The interactions and the protective effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on human erythrocytes (RBC) and molecular models of its membrane were investigated. The latter consisted of bilayers built- up of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), representative of phospholipid classes located in the outer and inner monolayers of the human erythrocyte membrane, respectively. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry experiments showed that EGCG induced significant structural and thermotropic perturbations in multilayers and vesicles of DMPC; however, these effects were not observed in DMPE. Fluorescence spectroscopy results revealed that EGCG produced alterations of the molecular dynamics at the level of the hydrophobic-hydrophilic interface in DMPC vesicles, and in isolated unsealed human erythrocyte membranes (IUM). EGCG also induced morphological alterations in RBC from their normal discoid form to echinocytes. These outcomes indicate that EGCG molecules were located in the outer monolayer of the erythrocyte membrane. The assessment of EGCG protective effect demonstrated that it inhibits the morphological alterations and lysis induced by HClO to human erythrocytes. The results obtained from this study suggest that the insertion of EGCG into the outer monolayer of the erythrocyte membrane might prevent the access and deleterious effects of oxidant molecules such as HClO and free radicals into the red cells, protecting them from oxidative damage.
A natural peptide motif in the first helix of osteocalcin (OCN) is used to promote nucleation and crystallization of hydroxyapatite (HA) in hard tissue. The capability of osteocalcin mimetic peptides to induce osteogenic activity of osteoblast cells leading to in-vitro mineralization is demonstrated. An osteocalcin-derived peptide consisting of thirteen amino acids is synthesized in both acidic (OSC) and amidic (OSN) forms and added into the human osteoblast-like cells (MG63) culture. The viability, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, HA deposition and osteogenic gene expression by osteoblast cells are evaluated. It is revealed that the addition of 100 μg/ml of peptides enhances the proliferation rate and total protein content of osteoblast cells. Alkaline phosphatase activity is significantly higher in the presence of peptides which in turn stimulated RNA expression of collagen type I and osteopontin in a phosphate-dependent manner. Alizarin red staining and calcium content measurement show that mineral deposition is considerably increased. Ultrastructural characterization of MG63 cultures confirms the crystalline nature and chemical composition of HA mineral formation in the presence of peptides. It is confirmed that the osteocalcin-derived peptide, particularly in amidic form (OSN), is able to act as a bioactive inducer of mineralization process and hence accelerating bone tissue regeneration.
Microbubbles are increasingly used in several fields, such as medical imaging for enhanced contrast ultrasound imaging. Theses microbubbles usually consist of a gas core stabilized by surfactant molecules. In this study, a technique using Shirasu Porous Glass (SPG) membranes was used to produce perfluorocarbon microbubbles. The microbubbles obtained were characterized by their size, size distribution, and stability. The effect of several parameters on the microbubble's size was investigated related to the process (transmembrane pressure, ΔP, bubble point pressure, PBP, shear stress, τw), membrane pore size, Dp, and formulation (gas, surfactants in the aqueous phase). The transmembrane pressure nor the shear stress (τw) had influence on the microbubble's size or size distribution for ΔP/PBP <1.5. The decrease of the membrane pore size from 1.1, 0.5, to 0.2 μm led to lower microbubble size 13.3, 6.36, and 4.42 μm, respectively, which was associated with higher size distribution 16%, 24% and 31%, respectively due to the higher Laplace pressure exerted on smaller microbubbles leading to their destabilization. With the 1.1 μm pore size membrane, perfluorocarbon microbubbles were obtained with a diameter of 13.3 μm and coefficient of variation (CV) of 16% when stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 15.6 μm with CV% of 23% when stabilized by Tween20, and 16.5 μm with CV% of 26% when stabilized by Polyoxyethylene (40) stearate (PEG40S). These low CV were indication of monodispersity. Perfluorocarbon microbubbles had a smaller size than air microbubbles due to the lower surface tension that decreased the retention force, keeping the microbubbles at the pore opening. The stability study showed that the perfluorocarbon gas greatly increased the lifetime of the microbubbles with a slight increase in size of 1.3 after 90 s compared to 2.2 for air microbubbles. Overall, the membrane technique proved to be an effective, controlled and reproducible method to produce perfluorocarbon microbubbles at a high rate ∼0.6 − 1.5 × 10+10 microbubbles/min. The key factor that determines the microbubbles formation is the adsorption kinetics of the surfactant at the new gas–liquid interface at the pore opening.
