We examined the sulfides in onion (Allium cepa L.), Welsh onion (A. fistulosum L.), and garlic (A. sativum L.), and obtained three new thiolane-type sulfides (onionins A₁–A₃) from onion; two new thiabicyclic-type sulfides (welsonins A₁, A₂), together with onionins A₁–A₃, from Welsh onion; and six new acyclic-type sulfides (garlicnins L-1–L-4, E, and F), ten new thiolane-type sulfides (garlicnins A, B₁–B₄, C₁–C₃, K₁, and K₂), and three new atypical cyclic-type sulfides (garlicnins G, I, and J) from garlic. Acetone extracts showed the potential of these sulfides in inhibiting the polarization of M2 activated macrophages that are capable of suppressing tumor-cell proliferation. The effect of the thiolane-type sulfide of a major component, onionin A₁, on tumor progression and metastasis in both osteosarcoma and ovarian cancer-bearing mouse models was then examined. Tumor proliferation was depressed, and tumor metastasis was controlled by regulating macrophage activation. These results showed that onionin A₁ is an effective agent for controlling tumors in both in vitro and in vivo models, and that the antitumor effects observed in vivo are likely caused by reversing the antitumor immune system. Activation of the antitumor immune system by onionin A₁ might be an effective adjuvant therapy for patients with osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer and other malignant tumors. Based on these findings, pharmacological investigations will be conducted in the future to develop natural and healthy foods and anti-cancer agents that can prevent or combat disease.

We applied the Quality by Design (QbD) approach to the development of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticle formulations encapsulating triamcinolone acetonide, and the critical process parameters (CPPs) were identified to clarify the correlations between critical quality attributes and CPPs. Quality risk management was performed by using an Ishikawa diagram and experiments with a fractional factorial design (ANOVA). The CPPs for particle size were PLGA concentration and rotation speed, and the CPP for relative drug loading efficiency was the poor solvent to good solvent volume ratio. By assessing the mutually related factors in the form of ratios, many factors could be efficiently considered in the risk assessment. We found a two-factor interaction between rotation speed and rate of addition of good solvent by using a fractional factorial design with resolution V. The system was then extended by using a central composite design, and the results obtained were visualized by using the response surface method to construct a design space. Our research represents a case study of the application of the QbD approach to pharmaceutical development, including formulation screening, by taking actual production factors into consideration. Our findings support the feasibility of using a similar approach to nanoparticle formulations under development. We could establish an efficient method of analyzing the CPPs of PLGA nanoparticles by using a QbD approach.

Postoperative pain is a complex physiological response to disease and tissue injury. Moderate-to-severe pain typically occurs within 48 h after surgery. Amino amide local anesthetics are widely applied to manage postoperative pain, and they have high efficacy, a low risk for addiction and limited side effects. However, these anesthetics also have short half-lives, often necessitating continuous injection to obtain satisfactory pain relief. In the current work, we used a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)–polyethylene glycol (PEG)–PLGA (PLGA–PEG–PLGA) temperature-sensitive gel to deliver a local anesthetic, ropivacaine hydrochloride (RP), to prolong its analgesic effect. We investigated the influence of polymer and drug concentration on gelation temperature and the in vitro drug release rate from the temperature-sensitive gel. RP-loaded PLGA–PEG–PLGA solution is a liquid at room temperature and forms a gel at temperatures slightly lower than body temperature. With regard to the gel’s drug release rate, 37.5, 51.3 and 72.6% of RP was released at 12, 24 and 48 h, respectively. This in vitro drug release profile conformed to the Higuchi equation. To assess pain control efficacy when using the gel, we evaluated the mechanical paw withdrawal reflex threshold, thermal pain threshold and incision cumulative pain scores in a rat incisional model. The results showed that the anti-pain effect of a single injection of RP-loaded gel at the incision site lasted for 48 h, which is significantly longer than the effect produced by injection of RP solution alone. The use of RP-loaded thermosensitive gels could provide a promising method for managing postoperative pain.

Certain pyridazine containing compounds 2a–f, 3a, b, 4a, b, 5a, b, 6a and b were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic means and elemental analysis. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their cytotoxic activity in vitro on colon cancer cell line (HCT-116) and breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). In addition, the antitumor activity of the synthesized compounds was tested in vivo against Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma (EAC) solid tumor grown in mice. The in vitro vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) enzyme inhibition assay was carried out for the most active compounds at a single dose of 10 µM. The obtained results revealed that compound 5b, which showed potent cytotoxic activity against HCT-116 also, exhibited the highest inhibition in the VEGFR kinase assay (92.2%).

