Luana Perioli

University of Perugia | UNIPG · Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology

Wound healing is a complex process involving a number of mechanisms [...]

Citation: Pérez Gutiérrez, C.L.; Cottone, F.; Pagano, C.; Di Michele, A.; Puglia, D.; Luzi, F.; Dominici, F.; Sinisi, R.; Ricci, M.; Viseras Iborra, C.A.; et al. The Optimization of Pressure-Assisted Microsyringe (PAM) 3D Printing Parameters for the Development of Sustainable Starch-Based Patches. Polymers 2023, 15, 3792. https://doi. Abstract: The...

Hazelnut shells, the main waste deriving from hazelnut processing, represent an interesting source of active molecules useful in pharmaceutics, although they have not yet been examined in depth. A hydrosoluble extract (hazelnut shell extract, HSE) was prepared by the maceration method using a hydroalcoholic solution and used as the active ingredien...

Currently, there is a growing interest in valorizing agro-food byproducts having interesting bioactives with functional and health properties. This paper deals with the use of apple pomace (AP), the most abundant by-product of apple juice industry, to formulate a novel value-added mayonnaise (AP mayo). The effect of AP on the chemical and rheologic...

Palygorskite is an aluminum and magnesium silicate characterized by its fibrous morphology, providing it with great versatility in industrial applications, including pharmaceuticals. Although most of the reserves are in the United States, in recent years occurrences of commercially exploited deposits in Brazil have been recorded, mainly in the coun...

The development of green synthesized polymeric nanoparticles with anticancer studies has been an emerging field in academia and the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Vegetable oils are potential substitutes for petroleum derivatives, as they present a clean and environmentally friendly alternative and are available in abundance at relatively...

This study aimed to develop a prolonged-release system based on palygorskite and chitosan, which are natural ingredients widely available, affordable, and accessible. The chosen model drug was ethambutol (ETB), a tuberculostatic drug with high aqueous solubility and hygroscopicity, which is incompatible with other drugs used in tuberculosis therapy...

Latterly, the development of green synthesized polymeric nanoparticles with anticancer studies has been an emerging field in academia, and in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry. Vegetable oils are potential substitutes for petroleum derivatives, as they present themselves as a clean and environmentally friendly alternative and are available i...

Bentonite or palygorskite-based hydrogels have recently been suggested as a strategy to increase bioavailability and control the retention and release of therapeutic candidates. In this work, clay-based hydrogels loaded with diclofenac acid nanocrystals have been successfully designed and developed. The aim was to improve diclofenac solubility, its...

β-glucan is a well-known functional and bioactive food ingredient. Recently, some studies highlighted several interesting pharmacological activities, such as hypocholesterolemic, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, antitumor, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. The aim of this study is to evaluate a novel application of β-glucan obtained from barley for...

Wounds are a serious global health problem [...]

The nasal cavity represents a suitable administration route both for local and systemic treatments. Conventional nasal formulations (liquid, solid, semisolid) show a limited residence time responsible for an incomplete drug absorption with consequent impaired therapeutic efficacy. In situ nasal gels represent a suitable formulative strategy able to...

Currently, there is an increasing interest in the search of natural derived materials as valuable substitutes for microplastics. One of the categories investigated, represented by thickening agents deriving from agri-food waste and apple pomace (AP), was considered of interest. In this study AP was submitted to three different treatments and drying...

The present work describes the development of a hybrid and pH-responsive system for rifampicin using the clay mineral ‘montmorillonite’ as a nanocarrier. The influence of operational variables on the drug incorporation process was evaluated using 24 factorial designs. Under optimized conditions, the experiment allowed an incorporated drug dose equi...

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of novel antimicrobial agents able to inhibit or kill food-borne bacteria or to interrupt the onset of food spoilage. Crocus sativus L. petals, typically considered as waste obtained from saffron spice production, could be a source of natural bioactive compounds to be used as food preser...

The aim of the present study was to valorize Crocus sativus petals, the main waste deriving from saffron stigma harvesting, as source of bioactive molecules to be used in health field. Three different dry extracts were prepared by eco-friendly methods (maceration and ultrasound bath assisted maceration) using saffron petals as raw material and etha...

The knowledge about the effect of hydrotalcites (HTlcs), largely used in pharmaceutics, on non-malignant cell lines is limited. The effect of MgAl-HTlc-and ZnAl-HTlc- (NO3−/Cl-/CO32−) on the cell viability of HaCat, fibroblasts and HepG2 was studied by MTT assay. Cells were incubated either with HTlc suspensions in the culture media and with the su...

The dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae) are traditionally processed to produce saffron, a spice widely used as a food coloring and flavoring agent, which is important in the pharmaceutical and textile dye-producing industries. The labor-intensive by-hand harvesting and the use of only a small amount of each flower cause saffron to be the...

The success of wound treatment is conditioned by the combination of both suitable active ingredients and formulation. Grape seed extract (GSE), a waste by-product obtained by grape processing, is a natural source rich in many phenolic compounds responsible for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities and for this reason useful t...

