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The aim of study is to determine which environmental factors could influence the biological traits of Z. caespitosa, a unique tuft-forming seagrass. This study examined the dynamics of tufts and the growth of Z. caespitosa, along with the environmental factors. The reproductive traits were also examined to estimate the potential importance of sexual reproduction in population persistence. The density of tufts remained constant, and no new tufts produced through seedling recruitment were observed throughout the sampling period. On the other hand, the tuft size and growth exhibited clear seasonal manners and strong correlations with the water temperature, indicating that water temperature regulates the tuft dynamics and growth. The optimal growth temperature for Z. caespitosa at the study site was approximately ~22.5 °C during early summer, with growth severely inhibited during periods of high-water temperatures. Z. caespitosa was characterized by a low flowering percentage and fewer inflorescences, resulting in extremely low potential seed production. Z. caespitosa maintained its populations through clonal tuft growth with low sexual reproduction and restricted growth at high water temperatures. Hence, this seagrass species may be vulnerable to disturbances, exhibiting low resilience and facing a high risk of becoming a threatened species in coastal waters.

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is a versatile crop belonging to the Cannabaceae family, and is dioecious, typically with separate male and female plants. The flowers of female plants, especially the trichomes, accumulate relatively higher contents of cannabinoids compared with those of male plants. For this reason, to obtain seeds that are genetically female, it is desirable to induce the development of male flowers on a female plant that produces genetically female haploid gametes. Silver thiosulfate (STS) is a highly effective chemical for male flower induction. We investigated male flower induction in three commercial cultivars of female cannabis (Spectrum303, SuperwomanS1, and CBGambit) regarding the treatment frequency, stage of application, and concentration of STS applied as a foliar spray. All three cultivars showed adequate induction of male flowers in response to 1.5 mM STS applied at the early reproductive stage. In particular, SuperwomanS1 was most highly responsive to induction of male flowers, even when treated with 0.3 mM STS at the early reproductive stage. Treatment with three applications of STS was more effective compared with a single application, but a single application of 1.5 mM STS at the early reproductive stage was sufficient for male flower induction. A single STS application during the middle stage of reproductive growth was inadequate for induction of male flowers. However, 6 weeks after three applications of STS, CBGambit exhibited approximately 54% male flower induction at 0.3 mM STS, Spectrum303 showed approximately 56% induction at 3 mM STS, and SuperwomanS1 yielded approximately 26% induction at 1.5 mM (expressed as percentage of total number of individuals with the induced male flowers). Pollen stainability tests using KI-I2 solution and Alexander’s staining showed high pollen viability with over 65% at different single STS concentrations, indicating that pollen grains induced by STS have sufficient viability for the self-pollination. This study demonstrated that different cultivars of cannabis respond diversely to different STS concentrations and highlighted the potential benefits of three STS applications during the middle reproductive stage for cannabis breeding.

So Shiho Tang (SSHT) is a traditional herbal medicine commonly used in Asian countries. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of SSHT and the associated mechanism using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and murine dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis models. Pre-treatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with SSHT significantly reduced LPS-induced inflammation by decreasing nitrite production and regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Meanwhile, in mice, DSS-induced colitis symptoms, including colon shortening and body weight loss, were attenuated by SSHT. Moreover, representative compounds of SSHT, including glycyrrhizic acid, ginsenoside Rb1, baicalin, saikosaponin A, and saikosaponin B2, were quantified, and their effects on nitrite production were measured. A potential anti-inflammatory effect was detected in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Our findings suggest that SSHT is a promising anti-inflammatory agent. Its representative components, including saikosaponin B2, ginsenoside Rb1, and baicalin, may represent the key active compounds responsible for eliciting the anti-inflammatory effects and can, therefore, serve as quality control markers in SSHT preparations.

