%) and bicyclogermacrene (8.2%-17.1%), were the 2 major compounds. The stem oils inhibited the growth of 3 cancer cell lines, HepG2, MCF7, and A549, with half inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 56.7 to 68.4 μg/mL. The stem oils also successfully suppressed the growth of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger and the yeast Candida albicans with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 50 μg/mL. P viridis oils suppressed NO production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 microglial cells, with IC50 values of 57.6 to 76.7 μg/mL.

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PurposeThis study aims to examine the experiences of Vietnamese enterprises with respect to the adoption and benefits of Western management accounting practices (MAPs) during a period when the economy was in transition toward a more market‐oriented system.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire responses were obtained from the head or vice‐head of the accounting department in 181 enterprises, and follow‐up interviews conducted with 20 of the respondents. The responses were analysed with simple statistical tests and ANOVA.FindingsTwo of the key findings are in line with results reported previously for other countries: adoption rates for “traditional” Western MAPs are higher than for “contemporary” ones; and state‐owned enterprises tend to exhibit lower adoption rates than other enterprises. A third key finding represents new insight, but it may be applicable to only Vietnam (and possibly a limited number of other transition economies). This third finding arises from our identification of a group of Western MAPs which closely resemble the type of accounting and planning activities routinely undertaken under the former central planning (CP) system. These CP‐compatible MAPs are adopted far more widely (even at present) than are other MAPs. Overall, the findings are broadly consistent with the diffusion of innovation theory.Originality/valueThis study examines the Western MAP adoption experiences of a developing economy in transition, one which has received relatively little attention in the MA literature to date.

Nanosized multi-drug delivery systems provide synergistic effects between drugs and bioactive compounds, resulting in increased overall efficiency and restricted side effects compared to conventional single-drug chemotherapy. In this study, we develop an amphiphilic heparin-poloxamer P403 (HP403) nanogel that could effectively co-load curcuminoid (Cur) and cisplatin hydrate (CisOH) (HP403@CisOH@Cur) via two loading mechanisms. The HP403 nanogels and HP403@CisOH@Cur nanogels were closely analyzed with 1H-NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, TEM, and DLS, exhibiting high stability in spherical forms. In drug release profiles, accelerated behavior of Cur and CisOH at pH 5.5 compared with neutral pH was observed, suggesting effective delivery of the compounds in tumor sites. In vitro studies showed high antitumor activity of HP403@CisOH@Cur nanogels, while in vivo assays showed that the dual-drug platform prolonged the survival time of mice and prevented tail necrosis. In summary, HP403@CisOH@Cur offers an intriguing strategy to achieve the cisplatin and curcumin synergistic effect in a well-designed delivery platform that increases antitumor effectiveness and overcomes undesired consequences caused by cisplatin in breast cancer treatment.

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