The chitin-glucan complex (CGC) consists of β-glucan and chitin with covalant bonds. CGC with biodegradable, biocompatible, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties is a powerful agent in wound healing. Schizophyllum commune is a source of these metabolite. This study aims to optimize the preparation of CGC nanofibers by electrospinning. Optimal conditions were selected for fabricating nanofibers (10% PVA solution, 2% CGC solution, 0.29 g gelatin, and 2.3 mL of acetic acid) with 17 kV, 900 rpm, and a feed rate of 0.3 mL/min. SEM showed uniform nanofibers with a diameter of 210 ± 71 nm and 56% porosity. FTIR investigates possible interactions between components. CGC/PVA/Gelatin nanofibers are hydrophilic. The tensile strength and Young's modulus reached 4.223, 2.2092 Mpa, respectively. CGC/PVA/Gelatin nanofibers inhibit the growth of E. coli and S. aureus by 25% and 78% after 24 hours, respectively. These nanofibers are nontoxic to fibroblast cells and improve their proliferation and adhesion. CGC/PVA/Gelatin nanofibers were used to cover grade 2 burn wounds in male Wistar rats. Morphometric results showed that the wound healing rate is 86% in the nanofibers treated group (p< 0.05) and 58% and 49% in the positive and negative control groups. S. commune CGC nanofibers can be used as wound dressings.
Selenium (Se) is one of the essential elements for human health, where Se-containing compounds can prevent cancer and reduce mortality by regulating of the cell cycle and apoptosis. Exopolysaccharides from Fomes fomentarius have been used in traditional medicine to treat cancer. It appears that the combination of Se and fungal polysaccharides may be more effective. The effect of adding Na2SeO3 to the culture medium of the Iranian medicinal fungus F. fomentarius is investigated in this study. Adding 20 mg/L Na2SeO3 to the culture medium changed the F. fomentarius morphology and improved the structure of exopolysaccharides. Several methods, including FTIR, EDS, and ICP-OES, confirmed the presence of Se in the exopolysaccharides of F. fomentarius. The results demonstrated that the addition of Na2SeO3 increased the antibacterial activity against S.aureus (60%) and antioxidant activity (17.4%) significantly (p < 0.05). The cytotoxicity of these exopolysaccharides against 5637, A549, and KYSE30 cancer cells was also significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the viability of EPS-Se treated 5637 cells reached less than 10% after 72 h. Finally, F. fomentarius Se-polysaccharides can be used as a dietary supplement.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant used to moderate liposome and chitosan-induced cell cytotoxicity at their high concentrations.Liposome and chitosan were prepared and characterised. The cytotoxicity effect of liposome with NAC-loaded liposome (liposome-NAC) and chitosan solution with chitosan solution containing NAC (chitosan-NAC) on the A549 cell line was compared.Particle size, zeta potential, and NAC drug release for liposome were 125.9 ± 8 nm, -34.7 ± 2.1 mV, and 51.1% ± 3%, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) indicated spherical shape of liposome. Encapsulation efficiency of liposome-NAC was 12% ± 0.98%. Particle size and zeta potential for chitosan solution were 361 ± 11.3 nm and 10.8 ± 1.52 mV. Stability storage study indicated good stability of chitosan and liposome. Cell viability of liposome-NAC and chitosan-NAC significantly was higher than liposome and chitosan at all four concentrations.NAC has a protective effect against liposome and chitosan-induced cell toxicity.
Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids (GLT) have shown special anti-tumor effects, but due to low yields and their hydrophobic structure, they have not found much clinical application. Box Behnken Design (BBD) developed a formulation to optimize the effective parameters in encapsulating GLT. Then, Gelatin nanofibers were characterized by SEM, 1 H-NMR, and FTIR. Finally, the GLT release kinetics and GLT nanofibers cytotoxicity was studied. BBD shows the best values obtained are the solvent ratio of 11.5%, gelatin concentration of 22%, and voltage of 20 kV which were validated by an experimental assay. The results showed that the positively charged ionic groups present on the surface of gelatin adsorbed the carboxyl groups in GLT and the magnetic fields created by their nucleus influenced each other. Finally, GLT nanofibers with an average size distribution of 75.4 nm were observed. The result showed an efficiency of 75% for drug entrapment. The release kinetics demonstrated a sustained release of GLT follows the Korsmeyer-Peppas model that suggests a combination of surface drug dissolution and quasi-Fickian diffusion. Also, GLT nanofibers showed a higher cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cell lines than free GLT. The generated model suggests a new approach to prediction and experimental nanofibers.