Improvement of triterpenoid production in mycelia of Antrodia camphorata through mutagenesis breeding and amelioration of CCl4-induced liver injury in mice.

Due to the scarcity of wild fruiting bodies, submerged fermentation of the medicinal fungus Antrodia camphorata is attracting much attention, but the production of bioactive triterpenoids is low. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the triterpenoid yield of submerged fermentation. Here, the A. camphorata mutant E3-64 was generated from strain AC16101 through random mutagenesis breeding, producing 172.8 mg triterpenoid per gram of dry mycelia. Further optimization of culture parameters resulted in a yield of 255.5 mg/g dry mycelia (i.e., an additional >1.4-fold increase), which is the highest reported yield thus far. Notably, mutant E3-64 produced 94% and 178% more of the triterpenoid components antcin A and antcamphin A, respectively, while it produced 52% and 15% less antcin B and G, respectively. Mutant E3-64 showed increased expression of key genes involved in triterpenoid biosynthesis, as well as different genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms as compared with AC16101. Triterpenoids of the E3-64 mycelia exhibited remarkably protective activity against acute CCl4-induced liver injury in mice. This study shows the potential of A. camphorata for scientific research and commercial application.

Bamboo charcoal fiber bundles loaded MOF-derived magnetic Co/CoO porous polyhedron for efficiently catalytic degradation of tetracyclines hydrochloride.

The health of living things and the ecosystem of the planet have both been negatively impacted by antibiotic residue in the water environment. There has been a lot of interest in the catalyst made of metal-carbon compounds from MOFs as a potential solution for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to produce reactive oxygen species to catalyze the degradation of residual antibiotics. In this study, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-67) on bamboo fiber bundles (BFB) were pyrolyzed to produce magnetic Co/CoO nanoparticles with porous polyhedrons mounted on bamboo charcoal fiber bundles (BCFB)(BCFB@PCo/CoO). Specific surface area of obtained BCFB@PCo/CoO with abundant active sites arrives at 302.41 m2/g. The catalytic degradation efficiency of Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), a target contaminant, could reach up to 99.94% within 15 minutes (PMS = 0.4g/L, Cat. = 0.2g/L). The effects of potential factors, including PMS dosage, interference ions, and temperature, on catalytic degradation efficiencies were investigated. Magnetic recovery and antimicrobial properties of the BCFB@PCo/CoO were also evaluated and the possible degradation pathways were explored. Catalytic mechanism explorations of BCFB@PCo/CoO/PMS system reveal MOF-derived magnetic Co/CoO nanoparticles embedded in BCFB promote the synergistic interaction of both radicals and non-radical pathways for catalytic degradation of TCH. The novel BCFB@PCo/CoO provides an alternative to deal with wastewater containing antibiotics.

Bioinspired Thermochromic Textile Based on Robust Cellulose Aerogel Fiber for Self-Adaptive Thermal Management and Dynamic Labels.

Aerogel fiber has emerged recently for incorporation in personal thermal management textiles due to its flexibility, scalability, and ultrahigh porosity, which allows the body to keep warm via thermal isolation without energy consumption. However, the functionalization and intellectualization of cellulose-based aerogel fibers have not yet been fully developed. Herein, we propose a biomimicking design inspired by polar bear and Siamese cat hair that combines porous cellulose aerogel fiber (CAF) with reversible thermochromic microcapsules to mimic biological sensory and adaptive thermoregulation functions. The produced CAF has a controllable pore structure, a large specific surface area (230 m2/g), and excellent mechanical strength (∼15 MPa). Low-temperature darkening microcapsules have been incorporated into the robust CAF to spontaneously adjust color by perceiving the ambient temperature. The functional aerogel fiber fabric achieves high thermal insulation and photothermal modulation simultaneously at temperatures below 18 °C. The temperature of the thermochromic fabric was higher by 6 °C than that of the sample without the microcapsules at a light intensity of 0.2 W/cm2. In addition, the aerogel fibers mixed with two types of thermochromic microcapsules exhibit three color switches with fast response, a color-control precision of 0.2 °C, and good cycling performance. This smart aerogel fibers hold great promise for self-adaptive thermal management, temperature indication, information transfer, and anticounterfeiting in textiles.

