This paper introduces research background of polysaccharide-based composite hydrogel materials, discusses definition, classification and preparation of hydrogels, and summarizes research progress of chitosan-based hydrogels, hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels, alginate-based hydrogels, starch-based hydrogels and cellulose-based hydrogels according to different types of polysaccharides. In addition, we summarize the applications of polysaccharide-based complex hydrogels in wound healing, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. Finally, the development opportunities and challenges faced by polysaccharide-based complex hydrogels are summarized, and the future research directions are prospected, hoping to broaden their potential application fields.

In the past decades, many polyethylene glycol (PEG)-containing polymers were developed and widely utilized to prepare functionalized nano delivery systems with hydrophilic shielding feature and high body fluid/environmental stability. Notably, some surface physicochemical properties of the PEG-containing polymers largely determined their solution properties and interactions with other biomolecules, which thus subsequently influenced their biological behaviors. In this paper, we summarized recent advances on the surface physicochemical properties of PEG-containing polymer nano systems and their impacts on self-assembly, solution stability, biomolecular interactions, as well as drug delivery. Future research outlooks in this area were also stated and discussed.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting nearly 10% of individuals over the age of 65 and nearly 50% of those over the age of 85. It is responsible for incapacitation of the individual by degrading cognitive functions, and its evolution leads the individual to death after a few years. It is characterized by brain degeneration triggered by several factors. One of the triggering factors is in the acetylcholine system. There is a decrease in the count of this neurotransmitter in individuals with this disease. The involvement of endogenous metal ions such as iron, copper, and zinc has also been involved in neurodegeneration mechanisms, in which there is the formation of radical species that cause oxidative stress, with important contribution of the neutrophil-derived enzyme myeloperoxidase, forming lesions in the neuronal cytoplasm and functional deficiency of neurons. In the present work, we report the evaluation of seventeen Camphor hydrazone derivatives 3a—3q, prepared in accordance with our previous work, as probable inhibitors of myeloperoxidase (MPO), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and free radical-scavenging, to be used as potential agents against AD. Nine compounds showed significant activity against MPO. Among them, 3j and 3k had 78.4 and 53.9 μM (IC ₅₀), respectively. Three compounds showed stronger activity, 3d, 3k, and 3l with EC ₅₀ of 15.2, 21.3, and 14.4 µM, respectively, for free radical-scavenging activity, being similar to the standard quercetin (12.8 µM). All the final compounds were analyzed for drug-likeness. With exception for 3e and 3p, all were suitable on all filters evaluated. These results show that the compounds of hydrazone class are promising in the search for potential candidates for new agents against AD.

Vaginal microorganisms, dominated by Lactobacillus spp., are an important defense against infections including pathogenic sexually transmitted infections. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are recognized and endocytosed by tissue cells through specific interactions between membrane surface proteins, and thereafter deliver their molecular cargo. Bacteria can use their EVs to interact with neighboring bacteria and play an important role in the physiology and pathogenesis of cells. Herein, we investigated whether the bacteriostatic effect of Lactobacillus was mediated by extracellular vesicles released by these bacteria. L. gasseri-derived EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and loaded with metronidazole to observe their antibacterial activity. Our results showed that L. gasseri-derived EVs could effectively encapsulate drug, enhanced drug retardation, and had good biosafety. EVs and EVs-metronidazole have inhibitory effects on E. coli, S. aureus, and L. monocytogenes, with the best inhibitory effect on L. monocytogenes. Together, our work provides a new potential strategy for vaginitis treatment.

Auricularia auricula polysaccharide (AAP) was extracted with ethanol of different concentrations (50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%). Taking the yield, total sugar content, and uronic acid content as the indexes, the optimal alcohol precipitation concentration of AAP was 50%, and the polysaccharide content was 58.89%. In vitro digestion experiment showed that the content of reducing sugar in AAP was almost unchanged in the saliva and gastric juice digestion phase. However, the reducing sugar content of AAP increased from 0.062 mg/mL at 0.5 h to 1.162 mg/mL at 3 h during the intestinal juice digestion phase. In addition, in vitro antioxidant results showed that AAP still maintained high 2,2’-azido bis (3-ethyl benzothiazole line-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging activity after digestion.

Chemo-sensitization therapy has gained importance in the field of anti-cancer treatment in recent years. The combination of both chemotherapy and chemosensitization has unique advantages. However, there has been relatively limited research on combination treatment using metal complexes and chemosensitizers. Herein, we reports a two-drug synergistic delivery system combining a copper complex and a chemosensitizer Olaparib in a certain ratio of safety and efficiency is the key. Polyethylenimine (PEI) was chemically-linked to activated chemosensitizer Olaparib, which was connected to a bifunctional peptide, T15, for facilitation and nuclear targeting, resulting in Ola-PEI-T15. Then, a novel metal complex Cu/Ola-PEI-T15 was obtained by Cu ²⁺ coordination to Ola-PEI-T15. The two therapeutic agents can be transported into the cells at the same time, giving full play to the synergistic anti-tumor effect.

