Lyophilized recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide for chronic heart failure:Effects on cardiac function and inflammation

BACKGROUND Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a serious and prevalent condition characterized by impaired cardiac function and inflammation.Standard therapy for CHF has limitations,prompting the exploration of alternative treatments.Recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide(BNP)has emerged as a potential therapy,with evidence suggesting that it can improve cardiac function and reduce inflammation in patients with CHF.However,further research is required to determine the efficacy and safety of lyophilized recombinant human BNP in CHF patients and its impact on microinflammatory status.This study aimed to investigate the effects of lyophilized recombinant human BNP therapy on CHF patients’cardiac function and microinflammatory status.AIM To investigate the effects of freeze-dried recombinant human BNP therapy on cardiac function and microinflammatory status in patients with CHF.METHODS In total,102 CHF patients admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 were randomly assigned to control and observation groups(n=51 patients/group).The control patients were treated with standard HF therapy for 3 d,whereas the observational patients were injected with the recombinant human BNP for 3 d.Clinical efficacy,inflammatory factor levels,myocardial damage,cardiac function before and after the treatment,and adverse reactions during treatment were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The overall clinical efficacy was higher in the observation group than in the control group.Compared with baseline,serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein,N-terminal proBNP,and troponin I level,and physical,emotional,social,and economic scores were lower in both groups after treatment,with greater reductions in levels and scores noted in the observation group than in the control group.The overall incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was not significantly different compared with that in the control group(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Freeze-dried recombinant human BNP therapy can improve heart function and enhance microinflammatory status,thereby improving overall quality of life without any obvious side effects.This therapy is safe and reliable.

Clinical Non-inferiority Trial on Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease Angina Pectoris of Xin-blood Stasis Syndrome Type with Lyophilized Salvia Salt of Lithospermic Acid Powder for Injection

Objective： To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of lyophilized Salvia salt of lithospermic acid powder for injection （SSLA） in treating coronary heart diseases angina pectoris （CHD-AP） of Xin-blood stasis syndrome type, and to conduct the non-inferiority trial with Danshen injection （丹参注射液, DSI） as positive control. Methods： An non-inferiority clinical layered, segmented, randomized, and blinded trial on three parallel and multiple centered groups was conducted in 480 patients with stable effort angina grade Ⅰ , Ⅱand Ⅲ, who had two or more times of attack every week. The 240 patients in test group A were treated with SSLA 200 mg added in 250 ml of 5% glucose solution for intravenous dripping every day; the 120 patients in test group B were treated with SSLA but the dosage doubled; and the 120 patients in the control group were treated with DSI 20 ml daily in the same method as SSLA was given. The clinical effectiveness and safety were evaluated after the patients were treated for 14 days. Results： The results showed that the markedly effective rate in test groups A, B and control group was 37.45 %, 36.75 % and 30.09 % respectively, while the total effective rate in them was 88.09%, 89.74% and 67.26% respectively. Statistical significance was shown in comparisons of the therapeutic effect between control group with test group A and test group B, with that in the two test groups superior to that in the control group, and non-inferiority trial showed eligibility （P〈0.01）. Adverse reaction appeared in 8 patients in the test groups and 2 in the control group. Conclusion： SSLA has definite therapeutic effect in treating patients with CHD-AP, with its effect not inferior to that of DSI, and no evident toxic-adverse reaction.

Immunogenicity of Lyophilized MVA Vaccine for HIV-1 in Mice Model

Highly attenuated modified vaccinia Ankara（MVA） is sensitive to repeat freeze-thaw cycle and easy to lose activity. In order to make the activity of MVA vaccine remain stable during its manufacturing, storage, and administration, the lyophilization as a good option could be resorted to; through screening, the right stabilizer composition and its production procedure were obtained. The final moisture content of freezing-dried recombinant MVA-HIV vaccine was lower than 3%. It can be reconstituted quickly and shows regular physical appearance and stable potency. In vivo functional experiment, mice were divided randomly into the liquid vaccination group, the lyophilized vaccination group, and the control group. Having been DNA vaccine priming, the mice were boosted with a dose of 10^7 pfu MVA- HIV vaccine, which produced indistinguishable antibody titer and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte（CTL） level compared with those of liquid vaccination group （ P 〉 0.05 ）. These results demonstrate that lyophilized MVA vaccine can induce high immunogenicity in mice.

