Konstantinos N. Kontogiannopoulos

Hellenic Agricultural Organization - Demeter | ELGO · Soil and Water Resources Insitute - Thermi

This Special Issue on “Advanced Polymeric Materials for Pharmaceutical Applications III” brings together innovative research that demonstrates the growing importance of polymeric materials in pharmaceutical sciences [...]

Dronedarone (DRN), an antiarrhythmic drug, exhibits potent pharmacological effects in the management of cardiac arrhythmias. Despite its therapeutic potential, DRN faces formulation challenges due to its low aqueous solubility. Hence, the present study is dedicated to the examination of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) as a strategic approach for...

This study aims to demonstrate an integrated methodology for the valorisation of bakery former food products (FFP) as an ingredient of pig feed diets. The methodology involves: conducting a needs analysis and a full path traceability scheme based on Global Standards 1 (GS1) Organisation (Brussels, Belgium) standards, designing digital tools to supp...

Xerostomia, commonly known as dry mouth, is a widespread oral health malfunction characterized by decreased salivary flow. This condition results in discomfort, impaired speech and mastication, dysphagia, heightened susceptibility to oral infections, and ultimately, a diminished oral health-related quality of life. The etiology of xerostomia is mul...

Objectives This study investigates a new nanoparticulate (NP) formulation for local buccal administration of pilocarpine (PIL) to treat xerostomia, aiming to improve patient compliance and reduce side effects. Methods PIL-loaded NPs were prepared using poly (d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as a matrix/carrier and carbopol (CRB) as a mucoadhesi...

Packing materials improve biological methanation efficiency in Trickle Bed Reactors. The present study, which lies in the field of energy production and biotechnology, entailed the evaluation of commercial pelletized activated carbon and Raschig rings as packing materials. The evaluation focused on monitoring process indicators and examining the co...

This study investigated the dietary impact of dried Yarrowia lipolytica yeast (YLP) on the growth performance, meat quality, welfare and behavior indicators of broilers. It was performed in a commercial poultry farm using 108 13 day-old Ross 308 male broilers. The chicks were randomly and equally divided into three dietary groups CON, YLP3 and YLP5...

The aim of the present work was to optimize the conditions of the distillation process at a pilot scale to maximize the yield of specific bioactive compounds of the essential oil of oregano cultivated in Greece, and subsequently to study the in vitro antioxidant activity of these oils. Steam distillation was conducted at an industrial distillery an...

Extraction of intracellular lipids of the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica has been systematically studied aiming towards a sustainable extraction process for lipid recovery. Selection of suitable industrial (bulk) solvents and extraction parameters that lead to maximization of lipid recovery are significant issues to be addressed, with industr...

The chiral pair alkannin and shikonin and their ester derivatives (A/S), are lipophilic secondary metabolites possessing a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. Their incorporation in lipid-based drug delivery systems can enhance their therapeutic efficacy, especially for dermal or transdermal applications. In this work, A/S in the form of o...

The treatment of municipal wastewater is considered a cornerstone for the protection of public health and environment. However, a major issue derived from this process is the large quantities of produced sewage sludge. Although anaerobic digestion is a widely applied method in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) aiming to stabilize the sludge and t...

Xerostomia is linked to an increased risk of dental caries, oral fungal infections, and speaking/swallowing difficulties, factors that may significantly degrade patients’ life, socially- or emotionally-wise. Consequently, there is an increasing interest in developing management approaches for confronting this oral condition, at which pilocarpine, a...

The medical term xerostomia refers to the subjective sensation of oral dryness. The etiology seems to be multifactorial with the most frequently reported causes being the use of xerostomic medications, neck and head radiation, and systematic diseases (such as Sjögren's syndrome). Xerostomia is associated with an increased incidence of dental caries...

Lactic acid is a valuable compound used in several industrial processes such as polymers, emulsifiers manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic formulations. The present study aims to evaluate the potential use of food waste to produce lactic acid through fermentation, both by indigenous microbiota and by the bio-augmentation with two lactic acid...

