A domestic knowledge-based company has produced nanomicelle capsules with the therapeutic effects of turmeric, which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cancer-prevention properties.
Produced by Exir Nano Sina Company with the support of Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council, the capsule has been marketed at a low price.
Many studies in the last century have shown the potential effects of curcumin as a valuable adjunctive therapy to supplement the treatment of a wide range of diseases, the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology reported.
Curcumin, a carotenoid compound found in turmeric, cannot be absorbed by the body because it does not dissolve in water, but the capsule contains a special kind of curcumin that is soluble in water. Therefore, the solubilization of curcumin in an aqueous environment is very important.
Solubilization involves the entrapment of molecules in micelles and the tendency of surfactants to form colloidal aggregations at critical micelle concentration levels.
The capsule can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent for treating bone and joint inflammation, gastro-intestinal inflammation, buccal cavity inflammation and dermatological conditions.
Its antioxidant property helps prevent different kinds of cancers and reduces the adverse effects of chemotherapy and radiation. It is also a beneficial supplement for easing cardiovascular problems such as anti-platelet aggregation, high triglyceride and VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein is produced by liver and mainly carries triglycerides to body tissues).
The capsule can also be used for the improvement of liver function, neuropathy and retinopathy in diabetic patients, depression and as an anti-lipid agent.
Due to the lipophilic nature of curcumin, the oral absorption of curcumin in oral forms (powder, capsules and tablets) is very low.
The domestic knowledge-based company has encapsulated curcumin in the hydrophobic part of the nanomicelle. These spherical nanomicelles have a size of 10 nanometers and increase the solubility of curcumin in water.
When the capsule reaches the small intestine, nanomicelles facilitate the transfer of curcumin from the water layer on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells, which is a barrier to the absorption of lipophilic compounds, increasing the absorption of curcumin orally and improving oral bioavailability by more than 100 times.
Int’l Patent for Domestic Covid-19 Medicine
A knowledge-based company has recently received an international patent certificate for a medicine that reduces the side-effects of Covid-19.
With the efforts of 40 Iranian researchers from eminent domestic universities, Saliravira was unveiled in the third month of the previous Iranian year (May 22-June 21, 2021), for which it received a domestic patent certificate,” Reza Ramezani, the CEO of Mim Daroo Company, was quoted as saying by the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.
“The code of ethics and clinical trial license were obtained from the Iran University of Medical Sciences, which is a branch of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Iran, following which pre-clinical and clinical trials were conducted,” he added.
Ramezani said the company signed a contract with a reputable firm in Europe to assist in completing the technical aspects of international patenting, in which Iran does not have much experience.
“We studied about 50 pharmaceutical patents to create a comprehensive pharmaceutical patent system and handed all our documents to a foreign law firm. This is how we were able to complete technicalities to get the patent for Saliravira and finally our invention was registered internationally,” he said.
“When such a medicine is produced, it should be patented first in order to cooperate with large production companies at the international level, which requires a lot of time and budget.”
The CEO of this knowledge-based company noted that all these efforts were aimed at cooperating with major companies in the production and distribution of this medicine at the international level.
“After patenting this medicine, we signed a contract with a reputable medicine distribution company. They announced that if our product is produced in Europe, they will take responsibility for its distribution. Fortunately, this issue is in the final stage and we are in the process of obtaining relevant permits to do this,” he said.
Last year, when the country experienced one of the highest Covid-19 peaks, Saliravira, which was the first completely Iranian medicine for the treatment and prevention of Covid-19, was produced by this company at the Pardis Technology Park.
Identifying Most Effective Antibiotic
A domestic knowledge-based company has produced a nano-based product that can be used to detect drug sensitivity. The product, based on nanotechnology, is used to identify the appropriate antibiotic for medical treatment.
Karma Azma Andish Development and Equipment Company is the manufacturer of antibiogram tablets or disks containing nanoparticles.
Antibiogram or drug sensitivity tests use colored tubes based on the family of antibiotics to identify the most effective antibiotic against microbes in pathological laboratories, which help the patient recover soon.
Faster and more accurate results, as well as higher quality and ease of use, are the main advantages of this nano-based product.
Erythromycin, penicillin, sulfonamide, tetracycline and vancomycin are among a large class of drugs that prevent the growth of bacteria (bacteriostatic) or kill bacteria (bactericidal). Each class of antibiotics has an effect on specific bacteria and will not affect other microorganisms and viruses.
Different samples taken from a patient, including blood, feces, urine and sputum, are usually subjected to an antibiogram.
After the growth of the bacteria in the appropriate growth medium, the sample undergoes the staining process (also known as Gram staining) before the antibiogram test is performed.
After the sample is cultured in the growth medium, the antibiogram disk is placed in it and the result is checked after 2-4 days.
The company has also produced an antibiograph device for testing, which can be used independently without the need for computer.
