Drug delivery through the skin by transdermal patches has a long history. Subsequent growth of transdermal science proved prominent utility of transdermal systems meant for passive diffusion of the drug. It was followed by the development of iontophoresis-and sonophoresis-based transdermal delivery systems. Microneedle array has now caught attention of the investigators owing to its immense utility in transdermal delivery of very large molecules with ionic and hydrophilic nature. In this technical note, we present the current scenario, applications, and recent advances in microneedle array-based delivery of the most critical molecules through the skin. The application of microneedle has widely been investigated, and these technologies are being developed for the delivery of bio-therapeutics, bio-macromolecules, insulin, growth hormones, immunobiologicals, proteins, siRNA, and peptides. Potential of microneedles to transform the global transdermal market is highlighted in terms of the success rate of the microneedle technologies in clinical trials reaching to the global market. The arrival of the commercial microneedle-based products in the market is highly anticipated as they have potential to portray remarkable impact on clinical medicine in near future.

Exogenous proteolytic enzyme supplementation is required in certain disease conditions in humans and animals and due to compelling reasons on use of more plant protein ingredients and profitability in animal feed industry. However, limitations on their utility in diet are imposed by their pH specificity, thermolabile nature, inhibition due to a variety of factors and the possibility of intestinal damage. For enhancing the efficacy and safety of exogenous trypsin, an efficient chitosan (0.04%) nanoencapsulation-based controlled delivery system was developed. An experiment was conducted for 45 days to evaluate nanoencapsulated trypsin (0.01% and 0.02%) along with 0.02% bare trypsin and 0.4% chitosan nanoparticles against a control diet on productive efficiency (growth rate, feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio), organo-somatic indices, nutrient digestibility, tissue enzyme activities, hematic parameters and intestinal histology of the fish Labeo rohita. All the synthesized nanoparticles were of desired characteristics. Enhanced fish productive efficiency using nanoencapsulated trypsin over its bare form was noticed, which corresponded with enhanced (P<0.01) nutrient digestibility, activity of intestinal protease, liver and muscle tissue transaminases (alanine and aspartate) and dehydrogenases (lactate and malate), serum blood urea nitrogen and serum protein profile. Intestinal tissues of fish fed with 0.02% bare trypsin showed broadened, marked foamy cells with lipid vacuoles. However, villi were healthier in appearance with improved morphological features in fish fed with nanoencapsulated trypsin than with bare trypsin, and the villi were longer in fish fed with 0.01% nanoencapsulated trypsin than with 0.02% nanoencapsulated trypsin. The result of this premier experiment shows that nanoencapsulated trypsin mimics zymogen-like proteolytic activity via controlled release, and hence the use of 0.01% nanoencapsulated trypsin (in chitosan nanoparticles) over bare trypsin can be favored as a dietary supplement in animals and humans.

No abstract

No abstract

The effect of dietary fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) at inclusion levels of 0% (control), 5% (FPH5), 10% (FPH10) and 15% (FPH15) (w/w) on growth, digestive enzyme activity, immune response and antioxidant status of striped murrel, Channa striata (4.18 ± 0.04 g), was evaluated. The dietary FPH inclusion had significantly increased weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with the control (p < 0.05). The specific activities of digestive enzymes (amylase and total protease) and transaminases (AST and ALT) were similar in all the treatment groups (p > 0.05). The inclusion of dietary FPH had no influence on SOD and NBT (p > 0.05). The antioxidant enzyme catalase was lower in the FPH5 group than in other treatment groups. Fish fed a diet supplemented with FPH had higher haemoglobin, WBC and albumin levels than the control group, indicating better health. The fish fed FPH10 displayed significantly improved serum lysozyme and myeloperoxidase compared with control, FPH5 and FPH15. Remarkably, qRT‐PCR revealed significant upregulation of IGF‐I in FPH10 and FPH15; complement component C3 in FPH10; and glutathione S‐transferase (GST) in the fish fed FPH15 when compared to the control group. Based on the results of growth performance and immune response, it can be concluded that FPH at 10% may be recommended in the diet of striped murrel fingerlings.