Nanocurcumin

This study aimed to develop sustainable bio-based packaging materials in the form of pectin/carboxymethyl cellulose (P/CMC) films incorporated with nanocurcumin (NCur) as an active coating and smart indicator in pork preservation. Nanocurcumin was added at different concentrations: 0, 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, and 3.2 g/100 g polymer. Some properties of the films, including color, light transmittance, color sensitivity to pH, moisture, and antioxidant activity, were investigated. The results showed that the addition of nanocurcumin increased the film thickness, reduced moisture, increased UV barrier ability, and antioxidant activity. FTIR analysis indicated that there was no chemical interaction between nanocurcumin and pectin/carboxymethyl cellulose matrix, so nanocurcumin still retained its valuable properties. The addition of nanocurcumin at a concentration of 1.6 g/100 g polymer was considered the most effective and therefore applied for pork preservation. The coating by dipping reduced ammonia formation, inhibited microbial growth, and minimized color changes in pork during storage. As a result, the shelf life of pork could be extended from 3 to 11 days at 4 °C compared to the uncoated sample. PCA analysis also confirmed the effectiveness of film coating. Furthermore, the pectin/carboxymethyl cellulose with incorporation of 1.6 g NCur/100 g polymer films showed a distinct color change according to pH, showing a good correlation between color change in response to pork spoilage and ammonia concentration (R² > 0.9). These findings suggest that the P/CMC/NCur film can be applied as a smart and active coating for pork preservation and real-time freshness monitoring, offering promise in reducing food loss, promoting sustainable packaging innovation, ensuring responsible production, and supporting climate action.

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies worldwide. The long non-coding RNA MEG3 (Maternally Expressed Gene 3), located on chromosome 14q32.3, has been identified as a tumor suppressor in various cancers. This study investigated the impact of siRNA-mediated MEG3 silencing in the context of dendrosomal nanocurcumin (DNC) and Oxaliplatin (OXA) treatments on ovarian cancer cell lines, focusing on the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and metastasis, including Bcl-2, BAX, MMP-2, and MMP-9.

Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay; apoptosis and cell cycle progression were evaluated via flow cytometry and Annexin V-FLUOS staining. Cell migration and invasion were examined using the transwell assay, and gene expression levels were quantified by real-time PCR.

MEG3 expression significantly increased in both cell lines upon DNC and OXA treatment in a time-dependent manner, with the most pronounced effect in OVCAR3 cells (P < 0.01-0.001). MEG3 silencing significantly attenuated the anticancer efficacy of both agents. Notably, MMP-2 expression increased in DNC (P < 0.01) and combination therapy (P < 0.001), while MMP-9 was upregulated following OXA treatment (P < 0.01) after MEG3 knockdown.

These results suggest that MEG3 knockdown impairs the anti-metastatic properties of DNC and OXA by modulating MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. The combination of DNC and OXA holds promise as an effective therapeutic strategy in OC, and MEG3 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target, particularly in drug-resistant ovarian cancer.