Hydrogels are a three-dimensional and crosslinked network of hydrophilic polymers. They can absorb a large amount of water or biological fluids, which leads to their swelling while maintaining their 3D structure without dissolving (Zhu and Marchant, Expert Rev Med Devices 8:607-626, 2011). Among the numerous polymers which have been utilized for the preparation of the hydrogels, polysaccharides have gained more attention in the area of pharmaceutics; Sodium alginate is a non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable polysaccharide with several unique physicochemical properties for which has used as delivery vehicles for drugs (Kumar Giri et al., Curr Drug Deliv 9:539-555, 2012). Owing to their high-water content and resembling the natural soft tissue, hydrogels were studied a lot as a scaffold. The formation of hydrogels can occur by interactions of the anionic alginates with multivalent inorganic cations through a typical ionotropic gelation method. However, those applications require the control of some properties such as mechanical stiffness, swelling, degradation, cell attachment, and binding or release of bioactive molecules by using the chemical or physical modifications of the alginate hydrogel. In the current review, an overview of alginate hydrogels and their properties will be presented as well as the methods of producing alginate hydrogels. In the next section of the present review paper, the application of the alginate hydrogels will be defined as drug delivery vehicles for chemotherapeutic agents. The recent advances in the application of the alginate-based hydrogels will be describe later as a wound dressing and bioink in 3D bioprinting.
Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the role of the hydroalcoholic extract of Apium graveolens and Cinnamon zeylanicum on metabolically change and ovarian oxidative injury in a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Materials and Methods: In this experimental research, 64 female Wistar rats with breeding were used including the following groups (G): (I) G1: healthy control; (II) G2: PCOS which received no therapy; (III) G3: PCOS + A. graveolens; (IV) G4: A. graveolens; (V) G5: PCOS + C. zeylanicum; (VI) G6: no PCOS + C. zeylanicum; (VII) G7: PCOS + C. zeylanicum and A. graveolens; and (VIII) G8: C. zeylanicum and A. graveolens. The PCOS was induced by a single dose of the intramuscularly injected estradiol valerate (16 mg/ kg). After 14 days, the animals were anesthetized, then their plasma samples were used to check the blood sugar (BS), insulin, and lipid profile. The ovaries of the rats were removed and fixed for histopathological assessment. In addition, the oxidative stress marker in ovarian tissue was evaluated. Results: The levels of BS, insulin, and lipid profile in plasma significantly enhanced in G2 (P < 0.05) while decreasing significantly in the therapy groups, (P < 0.05). Moreover, a significant decline was observed in the serum level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in G2 (P < 0.05) while it enhanced significantly in the therapeutic animals (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a negative change was found in the PCOS group on the ovarian tissue. Besides the oxidative stress enhanced in this tissue while in the treated groups this change was improved. Conclusions: Generally, it was revealed that the extract of A. graveolens and C. zeylanicum had a useful impact on regulating the serum levels of fast blood sugar (FBS), insulin, lipid profile, and oxidative stress markers in the palliation of the PCOS complications.
In traditional medicine, natural silk is regarded as a cognitive enhancer and a cure for ameliorating the symptoms of heart disease, atherosclerosis, and metabolic disorders. In this review, general characteristics of both silk proteins, fibroin and sericin, extracted from silkworm Bombyx mori and their potential use in the neuronal disorders was discussed. Evidence shows that silk proteins exhibit neuroprotective effects in models of neurotoxicity. The antioxidant, neuroprotective, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory mechanisms of silk proteins could prove promising in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Owing to their excellent neurocompatibility and physicochemical properties, silk proteins have been used as scaffolds and drug delivery materials in the neuronal tissue engineering. These data support the potential of silk proteins as an effective complementary agent for central and peripheral neurological disorders.
Introduction: The mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study aims to assay the antiinflammatory effects of mastic in rats with colitis. Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups of control, colitis without treatment, colitis with mastic (400 mg/kg/daily) administered orally or intra-rectally, colitis with prednisolone (5 mg/kg of body weight), and colitis with sesame oil for seven successive days. Treatment effects were evaluated by determining cytokines (TNFα, IL6) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, macroscopic scores, and histopathological parameters. The results of each group are compared with colitis without treatment group. Results: After administering sesame oil, the MPO level was reduced significantly compared to colitis without the treatment group (P=0.025). The mastic oil (400 mg/kg orally) administration was effective in reducing colitis severity through the reduction in the total colitis index (p=0.046) after 7 days. The Intra-rectal administration of mastic decreased TNF-α significantly, similar to prednisolone and control groups compared to the colitis without treatment group (p=0.024). The IL-6 did not change in the mastic and sesame oil groups. Conclusion: According to our results, mastic and sesame oil have anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that they could be used as natural sources to lessen the ulcerative colitis inflammation.
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