The skin delivery of poorly soluble drugs represents a problem especially for formulations with limited residence time for which a low amount of drug is released with consequent inefficacy of the therapy. Many purposed approaches suggest the use of nanocarriers as liposomes, micro/nanoparticles or cyclodextrins to solve this problem. This study aim...

Supporting Information

Hazelnut shells represent a waste material (about 42% of the total biomass) deriving from hazelnut harvest. These are mainly used as a heating source; however, they represent an interesting source of polyphenols useful in health field. The impact on phenolic profile and concentrations of hazelnut shell extracts obtained by three extraction methods...

The adsorption of retinol, niacinamide and glycolic acid active ingredients on the internal surface of halloysite in an aqueous environment was explored at the molecular level by means of calculations based on quantum mechanics and force fields from empirical interatomic potentials. These active ingredients are stably adsorbed on the internal surfa...

Dry (D.E.) and liquid (L.E.) extracts were prepared from flaxseeds and their application in health field was evaluated. The chemical analysis showed that D.E. is rich in the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and L.E. in unsaturated triglycerides containing linolenic acid. Mainly, D.E. showed reducing (15.73 μmol Fe2+/g) and radical scavenging...

The urgent need for new green and sustainable models is ground for the current demand of innovative renewable resource based pharmaceutical products. We propose a Rojo Duro skin onion extract loaded poloxamer/chitosan spray mucoadhesive thermogel aimed at solving current limitations in oral mucosits treatment. Being among the main side effects of r...

18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (Gly), a natural compound obtained from licorice, is known both for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and for this reason useful for wound treatment. Due to its poor solubility, Gly is not suitable for formulations used in conventional topical products such as gels, foams and creams. Polymeric bioadhesive micr...

Pycnogenol (PYC) is a concentrate of phenolic compounds derived from French maritime pine; its biological activity as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial suggests its use in the treatment of open wounds. A bioadhesive film, loaded with PYC, was prepared by casting, starting with a combination of two biopolymer acqueous solutions: xanth...

The presence of impurities in medicinal products have to be controlled within safety limits from a pharmaceutical quality perspective. This matter is of special significance for those countries and regions where the directives, guidelines, or legislations, which prescribe the rules for the application of some products is quite selective or incomple...

Ketoprofen (KET) represents one of the most common drugs used in the topical treatment of pain and inflammations. However, its potential is rather limited due to the very low solubility and photochemical instability. The local administration of KET by conventional products, such as gels, emulgels, creams, and foams, does not guarantee an efficaciou...

The aim of this study was to develop an innovative formulation, particularly useful for the treatment of exuding wounds. An extract from Moringa oleifera leaves (MOE), prepared by an eco-friendly method, was used as active ingredient. Its preliminary characterization showed that MOE is rich in quercetin-O-glucoside and quercetin-O-malonyl glucoside...

1. Clinical Image We present a 19-year-old man affected by osteochondromatosis since he aged 9. Multiple enchondromas showed asymmetric distribution of osseous and cartilage lesions with major deformities of pelvis and long bones and minor lesions in left scapula and few ribs. He went to our observation because of size increase of left pelvis and t...

The common practice of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) involves the quantification of drug plasma concentrations at a specific time in a dosing window. Although TDM for antibiotics is not considered mandatory, it may represent a valid tool for clinicians in order to limit antibiotic resistance and avoid therapeutic failures. The aim of our study...

Cutaneous adverse effects are often associated to cancer therapies. Modifications of the aspect represent one of the factors responsible for quality of life decrese, particularly visible in women. It must be underlined also that in many female tumors the cutaneous adverse effects are often enhanced by the hormonal levels inducing skin damage and ph...

Rationale: In the diagnostics of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), scintigraphy and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT) with Indium-Octreotide occupy a prominent place.The introduction in clinical practice of Gallium-labelled somatostatin analogues (DOTA-TOC, DOTA-TATE, DOTA-NOC) for Positron Emission Tomography/C...

The onion non-edible outside layers represent a widely available waste material deriving from its processing and consumption. As onion is a vegetable showing many beneficial properties for human health, a study aiming to evaluate the use of extract deriving from the non-edible outside layers was planned. An eco-friendly extraction method was optimi...

Background 18β- glycyrrhetinic acid (Gly) is the major bioactive component of licorice roots and rhizomes of the Glycyrrhiza glabra species. It shows many activities as antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, however its use in health field is very limited due to the low water solubility. Methods: This paper deals with...

Neuroinflammation is a feature of many classic neurodegenerative diseases. In the healthy brain, microglia cells are distributed throughout the brain and are constantly surveilling the central nervous system (CNS). In response to CNS injury, microglia quickly react by secreting a wide array of apoptotic molecules. Virgin olive oil (VOO) is universa...

Introduction: The mucositis is an inflammatory, erosive and ulcerative process of the oral mucosa. It is usually caused by radiation, chemotherapy, infections, diabetes, smoking and it is characterized by severe pain and difficulty eating and can have a very serious impact on quality of life. A suitable treatment must ensure pain control and mecha...

Anti-caries activity of fluoride ions is due to the protection against demineralization and the enhancement of remineralization of tooth enamel. Dentifrices available on the market contain sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, stannous fluoride, and amine fluoride as source of these ions. A new compound working both as fluoride ion source an...

