Novel self-assembled mesalamine–sucralfate complexes: preparation,characterization, and formulation aspects

Two well-known active agents, mesalamine (MES) and sucralfate (SUC), were investigated for possible utilization as fixed-dose combination product. The anti-inflammatory action of MES in association with bioadhesiveness and mucosal healing properties of SUC were considered promising for the development of a new compound containing both molecules, aimed as an improved treatment of ulcerative colitis. The present study investigates the capacity of the two active agents to interact and generate a new and stable entity via self-assembling. Spray-drying was used to co-process the two active principles from an aqueous mixture where the ratio MES:SUC was in the range 25:75, 50:50, and 75:25. The structural data (X-Ray, FTIR, SEM, DSC, and ¹H NMR) have shown that MES and SUC are interacting leading to complexes with properties differing from those of each separate active agent and from their physical blends. ¹H NMR results indicated that complexation occurred when the aqueous suspensions of drugs were mixed, prior to spray-drying. Drug–drug self-assembling was the driving mechanism in the formation of the new entity. Based on the structural data, a hypothetical structure of the complex was proposed. Co-processing of MES and SUC represents a simple and useful procedure to prepare new self-assembled compounds by valorizing the ionic interactions between the two entities. Preliminary studies with oral solid dosage forms based on MES–SUC complexes tested in vitro have shown a controlled MES release, opening the perspective of a new colon-targeted delivery system and a novel class of compounds with therapeutic application in inflammatory bowel diseases.     

Analysis of Plasma Reaction for Decomposition of CHF3 in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge

The decomposition of CHF₃ in a mixture with O₂ and Ar was investigated in a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure. CHF₃ decomposition increased linearly in regard to specific energy input (SEI), whereas energy efficiency decreased. The main product was CO_2, and its selectivity increased with high SEI and the presence of O₂ in the feed, but an increase of O₂ in the feed led to a decrease in decomposition rate. An increase in total flow rate led to an increase of the absolute amount of CHF₃ decomposition and energy efficiency; however, the decomposition of CHF₃ decreased. A complete CHF₃ decomposition occurred under an SEI of 1.54 kJ/L with the selectivity of CO₂ and CO as 89.87% and 7.00%, respectively. Optical emission spectroscopic analysis could explain the available reaction pathways for CHF₃ decomposition in the CHF₃/O₂/Ar atmospheric plasma and show the possibility of F₂ and HF formation.     

A 10-MHz SOI-Based Face Shear Square Micromechanical Resonator

A 10-MHz face shear (FS) square micromechanical resonator based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology is presented in this paper. In order to examine the improvement of quality factor as well as motional resistance Rx in this structure, the center-stem anchor is employed in this study. The benefit of anchoring the square in the center, which is the nodal point, is that the energy losses through the anchor can be minimized. Hence, a quality factor value of 2.0 million and the motional resistance of 8.2 kΩ can be obtained with an FS mode resonator via finite element (FE) simulation. The results show the significance of the FS mode in this design, not only in its structure but also in its square-extensional mode and Lame-mode. Additionally, an SOI-based fabrication process is proposed to support the design.     

Mechanical properties of continuous bamboo fiber-reinforced biobased polyamide 11 composites

This study is devoted to the analysis of the properties of continuous bamboo fiber (BF)-reinforced polyamide 11 (PA 11) composites. The SEM observations highlighted continuity between BFs and the polymeric matrix showing a high density of hydrogen bonds. The comparative calorimetric study of the matrix and its composites showed that the crystallinity of PA 11 was not modified by the presence of bamboo fibers. The physical aging observed in PA 11 is no more observed in composites due to physical interactions between PA 11 and BFs. The mechanical properties were investigated by tensile strength and dynamic mechanical analysis. The introduction of BFs enhanced Young's modulus of the matrix by a factor of 10. The presence of BFs also improved the storage shear modulus G′ over the whole temperature range. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47623.     

Brewing of glucuronic acid-enriched apple cider with enhanced antioxidant activities through the co-fermentation of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia kudriavzevii) and bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum)

Co-fermentation using yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia kudriavzevii) and the bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum) as starters isolated from spontaneous sourdough was conducted for the brewing of glucuronic acid (GlcA)-enriched apple cider. The concentration of GlcA in the apple cider co-fermented for 14 d with commercial S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum was 37.7 ± 1.7 mg/mL while a concentration of 62.8 ± 3.1 mg/mL was recorded for fermentation with P. kudriavzevii and L. plantarum, which was higher than the corresponding single yeast fermentation. The co-fermented apple cider revealed higher 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of 171.67 ± 0.79 µg trolox equivalents (TE)/mL using P. kudriavzevii and L. plantarum, compared to the control (143.89 ± 7.07 µg TE/mL) just using S. cerevisiae. Thus, the co-fermentation of S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum and P. kudriavzevii and L. plantarum provided a new strategy for the development of GlcA-enriched apple cider with enhanced antioxidant capacity.