Reconstruction of Rabbit Corneal Layer Composed of Corneal Fibroblasts and Corneal Epithelium on the Lyophilized Amniotic Membrane

Many researchers have employed the cryopreserved amniotic membrane（CAM） and corneal epithelial cells in the treatment of a severely damaged burned cornea, with corneal epithelial cells cultured on an amniotic membrane （AM）. The lyophilized amniotic membrane（LAM） has a higher graft take and a longer shelf life; it is easier to store and safer because of gamma irradiation. Two Teflon rings（ Ahn＇s supporter） were made for culturing the cells on the LAM, and were then used to support the LAM. To reconstruct a corneal layer composed of corneal fibroblasts and epithelium, the corneal fibroblasts were first cultivated on the stromal side of LAM for five days, foUowed by epithelial cells culture on the epithelial side, by using the air-liquid interface culture. The reconstructed corneal layer composed of corneal fibroblasts and corneal epithelial cells has a much healthier basal layer of corneal epithelium than the reconstructed corneal epithelium, which was got by using only corneal epithelial cells, and resembles the epithelium of normal corneas, without the horny layer. Thus, the reconstruction of the corneal layer by using a LAM is considered to be a good in vitro model, not only for its application in toxicological test kits, but also for transplantation in patients with a severely damaged cornea.

In Vitro Study on the Repair Effect of Fibronectin Lyophilized Powder

Fibronectin has a good repair effect on skin,but its practical application is limited by its easy degradation and difficult preservation.Freeze-drying technology can extend the shelf life of biological products,but may cause damage to some of their biological activities.Therefore,it is necessary to conduct comprehensive and scientific testing of fibronectin lyophilized powder prepared by freeze-drying technology to evaluate its actual efficacy.In this study,by means of in vitro cell experiment,zebrafish animal model experiment and the experiment on the human skin,the safety of fibronectin lyophilized powder prepared by the new formula and the actual efficacy of skin repair were preliminarily and multidimensionally evaluated,so as to provide reference and basis for further research,human clinical trial and application.The results showed that fibronectin lyophilized powder prepared by the new formula had low cytotoxicity,significant ability of promoting cell migration and proliferation,and had stronger skin repair effect.The new Fibronectin lyophilized powder has the characteristics of good safety and strong skin repair effect,which shows that it has good development prospects.These results provide a new strategy for the development of skin repair products.

Network Pharmacology-Based Dissection of the Bioactive Compounds and Pharmacological Mechanisms of Yiqi Fumai Lyophilized Injection for the Treatment of Heart Failure

Objective:Yiqi Fumai Lyophilized Injection(YQFM),a Chinese medicine injection,has been widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,especially heart failure(HF).However,bioactive compounds and underlying mechanisms of YQFM in treating HF remain poorly understood.Materials and Methods:Network pharmacology was employed to investigate the bioactive compounds and mechanisms of YQFM.A compound-target network was constructed to screen bioactive compounds based on contribution index calculation.Then,an adriamycin-induced HF rat model was established to evaluate the cardio-protective effects of YQFM by hematoxylin and eosin staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Results:Network pharmacology indicated that YQFM may alleviate HF through 36 compounds and 109 targets.Particularly,ginsenosides Rb1,Rg1,Re,Rf,Rb2,Rh1,schisandrin,and ginsenoside Rc were indicated as the top contributors of YQFM in treating HF.YQFM was predicted to act on multiple targets such as vascular endothelial growth factor A,interleukin-2(IL-2),IL-6,and IL-1β,as well as to regulate signaling pathways such as hypoxia-inducible factor 1,tumor necrosis factor,VEGF,and PI3K-Akt.The pharmacological study suggested that YQFM could attenuate cardiac injury and up-regulate plasma concentrations of VEGFR-1 and NO in HF rats.Ginsenoside Rb1,as the major contributor from network pharmacology analysis,also showed a cardioprotective effect and up-regulation of VEGFR-1 in plasma.Conclusions:Ginsenosides and schisandrin were predicted as the most important contributors to the cardioprotective effect of YQMF.Ginsenoside Rb1 was proved to alleviate HF and increase the plasma concentration of VEGFR-1.