Sesquiterpenoids have a wide range of physiological activities, and have potent effects against various diseases. In recent years, many sesquiterpenoids have been reported to show significant bioactivities on diabetes mellitus that is an increasingly severe metabolic disease. In this paper, the bioactivities of sesquiterpenoids on diabetes mellitus in the past twenty years are reviewed.

Glucokinase (GK), as a key enzyme regulating carbohydrate metabolism, has been widely researched as a therapeutic target for diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the influence of magnesium ion concentration, ATP concentration, and enzyme concentration on the catalytic activity of GK by response surface. A cellular model of insulin resistance (IR) was established to observe the ameliorating effect of magnesium ion on IR by screening the concentration and duration of insulin action. The results indicated that the optimal concentrations for enzyme activity were found to be 1.1 mM for magnesium ion, 1.4 mM for ATP, and 0.5 U/mL for glucokinase. In the presence of taurine, the IR model was treated with magnesium ion (1.1 mM) can promote glucose consumption, GK activity and intracellular magnesium concentration in IR cells. Magnesium ion, as a key factor in GK-catalyzed glycolysis, showed a positive correlation between intracellular magnesium ions and the catalytic activity of GK within a certain concentration range. Therefore, magnesium ion could effectively promote carbohydrate metabolism and alleviate the progression of IR.

Inflammation is an adaptive physiological state caused by tissue injury, stress or infection that restores tissue homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that inflammation is a major factor in the progression of various diseases, including arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and cancer. Currently, the treatment of inflammatory diseases mainly consists of steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, long term use can lead to serious adverse reactions. In recent years, ellagic acid has received much attention due to its safety and anti-inflammatory activities. In this paper, we review research progress in anti-inflammatory effects of ellagic acid hoping to further understand its effectiveness and provide the guidance for development and application of clinical anti-inflammatory drugs.

The incidence of sleep deprivation has increased significantly in contemporary society. Gastrointestinal diseases, one of the diseases with high incidence caused by sleep deprivation, are increasingly becoming a serious public health threat worldwide. However, confusion about underlying mechanism by which sleep deprivation exacerbates gastrointestinal dysfunction has always hindered people from carrying out effective clinical treatment. In this paper, we review the effects of sleep deprivation on four gastrointestinal physiology and further reveal the mechanism by which sleep deprivation exacerbates several gastrointestinal diseases, providing a new perspective for people to better understand and treat related diseases.

Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a pungent odor, and it is commonly used in many industries to produce resins, plastics, textiles, household products, as well as pharmaceutics. Accurate formaldehyde analysis is significant for environmental and industrial control. In this paper, formaldehyde is analyzed as its 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivative through a high performance liquid chromatography method. The method has been validated for specificity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, linearity and range, precision, accuracy, and solution stability, which showed simplicity, speed, and accuracy, making it well-suited for the determination of traceable levels of formaldehyde in the pharmaceutical industry.

Recently, the study on 6,12-guaianolides, a family of natural guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids, has attracted increased attention in the field of chemical synthesis, pharmaceutics, and medicinal chemistry. Many 6,12-guaianolide compounds and their analogues showed remarkable molecular diversity, structural modifiability, and versatile biological and pharmacological properties, such as anticancer, antivirus, anti-inflammatory, endogenous NO production inhibition, and so on. In this paper, we summarized recent advances on the synthesis methods of 6,12-guaianolides and their analogues, briefly described their bioactivities, and elucidated the quantitative structure-activity relationship of some 6,12-guaianolides and their analogues. Furthermore, the perspectives of 6,12-guaianolides and their analogues were discussed.

Taking Larimichthys polyactis, a rare seafood from Zhejiang Province, as the research object, sensory evaluation, pH, microbial analysis, texture, water retention, K value, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N value), TCA-soluble peptide, thiobarbiturate acid value, the effects of ordinary packaging, vacuum packaging and air-conditioned packaging on the quality of Larimichthys polyactis during the refrigeration process were studied. The results showed that the sensory comprehensive score, texture and water retention of Larimichthys polyactis were gradually decreased with the extension of refrigeration time. The TVB-N value and TBA value of Larimichthys polyactis under the three different packaging treatments increased with the extension of time, and the change of K value was consistent with the TVB-N value. The TVB-N value, TBA value and K value of Larimichthys polyactis in air-conditioned packaging group increased slowly. The content of TCA-soluble peptide indicated that both vacuum and air-conditioned packages had a good effect on inhibiting protein degradation. According to the evaluation indexes, the air conditioning package is beneficial to keep the freshness of Larimichthys polyactis under the cold storage condition.