There is an imperious demand on developing of self-cleaning surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, for eliminating traditional single-use substrates. Herein, ternary flexible membranes of reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) supporting Ag meso-flowers (Ag-MFs) and phenyl-modified graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (PCNs) were fabricated for photocatalysis-driven self-cleaning SERS detection. In-situ growth of Ag-MFs with tunable morphology (such as coral-like, urchin-like, highly-branched, etc.) on r-GO surfaces provide abundant options for optimizing SERS detection limit, and thus, these PCNs/Ag-MFs@r-GO membranes exhibited strong SERS activity attributed to high density of intraparticle “hotspot” in Ag-MFs and preconcentration ability to probe molecules via π-π stacking. Among these membranes, the optimum PCNs/Ag-MFs@r-GO membrane shown a detection limit of 10−15 M for rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, and this membrane could effectively remove probe molecules due to the excellent photocatalytic activity. We used R6G or methylene blue (MB) molecules for investigating the self-cleaning repeatability and stability of this PCNs/Ag-MFs@r-GO membrane, and the signal intensity for SERS detection maintained a high degree of 95% after five cycle-runs. Besides, this PCNs/Ag-MFs@r-GO membrane can be used as a high-efficiency filter membrane for simultaneous detection and purification in wastewater treatment (10 mg/mL imidacloprid solution as the example).
Organomodified silicones (OMS), which conventionally find use in textile finishing processes, have recently become a very interesting prospect in the field of fabric softeners. Here, we present OMS-based fabric softener formulations in the form of classical emulsion (droplet size ≈0.1 μm – 10 μm) and microemulsions (droplet size ≈5 nm–50 nm) using nonionic surfactants (NIS) as emulsifier. Streaming potential measurements are used to obtain a measure of droplet surface charge, and it was found to be related to the ratio of masses of OMS and NIS present in the formulations. In this work, it is investigated how the performance of these formulations is influenced by properties such as droplet size and streaming potential. Panel tests were carried out to evaluate the sensory properties of fabric treated by these formulations, and they reveal that the classical emulsion performs better than the microemulsions. For the microemulsions, it is found that softening performance increases with streaming potential. The observed trends in softening performance are explained by considering the difference in location or penetration of softening actives on or into fabric. Two different experimental approaches are implemented to gain insights into the underlying phenomena. In the first approach, batch deposition experiments are carried out to characterize OMS deposition on fabric. In the second approach, a chromatographic technique is used to compare the deposition kinetics of different formulations. The findings of the experiments provide insights into the reasons underlying the contrasting softening performance. The final results are discussed with respect to existing literature.
Porous carbon box or nanoplate has been prepared by synchronous carbonization/activation of potassium citrate, and the corresponding porous carbon nanoplate/Se composite can be obtained using a melting-diffusion method. The influence of structure parameters including specific surface area and porous structure of porous carbon and resultant carbon/Se composite on electrochemical properties are studied. It is found a moderate micropore size of carbon substrate and low specific surface area of carbon/Se composite are benefit to electrochemical performances. At an optimal temperature of 700 °C, the porous carbon composed of micro- and small meso-porous (2–4 nm) structure has a BET specific surface area of 695.4 m2 g−1, and the amorphous Se is uniformly encapsulated into its porous structure. As the cathode material of Li ion battery, the porous carbon nanoplate/Se composite delivers an initial discharge capacity of 589.2 mAh g−1 with Coulombic efficiency of 72.6% at 0.2C, and capacity retention of 78.3% can be obtained after 500 cycles at 2C. Even at a high rate of 4C, a discharge capacity of 415.2 mAh g−1 can be reached.
