Assessment of the Antibiofilm Performance of Chitosan-Based Surfaces in Marine Environments.

Marine biofouling is a natural process often associated with biofilm formation on submerged surfaces, creating a massive economic and ecological burden. Although several antifouling paints have been used to prevent biofouling, growing ecological concerns emphasize the need to develop new and environmentally friendly antifouling approaches such as bio-based coatings. Chitosan (CS) is a natural polymer that has been widely used due to its outstanding biological properties, including non-toxicity and antimicrobial activity. This work aims to produce and characterize poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-CS surfaces with CS of different molecular weight (Mw) at different concentrations for application in marine paints. Loligo opalescens pens, a waste from the fishery industry, were used as a CS source. The antimicrobial activity of the CS and CS-functionalized surfaces was assessed against Cobetia marina, a model proteobacterium for marine biofouling. Results demonstrate that CS targets the bacterial cell membrane, and PLA-CS surfaces were able to reduce the number of culturable cells up to 68% compared to control, with this activity dependent on CS Mw. The antifouling performance was corroborated by Optical Coherence Tomography since PLA-CS surfaces reduced the biofilm thickness by up to 36%, as well as the percentage and size of biofilm empty spaces. Overall, CS coatings showed to be a promising approach to reducing biofouling in marine environments mimicked in this work, contributing to the valorization of fishing waste and encouraging further research on this topic.

Production and Physicochemical Characterization of Gelatin and Collagen Hydrolysates from Turbot Skin Waste Generated by Aquaculture Activities.

Rising trends in fish filleting are increasing the amount of processing by-products, such as skins of turbot, a flatfish of high commercial value. In line with circular economy principles, we propose the valorization of turbot skins through a two-step process: initial gelatin extraction described for the first time in turbot, followed by hydrolysis of the remaining solids to produce collagen hydrolysates. We assayed several methods for gelatin extraction, finding differences in gelatin properties depending on chemical treatment and temperature. Of all methods, the application of NaOH, sulfuric, and citric acids at 22 °C results in the highest gel strength (177 g), storage and loss moduli, and gel stability. We found no relation between mechanical properties and content of pyrrolidine amino acids, but the best performing gelatin displays higher structural integrity, with less than 30% of the material below 100 kDa. Collagen hydrolysis was more efficient with papain than alcalase, leading to a greater reduction in Mw of the hydrolysates, which contain a higher proportion of essential amino acids than gelatin and show high in vitro anti-hypertensive activity. These results highlight the suitability of turbot skin by-products as a source of gelatin and the potential of collagen hydrolysates as a functional food and feed ingredient.

Characterization of Protein Hydrolysates from Fish Discards and By-Products from the North-West Spain Fishing Fleet as Potential Sources of Bioactive Peptides.

Fish discards and by-products can be transformed into high value-added products such as fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) containing bioactive peptides. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from different parts (whole fish, skin and head) of several discarded species of the North-West Spain fishing fleet using Alcalase. All hydrolysates had moisture and ash contents lower than 10% and 15%, respectively. The fat content of FPH varied between 1.5% and 9.4% and had high protein content (69.8-76.6%). The amino acids profiles of FPH are quite similar and the most abundant amino acids were glutamic and aspartic acids. All FPH exhibited antioxidant activity and those obtained from Atlantic horse mackerel heads presented the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing power and Cu2+ chelating activity. On the other hand, hydrolysates from gurnard heads showed the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity and Fe2+ chelating activity. In what concerns the α-amylase inhibitory activity, the IC50 values recorded for FPH ranged between 5.70 and 84.37 mg/mL for blue whiting heads and whole Atlantic horse mackerel, respectively. α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of FPH was relatively low but all FPH had high Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Considering the biological activities, these FPH are potential natural additives for functional foods or nutraceuticals.

The Effect of Molecular Weight on the Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan from Loligo opalescens for Food Packaging Applications.

The growing requirement for sustainable processes has boosted the development of biodegradable plastic-based materials incorporating bioactive compounds obtained from waste, adding value to these products. Chitosan (Ch) is a biopolymer that can be obtained by deacetylation of chitin (found abundantly in waste from the fishery industry) and has valuable properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, antimicrobial activity, and easy film-forming ability. This study aimed to produce and characterize poly(lactic acid) (PLA) surfaces coated with ß-chitosan and ß-chitooligosaccharides from a Loligo opalescens pen with different molecular weights for application in the food industry. The PLA films with native and depolymerized Ch were functionalized through plasma oxygen treatment followed by dip-coating, and their physicochemical properties were assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, water contact angle, and scanning electron microscopy. Their antimicrobial properties were assessed against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida, where Ch-based surfaces reduced the number of biofilm viable, viable but nonculturable, and culturable cells by up to 73%, 74%, and 87%, respectively, compared to PLA. Biofilm growth inhibition was confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results suggest that Ch films of higher molecular weight had higher antibiofilm activity under the food storage conditions mimicked in this work, contributing simultaneously to the reuse of marine waste.

