Carboxymethyl cellulose and hydrogel beads produced from sugar cane bagasse (SCB) and palm kernel cake (PKC) were characterised, and the ability of the hydrogel beads to encapsulate and protect the probiotic bacteria of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5) under simulated gastrointestinal conditions was investigated. Encapsulation with SCB and PKC hydrogel beads was performed with 87.4% and 80.9% efficiency, respectively, compared with that with alginate hydrogel beads, which had 75.0% efficiency. LA-5 free cells and those encapsulated in alginate hydrogel beads showed no survival. LA-5 cells encapsulated in SCB and PKC hydrogel beads retained high survival under stomach conditions of pH 2 after 1.5 h (>6 log CFU/ml) and 3 h (>4 log CFU/ml). However, no survival of cells was observed under colon conditions of pH 7.5 after 24 h. SCB and PKC hydrogel beads were able to protect the cells against the pH conditions of the stomach but not of the colon.

Viability of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 following spray-drying and freeze-drying in skim milk was evaluated. After spray-drying, the strain experienced over 99% loss in viability regardless of the air outlet temperature (75 and 85 °C) and the heat-adaptation temperature (45 and 65 °C, 30 min). The use of heat-adaptation treatment to improve the thermotolerance of this strain was ineffective. On the other hand, the strain showed a superior survival at 71.65%–82.07% after freeze-drying. Viable populations of 9.319–9.487 log10 cfu/g were obtained when different combinations of skim milk and sugar were used as cryoprotectant. However, the addition of sugars did not result in increased survival during the freeze-drying process. Hence, 10% (w/v) skim milk alone is recommended as a suitable protectant and drying medium for this strain. The residual moisture content obtained was 4.41% ± 0.44%.

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The conventional concept of using nanocarriers to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs has advanced to accommodate additional diagnostic capability. Nanotheranostic agents (NTA), combining both treatment and diagnostic tools, are an ideal example of engineering-health integration for cancer management. Owing to the diverse materials used to construct NTAs, their safety, effectiveness, and diagnostic accuracy could vary substantially. This systematic review consolidated current NTAs incorporating 5-fluorouracil and elucidated their toxicity, anticancer efficacy, and imaging capability. Medline and Embase databases were searched up to March 18, 2022. The search, selection, and extraction were performed by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure completeness and reproducibility. Original research papers involving 5-fluorouracil in the preparation of nanoparticles which reported their efficacy, toxicity, and diagnostic capability in animal cancer models were recruited. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Collaborative Approach to Meta-Analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies (CAMARADES) checklist. Nine studies were eligible for the systematic review. There was no significant toxicity reported based on animal weight and organ histology. Complete tumor remission was observed in several animal models using chemo-thermal ablation with NTAs, proving the enhancement of 5-fluorouracil efficacy. In terms of imaging performance, the time to achieve maximum tumor image intensity correlates with the presence of targeting ligand on NTAs. The NTAs, which are composed of tumor-targeting ligands, hold promises for further development. Based on the input of current NTA research on cancer, this review proposed a checklist of parameters to recommend researchers for their future NTA testing, especially in animal cancer studies.Systematic Review Registration: website, identifier registration number.

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