Cellulose fibers were impregnated with alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) dissolved in n-heptane and carbon dioxide via sub- and supercritical impregnation techniques. The mechanistic pathways and hydrophobic performance at short and long times were investigated by contact angle (CA) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with micrographs analyzed using Image-Pro Premier, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. The sizing development was significant after two days of treatment, and hydrophobic performance became uniform after two weeks regardless of the impregnation conditions investigated. Samples prepared at 100 and 200 bar produced more rapid development than those at higher and lower impregnation pressures, with the average CA at 200 bar and 21 °C being 140 ± 5°. ‘Sticky’ hydrophobicity was observed on surfaces treated at 200 and 250 bar at long times (> 140 days), and adhesive forces between the droplet (>20 μL) and surface were observed at surface tilt angles between 0 – 180°. SEM micrographs of the impregnated samples showed a reduction in substrate pore-size area (PSA) as hydrophobicity developed with time. There was little evidence of reaction-based sizing as the characteristic ketone and ester peaks were not observed in FTIR studies. The lactone ring remained intact. The 200 bar sample showed highest peak intensity for various hydrocarbon bonds observed – suggesting the optimal solubility of AKD in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Spreading of AKD across the fiber surfaces appeared to be the main sizing pathway, and identification of hydrogen bonding between AKD and cellulose fibers suggested a possible attachment method.
The subject of slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have attracted many researchers due to their excellent liquid repellent properties and widespread usage in many fields such as anti-wetting, anti-icing, omniphobic, self-cleaning and anti-biofouling surfaces. Choosing an environmentally friendly, durable lubricant and easy-clean preparation method is very important when designing SLIPS. In this work, fluorine-free, transparent, water and oil repellent slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) were successfully obtained via infusing silicone oil, which is a fluorine free and durable liquid, onto superhydrophobic polysiloxane nanofilament surfaces. Polysiloxane nanofilaments were prepared on activated glass slides by an easy, clean and environmentally friendly gas phase reactions of n-propyltrichlorosilane (n-PTCS) for the first time and also methyltrichlorosilane (MTCS) and the results were compared. Advancing contact angles of the n-PTCS based polysiloxane nanofilament layers were between 143 and 172° and contact angle hysteresis as low as 7° was obtained on these surfaces by altering the relative humidity and reaction time during filament growth. Then, transparent SLIPS were obtained by infusing silicone oil into polysiloxane filament layers of MTCS and n-PTCS. The obtained SLIPS shows excellent liquid repellency, very low contact angle hysteresis for long durations and maintains its water repellency after heating up to 80 °C for 6 days and also after exposure to continuous water droplet flow up to 2 h.
This work aimed at evaluating the influence of glycerol concentration and storage relative humidity (RH) on gluten-based adhesive properties. Adhesive aging and adhesive application over different food substrates were also evaluated. For such purpose, three adhesive formulations were developed from different gluten:glycerol ratios (1:0.6, 1:1, and 1:1.4), which were applied over a pectin-based film as support material. The adhesives presented better adhesion and cohesion properties when stored at 58% RH. The formulation with the best adhesive properties was the 1:1 gluten:glycerol ratio. The degradation of the adhesives during aging was considered small in the first thirty days. The adhesives presented potential to be applied on food grade materials with low hydrophilicity.
