Bioactivity of essential olis

Novel materials with promising properties can be used to achieve scaffold-based tissue engineering goals. Natural silk (NS) polymer has remarkable biomedical and mechanical properties as a material for bone tissue engineering scaffolds. This study describes the fabrication of a silk-based composite, in which natural silk and regenerated silk (RS) are combined to achieve better mechanical properties in the three-dimensional (3D) porous form. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of these scaffolds are evaluated. RS was made using mulberry-silk cocoons. RS/NS composite scaffolds were fabricated using the freeze-drying technique. Silk protein extract was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), with sharp amide peaks appearing at 1655 cm-1 and 1530 cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum, confirming the existence of fibroin. The fabricated 3D scaffolds were morphologically analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An inter-connective spongy structure was found. Mechanical characterizations were carried out using a universal testing machine. Results show that the mechanical properties of the RS/NS composites are better than those of scaffolds fabricated with RS alone. In addition, in vitro tests, including those for cell viability and adhesion, were carried out with osteoblast cells by the MTT assay with a new calculation approach, which confirmed biocompatibility. The bioactivity potential of the RS and composites fibers was tested by introducing scaffolds to normal simulated body fluid for 21 days. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and SEM analyses proved the existence of CaP crystals for both configurations. Thus, reinforced silk composite is a bioactive and biocompatible alternative for bone tissue engineering applications.

http://jmbe.bme.ncku.edu.tw/index.php/bme/article/viewArticle/1648

Pogostemon heyneanus Benth. (Lamiaceae) is an industrially important aromatic crop extensively cultivated in Asian countries as the main ingredient of perfume, high valued cosmetic and an array of ayurvedic products. Eventhogh it has high potential as an industrial crop, commercial cultivation in Sri Lanka is hampered due to lack of authentic, superior quality planting materials and optimized protocol for mass propagation of P. heyneanus. Therefore, in the present study an attempt has been made to investigate the optimum protocol for mass propagation of authentic, superior quality variety of P. heyneanus in order to ensure the commercial scale cultivation in Sri Lanka. Two types of cuttings (single and double nodal) at three maturity stages (i.e. softwood, semi-hardwood and hardwood) were obtained from healthy mother plants and planted in poly bags filled with top soil: sand: compost ratios of 1:1:1, 1:1:2 and 1:2:1. Number of leaves, number of branches, length of branches, height and the spreading of plants were recorded at 2 weeks intervals. Data were analysed and the highest plant height (52.9 ± 2.1 cm), length of branches (82.2 ± 5.6 cm), number of leaves (32.3 ± 2.6), number of branches (4.6 ± 1.5) and spreading of plant canopy (28.5 ± 1.7 cm) were observed in hardwood double nodal cuttings planted in potting medium 1:1:1 ratio. It is thus suggested to use hardwood double nodal cuttings as planting material and top soil 1: sand 1: compost 1 as potting medium for propagation of P. heyneanus in commercial scale cultivation.

Novel materials with promising properties can be used to achieve scaffold-based tissue engineering goals. Natural silk (NS) polymer has remarkable biomedical and mechanical properties as a material for bone tissue engineering scaffolds. This study describes the fabrication of a silk-based composite, in which natural silk and regenerated silk (RS) are combined to achieve better mechanical properties in the three-dimensional (3D) porous form. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of these scaffolds are evaluated. RS was made using mulberry-silk cocoons. RS/NS composite scaffolds were fabricated using the freeze-drying technique. Silk protein extract was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), with sharp amide peaks appearing at 1655 cm -1 and 1530 cm -1 in the FTIR spectrum, confirming the existence of fibroin. The fabricated 3D scaffolds were morphologically analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An inter-connective spongy structure was found. Mechanical characterizations were carried out using a universal testing machine. Results show that the mechanical properties of the RS/NS composites are better than those of scaffolds fabricated with RS alone. In addition, in vitro tests, including those for cell viability and adhesion, were carried out with osteoblast cells by the MTT assay with a new calculation approach, which confirmed biocompatibility. The bioactivity potential of the RS and composites fibers was tested by introducing scaffolds to normal simulated body fluid for 21 days. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and SEM analyses proved the existence of CaP crystals for both configurations. Thus, reinforced silk composite is a bioactive and biocompatible alternative for bone tissue engineering applications.

Conventional hydrodistillation (HD) and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) were performed to obtain the volatile oils of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. harvested in three different regions of China, which were subsequently characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. Compared with HD, MAHD was advantageous in terms of energy savings and extraction time (60 vs. 240 min for MAHD and HD, resp.). The chemical composition varied among the different oils obtained, and the variations in the contents of the main constituents of the oils were irregular. Hence, these variations affected both the quantity and composition of the oils. The oil yields (0.15 -0.21%) were affected by the method of extraction and the region of harvest, with the maximum amount of oil obtained by MAHD for the plants collected in Hubei (HB) and the minimum yield obtained by HD for the plants from Zhejing (ZJ). Hexadecanoic acid constituted the major compound of the essential oils, with the highest content found in the oil obtained by HD for plants from HB (41.18%) and the lowest one found in the oil obtained by MAHD from plants from ZJ (11.83%). Microwave irradiation did not adversely affect the composition of the essential oils. The findings show that MAHD is a modern, green, and fast technology.

Novel materials with promising properties can be used to achieve scaffold-based tissue engineering goals. Natural silk (NS) polymer has remarkable biomedical and mechanical properties as a material for bone tissue engineering scaffolds. This study describes the fabrication of a silk-based composite, in which natural silk and regenerated silk (RS) are combined to achieve better mechanical properties in the three-dimensional (3D) porous form. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of these scaffolds are evaluated. RS was made using mulberry-silk cocoons. RS/NS composite scaffolds were fabricated using the freeze-drying technique. Silk protein extract was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), with sharp amide peaks appearing at 1655 cm -1 and 1530 cm -1 in the FTIR spectrum, confirming the existence of fibroin. The fabricated 3D scaffolds were morphologically analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An inter-connective spongy structure was found. Mechanical characterizations were carried out using a universal testing machine. Results show that the mechanical properties of the RS/NS composites are better than those of scaffolds fabricated with RS alone. In addition, in vitro tests, including those for cell viability and adhesion, were carried out with osteoblast cells by the MTT assay with a new calculation approach, which confirmed biocompatibility. The bioactivity potential of the RS and composites fibers was tested by introducing scaffolds to normal simulated body fluid for 21 days. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and SEM analyses proved the existence of CaP crystals for both configurations. Thus, reinforced silk composite is a bioactive and biocompatible alternative for bone tissue engineering applications.