Search Results (5,084)

Colloidal gold dietary supplements intended for oral consumption are increasingly marketed as nano-enabled products, yet their physicochemical characteristics and biological effects remain insufficiently documented. In this study, commercially available colloidal gold supplements produced and marketed in Romania (30, 55, and 110 mg/L) were investigated to determine their classification as nanomaterials and to assess their preliminary biological effects in the context of oral exposure. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a narrow particle size distribution (4–11 nm), while SAED and EDX confirmed the presence of metallic gold nanoparticles. UV-VIS spectroscopy showed the characteristic surface plasmon resonance, supported by comparison with citrate-stabilized reference AuNPs (5–20 nm). DLS and zeta potential measurements indicated stable electrostatically stabilized colloids. According to the current EU definition, the number-based size distribution supports classification as nanomaterials. Manufacturer-recommended daily intakes were compared with doses reported in the literature using HED conversion to contextualize oral exposure. In vitro assays showed no pronounced acute cytotoxic or antitumoral effects on HCT-8 cells and no inhibitory effects on selected LAB. However, increased cytotoxicity was observed in HEK293 cells exposed to the dietary supplement formulation compared with the corresponding standard AuNP formulation. These results underscore the importance of considering cell-specific responses when evaluating the safety of nano-enabled dietary supplements and support the need for long-term toxicological studies. Full article

Bovine milk represents a highly complex colloidal system whose physicochemical stability depends on the organization of milk fat globules, casein micelles, membrane-associated phospholipids, and somatic cellular components. Mechanical separation procedures such as centrifugation induce redistribution of dispersed colloidal fractions and structural perturbations within the milk matrix, potentially enabling fraudulent reduction of somatic cell count while preserving bulk compositional parameters. In the present study, we investigated whether advanced deep learning architectures could identify centrifugation-associated structural alterations in bovine milk using microscopy image representations. A total of 16,472 microscopy images obtained from centrifuged and non-centrifuged milk samples were analyzed using Swin Transformer V2 and ConvNeXt-Base architectures. Both models successfully detected centrifugation-associated structural perturbations and substantially outperformed the previously analyzed InceptionC baseline. ConvNeXt-Base achieved 87.30% classification accuracy together with 86.85% balanced accuracy and 86.59% harmonic average of recalls following totalogit aggregation. Importantly, Swin Transformer V2 demonstrated strong monotonic relationships between logit metrics and centrifugation ratio (r = 0.640–0.651, p < 0.01), indicating sensitivity to progressive image-level changes associated with increasing centrifugation ratio. Collectively, the obtained findings demonstrate that microscopy-derived deep learning representations capture structural information associated with centrifugation-induced changes in bovine milk, supporting the applicability of AI-assisted microscopy for detecting processing-related alterations in complex dairy systems. Full article

Background/Objectives:Artemisia annua essential oil (EO) possesses diverse biological activities; however, its practical application is limited by volatility, instability, and poor bioavailability. This study aimed to develop chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers (CH-NLCs) for efficient encapsulation and delivery of A. annua EO and to evaluate their physicochemical characteristics and biological performance. Methods: The nanoformulation exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a high encapsulation efficiency (85.97 ± 1.30%) and a strongly positive surface charge (approximately +45 mV), indicating good colloidal stability. Structural analyses by SEM, FTIR, and XRD confirmed successful encapsulation of the EO within the nanocarrier matrix. Results: The CH-NLC formulation significantly enhanced larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, reducing the LC₅₀ value from 213 ppm for the free EO to 142 ppm. Enhanced antifungal activity was also observed, with 47–56% greater inhibition against Malassezia furfur, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Candida albicans compared with the free EO. Furthermore, CH-NLC demonstrated improved cytotoxic activity against skin cancer cell lines, achieving IC₅₀ values of 21.4 ± 1.7 µg/mL and 30.1 ± 1.6 µg/mL against A431 and A375 cells, respectively, while maintaining lower toxicity toward normal HaCaT keratinocytes. Mechanistic investigations revealed enhanced apoptosis and an approximately 3-fold increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in treated cancer cells. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings indicate that chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers effectively improve the stability and biological efficacy of A. annua essential oil and represent a promising platform for future biomedical and biocidal applications. Full article