The present work was conducted to assess whether the implementation of Supercritical Carbon dioxide Explosion (SCE) is an efficient approach for sewage sludge pre-treatment. In this context, SCE was optimized with the aim to develop a method attempting to increase the biodegradability of sewage sludge's organic matter content, and thus, to enhance...

: Set pair analysis is a new intelligent algorithm for dealing with complex uncertain problems, and it is widely used in environmental science because of its concise structure and scalability of results. However, it is still unclear about the development stage distribution of set pair analysis in environmental science and the specific development a...

Although significant actions have been taken towards the utilization of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in the preparation of drug amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) using fusion-based techniques (such as melt-quench cooling and hot-melt extrusion), several drawbacks regarding its rather high melting temperature and its thermal degradation profile make t...

The amount of spent coffee grounds (SCGs) created, represents an environmental challenge worldwide. In this context, the aim of the present study was to exploit the potential of SCGs as a source of bioactive compounds that can be utilized in high value-added products. Thus, a cost-effective and environmentally friendly extraction technique was deve...

Background Current research on skin tissue engineering has been focusing on novel therapies for the effective management of chronic wounds. A critical aspect is to develop matrices that promote growth and uniform distribution of cells across the wound area, and at the same time offer protection, as well as deliver drugs that help wound healing and...

A static headspace gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (HS–GC/MS) method was developed and optimized with the aim to be applied in the analysis of lavender essential oil. To obtain a comprehensive profile of the essential oil, the optimum HS–GC/MS method parameters were selected based on a Design of Experiments (DοE) process. Plackett-Burman exp...

The present study evaluates the crystal growth rate of amorphous drugs when dispersed in different ternary polymeric amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) in the presence of surfactants. Specifically, ternary ASDs of aprepitant (APT, selected as a model drug) were prepared via melt-quench cooling by evaluating three commonly used ASDs matrix/carriers,...

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of novel electrospun fiber mats loaded with alkannin and shikonin (A/S) derivatives, using as carrier a highly biocompatible, bio-derived, eco-friendly polymer such as poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid] (PHB). PHB fibers containing a mixture of A/S derivatives at different ratios were successfully...

The aim of the present study was to prepare a leflunomide (LFD) sustained release transdermal delivery system for the treatment of psoriasis. In this context, LFD-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) based on either neat chitosan (CS) or CS modified with [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SDAEM, a sulfobetaine zwitterionic...

Olive oil production is a significant agricultural activity for the European Union (EU), especially for the countries of Mediterranean basin. Four European countries, namely Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal, produce more than 95% of the total EU production of 12.5 million tons. At the same time, olive oil production involves the use of various re...

The plasticizing effect of three low molecular weight oligomers of aliphatic poly(alkylene succinate) polyesters, namely poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu), and poly(propylene succinate) (PPSu), on partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) used in melt-based pharmaceutical applications, was evaluated for the first...

BACKGROUND Two laboratory‐scale experimental systems – a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a moving bed biofilm reactor–membrane bioreactor (MBBR‐MBR), both treating real high‐strength, saline wastewater from a table olive processing plant – were operated under identical conditions to comparatively evaluate their performance for three different hydraul...

This study examines the development of a nanocomposite consisting of iron oxy-hydroxides (FeOOH) embedded on magnetite (Fe 3 O 4) nanocarriers, towards its application for the simultaneous uptake of As(V) and Sb(V) ionic forms at concentrations below drinking water regulation and its magnetically-assisted recovery at the end of the process. Conside...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) in the development of a new chemometric model that will be able to simultaneously distinguish and quantify the percentage of the crystalline and the neat amorphous drug located within the drug-rich amorphous zones formed in an amorphous solid dispersion...

The present study evaluates the effect of molecular mobility and molecular interactions in the physical stability of rivaroxaban (RIV) – soluplus® (SOL) amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). Initially, the use of Adam-Gibbs approach revealed that RIV's molecular mobility (below its glass transition temperature) is significantly reduced in the presenc...

