Browsing by Author "Ibrahim, Faten M."
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Bioactive potential of chitosan–oleic acid nanoparticles loaded with lemon peel essential oil for topical treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasisPublication . Ibrahim, Faten M.; Shalaby, Eman Samy; Abdelhameed, Mohamed F.; El-Akad, Radwa H.; Ahmed, Kawkab A.; Abdel-Aziz, Mohamed S.; Habbasha, El Sayed El; Rodrigues, Cristina V.; Pintado, ManuelaThe rising incidence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) has been leading to the development of alternative antifungal therapies. This study aimed to develop a topical chitosan–oleic acid nanoparticle (CH-OA-NP) cream loaded with lemon peel essential oil (LPEO) for VVC treatment. The characterization of the optimal nanoparticle formulation (F4: 10 g/L CH, 2:1 OA/LPEO ratio) showed high encapsulation efficiency, stability, and controlled release. Moreover, it was characterized regarding its particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and chemical/morphological profile. LPEO-related compounds (e.g., eriodictyol) were identified through LC-ESI-QqTOF-HRMS in the cream matrix, suggesting the preservation of LPEO potential bioactivities after formulation. In silico docking of 12 LPEO metabolites revealed that compounds such as citronellic acid exerted inhibitory effects against several inflammation-associated enzymes (e.g., 14-α-Demethylase). In vitro antimicrobial tests demonstrated remarkable activity against Candida albicans, Gram-negative (e.g., Escherichia coli), and Gram-positive (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. In vivo studies in a rat model of VVC revealed significant antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects of the LPEO-CH-OA-NP cream (5% and 10%), leading to reduced MDA, MPO, and IL-1β levels and increased GSH activity. This novel formulation potentially offers a promising alternative therapy for VVC, addressing the current antifungal therapies’ limitations, counteracting drug resistance.
- Innovative processing technologies to develop a new segment of functional citrus-based beverages: current and future trendsPublication . Vilas-Boas, Ana A.; Magalhães, Daniela; Campos, Débora A.; Porretta, Sebastiano; Dellapina, Giovanna; Poli, Giovanna; Istanbullu, Yildiray; Demir, Sema; San Martín, Ángel Martínez; García-Gómez, Presentación; Mohammed, Reda S.; Ibrahim, Faten M.; El Habbasha, El Sayed; Pintado, ManuelaThe food industries are interested in developing functional products due to their popularity within nutritional and healthy circles. Functional fruit-based beverages represent one of the fast-growing markets due to the high concentrations of bioactive compounds (BCs), which can be health promoters. Hence, functional beverages based on citrus fruits are a potential way to take advantage of their nutritional and bioactive properties that could attract the interest of consumers. In order to ensure microbial and quality stability, the beverages are subjected to preservation treatment; however, the application of high temperatures leads to the loss of thermolabile BCs. Nowadays, innovative processing technologies (IPT) such as pulsed electric field (PEF), high-pressure processing (HPP), ultrasound processing (US), ohmic heating (OH), and microwave (MW) are a promising alternative due to their efficiency and low impact on juice BCs. The available literature concerning the effects of these technologies in functional fruit-based beverages is scarce; thus, this review gathers the most relevant information about the main positive and negative aspects of the IPT in functional properties, safety, and consumer acceptance of functional citrus-based beverages, as well as the use of citrus by-products to promote the circular economy in citrus processing.