In this study, cellulose/Fe3O4 hydrogel microbeads were prepared through the sol–gel transition of a solvent-in-oil emulsion using various cellulose-dissolving solvents and soybean oil without surfactants. Particularly, 40% tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) and 40% tetrabutylphosphonium hydroxide (TBPH) dissolved cellulose at room temperature and effectively dispersed Fe3O4, forming cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads with an average diameter of ~15 µm. Additionally, these solvents co-dissolved cellulose and silk, allowing for the manufacture of cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 hydrogel microbeads with altered surface characteristics. Owing to the negatively charged surface characteristics, the adsorption capacity of the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads for the cationic dye crystal violet was >10 times higher than that of the cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads. When prepared with TBAH, the initial adsorption rate of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads was 18.1 times higher than that on the cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads. When preparing TBPH, the equilibrium adsorption capacity of the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads for BSA (1.6 g/g) was 8.5 times higher than that of the cellulose/Fe3O4 microbeads. The pH-dependent BSA release from the cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads prepared with TBPH revealed 6.1-fold slower initial desorption rates and 5.2-fold lower desorption amounts at pH 2.2 than those at pH 7.4. Cytotoxicity tests on the cellulose and cellulose/silk composites regenerated with TBAH and TBPH yielded nontoxic results. Therefore, cellulose/silk/Fe3O4 microbeads are considered suitable pH-responsive supports for orally administered protein pharmaceuticals.

Blended biopolymer-based photocatalytic hydrogel beads were synthesized by dissolving the biopolymers in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([Emim][Ac]), adding TiO2, and reconstituting the beads with ethanol. The incorporation of modifying biopolymer significantly enhanced the adsorption capacity of the cellulose/TiO2 beads. Cellulose/carrageenan/TiO2 beads exhibited a 7.0-fold increase in adsorption capacity for methylene blue (MB). In contrast, cellulose/chitosan/TiO2 beads showed a 4.8-fold increase in adsorption capacity for methyl orange (MO) compared with cellulose/TiO2 beads. In addition, cellulose/TiO2 microbeads were prepared through the sol–gel transition of the [Emim][Ac]-in-oil emulsion to enhance photodegradation activity. These microbeads displayed a 4.6-fold higher adsorption capacity and 2.8-fold higher photodegradation activity for MB than the millimeter-sized beads. Furthermore, they exhibited superior dye removal efficiencies for various dyes such as Congo red, MO, MB, crystal violet, and rhodamine B, surpassing the performance of larger beads. To expand the industrial applicability of the microbeads, biopolymer/TiO2 magnetic microbeads were developed by incorporating Fe2O3. These magnetic microbeads outperformed millimeter-sized beads regarding the efficiency and time required for MB removal from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of magnetic microbeads can be easily controlled by adjusting the type of biopolymer modifier, the TiO2 and magnetic particle content, and the ratio of each component based on the target molecule. Therefore, biopolymer-based photocatalytic magnetic microbeads have great potential not only in environmental fields but also in biomedical fields.

The adverse effects of UV (ultraviolet) radiation on polymeric materials and organic constituents can damage the molecular structure of human skin and polymeric materials, resulting in their degradation. Therefore, additives or reagents for UV-shielding must be used in related applications, including polymer compounds and skin cosmetics. Bio-based polymers have shown great potential as alternatives to conventional metallic and organic materials (e.g., TiO2 and ZnO) in various applications; therefore, natural products have gained attention as a potential resource to overcome UV-induced health and environmental problems. In particular, biomass-derived materials such as lignin, fiber, and silica have been investigated as UV-shielding materials owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low carbon emissions. In this review, the UV-shielding effect and potential of various biomass-derived materials, such as silica, nanocellulose, and fibers, are reviewed. Among them, lignin is considered a promising UV-shielding material because of the presence of chromophores and functional groups capable of absorbing UV radiation of all ranges.