Preparation of slow-release regulated Rs-198 bilayer microcapsules and application of its lyophilized bacterial inoculant on Capsicum annuum L.under salt stress

The survival adaptation of bacteria in saline soil is poor.The bilayer microcapsules were prepared by secondary embedding of monolayer sodium alginate(NaAlg)-bentonite(Bent)-sodium carboxy-methylcellulose(CMC)microcapsules wrapped with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)Pseudomonas putida Rs-198 by chitosan solution to promote the synergistic effect of bilayer microen-capsulation and PGPR.The characterization of the Rs-198 bilayer microcapsules showed that the amino and carboxyl groups were cross-linked and a thin layer of chitosan was formed on the outside of the microcapsule.The bilayer microcapsule(Ch-d)with a chitosan concentration of 0.8 wt%and pH 6 showed a slow release of bacteria with a maximum release of 6.06 × 10^(9) cfu/g on the 7th day.The viable bacteria of Ch-d increased by 4.42%after 60 days of storage compared with monolayer microcapsules.The 0.9 wt%L-cysteine,10 wt%glycerinum,10 wt%trehalose and 12 wt%soluble starch were added as bacterial protective agents during the process of preparing the Ch-d lyophilized bacterial inoculant(Ch-d LBI).Pot experiments showed that Ch-d LBI exhibited better growth promotion of Capsicum annuum L.under salt stress.Therefore,the bilayer microcapsule as slow-release bacterial inoculant is a potential alternative for sustainable agriculture.

Protection of Salvianolate Lyophilized Injection combined with Xueshuantong Injection (Lyophilized) against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats through suppression of inflammatory response

Objective： Inflammatory reactions induced by microglia in the brain play an important part in the pathogenesis of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion （I/R） injury, resulting in neuronal death. Salvianolate Lyophilized Injection （SLI） and Xueshuantong Injection （Lyophilized） （XST）, which have been widely used in the treatment of acutely cerebral infarction clinically in China, exhibit various biological activities. In this study, the neuroprotective properties of SLI combined with XST in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion- reperfusion （MCAO/R） were investigated. Methods： In this study, male Wistar rats were subjected to 1.5h of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion for 24 h. The rats were randomly divided into the following six groups： normal group （NOR）, model group （MOD）, SLI group （21 mg/kg, SLI）, ）（ST group （100 mg/kg, ）（ST）, SLI combined with XST （XST 100 mg/kg ＋ SLI 21 mg/kg, 1X1S）, and Edaravone （as a positive control drug, 6 mL/kg, EDI）, once a day for 3 d. The neuronal injury, the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP） and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 （IBA-1）, and the changes of pro-inflammatory mediators interleukin- 6 （IL-6）, tumor necrosis factor alpha （TNF-α） and anti-inflammatory mediator interleukin-10 （IL-10） were observed. Results： 1X1S treatment significantly increased the number of neuron, compared with the MOD group, SH group and XST group. Gliosis （GFAP and IBA-1） and expression of pro-inflammatory mediators IL-6 and TNF-a were significantly reduced. Meanwhile, 1XIS significantly increased the expression of anti- inflammatory mediator IL-10 in the brains of MCAO/R rats, compared with the MOD group, SLI and XST groups. SLI and XST also remarkably down-regulated the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α compared with the MOD group. Conclusions： This study shows that SLI combined with XST （1X1S） can protect cerebral ischemia- reperfusion injury due to its anti-inflammatory property, and may provide a potential promising new therapeutic strategy for acute ischemic stroke.

Encapsulation of lyophilized platelet-rich fibrin in alginate-hyaluronic acid hydrogel as a novel vascularized substitution for myocardial infarction

Cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction(MI)are among the major causes of death worldwide.Although intramyocardial injection of hydrogels can effectively enhance the ventricular wall,this approach is limited because of its restriction to the poor vascularization in the infarcted myocardium.Here,we reported a new type of hydrogel composed of alginate(ALG)and hyaluronic acid(HA)with lyophilized platelet-rich fibrin(Ly-PRF)for releasing abundant growth factors to realize their respective functions.The results of in vitro studies demonstrated favorable mechanical property and release ability of ALG-HA with Ly-PRF.When injected into the infarcted myocardium,this composite hydrogel preserved heart function and the Ly-PRF within the hydrogel promoted angiogenesis and increased vascular density in both infarcted and border zone,which rescued the ischemic myocardium.These beneficial effects were also accompanied by macrophage polarization and regulation of myocardial fibrosis.Moreover,the autologous origin of Ly-PRF with ALG-HA hydrogel offers myriad advantages including safety profile,easiness to obtain and cost-effectiveness.Overall,this study demonstrated the versatile therapeutic effects of a novel composite hydrogel ALG-HA with Ly-PRF,which optimizes a promising vascularized substitution strategy for improving cardiac function after MI.