Bamboo cellulose-derived activated carbon aerogel with controllable mesoporous structure as an effective adsorbent for tetracycline hydrochloride.

Activated carbon has been widespread applied in the removal of pollutants in wastewater. However, many biomass-derived activated carbon suffer from the challenge of controllable pore size regulation, hindering their efficient adsorption of pollutants. Herein, bamboo-derived activated carbon aerogel (BACA) has been successfully prepared through KOH high-temperature activation of cellulose aerogel which was prepared using cellulose extracted from bamboo. Bamboo cellulose aerogel provides sufficient reaction sites for KOH, which is conducive to the formation of a mass of mesoporous structures on the pore walls of the activated carbon aerogel. The optimal BACA adsorbent shows high specific surface area (2503.80 m2/g), and maximum adsorption capability for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) reaches 863.8 mg/g at 30 ℃. The removal efficiencies of TCH are 100% and 98.4% at 40 ℃ when the initial concentrations are 500 and 700 mg/L, respectively. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm indicate that the adsorption of BACA for TCH is monolayer adsorption based on chemical adsorption. Spontaneous and endothermic adsorption processes are proved by adsorption thermodynamic studies. Additionally, coexisting ions have insignificant effect on TCH adsorption, and the BACA sample displays excellent adsorption property for five reuse cycles with a removal efficiency of 80.95%, indicating the outstanding adsorption capacity of BACA in practical application. The excellent adsorption performance provides BACA with a promising perspective to remove TCH from wastewater, and the prepared method of BACA can be widely extended to other biomass materials.

Porous activated carbons derived from bamboo pulp black liquor for effective adsorption removal of tetracycline hydrochloride and malachite green from water.

As a kind of wastewater produced by papermaking industry, bamboo pulp black liquor (BPBL) discharged into water causes serious environmental problems. In this work, BPBL was successfully converted into porous carbon after activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) through one-step carbonization, and adsorption properties of porous carbon derived from bamboo pulp black liquor (BLPC) for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and malachite green (MG) were studied. The adsorption capacities of BLPC for TCH and MG are 1047 and 1277 mg/g, respectively, due to its large specific surface area of 1859.08 m2/g. Kinetics and isotherm data are well fitted to the pseudo-second-order rate model and Langmuir model, respectively. Adsorption experiments and characterizations reveal that the adsorption mechanism involved in TCH and MG adsorption on BLPC mainly depends on the synergistic effect of pore filling, H-bonding, π-π interactions and weak electrostatic interactions. In addition, BLPC shows excellent photothermal properties, and the adsorption capacity of TCH and MG on BLPC can reach 584 and 847 mg/g under the irradiation of near infrared lamp for 50 min, respectively. The synthesized BLPC with high adsorption efficiency, good recovery ability, improved adsorption under near-infrared irradiation can be a promising and effective adsorbent for TCH or MG or other pollutes.

Shape-controlled silver nanoplates colored fabric with tunable colors, photothermal antibacterial and colorimetric detection of hydrogen sulfide.

Anisotropic silver nanoplates are widely anticipated in multifunctional textiles, but their large-scale promotion is limited by the shortcomings of long reaction time, uncontrollable shape and low yield in the preparation process. In this study, a microwave-assisted strategy is provided to prepare shape-controllable silver nanoplates for coloration of non-woven fabric. Anisotropic Ag nanoplates are efficiently coated on the surface of chitosan-pretreated fabric by a simple solution impregnation method, which generates the fabric with tunable color and multiple functions. The Ag nanoplates loaded fabric exhibits excellent photothermal properties at 808 nm laser irradiation due to its unique plasmonic absorption features. Colored fabric shows a strong synergistic antibacterial effect, including silver ion release and hyperthermia caused by the photothermal effect under near-infrared (NIR) light. Additionally, colored fabrics can be used as colorimetric sensors for selective detection of H2S. The colorimetric values of visible color signal of fabric-based H2S gas sensor can be real-time precisely detected using a smartphone, enlightening its high potential as a wearable toxic gas alarm device for the simple and rapid detection of hazardous gases.

