Reproducible,biocompatible medical materials from biologically derived polysaccharides: Processing and Characterization

Natural polysaccharides like chitosan and dextran have garnered considerable interest in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and nontoxicity. Nonetheless, the development of a reproducible class of medical devices from these materials is challenging and has had limited success. Chitosan and dextran are inherently variable and synthesis using these materials is prone to inconsistencies. In this study, we put forward a robust product development regimen that allows these natural materials to be developed into a reproducible class of biomaterials. First, an array of validated characterization methods (Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, titrations, Ultraviolet spectroscopy, Size Exclusion Chromatography—Multi-Angle Light Scattering, Size Exclusion Chromatography—Refractive Index, and proprietary methods) were developed that allowed rigorous specifications to be set for unprocessed chitosan and dextran, chitosan and dextran intermediates, and chemically modified materials—acrylated chitosan (aCHN) and oxidized dextran (oDEX). Second, a robust and reproducible synthesis scheme involving various in-process controls was developed to chemically modify the unprocessed polysaccharides. Third, purification methods to remove byproducts and low-molecular-weight impurities for both aCHN and oDEX were developed. The study presents a viable strategy for converting variable, natural materials into a reproducible class of biomaterials that can be applied in various biomedical applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48454.     

Synthesis of pH-responsive isolated soy protein/carboxymethyl chitosan microspheres for sustained pesticide release

In order to improve the utilization rate of avermectin (AVM), a complex was prepared by electrostatic self-assembly using isolated soy protein (ISP) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) for loading AVM to obtain ISP/CMCS@AVM microspheres. The encapsulation efficiency (EE), sustained release property, ultraviolet (UV) protective ability, and toxicity of the microspheres were evaluated, and the release kinetics of AVM from the microsphere at different pHs were investigated. The results demonstrated that the average particle size of ISP/CMCS@AVM was 283.95 nm, and the EE reached 88.42% for AVM after denaturation. After 70 h of exposure to UV light, the residual rate of AVM in ISP/CMCS@AVM was 78.12%, which was significantly higher than 35.18% in the AVM emulsion. Moreover, the formulation imparted pH sensitivity and sustained-release property to AVM and was consistent with the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, controlled by Fick diffusion. Finally, the insecticidal toxicity of ISP/CMCS@AVM did not differ significantly from that of unmodified AVM. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48358.     

The effects of ozone,ultrasound and coating with shellac and lysozyme–chitosan on fresh egg during storage at ambient temperature – part 1: interior quality changes

The objective of this research was to investigate and compare the effect of different treatments including gaseous ozone (6-ppm/4-min), ultrasound (450 W/4 min) and coating of shellac, lysozyme–chitosan (L-C) on fresh eggs internal quality during storage for six weeks at ambient temperature. The internal quality attributes such as weight loss (WL), albumen viscosity, Haugh unit (HU), yolk index, total soluble solids, albumen and yolk's pH were monitored. Control groups had the worst HU (50.04), WL (8.35%), albumen pH (9.27) and viscosity (7.72 mPa·s) values after storage. The best interior qualities were obtained by shellac coating [HU (72.37), WL (1.37) and viscosity (30.10 mPa·s)] and sonication (albumen pH: 8.22). Thus, the shellac-coated eggs maintained all the internal quality parameters at the highest values, while the ozone and ultrasound only helped to keep the internal quality and enhance the shelf life of eggs.     

Platinum nanoparticles anchored on aminated silica@PEDOT-PSS hybrid for enhanced methanol oxidation electrocatalysis

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with near-zero pollution emission, large energy density, and low operating temperature provides a beneficial and sustainable way for alleviating fossil energy crisis and ecological pollution issues. In this work, a systematic protocol was explored for the design of novel electrocatalyst based on PEDOT-PSS coated amino-functionalized SiO₂ microspheres (SiO₂–NH₂@PEDOT-PSS) support, and then Pt nano-particles (NPs) were uniformly anchored for the anodic process of DMFCs. Characterization techniques, e.g. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that the dispersity and homogeneity of Pt NPs on the surface of SiO₂–NH₂@PEDOT-PSS were markedly improved due to PEDOT-PSS modification, and the distribution of Pt NPs was in a smaller mean-size ~2.8 nm. Subsequently, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study exposed fast electron shift phenomenon from SiO₂–NH₂@PEDOT-PSS support to Pt NPs in the catalyst. The various electrochemical tests such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the prepared Pt/SiO₂–NH₂@PEDOT-PSS catalyst presented higher electrocatalytic efficacy, excellent durability with improved CO-tolerance towards methanol oxidation reaction rather than commercial Pt/C catalyst. These distinctive physical and chemical features of designed catalyst raise the spirit to design an efficient electrocatalyst based on Pt/SiO₂–NH₂@PEDOT-PSS in DMFC applications.     

