Nanotechnological or Innovative Formulation Approaches for Efficient Delivery of Plant Ingredients II

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 4915

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Reseach and Development Department, APIVITA SA, Industrial Park of Markopoulo Mesogaias, 19003 Athens, Greece
Interests: encapsulation; physical chemistry; drug delivery systems; natural product extraction; nanotechnology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products have seen an unprecedented increase in both research and commercialization during the last few decades. Secondary and primary metabolites from plants have been isolated and studied for their potential biological efficacy, leading to either new medicines or food supplements/nutraceuticals/herbal medicines. New extraction techniques mainly focusing on “green” extraction have been extensively applied, increasing yields and reducing the use of solvents and overall environmental impact. One aspect of extraction process enhancement is the use of encapsulation matrixes or nanoparticles, such as cyclodextrins, liposomes, micelles etc. Indeed, such approaches have been found useful in the increase of yields and the selective extraction of groups of molecules. The current Special Issue focuses on such approaches—new encapsulation techniques or new applications for metabolite extraction from plants, study of interaction between guest and host molecules, and bioactivity studies on such systems.

Dr. Konstantinos Gardikis
Dr. Ioannis Mourtzinos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanotechnology
  • encapsulation
  • extraction
  • natural product chemistry
  • delivery systems

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 17759 KiB  
Article
Long-Lasting Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized with Tagetes erecta and Their Antibacterial Activity against Erwinia amylovora, a Serious Rosaceous Pathogen
by Johana Zarate-Escobedo, Hilda Araceli Zavaleta-Mancera, Ramón Marcos Soto-Hernández, Paulino Pérez-Rodríguez, Alfredo Rafael Vilchis-Nestor, Hilda Victoria Silva-Rojas and Libia Iris Trejo-Téllez
Plants 2024, 13(7), 981; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13070981 - 29 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1161
Abstract
A rapid, eco-friendly, and simple method for the synthesis of long-lasting (2 years) silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is reported using aqueous leaf and petal extracts of Tagetes erecta L. The particles were characterized using UV-Visible spectrophotometry and the analytical and crystallographic techniques of transmission [...] Read more.
A rapid, eco-friendly, and simple method for the synthesis of long-lasting (2 years) silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is reported using aqueous leaf and petal extracts of Tagetes erecta L. The particles were characterized using UV-Visible spectrophotometry and the analytical and crystallographic techniques of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The longevity of the AgNPs was studied using UV-Vis and high-resolution TEM. The antibacterial activity of the particles against Erwinia amylovora was evaluated using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. The results were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p ≤ 0.05). Both the leaf and petal extracts produced AgNPs, but the leaf extract (1 mL) was long-lasting and quasi-spherical (17.64 ± 8.87 nm), with an absorbance of UV-Vis λmax 433 and a crystalline structure (fcc, 111). Phenols, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids which are associated with -OH, C=O, and C=C were identified in the extracts and could act as reducing and stabilizing agents. The best antibacterial activity was obtained with a nanoparticle concentration of 50 mg AgNPs L−1. The main contribution of the present research is to present a sustainable method for producing nanoparticles which are stable for 2 years and with antibacterial activity against E. amylovora, one of most threatening pathogens to pear and apple productions. Full article
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11 pages, 644 KiB  
Article
Inclusion Complexes of β-Cyclodextrin with Salvia officinalis Bioactive Compounds and Their Antibacterial Activities
by Stamatia Christaki, Revekka Kelesidou, Vaia Pargana, Evangelia Tzimopoulou, Magdalini Hatzikamari and Ioannis Mourtzinos
Plants 2023, 12(13), 2518; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132518 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1646
Abstract
In the present study, the formation of molecular inclusion complexes of Salvia officinalis (sage) bioactive compounds with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was evaluated. Sage essential oil (SEO)/β-CD inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared by co-precipitation at iso-molecular concentrations, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was applied [...] Read more.
In the present study, the formation of molecular inclusion complexes of Salvia officinalis (sage) bioactive compounds with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was evaluated. Sage essential oil (SEO)/β-CD inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared by co-precipitation at iso-molecular concentrations, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was applied for the confirmation of the ICs’ formation. Quantification of the SEO in the inclusion complexes was performed spectrophotometrically at 273 nm using an SEO standard curve. The SEO and its inclusion complexes were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. The results showed that β-CD effectively formed inclusion complexes with SEO in satisfactory yields. The antimicrobial activity of the SEO in prepared complexes with β-CD was exhibited against L. monocytogenes and S. aureus and was proportional to their concentrations but was less pronounced. Full article
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14 pages, 1979 KiB  
Article
A Nanotechnological Approach to Exploit and Enhance the Bioactivity of an Extract from Onopordum illyricum L. Leaves
by Carla Caddeo, Carlo Ignazio Giovanni Tuberoso, Sonia Floris, Valentina Masala, Cinzia Sanna and Francesca Pintus
Plants 2023, 12(7), 1453; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071453 - 26 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1545
Abstract
Plant-derived products have been used for preventive and curative purposes from the ancient era to the present day. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of either multicomponent-based extracts, enriched fractions, or isolated bioactives. However, they often display low solubility and bioavailability, chemical instability, [...] Read more.
Plant-derived products have been used for preventive and curative purposes from the ancient era to the present day. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of either multicomponent-based extracts, enriched fractions, or isolated bioactives. However, they often display low solubility and bioavailability, chemical instability, poor absorption, and even toxicity, which restrict application in therapy. The use of drug delivery systems, especially nanocarriers, can overcome these physicochemical and pharmacokinetic limitations. In this study, an extract from Onopordum illyricum leaves was produced by maceration in 80% ethanol, characterized by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and formulated in phospholipid vesicles with the aim of exploiting and possibly enhancing its bioactivity for skin delivery. The results showed that phenolic compounds were abundantly present in the extract, especially hydroxycinnamic acid and flavonol derivatives. The extract-loaded vesicles showed small size (<100 nm), high entrapment efficiency (even >90% for most phenolic compounds), and good long-term stability. Moreover, the extract-loaded vesicles exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, as demonstrated by colorimetric assays and by enhanced reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in cultured skin cells. Hence, our findings support the key role of nanotechnological approaches to promote the potential of plant extracts and strengthen their application in therapy. Full article
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