Electrospun medicated shellac nanofibers for colon-targeted drug delivery

Medicated shellac nanofibers providing colon-specific sustained release were fabricated using coaxial electrospinning. A solution of 7.5 g shellac and 1.5 g of ferulic acid (FA) in 10 mL ethanol was used as the core fluid, and a mixture of ethanol and N,N-dimethylformamide (8/10 v/v) as the shell. The presence of the shell fluid was required to prevent frequent clogging of the spinneret. The diameters of the fibers (D) can be manipulated by varying the ratio of shell to core flow rates (F), according to the equation D = 0.52F−0.19. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that fibers prepared with F values of 0.1 and 0.25 had linear morphologies with smooth surfaces, but when the shell fluid flow rate was increased to 0.5 the fiber integrity was compromised. FA was found to be amorphously distributed in the fibers on the basis of X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry results. This can be attributed to good compatibility between the drug and carrier: IR spectra indicated the presence of hydrogen bonds between the two. In vitro dissolution tests demonstrated that there was minimal FA release at pH 2.0, and sustained release in a neutral dissolution medium. The latter occurred through an erosion mechanism. During the dissolution processes, the shellac fibers were gradually converted into nanoparticles as the FA was freed into solution, and ultimately completely dissolved.

Automated P.falciparum detection system for post-treatment malaria diagnosis using modified annular ring ratio method

The gametocytes of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are highly resistant to antimalarial drugs. Its presence in the blood can be detected even after a successful malaria treatment. This paper explains a modified Annular Ring Ratio method which successfully locates and differentiates gametocytes of P. falciparum species in thin blood film images. The method can be used as an efficient tool for gametocyte detection for post-treatment malaria diagnosis. It also identifies the presence of any White Blood Cells (WBCs) in the image, and discards other artifacts and non infected cells. It utilizes the information based on structure, color and geometry of the cells and does not require any segmentation or non-illumination correction techniques that are commonly used for cell detection.