Microalgae–fungal pellets have been studied as a versatile and robust biotechnological platform, offering significant advantages for microalgal biomass harvesting, wastewater treatment, biofuels production and/or obtaining of value-added products. This review presents an integrated analysis of the mechanisms governing the formation, stability, and functionality of these systems, combining physicochemical, biological, and mathematical modelling approaches and aims to describe the current state of the art and main research needs. The aggregation process is strongly influenced by the complementarity of the surface properties of microalgae and filamentous fungi, including electrostatic interactions, production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), and modifications in surface roughness. Recent advances in multiscale characterization techniques, such as confocal microscopy, micro-computed tomography, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, have allowed a more precise elucidation of the internal architecture and surface chemistry of the pellets. In parallel, biological characterization through enzymatic assays, oxidative stress biomarkers, and photosynthetic activity analyses has provided relevant information on the metabolic responses and functional resilience of the consortium. Additionally, the incorporation of mathematical flocculation models can contribute to the prediction of pellet growth, density, and stability, supporting process optimization and application. The understanding of these interaction phenomena is important for the design of high-yield and efficient systems, including their development and validation, to expand the use of microalgae–fungal pellets in bioprocesses, as evidenced by this review. Full article

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) presents a mechanically sensitive and pharmacologically complex environment in which therapeutic delivery remains challenging. Bigels may offer a formulation strategy for incorporating therapeutics with differing physicochemical properties while providing soft, viscoelastic matrices with properties that may be relevant to neural delivery applications. This study evaluated the in vitro formulation feasibility of a biphasic stearate organogel–methylcellulose/gelatin bigel as a mechanically compliant biphasic vehicle for localized delivery of neurotherapeutic agents. Bigels were fabricated by hot emulsification and genipin crosslinking to generate hydrogel-dominant dual-phase systems. Hydrogel:organogel formulations of 95:5 (BG1) and 85:15 (BG2) showed storage moduli of approximately 250 Pa and 200 Pa, respectively, and compressive Young’s moduli of 0.39 and 0.70 kPa, within reported ranges for soft brain tissue. Stress relaxation confirmed viscoelastic behaviour, while minimal oil leakage (<0.2%) indicated phase stability. BG1 showed 52% porosity, pore sizes of 1.8–22 µm, and approximately 14% weight gain. Drug release followed Weibull kinetics (R² = 0.99–0.999), with nicotinamide showing faster release and N-acetylcysteine and TPGS showing more sustained release. Both unloaded and drug-loaded bigels maintained >70% PC12 cell viability. These findings support the formulation feasibility of biphasic bigels as mechanically compliant vehicles capable of accommodating therapeutics with differing physicochemical properties and exhibiting differential release behaviour. Further studies are required to evaluate degradation, tissue interactions, retention, and therapeutic performance in advanced in vitro and in vivo models. Full article

This study presents a multiscale physicochemical analysis of defect formation mechanisms in paraffin-based organic systems subjected to different thermal histories. Paraffin materials, structurally analogous to biomimetic lipid matrices used in biomedical applications, were examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the influence of processing conditions and storage temperature on phase stability and microstructural organization. Samples produced on two technological lines—a low-temperature process (D1) and a high-temperature process (D2)—were analyzed immediately after production and after storage at 15 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C. DSC measurements revealed modifications in melting and crystallization profiles, together with additional thermal effects that suggest possible phase reorganization and changes in crystallization behavior under selected storage conditions. These effects were particularly visible for samples stored at 15 °C. The results provide an integrated thermal and spectroscopic interpretation of phase behavior in paraffin-based organic materials. Full article

Essential oils have attracted considerable attention as natural antimicrobial agents for food preservation due to their broad-spectrum activity against foodborne microorganisms. Although numerous studies report strong antimicrobial effects under in vitro conditions, their effectiveness in real food systems is often substantially reduced. This review critically examines the discrepancy between in vitro antimicrobial activity and actual performance in food matrices. Particular attention is given to the influence of food matrix interactions, physicochemical instability, volatility, sensory limitations, and microbial adaptation on the efficacy of essential oils. A conceptual framework is presented to systematically summarize the major factors limiting antimicrobial performance in practical food applications. In addition, current strategies aimed at improving applicability, including encapsulation technologies, nanoemulsions, synergistic combinations, and active packaging systems, are discussed. Available evidence indicates that simplified experimental models frequently overestimate the practical efficacy of essential oils. More realistic and system-oriented evaluation approaches are therefore necessary to improve the translation of laboratory findings into food applications. Overall, essential oils remain promising candidates for natural food preservation, although their successful industrial application will depend on overcoming important technological and practical limitations. Full article