Scientific regulatory systems with suitable analytical methods for monitoring quality, safety, and efficacy are essential in medicinal plant drug discovery. There have been only few attempts to adopt the analytical quality by design (AQbD) strategy in medicinal plants analysis over the last few years. AQbD is a holistic method and development approach that understands analytical procedure, from risk assessment to lifecycle management. The enhanced AQbD approach reduces the time and effort necessary to develop reliable analytical methods, leads to flexible change control through the method operable design region (MODR), and lowers the out-of-specification (OOS) results. However, it is difficult to follow all the AQbD workflow steps in the field of medicinal plants analysis, such as defining the analytical target profiles (ATPs), identifying critical analytical procedure parameters (CAPPs), among others, because the complexity of chemical and biological properties in medicinal plants acts as a barrier. In this review, various applications of AQbD to medicinal plant analytical procedures are discussed. Unlike the analysis of a single compound, medicinal plant analysis is characterized by analyzing multiple components contained in biological materials, so it will be summarized by focusing on the following points: Analytical methods showing correlations within analysis parameters for the specific medicinal plant analysis, plant raw material diversity, one or more analysis targets defined for multiple phytochemicals, key analysis attributes, and analysis control strategies. In addition, the opportunities available through the use of design-based quality management techniques and the challenges that coexist are also discussed.

High-quality factor dielectric microcavities like whispering-gallery-mode resonators can be widely applied in fields such as laser, optical sensor, switch, and filter. We propose the whispering-gallery-mode double-disk cavity comprising dielectric disks apart along the face of the disk. The electric field of each disk with opposite phases was excited; the emitted radiation field was annihilated by destructive interference. We numerically achieved a 5.67-fold enhancement in quality factor at the double-disk cavity with a radius, thickness, and gap distance of 850 nm, 220 nm, and 220 nm, respectively, compared to a single dielectric disk with the same structural conditions.

A two-step process using colloid milling (CM) and hot water (HW) treatment was evaluated for its ability to improve xylose recovery and the enzymatic digestibility of oak wood. In the first step, CM pretreatment was applied at a milling (feeding) speed of 100 mL/min with four different milling times (3, 6, 9, and 12 h), and the enzymatic digestibility and physical properties of each substrate were measured. In the second-step, the HW pretreatment was applied to enhance the enzymatic digestibility and xylan recovery at various reaction severities (Log R0) from 2.07 to 4.43 using 12 h colloid-milled (CM-treated) oak wood. Compared with untreated oak wood, CM not only significantly disrupted the structure of oak wood but also increased its Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (42-fold) and pore volume (28-fold). The crystallinity of two-step-treated oak wood was decreased to 34.8, while the enzymatic digestibility of 12 h CM-treated oak wood was increased to 58.1% at enzyme loading of 30 filter paper units (FPU)/g glucan for 96 h. After HW treatment of CM-treated oak wood at Log R0 = 3.83, 80.7% of xylan recovery yield and 91.1% of enzymatic digestibility (with 15 FPU/g glucan at 96 h) was obtained, which was 84.2% higher than the enzymatic digestibility of untreated oak wood (6.9%).

