Six coumarin-caged compounds of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) comprising different substituents on the coumarin moiety were synthesized and evaluated for their photophysical and chemical properties as light-responsive controlled-release plant root stimulators. The 1H NMR and HPLC techniques were used to verify the release of NAA from the caged compounds. After irradiation at 365 nm, the caged compounds exhibited the fastest release rate at t 1/2 of 6.7 days and the slowest release rate at t 1/2 of 73.7 days. Caged compounds at high concentrations (10–5 and 10–6 M) significantly stimulate secondary root germination while free NAA at the same level is toxic and leads to inhibition of secondary root germination. The cytotoxicity of the caged compounds against fibroblasts and vero cells were evaluated, and the results suggested that, at 10–5–10–6 M, caged compounds exhibited no significant cytotoxicity to the cells. Thus, the caged compounds of NAA in this study could be of great benefit as efficient agrochemicals.

Introduction: Zingiber montanum (J.Koenig) Link ex A.Dietr. is a popular medicinal plant in Thailand. Its rhizomes have been used as an ingredient in various Thai traditional medicine formulas. While many reports have focused on the chemical constituents and biological activities of this plant, a comprehensive study on secondary metabolite profiling using tandem mass spectrometry has, to this point, never been documented. Objective:To analyze the chemical constituents in Z. montanum rhizomes using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultra-high-resolution electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HR-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) analyses and to utilize the characteristic fragmentation patterns of these compounds to facilitate their identification.Methodology: UHPLC-HR-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS in positive ion mode was used for chemical identification of secondary metabolites from the ethanolic extract of the plant material. MS/MS data of some known reference compounds, together with detailed fragmentation pattern information of several compounds obtained from the crude extract, were used to elucidate their chemical structures. Results:In this work, one benzaldehyde, ten phenylbutenoid monomers, six curcuminoids, and nine phenylbutenoid dimers were assigned based on their characteristic fragment ions. Among these compounds, 2-(3,4-dimethoxystyryl)oxirane was tentatively suggested as a potential new compound. Several characteristic fragment ions from these compounds were assigned and the relative ion abundance of these was also used to differentiate the chemical structures of compounds having the same molecular mass. Conclusions:The results will benefit future high-throughput screening of bioactive compounds and method development for the quality control of raw materials and herbal drugs derived from Z. montanum rhizome extracts.

Here, we demonstrated the fabrication of a composite scaffold (chitosan [CS], collagen [Col], and hydroxyapatite [HA]) with the incorporation of encapsulated Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) extract for tissue engineering applications. First, the crude extract of CQ loaded nanoparticles were synthesized via double emulsion technique using polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as oil and aqueous phases, respectively. Both PCL (20, 40, and 80 mg/mL) and PVA (0.5%, 1%, and 3% w/v) concentrations were varied to determine the optimum concentrations for CQ-loaded nanoparticle preparation. The CQ-loaded PCL nanoparticles (CQ-PCL NPs), prepared with 20 mg/mL PCL and 0.5% (w/v) PVA, exhibited the smallest size of 334.22 ± 43.21 nm with 95.54 ± 1.49% encapsulation efficiency. Then, the CQ-PCL NPs were incorporated into the CS/Col/HA scaffolds. These scaffolds were also studied for their ultrastructure, pore sizes, chemical composition, compressive modulus, water swelling, weight loss, and biocompatibility. The results showed that the addition of CQ-PCL NPs into the scaffolds did not dramatically alter the ultrastructure and properties of the scaffolds, compared to CS/Col/HA scaffolds alone. However, incorporation of CQ-PCL NPs in the scaffolds improved the release profile of CQ by preventing the initial burst release and prolonging the release rate of CQ. In addition, the CQ-PCL NPs-loaded CS/Col/HA scaffolds supported the attachment and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells.

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The present study aimed at assessing the impact of lysine restriction performed during different feeding phases on growth performances, meat quality traits and technological properties as well as on the incidence and severity of breast muscle abnormalities. For this purpose, a total of 945 one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks was randomly divided into three experimental groups: CONT, fed a four feeding phases commercial diet, GRW I, and GRW I + II fed CONT diet with the depletion of synthetic lysine during grower I and grower I and II feeding phases, respectively. Productive performances were recorded throughout the whole rearing cycle and the incidence of breast muscle growth-related abnormalities assessed at slaughter (49 d) on 280 breasts/group. Quality traits and technological properties of breast meat were measured on a total of 54 Pectoralis major muscles. Lysine restriction only marginally affected the productive performances and the quality parameters of breast meat. The increased (p < 0.05) solubility of the protein fraction along with the remarkably higher (p < 0.05) anserine content found in GRW I + II suggests an increased energy requirement in the pectoral muscles belonging to lysine-restricted birds and supports the hypothesis of a reduced protein synthesis taking place within these muscles.

Synthetic drugs used to treat hair loss cause many side-effects. Natural tea seed oil possesses many activities that can suppress hair loss. However, it is oily and sticky in direct application. In this study, tea seed oil loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) using Tween 80 (NLC-T), Varisoft 442 (NLC-V), and a combination of both surfactants (NLC-C) was developed. The obtained nanoformulations showed spherical particles in the size range 130–430 nm. Particle size and size distribution of NLC-C and NLC-T after storage at 4, 25, and 40 °C for 90 days were unchanged, indicating their excellent stability. The pH of NLC-T, NLC-V, and NLC-C throughout 90 days remained at 3, 4, and 3.7, respectively. NLC-C showed significantly greater nontoxicity and growth-stimulating effect on human follicle dermal papilla (HFDP) cells than the intact oil. NLC-T and NLC-V could not stimulate cell growth and showed high cytotoxicity. NLC-C showed melting point at 52 ± 0.02 °C and its entrapment efficiency was 96.26 ± 2.26%. The prepared hair serum containing NLC-C showed better spreading throughout the formulation than that containing the intact oil. Using 5% NLC-C showed a 78.8% reduction in firmness of the hair serum while enhancing diffusion efficiency by reducing shear forces up to 81.4%. In conclusion, the developed NLC-C of tea seed oil is an effective alternative in stimulating hair growth. Hair serum containing NLC-C obviously reduces sticky, oily, and greasy feeling after use.

Areca nut extract provides a variety of pharmacological effects that are beneficial for skincare applications. A nanoemulsion of areca nut extract was developed to mask the intense color and to improve the water solubility of the extract. This work studied the impact of a co-solvent on the characteristics and stability of the nanoemulsion. Our former optimized nanoemulsion was modified by adding a common co-solvent, propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400), to the formula. Phase separation, particle characteristics, antioxidant activity, in vitro cytotoxicity, and stability of the modified nanoemulsion were evaluated. This work has shown the successful encapsulation of areca nut extract with a great improvement of stability, well-maintained antioxidant activity and low toxicity on normal human skin fibroblast.