Xueshuantong for Injection(Lyophilized,注射用血栓通)Alleviates Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Retinopathy in Rats

Objective To investigate the ameliorate effect and underlying mechanism of Xueshuantong for Injection(Lyophilized,注射用血栓通,XST)in streptozocin(STZ)-induced diabetic retinopathy(DR)rats.Methods Diabetes mellitus(DM)model was induced by intraperitoneal(i.p.)injection of STZ(60 mg/kg)in Sprague-Dawley rats.Diabetic rats were randomized into 3 groups(n=10)according to a random number table,including DM,XST50 and XST100 groups.XST treatment groups were daily i.p.injected with 50 or 100 mg/kg XST for 60 days,respectively.The control and DM groups were given i.p.injection with saline.Blood glucose level and body weight were recorded every week.Histological changes in the retina tissues were observed with hematoxylin-eosin staining.Apoptosis and inflammation related factors,including cleaved caspase-3,glial fifibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)were detected by Western blot or real-time polymerase chain reaction.Then,the levels of advanced glycation end product(AGE)and its receptor(RAGE)were investigated.Tight junctions proteins(Zonula occludens-1(ZO-1),Occludin and Claudin-5)of blood-retinal barrier were detected by Western blot.The levels of retinal fifibrosis,transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)-Smad2/3 signaling pathway were evaluated at last.Results There was no signifificant difference in the body weight and blood glucose level between XST and DM groups(P>0.05).Compared with the DM group,XST treatment signifificantly increased the retinal thickness of rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and suppressed cleaved caspase-3 expression(P<0.01).XST increased the protein expressions of ZO-1,Occludin and Claudin-5 and decreased the mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP-2)and MMP-9(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Moreover,XST signifificantly reduced the productions of AGE and RAGE proteins in the retina of rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01),suppressed the over-expression of TNF-α,and decreased the elevated level of ICAM-1 in retina of rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01).XST signifificantly reduced the levels ofα-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),connective tissue growth factor(CTGF),TGF-β1 and phosphorylation of Smad2/3 protein in rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusions XST had protective effects on DR with possible mechanisms of inhibiting the inflammation and apoptosis,up-regulating the expression of tight junction proteins,suppressing the productions of AGE and RAGE proteins,and blocking the TGF-β/Smad2/3 signaling pathway.XST treatment might play a role for the future therapeutic strategy against DR.

Safety and immunogenicity of lyophilized, live attenuated hepatitis A vaccine in non-human primate model

Objective To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of lyophilized, live attenuated hepatitis A vaccine (H2 strain) in rhesus monkeys Methods Nine adult rhesus monkeys were used as experimental animals The rhesus monkeys without anti HAV were divided randomly into the aqueous vaccination group (4 rhesus monkeys), the lyophilized vaccination group (3 rhesus monkeys), and the control group (2 rhesus monkeys) Monkeys were inoculated by intramuscular injection, with control monkeys being inoculated with Minimum Essential Medium Eagle (MEM) Following vaccination, the monkeys were observed for the development of diarrhoea and other adverse side effects, such as changes in appetite, frequency of defaecation and stool consistency for seven days At the weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 positnoculation, the peripheral blood was collected from all animals and assayed for anti HAV and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), at weeks 0, 4 and 8 postinocuation, needle biopsy specimens were taken at weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12, all monkeys were sacrificed and tissue samples were taken from liver, lung, heart, kidney and brain for pathological examination at week 12 Results Animals were immunized with a dose of 7 0 logTCID 50 /ml which is stable after freeze drying During the 12 week observation, no animals showed abnormal elevations of liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and no change in appetite or activity Two monkeys (one in the aqueous group and the other in lyophilized group) showed possible lesions at week 8 The lyophilized vaccine, in addition to eliciting an anti HAV IgG response similar to aqueous vaccine ( P >0 05), also showed IgM anti HAV response at week 2 which was not observed with aqueous vaccine Conclusions These results demonstrate that lyophilized, live hepatitis A vaccine is safe and highly immunogenic in primates, supporting its further evaluation in human clinical studies

Lyophilization Process of Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol Liposomes

[Objectives]To enhance the skin permeability of hydroxypropyl tetrahydropyrantriol and provide a reference for the subsequent prevention or treatment of skin aging.[Methods]The lyophilization process of hydroxypropyl tetrahydropyrantriol liposomes was investigated using a single factor method,and a quality evaluation system was established based on the appearance,particle size,PDI,and re-dispersibility of the lyophilized samples.[Results]The lyophilization process of hydroxypropyl tetrahydropyrantriol liposomes was determined by single factor experiments.The pre-freezing period was 16 h at-80℃,the total drying time was 36 h,and the addition of 10%mannitol-sucrose was used as the lyoprotectant.[Conclusions]The product prepared by the lyophilization method exhibits a fluffy and full appearance,with minimal shrinkage and collapse.The volume remains consistent before and after lyophilization,and the re-dispersibility is satisfactory.The re-dissolution process is rapid,and the particle size and polydispersity index(PDI)remain largely unchanged before and after lyophilization.