An efficient method for the synthesis of 1-(trifluoromethylsulfonamido)propan-2-yl benzoates is described, the products of the reaction were characterized by heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectroscopy (HSQC), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) and NMR experiments. The overall process began with the activation of the oxazoline ring by triflic anhydride, followed by the opening of the five-membered ring in the 5-methyl-2-phenyl-4,5-dihydrooxazole system. The cytotoxic activity of the new trifluoromethyl sulfonamides was evaluated with six cancer cell lines and human gingival fibroblasts, posteriorly analyzing the influence on cytotoxicity exerted by the withdrawing and donor substituents at the para-position of the phenyl ring. Compounds 3b–e showed cytotoxic activity, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 17–17.44 µM for the cell lines tested, finding the highest effect for compound 3e.

Avicequinone C (5a), a furanonaphthoquinone isolated from the Thai mangrove Avicennia marina has been shown previously to have interesting steroid 5α-reductase type 1 inhibitory activity. In this study, a series of avicequinone C analogues containing furanonaphthoquinone with different degrees of saturation and substituents at the furan ring were synthesized. The resulting synthetic avicequinone C and analogues (5a–f) along with some related compounds including 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (6) and natural naphthoquinones such as lawsone (7a) and lapachol (7b) were evaluated for their in vitro cell viability and steroid 5α-reductase type 1 inhibitory activities using the cultured cell line of human keratinocytes (HaCaT). This cell-based bioassay was performed based on a direct detection of the enzymatic product dihydrotestosterone (2) by using a non-radioactive high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method. Among the furanonaphthoquinones in this series, 5e having a propionic substituent at furan ring possessed approximately 22-fold more potent than the original isolated compound 5a. However, the compounds without furan motif such as 6, 7a and b could not inhibit the activity of steroid 5α-reductase. Molecular docking results of the in silico three-dimensional steroid 5α-reductase type 1-reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) binary complex was performed via AutoDock Vina and it illustrated that the furanonaphthoquinone moiety and the substituent at furan ring might play a key role as pharmacophores for the steroid 5α-reductase inhibitory activity.

Radioactive nuclides leak into the surrounding environment after nuclear power plant disasters, such as the Chernobyl accident and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. Cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) (t_1/2=30.1 year), a water-soluble radionuclide with a long physical half-life, contaminates aquatic ecosystems and food products. In humans, ¹³⁷Cs concentrates in muscle tissue and has a long biological half-life, indicating it may be harmful. myo-Inositol-hexakisphosphate (IP6) is a compound found in grain, beans, and oil seeds. IP6 has the ability to form insoluble complexes with metals, including lanthanum (La) and zinc (Zn). We hypothesized that La-IP6 and Zn-IP6 may promote the elimination of ¹³⁷Cs from the body through the adsorption of La-IP6 and Zn-IP6 to ¹³⁷Cs in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the adsorptive capacity of La-IP6 and Zn-IP6 complexes with ¹³⁷Cs in vitro and in vivo. La-IP6 and Zn-IP6 complexes were stable in acidic solution (pH 1.2) at 37°C. In vitro binding assays indicated that La-IP6 and Zn-IP6 complexes adsorbed ¹³⁷Cs, with the adsorption capacity of Zn-IP6 to ¹³⁷Cs greater than that of La-IP6. To evaluate the usefulness of La-IP6 and Zn-IP6 in vivo, La-IP6 or Zn-IP6 was administrated to mice after intravenous injection of ¹³⁷Cs. However, the biodistribution of ¹³⁷Cs in the La-IP6 treated group and the Zn-IP6 treated group was nearly identical to the non-treated control group, indicating that La-IP6 and Zn-IP6 were not effective at promoting the elimination of ¹³⁷Cs in vivo.

In this study, the adsorption capability of cationic dyes, which were methylene blue and crystal violet, by poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA) in a single or binary solution system was investigated. The effect of the molecular weight of PGA, initial dye concentration, solution pH, and temperature on the adsorption of dyes was evaluated. The adsorption mechanism of dyes onto PGA was the interaction between –COOH group on the PGA surface and the polarity groups of dyes. These results indicated that PGA is useful for removal of dyes and cationic organic compounds from a single or binary solution system.