To evaluate the early-stage effects of different mangrove species on macrobenthic communities along the southern coast of Quanzhou Bay, this study examined restoration sites dominated by K. obovata (Q), A. corniculatum (T), and A. marina (B), together with an adjacent unvegetated mudflat (Y). Sediment physicochemical properties, species composition, density, biomass, diversity indices, abundance-biomass comparison (ABC) curves, and cluster/NMDS results were compared before mangrove planting and during the spring and autumn after planting. The results showed that sediment backgrounds were relatively similar among sites before planting. After planting, total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) increased in autumn, and the number of macrobenthic species increased from 13 before planting to 24 after planting. Species number, density, and diversity were generally higher in autumn than in spring. Redundancy analysis (RDA) further showed that the relationships between sediment environmental variables and macrobenthic community metrics varied across restoration stages. Before planting, the three original sites showed relatively weak separation along the environmental gradients. After planting, the ordination pattern became more structured. In spring, biomass was mainly associated with the A. marina site, whereas TC and TN were more closely related to the K. obovata site. In autumn, TN and biomass were more closely associated with the A. corniculatum and A. marina sites, while TC, TP, and salinity were more strongly related to the K. obovata site. These results indicate that sediment carbon and nitrogen dynamics, together with salinity and pH gradients, jointly shaped macrobenthic community recovery during the early restoration stage. The A. corniculatum site had the highest density and biomass in autumn and showed relatively high abundance-biomass comparison (ABC)-based community stability, as indicated by positive W values and biomass curves generally lying above abundance curves. The A. marina site had relatively high species richness and diversity, whereas the recovery performance of the K. obovata site was comparatively weaker. Overall, A. corniculatum and A. marina are more suitable as the main species for mangrove restoration along the southern coast of Quanzhou Bay, while K. obovata can be used as an auxiliary species in mixed planting. Full article

The introduction of regulations restricting the use of microplastics in cosmetics, combined with the growing demand for sustainable cosmetic formulations and the continuing consumer interest in naturally derived ingredients, increases the need to develop alternative functional materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of plant-derived microparticles obtained from agro-industrial fruit by-products (orange peel) on the properties of cosmetic emulsions as a function of their concentration. Model emulsions containing 0–5% orange peel microparticles were prepared and analyzed in terms of physicochemical properties (viscosity, pH, color, stability), sensory characteristics, antioxidant activity (DPPH), and their impact on skin biophysical and optical parameters. Results showed that increasing microparticle concentration significantly enhanced emulsion viscosity (from 17,000 to 36,000 mPa·s) and antioxidant activity (from 13% to 77% DPPH inhibition). Application studies revealed a 54% increase in skin hydration and a fourfold reduction in transepidermal water loss (from 24 to 6 g/m²/h) for formulations with the highest concentration. However, concentrations containing 3-5% led to reduced emulsion stability. Although higher concentrations (4–5%) provided stronger antioxidant and skin-related effects, the 2% formulation provided the most favorable balance between physical stability, functional performance, sensory acceptance, and formulation appearance. These findings indicate that natural microparticles derived from orange peel can serve as multifunctional, sustainable ingredients in cosmetic emulsions, providing structuring, antioxidant, and skin-barrier-supporting effects. Full article