Extraction and Characterization of Gelatin from Skin By-Products of Seabream, Seabass and Rainbow Trout Reared in Aquaculture.

The expansion of fish filleting, driven by the increasing demand for convenience food, concomitantly generates a rising amount of skinning by-products. Current trends point to a growing share of aquaculture in fish production, so we have chosen three established aquaculture species to study the properties of gelatin extracted from their skin: rainbow trout, commonly filleted; and seabass and seabream, marketed whole until very recently. In the first case, trout skin yields only 1.6% gelatin accompanied by the lowest gel strength (96 g bloom), while yield for the other two species exceeds 6%, and gel strength reaches 181 and 229 g bloom for seabass and seabream, respectively. These results are in line with the proportion of total imino acids analyzed in the gelatin samples. Molecular weight profiling shows similarities among gelatins, but seabass and seabream gelatins appear more structured, with higher proportion of ß-chains and high molecular weight aggregates, which may influence the rheological properties observed. These results present skin by-products of seabream, and to a minor extent seabass, as suitable raw materials to produce gelatin through valorization processes.

Development of Chitosan-Based Surfaces to Prevent Single- and Dual-Species Biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) are susceptible to microbial adhesion and biofilm formation, which lead to several clinical complications, including the occurrence of implant-associated infections. Polylactic acid (PLA) and its composites are currently used for the construction of IMDs. In addition, chitosan (CS) is a natural polymer that has been widely used in the medical field due to its antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties, which can be dependent on molecular weight (Mw). The present study aims to evaluate the performance of CS-based surfaces of different Mw to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation. For this purpose, CS-based surfaces were produced by dip-coating and the presence of CS and its derivatives onto PLA films, as well surface homogeneity were confirmed by contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial activity of the functionalized surfaces was evaluated against single- and dual-species biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chitosan-based surfaces were able to inhibit the development of single- and dual-species biofilms by reducing the number of total, viable, culturable, and viable but nonculturable cells up to 79%, 90%, 81%, and 96%, respectively, being their activity dependent on chitosan Mw. The effect of CS-based surfaces on the inhibition of biofilm formation was corroborated by biofilm structure analysis using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), which revealed a decrease in the biovolume and thickness of the biofilm formed on CS-based surfaces compared to PLA. Overall, these results support the potential of low Mw CS for coating polymeric devices such as IMDs where the two bacteria tested are common colonizers and reduce their biofilm formation.

Impact of Prevalence Ratios of Chondroitin Sulfate (CS)- 4 and -6 Isomers Derived from Marine Sources in Cell Proliferation and Chondrogenic Differentiation Processes.

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent rheumatic disease. During disease progression, differences have been described in the prevalence of chondroitin sulfate (CS) isomers. Marine derived-CS present a higher proportion of the 6S isomer, offering therapeutic potential. Accordingly, we evaluated the effect of exogenous supplementation of CS, derived from the small spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula), blue shark (Prionace glauca), thornback skate (Raja clavata) and bovine CS (reference), on the proliferation of osteochondral cell lines (MG-63 and T/C-28a2) and the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). MG-G3 proliferation was comparable between R. clavata (CS-6 intermediate ratio) and bovine CS (CS-4 enrichment), for concentrations below 0.5 mg/mL, defined as a toxicity threshold. T/C-28a2 proliferation was significantly improved by intermediate ratios of CS-6 and -4 isomers (S. canicula and R. clavata). A dose-dependent response was observed for S. canicula (200 µg/mL vs 50 and 10 µg/mL) and bovine CS (200 and 100 µg/mL vs 10 µg/mL). CS sulfation patterns discretely affected MSCs chondrogenesis; even though S. canicula and R. clavata CS up-regulated chondrogenic markers expression (aggrecan and collagen type II) these were not statistically significant. We demonstrate that intermediate values of CS-4 and -6 isomers improve cell proliferation and offer potential for chondrogenic promotion, although more studies are needed to elucidate its mechanism of action.