Biological Characteristics of Trehalose and Its Protective Effect on Food Fermentation Starters during Lyophilization

This paper reviewed the unique biological function of trehalose and its mechanism of stabilizing biological macromolecules and the research progress in the protective effect of trehalose on lactic acid bacteria fermentation starters during lyophilization in food production.The application of trehalose in food industry was prospected.

Development of Fast Dissolving Tablets Containing Fexofenadine Hydrochloride Prepared by Lyophilization Technique

Objectives: To improve the aqueous solubility and dissolution of fexofenadine HCl, an attempt was made to prepare its fast dissolving tablets by lyophilization technique. Methods: For the preparation of lyophilized tablets (F1-F32), the drug was dispersed in a hydrated solution of water-soluble polymers (gelatin/maltodextrin/acacia) containing glycine and mannitol. The blend was pelted down into the patches of a blister pack, frozen down and then lyophilized. Different characterization parameters viz. differential scanning calorimetry, hardness, weight variation, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry, solubility, wetting time and water absorption ratio, lyophilization tablet index, drug content, in vitro dissolution and stability were evaluated. Key findings: Tablets (F32) containing acacia were found to have fast disintegration and relatively higher mechanical strength with improved drug solubility. X-ray diffractogram and scanning electron micrograph indicated decrease in crystallinity of drug and a good porous structure property for prepared tablet, respectively. Dissolution study showed complete drug released within 5 min. Moreover, tablets (F32) were found to be stable for one month at 25 ± 2 °C/60 ± 5% relative humidity.

Structure-Thermal Conductivity Tentative Correlation for Hybrid Aerogels Based on Nanofibrillated Cellulose-Mesoporous Silica Nanocomposite

Hybrid aerogels have been prepared by freeze-drying technique after mixing water dispersions of cellulose microfibers or cellulose nanofibers and silica(SiO2)of type SBA-15(2D-hexagonal).The prepared composites were characterized by different analysis techniques such as SEM,hot-filament,DMA,etc.These composites are compared to those previously prepared using nanozeolites(NZs)as mineral charge.The morphology studied by SEM indicated that both systems have different structures,i.e.,individual fibers for cellulose microfibers WP-based aerogels and films for nanofibrillated cellulose NFC-based ones....These differences seem to be driven by the charge of the particles,their aspect ratio and concentrations.These hybrid materials exhibit tunable thermal conductivity and mechanical properties.The thermal conductivity values range between^18 to 28 mW.m^-1.K^-1 and confirm the superinsulation ability of these fibrous aerogels.Synergism on the thermal insulation properties and mechanical properties was shown by adjunction of mineral particles to both cellulose-based aerogels by reaching pore size lower than 100 nm.It significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of the hybrid aerogels as predicted by Knudsen et al.Furthermore,the addition of mineral fillers to aerogels based on cellulose microfibers induced a significant increase in stiffness.

Preparation and Characterization of Low Density Poly(Imino Imino Ketone)Foam

Poly（Imino Ketone） （PIK） is a group of novel high performance polymer material with excellent thermal properties and dissolubility. Aiming at the requirements of inertial confined fusion （ICF） studies on low density polymer foams, we firstly synthesized poly（imino imino ketone） （PIIK） by palladium catalyzed C-N cross-coupling reaction, and successfully prepared the PIIK foam material with a density of 80-300 mg/cm3 by using PIIK as the raw material with thermal-induced phase separation and lyophilization technique. Mercury injection method was used to determine the structure of PIIK foams, and the results indicated that the mean pore diameter was lower than 5 ~tm and it had relatively high voidage and specific surface area.

Lyophilization of pharmaceutical products:From concept to reality

Freeze-drying or lyophilization is a multi-stage operation of effectively drying a material while preserving its biological properties.The material is subject to being frozen and sublimated under vacuum upon heating.Lyophillized products are more stable,easily transported and quickly reconstituted.A benefit of low-temperature operation envisages its applications in pharmaceuticals for heat-sensitive components including vaccine and biological products.To date,analyses of the freeze-drying process have been changed from physical aspects of freezing and sublimation to a more sophisticated examination of the effects of the process on the chemical structures and the biological properties of the products themselves[1].