Biogenic metal nanoparticles are naturally covered with the phytochemical corona, which includes plant-derived metabolites. Emerging evidence suggests that the phytochemical corona, together with the intrinsic properties of the metallic core, contributes significantly to the biological identity, therapeutic behavior, and safety profile of biogenic nanoparticles. In this review, we go beyond the traditional view of plant extracts as reducing and capping agents to the phytochemical corona as a programmable nano–bio interface. Green synthesis from Indian flora has potential that can yield coronas rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Each corona composition contributes to different physicochemical properties, such as cellular interactions and downstream effects on reactive oxygen species, endocytic uptake and signaling pathways (p53, AKT, MAPK). When in contact with biological fluids, the corona adsorbs host proteins, giving rise to a hybrid interface that further influences the therapeutic outcome. The corona composition directly contributes to the biological activities of these nanoparticles: for example, anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiparasitic. The corona offers intrinsic targeting, stimuli-responsive release and improved stability for drug delivery. Toxicity and safety assessment shows dose-dependent effects, organ accumulation and long-term concerns for which standardized testing is needed. Translational challenges include: reproducibility, seasonal and geographic phytochemical variation, variability in extraction methods, scalability, shelf life and regulatory ambiguity. Future directions include Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven phytosynthesis, precision nanomedicine, nano–bio interface engineering, multi-omics integration, exploration of endangered Indian flora, and digital twin modeling. This review provides a roadmap for engineering phytochemical coronas as precision nanomedicine platforms by shifting the focus from core to corona and from empirical recipes to predictive design. It positions biogenic nanoparticles not only as eco-friendly alternatives, but as programmable, superior therapeutics for cancer and drug-resistant infections. Full article

Acne is a common inflammatory skin condition that significantly impacts quality of life. Standard treatments often cause skin irritation or contribute to antibiotic resistance. Cannabidiol (CBD) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and sebum-regulating properties; however, its application is limited by poor solubility and stability. This study investigated the physicochemical properties of a CBD-loaded hyaluronic acid–graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanogel (Hy-CBD). The biological activities of Hy-CBD, including its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, were also evaluated. In addition, an exploratory clinical study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of the formulation in 22 Asian participants with inflammatory acne. In this open-label, non-randomized study, participants applied the gel twice daily for seven days. Assessments of skin tolerance, lesion size, redness, and pigmentation were performed at baseline, Day 2, and Day 7 using clinical examination and imaging analysis. The Hy-CBD gel was clinically tolerated, with no evidence of comedogenic or acnegenic potential. By Day 7, inflammatory lesion size was reduced by 46%, with significant improvements in redness and post-inflammatory pigmentation. All participants reported a subjective reduction in acne severity and expressed satisfaction with the treatment outcomes. These findings suggest that the Hy-CBD gel is a safe and promising delivery system for acne management. Nevertheless, larger randomized controlled studies are required to validate these preliminary findings. Full article

Ribonucleic acid-based vaccines have emerged as one of the most significant advances in modern vaccine development, demonstrating remarkable clinical success and enabling rapid responses to emerging infectious diseases. Despite their therapeutic potential, the development of these vaccines remains challenging because of the inherent instability of ribonucleic acid molecules, their susceptibility to degradation, and the complexity of formulation design. Ensuring product quality, stability, and biological performance therefore requires comprehensive analytical characterization throughout development, manufacturing, storage, and quality control. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current analytical strategies used to evaluate ribonucleic acid-based vaccine formulations. Key analytical approaches for assessing molecular integrity, purity, encapsulation efficiency, particle morphology, size distribution, surface characteristics, structural attributes, and biological potency are discussed. The review also examines the influence of formulation composition, lipid nanoparticle design, manufacturing processes, and storage conditions on vaccine stability and performance. In addition, major degradation pathways, critical quality attributes, and analytical challenges associated with quality assessment are highlighted. Furthermore, current regulatory considerations and limitations of existing analytical methodologies are discussed, particularly the challenges associated with establishing robust relationships between physicochemical properties and biological efficacy. The review emphasizes the importance of integrated multi-method analytical approaches for comprehensive characterization and quality assurance. Continued advances in analytical technologies and standardization efforts will be essential for supporting the development of safe, effective, and stable ribonucleic acid-based vaccines and for facilitating their broader pharmaceutical applications. Full article