A series of deoxycholic acid (DCA) derivatives bearing amino acid moiety has been synthesized and investigated for their potential antiproliferative activities. DCA derivative compounds were synthesized by a two or three step synthetic approach. Their bioactivities were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and Western blotting analysis on three tumor cell lines A549 (human lung cancer cell line), MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell line) and HeLa (human cervical carcinoma cell). The novel derivatives DCA3d, DCA5a, DCA5b, DCA5c, and DCA5d were found to be promising antiproliferative agents. Furthermore, DCA5b showed the greatest cytotoxic activity by induction of apoptosis. These compounds show potentiality for further optimization as antitumor drugs.

The objectives of this study were to prepare the hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)/polycarbophil (PC) mucoadhesive blend film and to investigate the main and interaction effect of HPMC and PC mixtures on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of blend films using a simplex lattice mixture design approach. The cubic and quadratic models were selected to analyze mucoadhesive properties in terms of work of adhesion and maximum detachment force, respectively. It was shown that HPMC/PC blend film had higher mucoadhesive properties than pure HPMC film. The suitable models for analyzing swelling index of blend films at various times were assessed. The puncture strength, % elongation and hydrophilicity of films were also examined. The pure HPMC film displayed more homogeneous and smoother structures compared with the blend film, as observed by scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding between HPMC and PC was detected using Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction. Therefore, the blend film shows high potential for use as a buccal delivery system.

Four new prenylated bibenzyls, named aglaiabbrevins A–D (2, 4–6), were isolated from the leaves of Aglaia abbreviata, along with two known related analogues, 3,5-dihydroxy-2-[3,7-dimethyl-2(E),6-octadienyl]bibenzyl (7) and 3,5-dihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)bibenzyl (8). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic experiments, mainly one and two dimensional (1D- and 2D)-NMR, and the absolute configuration of 5 was determined by the measurement of specific rotation. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B) inhibitory activity. The results showed that compounds 5–7 exhibited more potent PTP1B inhibitory effects with IC₅₀ values of 2.58±0.52, 2.44±0.35, and 2.23±0.14 µM, respectively, than the positive control oleanolic acid (IC₅₀=2.74±0.20 µM). On the basis of the data obtained, these bibenzyls with the longer C-2 prenyl groups may be considered as potential lead compounds for the development of new anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agents. Also, the PTP1B inhibitory effects for prenylated bibenzyls are being reported for the first time.

Twelve steroids, including five new compounds 1–5, were isolated and structurally elucidated from a methanol extract of the Vietnamese soft coral Sinularia conferta. Their cytotoxic effects against three human cancer cell lines, lung carcinoma (A-549), cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa), and pancreatic epithelioid carcinoma (PANC-1), were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. Among isolated compounds, 10 exhibited potent cytotoxic effects on all three tested cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 3.64±0.18, 19.34±0.42, and 1.78±0.69 µM, respectively.

Carminic acid (CA) is a major component of cochineal dye used in food additives, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. CA and its isomers, 2-C-α-glucofuranoside and 2-C-β-glucofuranoside of kermesic acid (DCIV and DCVII, respectively), were isolated from cochineal dye and the equilibrium constants (K) between CA, DCIV and DCVII were investigated. DCIV was partially converted to CA and DCVII, and DCVII was converted to CA and DCIV, whereas CA was very stable and only very slightly converted to DCIV and DCVII. Most of the DCIV and DCVII was converted to CA under aqueous conditions. The kinetic rate constants (k) for the degradation of DCIV within the first day of incubation at 24°C was determined to be 0.901 d⁻¹ and for the degradation of DCVII it was determined to be 1.102 d⁻¹. The k value for the formation of CA from the remaining DCIV was calculated to be 0.146 d⁻¹ and for the formation of CA from the produced DCVII it was found to be 0.148 d⁻¹. The K values were calculated as 1.22×10⁻⁷, 2.61×10⁻³ and 2.36×10⁻³ mol/L for CA, DCIV and DCVII, respectively. These findings will be helpful for ensuring the safety and for aiding the quality assurance of cochineal dye products.