A porous self-healing hydrogel with an island-bridge structure for strain and pressure sensors.

Conductive hydrogels have attracted widespread attention in wearable electronic devices and human motion detection. However, designing self-healing hydrogels with high conductivity and excellent mechanical properties remains a challenge. In this work, polyvinyl alcohol/carbon nanotubes/graphene (PVA/CNTs/graphene) with an island-bridge hydrogel structure and self-healing properties was designed by merging PVA/CNTs hydrogel and PVA/graphene hydrogel, in which the PVA/graphene hydrogel acts as an "island" and PVA/CNTs hydrogel acts as a "bridge" to bridge the entire conductive network. Hydrogen-bonding between the borate ion and the -OH group of PVA allows the conductive hydrogel to heal without any external stimulation. The PVA/CNTs/graphene hydrogel can be used for both stretchable strain and pressure sensors. The obtained PVA/CNTs/graphene composite hydrogel exhibits excellent electrical conductivity, extreme high elastic strain (up to 900%) and strong mechanical pressure (up to 10 kPa). The strain sensor based on the PVA/CNTs/graphene hydrogel exhibits excellent tensile strain sensitivity (a gauge factor of 152.6 in the strain region of 316-600%) and wide detection working range (1-600%) with high durability and repeatability. The sensor also remains highly sensitive when being used as a pressure sensor (-0.127 kPa-1 at 0-5 kPa). Additionally, the PVA/CNTs/graphene hydrogel-based sensor can detect human motions after multiple cuts and self-healing with excellent stability and repeatability. The PVA/CNTs/graphene hydrogel provides a new idea in the development of wearable electronics, demonstrating the potential of the next generation of wearable electronics.

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of rod-like Nb2O5/Nb2CTx composites for visible-light driven photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

The MXene-based transition metal oxide composite is a potential candidate for photocatalysts. Rod-like pseudohexagonal phase Nb2O5/Nb2CTx composites were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal oxidation of 2D layered Nb2CTx. The Nb2O5/Nb2CTx composites show superior photocatalytic activity for 98.5% of degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) for 120 min and 91.2% of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) for 180 min under visible light irradiation. The Schottky junction is formed between Nb2O5 nanorods and Nb2CTx and the photo-generated carriers are effectively separated, enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the Nb2O5/Nb2CTx. High photoactivity and cycle stability of Nb2O5/Nb2CTx composites indicate that hydrothermal oxidation of 2D layered Nb2CTx is an alternative to prepare efficient photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants.

Local Delivery of Dual MicroRNAs in Trilayered Electrospun Grafts for Vascular Regeneration.

Globally growing problems related to cardiovascular diseases lead to a considerable need for synthetic vascular grafts. For small-caliber vascular prosthesis, it remains essential to fulfill rapid endothelialization, inhibit intimal hyperplasia, and prevent calcification for keeping patency. To modulate vascular regeneration, herein, we developed a bioactive trilayered tissue-engineered vascular graft encapsulating both microRNA-126 and microRNA-145 in the fibrous inner and middle layers, respectively. In vitro cell activities demonstrated that the trilayered electrospun membranes had significant biological advantages in enhanced growth and intracellular nitric oxide production of vascular endothelial cells, modulation of phenotypes of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and restraint of calcium deposition through fast-releasing microRNA-126 and slow-releasing microRNA-145. Histological and immunofluorescent analyses of in vivo implantation in a rat abdominal aorta interposition model suggested that the dual-microRNA-loading trilayered electrospun graft exerted a positive effect on accelerating endothelialization, improving contractile SMC regeneration, and promoting normal extracellular matrix formation. Meanwhile, the local bioactivity of microRNA-126 and microRNA-145 in the trilayered vascular graft could regulate inflammation and depress calcification possibly by facilitating transformation of macrophages into the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. These findings indicated that the trilayered electrospun graft by local delivery of dual microRNAs could be possibly used as a bioactive substitute for replacement of artificial small-caliber blood vessels.

