Hiroshi Umakoshi

An antioxidative liposome catalysis that mimics both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities has been developed by using the liposomes modified with lipophilic Mn-(5,10,15,20-tetrakis[1-hexadecylpyridium-4-yl]-21H,23H-porphyrin) (Mn-HPyP). The SOD- and POD-like activities of the Mn-HPyP-modified liposome were first investigated by varying the type of phospholipid, such as 1,2-distearyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), 1,2-

The possibility of the translocation of the enzyme across the phospholipid bilayer membrane was investigated by using the liposomes prepared by 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) in which beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) was entrapped. Exposing the POPC liposomes entrapping beta-gal inside to heat treatment (40-50 degrees C, 1-60 min) was found to induce its translocation across the liposome membrane. The translocated activity of beta-gal from inner to outer aqueous phase of li

The extractive cultivation of recombinant Escherichia coli cells to produce, release, and separate heat shock proteins (HSPs; GroEL and GroES) using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/dextran (Dex) aqueous two-phase systems was developed. The growth rate of E. coli OW10/pND5 cells in the PEG/Dex two-phase media was almost the same value as that in the control media. The addition of 0.1 M potassium phosphate salts (KPi) increased the productivity of HSPs with keeping the growth rate of E. coli cells rel

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are a new generation of lipid vectors for drug delivery systems (DDSs), which are composed of solid and liquid lipids dispersed throughout the inner lipid matrix. This study provides molecular and physicochemical characterizations of the NLC core region. According to the fluorescence anisotropy analysis, NLCs might have a more rigid shell (high anisotropy) and a less rigid core (low anisotropy). Based on cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) observ

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are gaining attention as the new generation of lipid vehicles. These carriers consist of saturated lipids with small drops of liquid oil dispersed into the inner lipid matrix and are stabilized by a surfactant. Conventionally, NLC-based drug delivery systems have been widely studied, and many researchers are looking into the composition of NLC properties to improve the performance of NLCs. The membrane fluidity and polarity of self-assembling lipids are also

1-Allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Amim][Cl] and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Bmim][Cl] are water-soluble ionic liquids (ILs) that can from an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) when mixed with specific salts. Herein, we prepared [Amim][Cl]- and [Bmim][Cl]-ATPSs by adding the salts (K₂CO₃, K₂HPO₄). To investigate the phase separation behavior of the IL-ATPSs, binodal curves were drawn at different temperatures and the length and slope of the t

Polypyrrole (PPy) is a conductive polymer known for its biocompatibility and ease of synthesis. Chemically polymerized PPy was synthesized in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), showing correlations among chemical properties, physical morphology, and electrical properties. Focused synthesis parameters included the pyrrole (Py) concentration, SDS concentration, and ammonium persulfate (APS)/Py ratio. The addition of SDS during chemical polymerization influenced the physical morphology o