The intention of this work is to assess the repurposed antimicrobial impact of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride (LVC), which is a well-known antihistaminic drug, in addition, to augment the antimicrobial effect by using terpene-enriched vesicles (TPs). To investigate how various parameters affect TPs aspects, TPs were made employing the ethanol-injection-method and optimized d-optimal design. The TPs were characterized based on their entrapment efficiency percentage (EE%), particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ZP). The optimum TP was submitted to more examinations. The optimum TP (TP12) showed a spherical vesicle having an EE% of 66.39 ± 0.12%, PS of 243.3 ± 4.60 nm, PDI of 0.458 ± 0.003, and ZP of 24.2 ± 0.55 mV. The in-vitro release study results demonstrated that LVC is sustainedly liberated from the optimum TP compared to LVC-solution. The ex-vivo assessment showed that LVC was released in a more sustained manner from TPs-gel related to LVC solution, optimum TP, and LVC gel. Ex-vivo visualization by confocal laser scanning microscopy showed good deposition of the fluorescein-labeled TP. Further, the in-vitro anti-bacterial effect and biofilm inhibition and detachment assessment confirmed the potency of LVC against Methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus-aureus (MRSA). The in-silico study demonstrated that the LVC has excellent stability with other ingredients combined with it in the TPs, further, it proved that LVC is a potential candidate for treating MRSA. In-vivo assessments revealed a good antimicrobial effect toward MRSA infection. Moreover, the histopathological evaluation confirmed the safety of using TPs-gel topically. In conclusion, MRSA-related skin infections may be treated using the LVC loaded TPs-gel as a promising system.

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The current work investigates the structural, optical, electrical, and mechanical properties of Rochelle salt (RS)-doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite. The RS with concentrations (0 to 50 wt%)-filled PVA were prepared via the casting method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of PVA and RS indicates the semi-crystalline nature of PVA and the crystal nano-size of RS. Moreover, the XRD of RS-doped PVA composites confirms the interaction and miscibility between PVA and RS. The changes in molecular structure were investigated by using attenuated total reflection—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and confirmed the interaction and structure change in PVA by doping RS. The optical properties of the RS-doped PVA composites are greatly dependent on the RS concentrations. The absorption edge, direct, and indirect band gap increase with doping RS compering with pure PVA. The dielectric constant, loss, real and imaginary parts of dielectric modulus, and alternating current (AC) conductivity were investigated. Decrease in dielectric constant and loss followed by constant values with frequency increase due to the interfacial polarization. Also, increased AC conductivity and dielectric moduli with frequency increase and only a single relaxation peak were found and shifted to lower frequencies by increasing RS concentrations. Moreover, mechanical measurements reveal a significant improvement in the flexibility of RS-doped-PVA composites. The modulus of elasticity decreased by 72% compared with pure PVA. Dynamic mechanical analysis also reveals a decrease in storage modulus by 76% compared with pure PVA. Also, the RS concentrations greatly affect peak height, width, and position of loss factor.

Agri-food wastes, produced following industrial food processing, are mostly discarded, leading to environmental hazards and losing the nutritional and medicinal values associated with their bioactive constituents. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analytical and biological evaluation of selected vegetable by-products (potato, onion, and garlic peels). The phytochemical analysis included UHPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS in combination with molecular networking and determination of the total flavonoid and phenolic contents. Further, the antimicrobial, anti-osteoarthritis and wound healing potentials were also evaluated. In total, 47 compounds were identified, belonging to phenolic acids, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids as representative chemical classes. Onion peel extract (OPE) showed the higher polyphenolic contents, the promising antioxidant activity, the potential anti-osteoarthritis activity, and promising antimicrobial activity, especially against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Furthermore, OPE revealed to have promising in vivo wound healing activity, restoring tissue physiology and integrity, mainly through the activation of AP-1 signaling pathway. Lastly, when OPE was loaded with nanocapsule based hydrogel, the nano-formulation revealed enhanced cellular viability. The affinities of the OPE major metabolites were evaluated against both p65 and ATF-2 targets using two different molecular docking processes revealing quercetin-3,4′-O-diglucoside, alliospiroside C, and alliospiroside D as the most promising entities with superior binding scores. These results demonstrate that vegetable by-products, particularly, those derived from onion peels can be incorporated as natural by-product for future evaluation against wounds and osteoarthritis.

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