The skin has many functions, such as providing a barrier against injury and pathogens, protecting from ultraviolet light, and regulating body temperature. Mechanical causes and many different pathologies can lead to skin damage. Therefore, it is important for the skin to be always adaptable and renewable and for cells to undergo proliferation. Here...

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a well-known anti-aging compound. The activity of this molecule is limited by two important factors: (i) The low stability to oxidation and thermal processes and (ii) the low solubility. Particularly the latter limits ALA formulation in hydrophilic bases. The purpose of this paper is to present a new technological approac...

Taxifolin possesses gastroprotective property but is characterized by low water solubility, is instabile in alkaline medium, and is degraded by the intestinal bacteria flora. The purpose of the work was therefore to produce a gastroadhesive formulation to prolong taxifolin residence time and release in the stomach. We first demonstrated that taxifo...

Folic acid (FA) is a key factor in the physiological processes of cell metabolism; as it is involved in DNA synthesis and repair, it can be used in the treatment of aged and photo-damaged skin. The main drawbacks associated to FA use, particularly for topical applications, are the limited solubility and the sensitivity to UV rays. Hybrids of FA wit...

In recent years inorganic materials are largely present in products intended for health care. Literature gives many examples of inorganic materials used in many healthcare products, mainly in pharmaceutical field. Silver, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, gold, mesoporous silica, hydrotalcite-like compound and nanoclays are the most common i...

Composite films based on sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na‐CMC) loaded with a ZnAl(OH)2CO3·yH2O hydrotalcite (ZnAl‐HTlc), were developed and characterized. The composites were mechanically more stable than the matrix alone: the noticeable enhancement of elastic modulus, creep resistance and failure properties, all proportional to the filler conten...

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) find many applications in the pharmaceutical field. Often, the synthetic product requires a suitable grinding procedure before starting any type of manufacturing process. Choosing the appropriate grinding procedure is important; it must reduce the particle size without modifying the LDH's native layered structure an...

The purpose of this study was to extract functional components, such as phenols, from wine under mild conditions and without the use of organic solvents. A dry and alcohol-free concentrated wine bioactive extract was obtained using layered double hydroxides (LDHs). The influence of some factors (LDH type, temperature, time and LDH/wine ratio) was e...

Sicurezza dei nanomateriali: controllo dimensionale delle polveri nei cosmetici quando questi vengono impiegati in mate-riali e prodotti di largo consumo e di uso quotidiano che entrano in diretto contatto con l'uomo e che pertanto possono rappre-sentare un serio rischio per la salute uma-na; si è quindi rapidamente sviluppata la na-notossicologia,...

Acque termali: un concentrato di benefici per il viso LUANA PERIOLI, CINZIA PAGANO – Dip. di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia molto sottile, delicata e quindi con facile tendenza ad arrossamenti con la compar-sa di chiazze e capillari visibili, eritrosi e varici. La pelle sensibile è una condizione molto diffusa tra la popol...

Objectives: Folic acid (FA) is an important source for the prevention of many diseases. However, its use is limited because the very low solubility (<10 mg/l particularly in the gastric environment) responsible for the incomplete adsorption of the administered dose. This study proposes a technological strategy to overcome this problem enhancing FA...

Purpose: Current available topical formulations containing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) suffer from inadequate efficacy due to drug limited solubility (class II of Biopharmaceutics Classification System) responsible for the incomplete absorption of the administered dose in the application site. Another problem is represented by in...

La vitamina B 5 (fig.1A), o acido pantote-nico, è una vitamina idrosolubile compo-nente del coenzima A, essenziale nel me-tabolismo di carboidrati, grassi e proteine e quindi molto importante per il metabo-lismo delle cellule e dei tessuti (1). Tale vi-tamina, largamente presente in natura, è fornita sia da alimenti di origine vegeta-le che animale...

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are versatile materials used for intercalating bioactive molecules in the fields of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and cosmetics, with the purpose of protecting them from degradation, enhancing their water solubility to increase bioavailability and improving their pharmacokinetic properties and formulation stabilit...

Retinoids play a very important role in the topical treatment of acne vulgaris. However, their use is restricted because of the limited photostability responsible for local adverse effects as erythema, dryness, itching, and stinging. In this way, the therapeutic efficacy of such molecules is strongly reduced, resulting, at the same time, harmful fo...

Layered double hydroxides are versatile materials used for intercalating bioactive molecules, both in pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields, with the purpose of protecting them from degradation, enhancing their water solubility to increase bioavailability, and/or obtaining modified release properties. The crystal chemistry of hydrotalcite-like compoun...

Layered double hydroxides are versatile materials used for intercalating bioactive molecules, both in pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields, with the purpose of protecting them from degradation, enhancing their water solubility to increase bioavailability, and/or obtaining modified release properties. Hydrotalcite is commercially available in its carb...

A new soft and fast solid state reaction is exploited for the preparation of exchanged layered double hydroxide materials and, in particular, for intercalating bioactive molecules. The characterization of the nanocomposite, carried out by crystallographic and thermogravimetric techniques, revealed that this synthesis yield is comparable to that of...