• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1042-1046
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• 2003

This study was undertaken to observe the effects of the blend of partially purified Yucca schidigera and Quillaja saponaria extracts on cholesterol levels in the human's blood and gastrointestinal functions, and to determine if a new cholesterol-lowering drug can be developed by the further purification of the extracts. Ultrafiltration and sequential diafiltration increased the amounts of steroidal saponin in aqueous yucca extract and terpenoid saponin in aqueous qullaja extract from 9.3% and 21.4% to 17.2% and 61.8%, respectively. Taking 0.9 mg of the blend (6:4, v:v) of the resulting filtrates a day for 4 weeks resulted in the decreases in total and LDL cholesterol levels in blood plasma of hyper-cholestrolemic patients with enhancement in gastrointestinal symptoms of patients.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.367-373
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• 2000

Cholic acid, conjugated with amine-terminated poly(W-isopropylacrylamide) (abbreviated as CA/ATPNIPAAm), was synthesized by a N, N'-dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (DCC)-mediated coupling reaction. Self-assembled CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles were prepared by a diafiltration method in aqueous media. The CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at $31.5^{\circ}C$. Micelle sizes measured by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) were approximately 31.6 $\times$$\times$ 5.8 nm. The CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles were spherical and their thermal size transition was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM). A fluorescence probe technique was used for determining the micelle formation behavior of CA/ATPNIPAAm in aqueous solutions using Pyrene as a hydrophobic Probe. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) was evaluated as $8.9{\times}0^{-2}$ g/L. A drug release study was performed using indomethacin (IN) as a hydrophobic model drug. The release kinetics of IN from the CA/ATPNIPAAm micelles revealed a thermo-sensitivity by the unique character of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) i.e. the release rate was higher at $25^{\circ}C$ than at $37^{\circ}C$.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.576-582
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• 1993

In order to investigate the inhibition of anaerobic digestion with alcohol-distillery wastes, batch anaerobic digestion experiments were conducted. Both naked-barley based and rice based alcohol-distillery wastes were separated into soluble organic fractions and suspended solids fraction using diafiltration with ceramic membranes. Each fraction of retentates and permeates, and the raw alcohol-distillery wastes were used as feeds for the anaerobic digestion study. The suspended solids fraction from the naked-barley stillages had produced much more propionic acid than the soluble organic fractions or raw alcohol-distillery wastes. The inhibition of anaerobic digestion for naked-barley alcohol-distillery wastes may be due to the higher productions of propionic acid with solids fraction of the wastes.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.523-528
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• 2005

Diblock copolymers with different poly($\varepsilon$-caprolactone) (PCL) block lengths were synthesized by ringopening polymerization of $\varepsilon$-caprolactone in the presence of monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-OH, MW 2000) as initiator. The self-aggregation behaviors of the diblock copolymer nanoparticle, prepared by the diafiltration method, were investigated by using $^1H$ NMR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and fluorescence spectroscopy. The PEG-PCL block copolymers formed the nano-sized self-aggregate in an aqueous environment by intrsa- and/or intermolecular association between hydrophobic PCL chains. The critical aggregation concentrations (cac) of the block copolymer self-aggregate became lower with increasing hydrophobic PCL block length. On the other hand, reverse trends of mean hydrodynamic diameters were measured by DLS owing to the increasing bulkiness of the hydrophobic chains and hydrophobic interaction between the PCL microdomains. The hydrodynamic diameters of the block copolymer nanoparticles, measured by DLS, were in the range of 65-270 nm. Furthermore, the size of the nanoparticles was scarcely affected by the concentration of the block copolymers in the range of 0.125-5 mg/mL owing to the negligible interparticular aggregation between the self-aggregated nanoparticles. Considered with the fairly low cac and nanoparticle stability, the PEG-PCL nanoparticles can be considered a potential candidate for biomedical applications such as drug carrier or imaging agent.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.501-519
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• 2003

Silk Sericin(SS) is a natural protein extracted from cocoon of bombix mori and shows moisturizing effect to the skin due to a number of hydroxyl groups in the structure. But its application to cosmetics is limited due to its poor solubility in water. In order to solve this drawback and expand its application to cosmetics, polyethyleneglycol(PEG) was conjugated with sericin by reacting activated polyethyleneglycol(ActPEG). Reaction site of sericin is tyrosine residue, which was determined by using $^1$H-NMR. Random coil structure of sericin was transformed to beta-sheet structure by conjugating polyethyleneglycol. It was confirmed that melting point of sericin-PEG conjugate was lowered compared to that of each sericin and PEG due to the interaction between sericin and PEG in crystalline structure. Self-assembled sericin-PEG nanoparticle was obtained by dialyzing with alcohol solution of sericin-PEG conjugate against water. The particle is spherical and has 200-400nm of size. The moisturizing ability of sericin-PEG nanoparticle was much higher than that of sericin itself. Incorporation of vitamin A into sericin-PEG nanoparticle was carried out by diafiltration method. The content of incorporated Vitamin A in sericin-PEG nanoparticle was 8.9 wt％. Releasing behaviour of vitamin A incorporated into nanoparticle was tested in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4 at 37$^{\circ}C$. and half-life of Vitamin A release was 43hrs. Sericin-PEG nanoparticle exhibited higher moisturing effect than sericin itself and distilled water, respectively. No toxicity and irritation were observed in animal tests. It can be expected that the self-assembled sericin-PEG nanoparticle can be developed for cosmetics.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.464-470
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• 2006

the coricosteroid drug dexamethasone is an efficacious antiinflammatory drug, it is difficult to formulate in an injectable formulation due to its poor aqueous solubility. A lipid-based nanosphere formulation containing dexamethasone was designed for solubilization of the drug in aqueous solution and sustained release of the drug from the nanosphere. The lipid nanospheres, composed of phospholipid, cholesterol and cationic lipid, were prepared by self emulsification-solvent diffusion method followed by diafiltration. Physicochemical characteristics such as mean particle diameter, zeta potential and drug loading efficiency of the lipid nanospheres were investigated according to the variation of either the kind of lipid or the lipid composition. The lipid nanospheres had a mean diameter 80-120 nm and dexamethasone loading efficiency of greater than 80%. The drug loading efficiency increased with the increase of the length of aliphatic chain attached to the phospholipid. However, the drug loading efficiency was inversely proportional to the increase of cholesterol content in the lipid composition. The lipid nanosphere could not be prepared without the use of cationic lipid and the drug loading efficiency was proportional to the increase of cationic lipid content. The lipid nanospheres containing dexamethasone are a promising novel drug carrier for an injectable formulation of the poorly water-soluble drugs.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.92-98
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• 1998

Poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (80:20) was synthesized from DL-lactide and glycolide, and the copolymers was made to micelles containing clonazepam for drug delivery system. The release experiments of the drug from micelles were operated at pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solution $37.0{\pm}0.05^{\circ}C$. The linearly-releasing time ranges of the drug from micelles prepared with the copolymer/drug weight ratio of 20:40, 20:20, and 40:20 (mg) were 50, 41, and 29 days, respectively. So the linearly-releasing time of drug showed the order of micelles 20/40 > micelles 20/20 > micelles 40/20. In short, the formulation allows polymeric micelles to suppress the burst effect of the drug release mechanism, which led to the controlled release pattern and the possibility of drug delivery system for veinous injection.