Review of electrospun hydrogel nanofiber system: Synthesis,Properties and Applications

Hydrogel-based nanofibers or vice versa are a relatively new class of nanomaterials, in which hydrogels are structured in nanofibrous form. Structure and size of the material directly governs its functionality, therefore, in hydrogel science, the nanofibrous form of hydrogels enables its usage in targeted applications. Hydrogel nanofiber system combines the desirable properties of both hydrogel and nanofiber like flexibility, soft consistency, elasticity, and biocompatibility due to high water content, large surface area to volume ratio, low density, small pore size and interconnected pores, high stiffness, tensile strength, and surface functionality. Swelling behavior is a critical property of hydrogels that is significantly increased in hydrogel nanofibers due to their small size. Electrospinning is the most popular method to fabricate “hydrogel nanofibers,” while other processes like self-assembly, solution blowing and template synthesis also exist. Merging the characteristics of both hydrogels and nanofibers in one system allows applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, actuation, wound dressing, photoluminescence, light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS), waterproof breathable membranes, and enzymatic immobilization. Treatment of wastewater, detection, and adsorption of metal ions are also emerging applications. In this review paper, we intend to summarize in detail about electrospun “hydrogel nanofiber” in relation to its synthesis, properties, and applications.     

A balanced solution of a fuzzy soft set based decision making problem in medical science

The purpose of this paper is two folded. Firstly, the concept of mean potentiality approach (MPA) has been developed and an algorithm based on this new approach has been proposed to get a balanced solution of a fuzzy soft set based decision making problem. Secondly, a parameter reduction procedure based on relational algebra with the help of the balanced algorithm of mean potentiality approach has been used to reduce the choice parameter set in the parlance of fuzzy soft set theory and it is justified to the problems of diagnosis of a disease from the myriad of symptoms from medical science. Moreover the feasibility of this proposed method is demonstrated by comparing with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Naive Bayes classification method and Feng's method.     

Impact of dietary fiber coatings on behavior of protein-stabilized lipid droplets under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

Multilayer emulsions containing lipid droplets coated by lactoferrin (LF) - anionic polysaccharide layers have improved resistance to environmental stresses (such as pH, salt, and temperature), but their behavior within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is currently unknown. The objective of this research was therefore to monitor changes in the physicochemical properties and digestibility of these systems under simulated GIT conditions. Primary emulsions (5% corn oil, 0.5% LF) were prepared using a high-pressure homogenizer. Secondary emulsions (5% corn oil, 0.5% LF, 0.5% polysaccharide) were prepared by incorporating alginate, low methoxyl pectin (LMP) or high methoxyl pectin (HMP) into primary emulsions. Emulsions were then subjected to simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) conditions in sequence. LF, LF-LMP and LF-HMP emulsions were stable to droplet aggregation in the stomach but aggregated in the small intestine, whereas LF-alginate emulsions aggregated in both the stomach and small intestine. The presence of a dietary fiber coating around the initial lipid droplets had little influence on the total extent of lipid digestion in SIF, but LF-alginate emulsions had a slower initial digestion rate than the other emulsions. These results suggest that the dietary fiber coatings may become detached in the small intestine, or that they were permeable to digestive enzymes. Pepsin was found to have little influence on the physical stability or digestibility of the emulsions. The knowledge obtained from this study is important for the design of delivery systems for encapsulation and release of lipophilic bioactive ingredients.     

Conducting cryogel scaffold as a potential biomaterial for cell stimulation and proliferation

The aim of the study was to demonstrate the potential of the cryogelation technique for the synthesis of the conducting cryogel scaffolds which would encompass the advantages of the cryogel matrix, like the mechanical strength and interconnected porous network as well as the conductive properties of the incorporated conducting polymeric material, polypyrrole. The cryogels were synthesized using different combinations of oxidizing agents and surfactants like, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/ammonium persulfate (APS), SDS/iron chloride (FeCl₃), cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)/APS, and CTAB/FeCl₃. The synthesized gels were characterized by scanning electron microscopic analysis for morphology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for analyzing the presence of the polypyrrole (0.5–4 %) as nano-fillers in the gel. It was observed that the presence of these nano-fillers increased the swelling ratio by approximately 50 %. The synthesized conducting cryogels displayed high stress bearing capacity without being deformed as analysed by rheological measurements. The degradation studies showed 12–15 % degradation in 4 weeks time. In vitro studies with conducting and non-conducting cryogel scaffold were carried out to optimize the stimulation conditions for the two cell lines, neuro2a and cardiac muscle C2C12. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed approximately 25 and 15 % increase in the cell proliferation rate for neuro2a and C2C12 cell line, respectively. This was observed at a specific voltage of 100 mV and 2 V, for a specified duration of 2 h and 1 min, respectively for the conducting scaffold as compared to the control. This can play an important role in tissue engineering applications for cell lines where acquiring a high cell number and functionality is desired.     