Fabrication of magnetic β-CD/chitosan nanocomposite as an efficient and recyclable dye adsorbent

ABSTRACT

In this work, novel magnetic nanocomposite adsorbents were prepared by crosslinking β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) onto chitosan backbones by using epichlorohydrin as a crosslinker and in the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The composition of β-CD-chitosan nanocomposites was characterized via FTIR, XRD, TEM, SEM, and VSM. Then, the as-prepared nanocomposites were treated for elimination of methyl orange (MO). The results indicated that the adsorption of MO exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 314 mg g^?1 at 25°C. Moreover, the rates and isotherm data of adsorption matched excellent at different MO concentrations (10, 60, and 120 mg/L) using second-order and Langmuir models with the regression coefficient (R²) of 0.9993 and 9990, respectively. Besides, the thermodynamic data confirmed MO adsorption as an endothermic process. The adsorbent was also confirmed as good materials for re-use and maintained 88% of its initial adsorption capacity for MO after the fifth regeneration cycles. In conclusion, the synthesized magnetic nanocomposites can be applied as cost-effective dye adsorbents with high regeneration efficiency.     

Irradiated Ch/GG/PVP-based stimuli-responsive hydrogels for controlled drug release

Hydrogels based on gamma (γ) irradiated chitosan (pre-irradiated), guar gum, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone were crosslinked with various concentrations of (3-mercapto propyl)trimethoxysilane and fabricated by solution casting technique for the drug delivery applications. High molecular weight chitosan (Ch) possesses lower solubility and higher viscosity, these problems overcame by γ irradiation, which also generated hydrophilicity and effect of irradiated Ch on controlled drug release was assessed. FTIR analysis showed the development of chemical and physical interactions and confirmed the incorporation of characteristic peaks. SEM micrographs revealed porous structure of the prepared hydrogels. Swelling analysis of the hydrogels was performed in distilled water, buffer, and electrolyte mediums. All the hydrogel samples showed higher swelling at acidic pH and lower swelling at neutral and basic pH. These pH-responsive characteristics made these RCGP hydrogels an important contender for injectable controlled drug release. The ampicillin sodium drug was loaded and in vitro controlled release mechanism was evaluated in the PBS, SIF, and SGF which shown out of all prepared hydrogels (RCGP-1, RCGP-2, and RCGP-3), RCGP-1 has exhibited 87.4% release in PBS and 81.3% in SIF in 180 min.     

Development of docetaxel nanocapsules for improving in vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake in MCF-7 cells

The aim of this study was to fabricate docetaxel loaded nanocapsules (DTX-NCs) with a high payload using Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique by successive coating with alternate layers of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. Developed nanocapsules (NCs) were characterized in terms of morphology, particle size distribution, zeta potential (ζ-potential), entrapment efficiency and in vitro release. The morphological characteristics of the NCs were assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that revealed coating of polyelectrolytes around the surface of particles. The developed NCs successfully attained a submicron particle size while the ζ-potential of optimized NCs alternated between (+) 34.64?±?1.5 mV to (?) 33.25?±?2.1 mV with each coating step. The non-hemolytic potential of the NCs indicated the suitability of the developed formulation for intravenous administration. A comparative study indicated that the cytotoxicity of positively charged NCs (F4) was significant higher (p?in vitro on MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, cell uptake studies evidenced a higher uptake of positive NCs (≥1.2 fold) in comparison to negative NCs. In conclusion, formulated NCs are an ideal vehicle for passive targeting of drugs to tumor cells that may result in improved efficacy and reduced toxicity of encapsulated drug moiety.     

改性壳聚糖微球处理含氟废水的研究

利用无毒交联剂制备壳聚糖微球并负载稀土元素,制得新型除氟吸附剂。配制水除氟实验中,Ce-CEB对F^-(纯NaF溶液)的静态吸附容量为17.7 mgF^-/g微球,F^-的脱除率为93.4%;对于具有复杂阴离子的配制水,Ce-CEB对F^-的动态饱和吸附量为12.3 mgF^-/g微球。