Long-term clinical translation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) is severely hampered by thromboembolism and device-related infection, both originating from inadequate biocompatibility of the device-blood interface. Current titanium surface modifications fail to simultaneously deliver durable antithrombotic and antibacterial performance, while conventional polydopamine-copper (PDA-Cu) coatings suffer from inherent limitations. Herein, we report a one-step rapid co-polymerization strategy based on mussel-inspired polyphenol chemistry to fabricate a copper-integrated polydopamine/tannic acid nanocoating on titanium (Ti/PDT(Cu)). By incorporating tannic acid rich in catechol/pyrogallol moieties, we achieve synergistic acceleration of dopamine oxidative polymerization with copper ions, dramatically shortening the fabrication time to 8 h (vs. 24 h for traditional PDA coatings). This process simultaneously constructs a robust dual-crosslinked network through covalent/hydrogen bonds and metal-phenolic coordination, exhibiting a uniform nanoscale-roughened structure. Comprehensive physicochemical characterizations confirm homogeneous coating deposition, excellent hydrophilicity, uniform Cu distribution, and superior long-term structural stability (95.68% thickness retention after 7 days of physiological immersion). The optimized coating displays broad-spectrum and durable antibacterial activity, with 92.79% and 89.73% reduction of E. coli and S. aureus at 24 h, respectively, and retains $>$89% antibacterial efficacy after 7 days of continuous elution (n = 3, * p$<$ 0.05). Moreover, the coating enables stable and sustained catalytic nitric oxide generation (43.85 $\pm$ 2.36 μM cumulative release over 14 days) that mimics endothelial function, resulting in 69.4% inhibition of platelet adhesion and an ultralow hemolysis ratio of 0.97% (n = 3). Critically, it maintains excellent cytocompatibility with L929 fibroblasts ($>$90% cell viability after 72 h co-culture). This work addresses key limitations of conventional PDA-based functional coatings, realizes synergistic antithrombotic and antibacterial dual functions showing great potential for blood-contacting cardiovascular device applications, and provides a facile and robust surface engineering platform for long-term implantable cardiovascular devices. Full article

The great impact of carbon dioxide emissions on climate change motivates the development of technologies for carbon capture and utilization. CO₂ methanation, which transforms CO₂ into methane using renewable hydrogen, is a promising power-to-gas and carbon utilization pathway. Achieving high activity, strong CH₄ selectivity, and long-term stability remains challenging, as well as pushes to tailor catalyst properties for the methanation reaction. Cerium oxide is therefore widely explored as a support or promoter due to its redox behaviour and oxygen vacancy chemistry. This review surveys recent literature on catalysts based and containing CeO₂ applied for CO₂ methanation, covering not only thermal operation but also non-conventional catalytic routes as photothermal, electrocatalytic, and plasma-assisted, with emphasis on how synthesis and role of Ce tune physicochemical properties and catalytic activity. Across reported systems, dispersing active metals (notably Ni and Ru, Cu for electrochemical systems) on ceria frequently yields to high CH₄ selectivity. Redox properties of ceria enable optimal metal–support interactions and surface basicity to achieve effective CO₂ activation in thermo-catalytic route. Further enhancement of oxygen mobility is associated with doped CeO₂ and solid solutions such as Ce-Zr. The high oxygen storage capacity of CeO₂ promotes photogenerated charge separation for light-driven performance and optimal plasma–catalyst interactions. Full article

Soil microbial communities play a central role in terrestrial biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem functioning, and their dynamics are closely linked to soil physicochemical properties, thereby contributing to ecosystem functional stability. However, the extent to which stand age regulates soil microbial community structure and soil physicochemical properties remains insufficiently understood. In this study, black poplar (Populus nigra) plantations located in the hilly region of Jiangsu Province, China, were selected as a chronosequence and classified into three stand age categories: young stands (HY), middle-aged stands (HH), and late-middle-aged stands (HN). Soil samples were systematically collected from the 0–15 cm layer. Soil physicochemical properties were measured, soil DNA was extracted, and high-throughput sequencing was performed to characterize age-related changes in microbial community structure. The results showed that mineral-associated total carbon reached its highest level in middle-aged stands, whereas dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and soil organic carbon (SOC) were highest in late-middle-aged stands. Co-occurrence network analysis further indicated that microbial interspecific associations were most complex during the middle-aged stage. Overall, stand age induced pronounced shifts in both soil carbon fractions and microbial community organization. These findings provide new insights into the coupling relationships among stand development, soil carbon dynamics, and microbial community succession in black poplar plantations. Full article