Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

About: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is a education organization based out in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Membrane & Control theory. The organization has 21644 authors who have published 39500 publications receiving 520635 citations.

Degradation kinetics and color stability of spray-dried encapsulated anthocyanins from hibiscus sabdariffa l.

Abstract: Dry powder of red color from roselle calyces, which can be used as natural colorant and functional food ingredient, was produced using microencapsulation technique. Four different matrices, i.e., maltodextrin, gum Arabic, combination of maltodextrin and gum Arabic, and soluble starch were used for encapsulation study. Identification and measurement of anthocyanins in encapsulated roselle was made by high-performance liquid chromatography. Encapsulation efficiencies were determined and compared with storage analysis data. The stability of encapsulated pigments was investigated during storage under three different storage temperatures (4, 25 and 37C) until 105 days. The four type of matrices largely increased the half-life of the pigments during storage especially at 37C (P 0.05) effect the L*, a* and b* values. However, type of encapsulation agent and storage time significantly (P < 0.05) affected the color changes. The L* and a* values were decreased during storage whereas the b* value was increased. Combination of maltodextrin and gum Arabic showed the highest encapsulation efficiencies (99.87 ± 0.04%), lower degradation rate in 4C (3.7 ± 0.3) and had smaller changes in a* and b* values among the four matrices.

A review of small molecules and drug delivery applications using gold and iron nanoparticles.

Abstract: Conventional cancer treatment techniques show several limitations including low or no specificity and consequently a low efficacy in discriminating between cancer cells and healthy cells. Recent nanotechnology developments have introduced smart and novel therapeutic nanomaterials that take advantage of various targeting approaches. The use of nanotechnology in medicine and, more specifically, drug delivery is set to spread even more rapidly than it has over the past two decades. Currently, many nanoparticles (NPs) are under investigation for drug delivery including those for cancer therapy. Targeted nanomaterials bind selectively to cancer cells and greatly affect them with only a minor effect on healthy cells. Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs), specifically, have been identified as significant candidates for new cancer therapeutic modalities because of their biocompatibility, easy functionalization and fabrication, optical tunable characteristics, and chemophysical stability. In the last decade, there has been significant research on Au-NPs and their biomedical applications. Functionalized Au-NPs represent highly attractive and promising candidates for drug delivery, owing to their unique dimensions, tunable surface functionalities, and controllable drug release. Further, iron oxide NPs due to their "superparamagnetic" properties have been studied and have demonstrated successful employment in numerous applications. In targeted drug delivery systems, drug-loaded iron oxide NPs can accumulate at the tumor site with the aid of an external magnetic field. This can lead to incremental effectiveness in drug release to the tumor site and vanquish cancer cells without harming healthy cells. In order for the application of iron oxide NPs in the human body to be realized, they should be biodegradable and biocompatible to minimize toxicity. This review illustrates recent advances in the field drug and small molecule delivery such as fluorouracil, folic acid, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and daunorubicin, specifically when using gold and iron oxide NPs as carriers of anticancer therapeutic agents.