A novel injectable liposome-hydrogels was prepared by combined methods of thin-film evaporation and supercritical carbon dioxide technique (TE-scCO2) for drug delivery of tissue regeneration. The liposome-hydrogels with thermosensitive is colloidal sol at room temperature, but it is gel at body temperature. Therefore, the thermosensitive liposome-hydrogels can get into the target area by injecting process at room temperature, and it will convert to gel at body temperature. In curcumin liposome-hydrogels (Cur-Lps-H), curcumin (Cur) as model drug was loaded in liposomes and the liposome was embedded in three-dimensional porous chitosan/β-glycerophosphate hydrogel. The microstructure of Cur-Lps-H was studied by using pyrene and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) as fluorescent probes, and it was found that Cur was entrapped in bilayer of liposomes and its saturated concentration in bilayer of liposomes was about 0.012 (mass ratio of Cur to lecithin). The Cur-Lps-H prepared by TE-scCO2 method had higher entrapment efficiency and better stability in comparasion with that prepared by thin film hydration (FH). Moreover, the Cur-Lps-H possessed obviously sustained-release effect (extend to 12 days) in vitro, which was longer than other drug delivery system. Therefore injectable liposome-hydrogels is a potential drug delivery system.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder in elderly people, and is associated with a heavy financial burden on our society. The use of serologic biomarkers is an attractive method to diagnose AD. Although the determination of blood-based biomarkers for AD has been explored in many studies, few practical diagnosis methods have been used in the clinic. In this work, we constructed a “chemical tongue” sensor array that is easy to use and based on four kinds of fluorescent gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) for discriminating between multiple proteins at nanomolar concentrations. The device utilizes a linear discrimination analysis based on fluorescence intensity response patterns. Using this chemical tongue sensor array, multiple proteins can be confidently identified even in complex biological systems, such as human urine. Most importantly, sera of AD patients could be effectively discriminated from those of osteoarthritis patients, or of healthy people. Also, the results obtained for the AD patients by the chemical tongue sensor array were validated by CSF determination. We conclude that the chemical tongue sensor array manufactured in this work paves the way for designing an auxiliary diagnosis method for AD that is less invasive and more convenient for the large-scale screening of patients.
Layer-by-layer (LbL) films with enhanced resistance to protein adsorption were obtained on the basis of N-grafted copolymers of chitosan with polyethylene glycol (PEG) or dextran (DEX). The copolymers with the backbone molecular weight of 18 and 450 kDa, side chains of PEG of 5.0 and 0.9 kDa, DEX of 6.0 kDa and the degree of amine groups substitution χSub as high as ∼0.25 were alternated with dextran sulfate (DS) to assemble up to 10 bilayer films. The film material contains 85±5% of water with virtually no effect of the copolymer structure. By utilizing the graft copolymers and applying suitable number of copolymer/DS bilayers to the surface, the mass of adsorbed fetal bovine serum proteins was decreased by 70-85% as compared to that on unmodified chitosan/DS film. In terms of overlapping side chains on the LbL surface the copolymers of PEG and DEX are equally effective in tailoring protein-resistant materials.
The extracellular polymer substances (EPS) generated by biofilms confers resistance to antimicrobial agents through electrostatic and steric interactions that hinder molecular diffusion. This resistance mechanism is particularly evident for antibacterial nanomaterials, which inherently diffuse more slowly compared to small organic antibacterial agents. The aim of this study was to determine if a biofilm’s resistance to antibacterial nanomaterial diffusion could be diminished using electrolytes to screen the EPS’s electrostatic interactions. Anionic (+) alpha-tocopherol phosphate (α-TP) liposomes were used as the antimicrobial nanomaterials in the study. They self-assembled into 700 nm sized structures with a zeta potential of −20 mV that were capable of killing oral bacteria (S. oralis growth inhibition time of 3.34 ± 0.52 h). In a phosphate (-ve) buffer the -ve α-TP liposomes did not penetrate multispecies oral biofilms, but in a Tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (+ve) buffer they did (depth - 12.4 ± 3.6 μm). The Tris did not modify the surface charge of the α-TP nanomaterials, rather it facilitated the α-TP-biofilm interactions through electrolyte screening (Langmuir modelled surface pressure increase of 2.7 ± 1.8 mN/ m). This data indicated that EPS resistance was mediated through charge repulsion and that this effect could be diminished through the co-administration of cationic electrolytes.