Coffee pulp, a by-product of coffee production, contains valuable compounds such as caffeine and chlorogenic acid with high antiradical activity. In this study, aqueous solutions of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were used as a non-conventional solvent for the extraction of targeted compounds from coffee pulp. The parameters of β-CD concentration (Cβcd), li...

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management has been a major problem of modern cities for many years. Thus, the development of optimal waste management strategies has been a priority for the European Commission, especially in the transition toward a circular economy. In this paper, an analysis of different MSW treatment methods that can be effectively i...

A crucial step for the selection of proper amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) matrix-carriers is the in-depth assessment of drug/polymer physicochemical properties. In this context, the present study extents the work of previously published attempts by evaluating the formation of simvastatin (SIM) - poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) ASDs with the aid of t...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the development of an intra-articular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug gelatin microsphere formulation based on quality risk management and quality by design approaches. Specifically, after setting the quality target product profile and the critical quality attributes, risk assessment was performed by...

In this study, the potential of the co-generation of hydrolytic enzymes in the biorefinery plant for citric acid fermentation was investigated. Aspergillus niger B60 mycelium along with the solid residue after the recovery of sugars from white pomace (WP′) were recycled from citric acid fermentation. A mixture design was used to determine the optim...

The present study evaluates the preparation of systemic administrated NSAID gelatin nanoparticles with the aid of quality by design and artificial neural networks (ANNs). Specifically, two different preparation techniques (i.e. nanoprecipitation and two-step desolvation) were implemented for the formulation of diclofenac sodium (DLC) gelatin nanopa...

The present study evaluates the effect of several pharmaceutical plasticizers on the thermo-physical and physicochemical properties of partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) used in fusion-based pharmaceutical formulation processes. Specifically, the effect of mannitol (MAN), sorbitol (SOR), sucrose (SUC), anhydrous citric acid (CA), trieth...

Alkannin and Shikonin (A/S) are bioactive natural products biosynthesized in the roots of some Boraginaceous plants. They have been primarily well-known for their strong wound healing and regenerative activities [1]. A/S comprise the active ingredients of approved -by the National Organization for Medicines- wound healing pharmaceutical preparation...

Liposomes are considered to be one of the most successful drug delivery systems. They apply nanotechnology to potentiate the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the toxicity of conventional medicines. Shikonin and alkannin, a pair of chiral natural naphthoquinone compounds, derived from Alkanna and Lithospermum species, are widely used due to their var...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Wine waste lees are currently partly exploited for tartaric acid (TA) production, through an environment offensive process, while concurrently occurring bio-active polyphenolic compounds are wasted. This paper, deals with the development of an integrated, environment friendly process, using mild conditions, for recovering TA wi...

A crucial first step in developing a novel cost-effective and environment-friendly process for recovering tartaric acid and bioactive polyphenolic compounds from wine lees involves tartrates dissolution by mild means, aiming to maximize tartaric acid recovery, while minimizing the concentration of undesirable potassium. Such a processing step, usin...

Abstract The ability of pegylated liposomes (sterically stabilized liposomes-SSL) to localize in solid tumors via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, partly depends on their long circulating properties which can be achieved by grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the liposomes' surface. Alkannin and shikonin (A/S) are naturally o...

The interest of drug delivery has focused on the creation of new formulations with improved properties, taking much attention to the drug release from the carrier. Liposomes have already been commercialized, while dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers are emerging as potentially ideal drug delivery vehicles. Chimeric advanced drug delivery nano sys...

Alkannin and shikonin are naturally occurring hydroxynaphthoquinones with a well-established spectrum of wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. Recently, extensive scientific effort has been focused on their effectiveness on several tumors and mechanism(s) of antitumor activity. Liposomes have been proved as ad...

Alkannin, shikonin (A/S) and their derivatives are naturally occurring hydroxynaphthoquinones with a well-established spectrum of wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor activity. Clinical studies over the years revealed that A/S derivatives-based wound healing preparations (such as HELIXDERM(®)) are among a very...