Numerical Evaluation of Residual Water Content after Freezing during the Lyophilization of Platelets

Pre-freezing is an important stage in freeze-drying processes.For the lyophilization of a cell,freezing not only plays a role for primary dehydration,but it also determines the amount of residual(intracellular or extracellular)water,which in turn can influence the solution properties and the choice of operation parameters.The freezing of human platelets in lyoprotectant solution is theoretically investigated here.A two-parameter model and an Arrhenius expression are used to describe cell membrane permeability and its temperature dependency.It is assumed that the intracellular solution is composed of four components:sodium chloride,trehalose,serum protein and water,while the extracellular solution consists of three components.Non-ideal solution behaviors are predicted using measured data.The concentration of maximally freeze-concentrated solution is estimated on the basis of an assumption of solute hydration.The impacts of lyoprotectant composition and extracellular sub-cooling on intracellular supercooling and residual water content in the cell are analyzed.The values of activation energy of hydraulic permeability at low temperatures are tested to study their impact on the critical cooling rate.As the mass fraction extracellular lyoprotectant(trehalose+bovineserum albumin)increases from 5 wt%to 20 wt%,the intracellular water content at the end of freezing does not change,but the intracellular solution undergoes much higher super-cooling degree.Increasing the mass ratio of trehalose to bovine serum albumin does not change the intracellular water content,but can mitigate intracellular super-cooling.While 0.05 mol/kg trehalose is loaded into platelet,the total quantity of residual water at the end of freezing may raise by 4.93%.The inclusion of dimethyl sulfoxide(Me2SO)in protectant may bring negative impacts to the drying stage by increasing the residual water content and lowering the drying temperature.

Extending the Shelf-Life of <i>Myrothecium verrucaria</i>, a Bioherbicide

The shelf-life of a bioherbicide product is an important factor with regard to its commercial potential. The bioherbicidal efficacy of freshly fermented Myrothecium verrucaria (strain IMI 368023) (MV) mycelia formulations and MV mycelia preparations that had been freeze-dried and then stored at -20&deg;C for 8 years was compared. Two concentrations of each formulation (1.0x and 0.5x) were tested, utilizing bioassays on seedlings of the weed, hemp sesbania (Sesbania exaltata) under greenhouse conditions or in darkness utilizing hydroponically grown seedlings. Freeze drying of freshly prepared MV mycelium produced a light, brownish-colored powder. Efficacy tests of this reconstituted 8-year-old dried material showed that some bioherbicidal activity was lost during long-term storage, i.e., ~20% and ~60% seedling dry weight reduction at the 1.0x and 0.5x rate, respectively. Although plant mortality was greater in the fresh mycelial preparations treatments versus the freeze-dried and stored samples at all time points in the time-course, the stored material still caused >80% mortality, 15 days after treatment. Comparative disease progression ratings also showed a similar trend. Overall results show that freeze-drying MV is a useful method to reduce the bulk and cumbersomeness of storing heavy liquid fermentation product, while retaining bioherbicidal activity. These findings increase the utility of this bioherbicide and offer the potential to use the dried material in soil treatments or in a more concentrated form than attainable via the fermented product.

<i>In Vivo</i>Pharmacokinetic and Hemocompatible Evaluation of Lyophilization Induced Nifedipine Solid-Lipid Nanoparticle

Nifedipine-solid-lipid nanoparticles lyophilized with trehalose (NI-SLN-Tre) were prepared by the high pressure homogenization of a roll mixture consisting of NI and hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol, and in vivo pharmacokinetic properties and their hemocompatibility were determined and compared with those of a NI-SLN suspension. The resulting pharmacokinetic data demonstrated that although no significant differences were observed between the time of peak concentration (Tmax), peak plasma concentration (Cmax), and the area under the curve (AUC0→∞) values of both administrated samples, NI tended to be absorbed to a much greater extent from the lyophilized NI-SLN-Tre suspensions because of the enhanced solvation of NI-SLN in gastrointestinal fluid, derived from formation of hydrogen bonds between the polar head groups of the lipids and the O-H groups of trehalose. Furthermore, the results of a hemolysis assay revealed that the NI-SLN and NI-SLN-Tre suspensions showed good hemocompatibility properties with hemolysis values of less than 5%. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that NI-SLN-Tre exhibits suitable pharmacokinetic properties and good biocompatibility.