A systematic investigation of the emulsifying properties of ruptured algae cells was performed for the first time. The slurry of ruptured algae cells was separated into different biomass fractions, namely the cell debris, the delipidated debris, the serum, and the lipid. The interfacial interactions of these biomass fractions with a nonpolar solvent (e.g. hexane or hexadecane) were characterized using pendant drop tensiometry and interfacial shear rheology. The stability of the different emulsions (formed by the different biomass fractions) was tested using analytical centrifugation. The extracted lipid was an excellent surfactant that reduced the interfacial tension, however, it was not effective at stabilizing the emulsions. The protein-rich serum produced a strong interfacial film that stabilized the emulsions against coalescence during centrifugation. The cell debris stabilized the emulsions to a lesser extent by adsorbing to the droplet surface, presumably via interactions with hydrophobic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). However, neither the serum nor the cell debris were very effective surfactants, and required the presence of the lipid fraction to produce small emulsion droplets. When present together, the components exhibited competitive interfacial adsorption, which influenced emulsion stability. In particular, the interruption of the protein film by the presence of lipid or cell debris reduced the stability of the emulsions. This study provides a new mechanistic understanding of emulsification during wet lipid extraction from microalgae that will be useful for determining strategies to improve solvent recovery. The results also suggest potential for developing effective bioemulsifiers or biosurfactants from fractionated microalgae biomass for commercial application.
One of the primary roles of cholesterol (Chol) in the biological cell is to modulate the physical properties of the bilayer phospholipid membrane. Moreover, the effect of cholesterol on lipid bilayers is strongly dependent on the concentration, hence it can easily adapt to the changes in the cell temperature. Incorporation of cholesterol in membranes induces diverse changes in the bilayer properties, including variation of the bilayer thicknesses and changing the lipid order. Taking into consideration these physical and structural characteristics of the lipid membranes with cholesterol, as well as their optical birefringence, we apply the typical structural methods for studying these complex biological systems. We have used Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and micro-Raman spectroscopy, aiming on study of the specific physical characteristics of the lipid membrane of the type 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocoline (SOPC). The analysis of the FTIR and Raman fingerprint spectral range, including band deconvolution, indicated that hydrogen bonds (HBs) exist between the hydroxyl groups of cholesterol and the carbonyl ester groups of the polar–apolar interface of the bilayer membrane. Upon insertion into the bilayer Chol actively participates in H-bonding at the CO sites, facilitates H-bonding of water to the PO2-site and relaxes the "improper H-bonding" of H2O molecules to the choline moiety. We also establish an overall ordering effect of Chol on the lipid bilayer. The interplay of cholesterol and water in realization of HB with the phospholipid moieties, in dependence on the Chol concentration, was analyzed.
Adsorption behavior of phenanthrene on cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-modified polystyrene (PS) microspheres was investigated thoroughly to develop a novel adsorbent material. CTAB-modified PS microspheres were characterized through atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller analysis. AFM images showed that conical admicelles made of CTAB replaced polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) macromolecules on the surface of the PS microspheres. After CTAB modification, the surface area of the PS microspheres increased noticeably from 0.56 to 2.08 m(2) g(-1), which confirmed that the formation of discrete CTAB admicelles replaced PVP macromolecules coated on the surface of the PS microspheres. Through conductivity measurements, two critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) were obtained. The first was the CMC of CTAB admicelles on the PS microspheres, and the second was the CMC of CTAB micelles in the solution, which further confirmed the formation of the admicelles on PS microspheres. Cation-Tc electron interaction between CTAB and phenanthrene helped adsolubilize phenanthrene in the admicelles on the CTAB-modified PS microspheres. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of the CTAB-modified PS microspheres for phenanthrene was 11.67 mg g(-1), nearly three times that of the untreated PS microspheres. The adsorption kinetic curves of phenanthrene on CTAB-modified PS microspheres followed a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption process closely fit the Freundlich model, which indicated a multilayer adsorption process, rather than monolayer behavior.
In this study, we show that dry saturated phospholipid layers prepared by the spin-coating technique could present thinner regions associated to interdigitated phases under some conditions. The morphological characteristics of lipid layers of saturated phosphocholines, such as dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC), dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC), have been measured by Atomic Force Microscopy and revealed that the presence of interdigitated regions is not induced by the same parameters that induce them in hydrated samples. To achieve these results the effect of the lipid hidrocabonated chain length, the presence of alcohol in the coating solution, the spinning velocity and the presence of cholesterol were tested. We showed that DPPC and DSPC bilayers, on the one side, can show structures with similar height than interdigitated regions observed in hydrated samples, while, on the other side, DLPC and DMPC tend to show no evidence of interdigitation. Results indicate that the presence of interdigitated areas is due to the presence of lateral tensions and, hence, that they can be eliminated by releasing these tensions by, for instance, the addition of cholesterol. These results demonstrate that interdigitation in lipid layers is a rather general phenomena and can be observed in lipid bilayers in dry conditions.
