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Objective: To investigate the effects of Nigella sativa seed supplementation on symptom levels, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functions, lymphocyte subsets and hematological parameters of allergic rhinitis. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-four patients randomly selected from an experimental group of 31 (mean age 34 years) sensitive to house dust mites with allergic rhinitis and a control group of 8 healthy volunteers (mean age 23 years) were treated with allergen-specific immunotherapy in conventional doses for 30 days. After a month of immunotherapy, 12 of the 24 patients and the 8 healthy volunteers were given N. sativa seed supplementation (2 g/day orally) for 30 days. The remaining 12 patients continued only on immunotherapy during the same period. The other 7 patients were given 0.1 ml saline solution subcutaneously once a week as a placebo. The symptom scores, PMN functions, lymphocyte subsets and other hematological parameters were evaluated before and after all treatment periods. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the phagocytic and intracellular killing activities of PMNs of patients receiving specific immunotherapy, especially after the addition of N. sativa seed. The CD8 counts of patients receiving specific immunotherapy plus N. sativa seed supplementation significantly increased compared to patients receiving only specific immunotherapy. PMN functions of healthy volunteers significantly increased after N. sativa seed supplementation compared to baseline. Conclusion:N. sativa seed supplementation during specific immunotherapy of allergic rhinitis may be considered a potential adjuvant therapy.

Encapsulation of vancomycin (VANCO) into biodegradable levan microparticles was achieved using a simple preparation technique. Microparticles were prepared by using levan polysaccharide produced by a halophilic bacterium Halomonas smyrnensis AAD6. To optimize efficiency of encapsulation process by precipitation method, three parameters were studied: drug and polymer concentrations and preparation rotating speed. The particles were characterized in vitro. The size of levan microparticles was changed between 0.404 μm and 1.276 μm. The surface charge was detected between +4.1 mV and +6.5 mV. The highest drug encapsulation capacity of the system was 74.7% and was depending on the polymer concentration. In dissolution studies, initial burst effect around 10-20% from all the formulations was observed and then the release was slowed down and continued at a constant level. In vitro antibiotic release from the microparticles was controlled with the drug carrier system and release fit to Higuchi kinetic model. All the released samples collected at different time intervals during dissolution studies have exhibited intrinsic bactericidal activity against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. WST-1 cell proliferation and viability studies showed that VANCO-loaded levan microparticles at concentrations between 100 μg/mL and 1000 μg/mL were nontoxic to L929 cells. As conclusion, levan microparticulate system could be a potential carrier of antibiotic drugs such as VANCO.

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