Inhalation of Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibrils Triggers an Inflammatory Response and Changes Lung Tissue Morphology of Mice.

In view of the growing industrial use of Bacterial cellulose (BC), and taking into account that it might become airborne and be inhaled after industrial processing, assessing its potential pulmonary toxic effects assumes high relevance. In this work, the murine model was used to assess the effects of exposure to respirable BC nanofibrils (nBC), obtained by disintegration of BC produced by Komagataeibacter hansenii. Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMΦ) were treated with different doses of nBC (0.02 and 0.2 mg/mL, respectively 1 and 10 µg of fibrils) in absence or presence of 0.2% Carboxymethyl Cellulose (nBCMC). Furthermore, mice were instilled intratracheally with nBC or nBCMC at different concentrations and at different time-points and analyzed up to 6 months after treatments. Microcrystaline Avicel-plus® CM 2159, a plant-derived cellulose, was used for comparison. Markers of cellular damage (lactate dehydrogenase release and total protein) and oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxidase, reduced glutathione, lipid peroxidation and glutathione peroxidase activity) as well presence of inflammatory cells were evaluated in brochoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids. Histological analysis of lungs, heart and liver tissues was also performed. BAL analysis showed that exposure to nBCMC or CMC did not induce major alterations in the assessed markers of cell damage, oxidative stress or inflammatory cell numbers in BAL fluid over time, even following cumulative treatments. Avicel-plus® CM 2159 significantly increased LDH release, detected 3 months after 4 weekly administrations. However, histological results revealed a chronic inflammatory response and tissue alterations, being hypertrophy of pulmonary arteries (observed 3 months after nBCMC treatment) of particular concern. These histological alterations remained after 6 months in animals treated with nBC, possibly due to foreign body reaction and the organism's inability to remove the fibers. Overall, despite being a safe and biocompatible biomaterial, BC-derived nanofibrils inhalation may lead to lung pathology and pose significant health risks.

A Novel Small-Caliber Bacterial Cellulose Vascular Prosthesis: Production, Characterization, and Preliminary In Vivo Testing.

Vascular grafts are used to bypass damaged or diseased blood vessels. Bacterial cellulose (BC) has been studied for use as an off-the-shelf graft. Herein, we present a novel, cost-effective, method for the production of small caliber BC grafts with minimal processing or requirements. The morphology of the graft wall produced a tensile strength above that of native vessels, performing similarly to the current commercial alternatives. As a result of the production method, the luminal surface of the graft presents similar topography to that of native vessels. We have also studied the in vivo behavior of these BC graft in order to further demonstrate their viability. In these preliminary studies, 1 month patency was achieved, with the presence of neo-vessels and endothelial cells on the luminal surface of the graft.

Production and Characterization of a New Bacterial Cellulose/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Nanocomposite.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is characterized for its high water holding capacity, high crystallinity, an ultrafine fiber network and high tensile strength. This work demonstrates the production of a new interpenetrated polymer network nanocomposite obtained through the incorporation of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on the BC matrix and evaluates the effect of oven drying on the morphological, mechanical and mass transfer properties of the composite membranes. Both the addition of PVA and oven drying induce the appearance of larger pores (circa 1-3 µm in average diameter) in dried BC/PVA membranes. Both types of treatments also affect the permeability of the composite, as assessed by the diffusion coefficients of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules (900, 8,000, 35,000 and 100,000 Da) across the membranes. Finally, the Young's modulus of dry pristine BC decreases following PVA incorporation, resulting in a change from 3.5 GPa to 1 GPa and a five-fold loss in tensile strength.

Hemocompatibility study of a bacterial cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has been suggested to be a suitable biomaterial for the development of cardiovascular grafts. The combination of BC with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) results in nanocomposites with improved properties. Surprisingly, there are very few studies on the BC-blood interaction. This is the focus of this paper. We present the first thorough assessment of the hemocompatibility of the BC/PVA nanocomposite. Whole blood clotting time, plasma recalcification, Factor XII activation, platelet adhesion and activation, hemolytic index and complement activation are all determined. The platelet activation profiles on BC and BC/PVA surfaces are comprehensively characterized. BC and BC/PVA outperformed ePTFE--used as a point of comparison--thus evidencing their suitability for cardiovascular applications.

Recycling of cellulases in lignocellulosic hydrolysates using alkaline elution.

The recovery of cellulases from lignin, lignocellulosic hydrolysates and cellulose by alkaline washes at pH 9 and 10 was examined. The effect of the pH on the structural stability of purified Cel7A was analyzed by circular dichroism. Purified Cel7A showed conformational changes at pH 9 and 10 that were reversible at pH 4.8. Temperature influenced the enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straw and may be critical for the efficiency of cellulase recycling from wheat straw hydrolysates. Operation at moderate temperatures (37°C) resulted in a rate of saccharification 19% higher than that obtained at 50° C, improving cellulase recycling by 49%. Over 60% of the enzyme activity on the synthetic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-ß-d-cellobioside (MUC) may be recovered by using a simple alkaline wash. This is thus a promising strategy for enzyme recycling that is simple to implement at industrial scale, economical and effective.