The preparation of biocatalysts based on immobilized trypsin is of great importance for proteomic research, industrial applications and organic synthesis. Here in, we have developed a facile method to immobilize trypsin on magnetic nanoparticles. Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitating Fe2+ and Fe3+ in an ammonia solution and then coated by silicon dioxides were developed by sot-gel method. The silica-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were further modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, resulting in attaching of primary amine groups on the surface of the particles. Trypsin from porcine pancrease was then immobilized on the magnetic core-shell particles by using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. The synthesis steps and characterizations of immobilized trypsin were examined by FT-IR, XRD, TGA, EDX and SEM. The results showed that the enzyme immobilization increased the enzyme activity in different pHs and temperatures, without any changes in the optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity. The Kinetic results showed that the enzyme immobilization decreased and increased V-max and K-m values, respectively. The stability results showed that the enzyme immobilization improved trypsin thermostability in the absence and presence of 10% (v/v) of the used solvents (DMF, THF, DMSO, ACN and 1, 4-Dioxane). The reusability results indicated that the immobilized enzyme maintained 85% of its activity after 6 periods of activity.
Fish sarcoplasmic proteins (FSP) constitute around 25–30% of the total fish muscle protein. As the FSP are water soluble, FSP were isolated from fresh cod (Gadus morhua) by centrifugation. By SDS-PAGE, it was possible to determine the composition of FSP extracts (FSP-E). The FSP-E undergo denaturation at 44.12 ± 2.34° C, as characterized by differential scanning calorimetry thermograms (DSC). The secondary structure of FSP-E is mainly composed by α-helix structure, as determined by circular dichroism. The cytocompatibility of FSP-E, at concentrations ranging from 5 to 20 mg/mL, was investigated. Concentrations lower than 10 mg/mL have no cytotoxicity cultures of fibroblasts over 72 h. Further on, FSP membranes (FSP-M) were produced by spin coating to evaluate its properties. FSP-M shown having uniform surface as analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The relative amount of α-helix structures is higher when compared with the FSP-E. The FSP-M have higher temperature stability than the FSP-E, since they presented a denaturation temperature of 58.88 ± 3.36° C, according to the DSC analysis. FSP-M shown distinctive mechanical properties, with a stiffness of 16.57 ± 3.95 MPa and a yield strength of 23.85 ± 5.97 MPa. Human lung fibroblasts cell lines (MRC-5) were cultured in direct contact with FSP-M, demonstrating its cytocompatibility for 48 h. Based on these results, FSP can be considered a potential biomaterial recovered from nature, for wound dressing applications.
The purpose of the current study is to develop nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for the delivery of the antihyperlipidemic drug simvastatin (SIM) to increase its extremely low oral bioavailability (<5%) and prolong its antihyperlipidemic effect. NLCs were prepared via emulsification-solvent evaporation technique followed by ultrasonication, and the effect of composition of the nanocarriers on the particle size, size distribution, surface charge, entrapment efficiency, drug release kinetics and physical stability was extensively studied. NLCs exhibited nanosized (<200nm) spherical morphologies with narrow size distribution and high drug entrapment efficiency (>75%), sustained drug release pattern, and negative surface charge (zeta potential of -35-40mV) that imparts sufficient electrostatic physical stability. When tested in vivo, SIM-NLCs of the optimal composition demonstrated improved and prolonged reduction in the total cholesterol and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, as compared to the drug suspension. After oral administration of a single dose of SIM-NLC, 4-fold increase in bioavailability was observed, as compared to the SIM suspension. Hence, NLCs might provide efficient nanodevices for the management of hyperlipidemia and promising drug delivery systems to enhance SIM oral bioavailability.