Excessive exposure to solar light, especially its UV component, is a principal cause of photoaging, dermatitis, and photocarcinogenesis. In searching for candidate substances that can effectively protect the skin from photodamage, the present study was conducted with taurine chloramine (TauCl), formed from taurine in phagocytes recruited to inflamed tissue. Irradiation with ultraviolet B (UVB) of 180 mJ/cm2 intensity caused oxidative damage and apoptotic cell death in the murine epidermis. These events were blunted by topically applied TauCl, as evidenced by the lower level of 4-hydroxynonenal-modified protein, reduced proportions of TUNEL-positive epidermal cells, and suppression of caspase-3 cleavage. In addition, the expression of two prototypic inflammatory enzymes, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase, and transcription of some pro-inflammatory cytokines (Tnf, Il6, Il1b, Il10) were significantly lower in TauCl-treated mice than vehicle-treated control mice. The anti-inflammatory effect of TauCl was associated with inhibition of STAT3 activation and induction of antioxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, through activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) represent one of the most abundant components of the tumor microenvironment and play important roles in tumor development and progression. TAMs display plasticity and functional heterogeneity as reflected by distinct phenotypic subsets. TAMs with an M1 phenotype have proinflammatory and anti-tumoral properties whereas M2-like TAMs exert anti-inflammatory and pro-tumoral functions. Tumor cell debris generated during chemotherapy can stimulate primary tumor growth and recurrence. According to our previous study, phagocytic engulfment of breast tumor cell debris by TAMs attenuated chemotherapeutic efficacy through the upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). To verify the impact of HO-1 upregulation on the profile of macrophage polarization during cytotoxic therapy, we utilized a syngeneic murine breast cancer (4T1) model in which tumor bearing mice were treated with paclitaxel (PTX). PTX treatment markedly downregulated the surface expression of the M1 marker CD86 in infiltrated TAMs. Notably, there were significantly more cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in tumors of mice treated with PTX plus the HO-1 inhibitor, zinc protophorphyrin IX (ZnPP) than in mice treated with PTX alone. Interestingly, the tumor-inhibiting efficacy of PTX and ZnPP co-treatment was abrogated when macrophages were depleted by clodronate liposomes. Macrophage depletion also decreased the intratumoral CD8+ T cell population and downregulated the expression of Cxcl9 and Cxcl10. The expression of the M1 phenotype marker, CD86 was higher in mice injected with PTX plus ZnPP than that in mice treated with PTX alone. Conversely, the PTX-induced upregulation of the M2 marker gene, Il10 in CD11b+ myeloid cells from 4T1 tumor-bearing mice treated was dramatically reduced by the administration of the HO-1 inhibitor. Genetic ablation of HO-1 abolished the inhibitory effect of 4T1 tumor cell debris on expression of M1 marker genes, Tnf and Il12b, in LPS-stimulated BMDMs. HO-1-deficient BMDMs exposed to tumor cell debris also exhibited a diminished expression of the M2 macrophage marker, CD206. These findings, taken all together, provide strong evidence that HO-1 plays a pivotal role in the transition of tumor-inhibiting M1-like TAMs to tumor-promoting M2-like ones during chemotherapy.

Taurine chloramine (TauCl) is an endogenous anti-inflammatory substance which is derived from taurine, a semi-essential sulfur-containing β-amino acid found in some foods including meat, fish, eggs and milk. In general, TauCl as well as its parent compound taurine downregulates production of tissue-damaging proinflammatory mediators, such as chemokines and cytokines in many different types of cells. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of TauCl on experimentally induced colon inflammation. Oral administration of TauCl protected against mouse colitis caused by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). TauCl administration attenuated apoptosis in the colonic mucosa of TNBS-treated mice. This was accompanied by reduced expression of an oxidative stress marker, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and proinflammatory molecules including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 in mouse colon. TauCl also inhibited activation of NFκB and STAT3, two key transcription factors mediating proinflammatory signaling. Notably, the protective effect of TauCl on oxidative stress and inflammation in the colon of TNBS-treated mice was associated with elevated activation of Nrf2 and upregulation of its target genes encoding heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase, glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit, and glutathione S-transferase. Taken together, these results suggest that TauCl exerts the protective effect against colitis through upregulation of Nrf2-dependent cytoprotective gene expression while blocking the proinflammatory signaling mediated by NFκB and STAT3.

Synergistic effect of cellulase and hemicellulase (xylanase) was evaluated because lignocellulosic material is a heterogeneous complex of cellulose and hemicellulose. Various effects of HTec2 addition on enzymatic saccharification and fermentation were evaluated using two different substrates such as corn stover and rice straw. Corn stover and rice straw were pretreated by the LMAA (low-moisture anhydrous ammonia) method at the preselected same conditions (90 °C, 120 h, moisture content = 50%, NH3 loading = 0.1 g NH3/g). It was observed that the enzymatic saccharification yield of pretreated corn stover (76.4% for glucan digestibility) was higher than that of pretreated rice straw (70.9% for glucan) using CTec2 cellulase without HTec2 addition. Glucan digestibility of pretreated corn stover was significantly increased from 76.4% to 91.1% when the HTec2/CTec2 (v/v) increased from 0 to 10. However, it was interesting that the ethanol production was decreased from 89.9% to 76.3% for SSF and 118.0% to 87.9% for SSCF at higher HTec2/CTec2. As the glucan loading increased from 2.0% to 7.0%, the ethanol yields of both SSF and SSCF were decreased from 96.3% to 88.9% and from 116.6% to 92.4%, respectively. In addition, the smallest inoculum size (optical density of 0.25) resulted in the highest ethanol production (20.5 g/L).