Performance of TMC-g-PEG-VAPG/miRNA-145 complexes in electrospun membranes for target-regulating vascular SMCs.

Restenosis is still one of the main challenges in small-diameter vascular regeneration, and effective modulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) is essential to cope with the related issues. As one of microRNAs (miRNAs) in vascular systems, miRNA-145 can regulate SMCs in the normal contractile phenotype, and inhibit the excessive proliferation and intimal hyperplasia. Herein, VAPG peptide-modified trimethyl chitosan-g-poly(ethylene glycol) (TMC-g-PEG-VAPG) was developed specially for target-delivery of miRNA-145 to SMCs to fulfill the proper function. The TMC-g-PEG-VAPG/miRNA-145 complexes exhibited low cytotoxicity, and TMC-g-PEG-VAPG with relatively higher molecular weight of chitosan (50 kDa) could significantly enhance cellular uptake in SMCs. Moreover, loading with TMC-g-PEG-VAPG/miRNA-145 complexes, the electrospun membranes of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) were capable of controlling SMCs at gene and protein levels on day 3 by targeting Krüppel-like factor 4 to increase the expression of myocardin and α-smooth muscle actin. Furthermore, miRNA-145 released from the electrospun membranes also showed in vitro bioactivity of modulating the contractile phenotype of SMCs in the prolonged duration, at least 56 days. The functional electrospun membranes containing TMC-g-PEG-VAPG/miRNA-145 complexes may have a great potential in the application of small-diameter blood vessel regeneration.

Rapid microwave-assisted bio-synthesized silver/Dandelion catalyst with superior catalytic performance for dyes degradation.

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized under microwave irradiation, a facile and efficient way, using dandelion extract as reducing and capping agents. The as-synthesized silver nanoparticles/Dandelion compounds (AgNPs/Dandelion) were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta potential and ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The catalytic degradation activity of AgNPs/Dandelion for Methyl orange (MO) and Rhodamine B (RhB) in the presence of NaBH4 were recorded by UV-vis spectroscopy. AgNPs/Dandelion exhibit excellent catalytic degradation activity for RhB and MO with rate constants of 0.1038 s-1 and 0.0393 s-1, respectively.

Target regulation of both VECs and VSMCs by dual-loading miRNA-126 and miRNA-145 in the bilayered electrospun membrane for small-diameter vascular regeneration.

Clinical utility of small-diameter vascular grafts is still challenging in blood vessel regeneration owing to thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia. To cope with the issues, modulation of gene expression via microRNAs (miRNAs) could be a feasible approach by rational regulating physiological activities of both vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Our previous studies demonstrated that individually loaded miRNA-126 (miR-126) or miRNA-145 (miR-145) in the electrospun membranes showed the tendency to promote vascular regeneration. In this work, the bilayered electrospun graft in 1.5-mm diameter was developed by emulsion electrospinning to dual-load miR-126 and miR-145 for target regulation of both VECs and VSMCs, respectively. Accelerated release of miR-126 was achieved by introducing poly(ethylene glycol) in the inner electrospun poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) ultrafine fibrous membrane, reaching 61.3 ± 1.2% of the cumulative release in the initial 10 days, whereas the outer electrospun poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) membrane composed of microfibers fulfilled prolonged release of miR-145 for about 56 days. In vivo tests suggested that dual-loading with miR-126 and miR-145 in the bilayered electrospun membranes could modulate both VECs and VSMCs for rapid endothelialization and hyperplasia inhibition as well. It is reasonably expected that dual target-delivery of miR-126 and miR-145 in the electrospun vascular grafts has effective potential for small-diameter vascular regeneration. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 371-382, 2019.