Physicochemical properties of lactoferrin stabilized oil-in-water emulsions: Effects of pH,salt and heating

Lactoferrin is a globular protein from bovine milk with an unusually high isoelectric point (pI > 8), which may lead to novel functional properties in foods and other products because it is cationic across a wide pH range. In this study, we investigated the influence of pH (2–9), NaCl addition (0–200 mM), CaCl₂ addition (0–200 mM), and thermal processing (30–90 °C, 20 min) on the stability of lactoferrin (LF) stabilized oil-in-water emulsions. At ambient temperature, the emulsions were stable to droplet aggregation at low pH (pH ≤ 6), but exhibited some aggregation at pH ≈ pI (pH 7–9). The thermal stability of the emulsions depended on pH, holding temperature, and thermal history. When LF-coated droplets were heated in distilled water, and then their pH was adjusted in the range 2–9, they were highly unstable to aggregation at pH 7 and 8. On the other hand, when the pH was altered in the range 2–9 first, and then they were heated, the LF-coated droplets were highly unstable to aggregation at pH ≥ 5 when heated above 50 °C. The stability of the emulsions to salt addition depended on pH and salt type, which was attributed to counter-ion binding and electrostatic screening effects. For NaCl, emulsions were stable from 0 to 200 mM at pH 3 and 9, but aggregated at ≥100 mM at pH 6. For CaCl₂, emulsions were stable from 0 to 200 mM at pH 3, but aggregated with ≥150 mM CaCl₂ at pH 6 and 9. These results have important implications for the formulation and production of emulsion-based products using lactoferrin as an emulsifier.     

Effect of Controlled Atmosphere Storage and Chitosan Coating on Quality of Fresh-Cut Jackfruit Bulbs

Fresh-cut jackfruit bulbs were evaluated for quality changes as effect of an additive pretreatment with CaCl₂, ascorbic acid, citric acid, and sodium benzoate followed by chitosan coating. Different types of samples such as pretreated and coated, only pretreated, only coated, and untreated were subjected to controlled atmosphere (CA) storage (3 kPa O₂?+?6 or 3 kPa CO₂; N2 balance) or normal air at 6 °C. CA conditions, pretreatment, as well as chitosan coating in synergy with each other, could significantly minimize the loss in total phenolics and ascorbic acid content of the samples to the levels of around 5% and 17%, respectively, during extended storage up to 50 days. Chitosan coating could also restrict the changes in microbial load. The CA condition of 3 kPa O₂?+?6 kPa CO₂ was found to render higher efficacy in retaining quality attributes of the samples.     

Polyaniline/zinc oxide nanocomposite as room‐temperature sensing layer for methane

Methane detection in ambient condition has become essential as it is being increasingly used as compressed natural gas in many industrial processes and for domestic and transportation purposes. Hence, in this work, we report a room‐temperature methane sensor based on polyaniline/zinc oxide (PANI/ZnO) nanocomposite. The PANI/ZnO nanocomposite was prepared by chemical polymerization of aniline in the presence of ZnO nanoparticles. Electron microscopy results revealed the successful formation of nanocomposites with rod‐like ZnO nanoparticles embedded into the network of nanofibrillar PANI matrix. The PANI/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited a high response to methane at room temperature within a short response time of 20 s for a methane concentration (500 ppm) much lower than its flammability limit. Moreover, the humidity dependence of the sensor response was found to be very low. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1438–1445, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of electrical properties on gas sensitivity of polypyrrole/cds nanocomposites

In the present work, polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposites were synthesized using ferric chloride (FeCl₃) as an oxidant by in situ polymerization at room temperature. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles were synthesized by ultrasonication technique with size ranging between 60 and 110 nm. The PPy/CdS nanocomposites were prepared by taking 1–3 wt % loading of CdS to measure the electrical conductivity. The PPy nanocomposites were characterized by using FTIR, X‐ray diffraction, UV, and SEM. Furthermore, these PPy/CdS nanocomposites were investigated to study their effect of electrical properties on gas sensitivity of ammonia and LPG. The nanocomposites showed improvement in conductivity and sensing response toward 250 ppm NH₃ was found to be maximum (4.2) compared with 100 and 500 ppm NH₃ gas, whereas in the case of LPG, it showed sensitive response. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42379.     

Identification of Candidate Genes for Root Traits Using Genotype–Phenotype Association Analysis of Near-Isogenic Lines in Hexaploid Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Global wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production is constrained by different biotic and abiotic stresses, which are increasing with climate change. An improved root system is essential for adaptability and sustainable wheat production. In this study, 10 pairs of near-isogenic lines (NILs)—targeting four genomic regions (GRs) on chromosome arms 4BS, 4BL, 4AS, and 7AL of hexaploid wheat—were used to phenotype root traits in a semi-hydroponic system. Seven of the 10 NIL pairs significantly differed between their isolines for 11 root traits. The NIL pairs targeting qDSI.4B.1 GR varied the most, followed by the NIL pair targeting qDT.4A.1 and QHtscc.ksu-7A GRs. For pairs 5–7 targeting qDT.4A.1 GR, pair 6 significantly differed in the most root traits. Of the 4 NIL pairs targeting qDSI.4B.1 GR, pairs 2 and 4 significantly differed in 3 and 4 root traits, respectively. Pairs 9 and 10 targeting QHtscc.ksu-7A GR significantly differed in 1 and 4 root traits, respectively. Using the wheat 90K Illumina iSelect array, we identified 15 putative candidate genes associated with different root traits in the contrasting isolines, in which two UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT)-encoding genes, TraesCS4A02G185300 and TraesCS4A02G442700, and a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase (LRR-RLK)-encoding gene, TraesCS4A02G330900, also showed important functions for root trait control in other crops. This study characterized, for the first time, that these GRs control root traits in wheat, and identified candidate genes, although the candidate genes will need further confirmation and validation for marker-assisted wheat breeding.