Orlistat, an anti-obesity drug, has two critical issues—the first is its low efficacy due to low water solubility and the second is side effects such as oily spotting due to its lipase inhibition. The present study was designed to propose a solution using a formulation with mesoporous silica to simultaneously overcome two issues. Orlistat was loaded onto mesoporous silica by the supercritical melt-adsorption (SCMA) method, using carbon dioxide (CO2). Various types of mesoporous silica were used as adsorbents, and the effects of the pore volume, diameter and particle size of mesoporous silica on the pharmaceutical characteristics were evaluated by various solid-state characterization methods and in vitro and in vivo studies in relation to pharmacological efficacy and the improvement of side effects. The results showed that the pore volume and diameter determine loadable drug amount inside pores and crystallinity. The dissolution was significantly influenced by crystallinity, pore diameter and particle size, and the inhibition of lipase activity was in proportion to the dissolution rate. In vivo studies revealed that the serum triglyceride (TG) concentration was significantly decreased in the group administered amorphous orlistat-loaded Neuisilin®UFL2 with the highest in vitro dissolution rate and lipase activity inhibition in comparison to the commercial product. Furthermore, oily spotting tests in rats revealed that undigested oil was adsorbed onto mesoporous silica after orlistat was released in the gastro-intestinal tract, and it correlated with in vitro result that oil adsorption capacity was dependent on the surface area of empty mesoporous silica. Therefore, it was concluded that mesoporous silica type plays a major role in determining the pharmaceutical characteristics of orlistat formulation prepared using SCMA with CO2 for improving the low solubility and overcoming the side effects.

The aim of this work was to develop an amorphous orlistat-loaded mesoporus silica formulation using the melt-amorphisation by supercritical fluid (MA-SCF) and to investigate the effects of pressure and temperature on the pharmaceutical properties of the developed formulation. In addition, the effect of orlistat mass ratio to the mesoporus silica was also evaluated. The carbon dioxide was used as a supercritical fluid, and Neusilin®UFL2 was selected as the mesoporous silica. For comparison with conventional amorphisation methods, orlistat formulations were also prepared by solvent evaporation and hot melt methods. Various pharmaceutical evaluations including differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area, total pore volume, and content uniformity were performed to characterise the prepared orlistat formulation. The melting point depression and the solubility of orlistat in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) were selected for the interpretation of evaluated results in relation to temperature and pressure. The total pore volume of the prepared orlistat-loaded mesoporus silica decreased with an increasing density of SC-CO2 to about 500 g/L at a constant temperature or pressure. From these results, it was suggested that increasing the density of SC-CO2 to about 500 g/L could result in the easier penetration of CO2 into molten orlistat and lower viscosity, hence facilitating the introduction and loading of orlistat into the pores of Neusilin®UFL2. However, when the density of SC-CO2 increased to more than 500 g/L, the total pore volume increased, and this may be due to the release out of orlistat from the pores of Neusilin®UFL2 by the increased orlistat solubility in SC-CO2. Interestingly, as the total pore volume decreased by the filling of the drug, the drug crystallinity decreased; hence, the dissolution rate increased. Furthermore, it was shown that the most desirable mass ratio of Neusilin®UFL2:orlistat for the amorphisation was 1:0.8 at an optimised supercritical condition of 318 K and 10 MPa. Compared with other amorphisation methods, only the sample prepared by the MA-SCF method was in pure amorphous state with the fastest dissolution rate. Therefore, it was concluded that the amorphous orlistat-loaded mesoporus silica prepared using MA-SCF under optimised conditions was more advantageous for enhancing the dissolution rate of orlistat than other conventional amorphisation methods.