Optimal Production of Protein Hydrolysates from Monkfish By-Products: Chemical Features and Associated Biological Activities.

The aim of this work was the recovery of protein substrates from monkfish waste (heads and viscera) generated in the on-board processing of this species. Initially, the effect of pH, temperature, and protease concentration was studied on mixtures of a 1:1 ratio (w/v) of monkfish heads/water. The optimal conditions of proteolytic digestion were established at 57.4 °C, pH 8.31, [Alcalase] = 0.05% (v/w) for 3 h of hydrolysis. Later on, a set of hydrolysis at 5L-pH-stat reactor were run under the aforementioned conditions, confirming the validity of the optimization studies for the head and viscera of monkfish. Regarding the chemical properties of the fish protein hydrolysates (FPH), the yield of digestion was higher than 90% in both cases and the degrees of hydrolysis and the soluble protein content were not especially large (<20% and <45 g/L, respectively). In vitro digestibility was higher than 90% and the percentage of essential amino acids ranged from 40 to 42%. Antioxidant activities were higher in viscera FPH, and antihypertensive ability was superior in head FPH. The values of number average molecular weights (Mn) of monkfish hydrolysates were 600 Da in the viscera and 947 Da in the head. The peptide size distribution, obtained by size-exclusion chromatography, indicated that the largest presence of peptides below 1000 Da and 200 Da was observed in the viscera FPH.

Valorization of Aquaculture By-Products of Salmonids to Produce Enzymatic Hydrolysates: Process Optimization, Chemical Characterization and Evaluation of Bioactives.

In the present manuscript, various by-products (heads, trimmings, and frames) generated from salmonids (rainbow trout and salmon) processing were evaluated as substrates for the production of fish protein hydrolysates (FPHs), potentially adequate as protein ingredients of aquaculture feeds. Initially, enzymatic conditions of hydrolysis were optimized using second order rotatable designs and multivariable statistical analysis. The optimal conditions for the Alcalase hydrolysis of heads were 0.1% (v/w) of enzyme concentration, pH 8.27, 56.2°C, ratio (Solid:Liquid = 1:1), 3 h of hydrolysis, and agitation of 200 rpm for rainbow trout and 0.2% (v/w) of enzyme, pH 8.98, 64.2 °C, 200 rpm, 3 h of hydrolysis, and S:L = 1:1 for salmon. These conditions obtained at 100 mL-reactor scale were then validated at 5L-reactor scale. The hydrolytic capacity of Alcalase and the protein quality of FPHs were excellent in terms of digestion of wastes (Vdig > 84%), high degrees of hydrolysis (Hm > 30%), high concentration of soluble protein (Prs > 48 g/L), good balance of amino acids, and almost full in vitro digestibility (Dig > 93%). Fish oils were recovered from wastes jointly with FPHs and bioactive properties of hydrolysates (antioxidant and antihypertensive) were also determined. The salmon FPHs from trimmings + frames (TF) showed the higher protein content in comparison to the rest of FPHs from salmonids. Average molecular weights of salmonid-FPHs ranged from 1.4 to 2.0 kDa and the peptide sizes distribution indicated that hydrolysates of rainbow trout heads and salmon TF led to the highest percentages of small peptides (0-500 Da).

Isolation and Chemical Characterization of Chondroitin Sulfate from Cartilage By-Products of Blackmouth Catshark (Galeus melastomus).

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a glycosaminoglycan actively researched for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and tissue engineering applications. CS extracted from marine animals displays different features from common terrestrial sources, resulting in distinct properties, such as anti-viral and anti-metastatic. Therefore, exploration of undescribed marine species holds potential to expand the possibilities of currently-known CS. Accordingly, we have studied for the first time the production and characterization of CS from blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus), a shark species commonly discarded as by-catch. The process of CS purification consists of cartilage hydrolysis with alcalase, followed by two different chemical treatments and ending with membrane purification. All steps were optimized by response surface methodology. According to this, the best conditions for cartilage proteolysis were established at 52.9 °C and pH = 7.31. Subsequent purification by either alkaline treatment or hydroalcoholic alkaline precipitation yielded CS with purities of 81.2%, 82.3% and 97.4% respectively, after 30-kDa membrane separation. The molecular weight of CS obtained ranges 53⁻66 kDa, depending on the conditions. Sulfation profiles were similar for all materials, with dominant CS-C (GlcA-GalNAc6S) units (55%), followed by 23⁻24% of CS-A (GlcA-GalNAc4S), a substantial amount (15⁻16%) of CS-D (GlcA2S-GalNAc6S) and less than 7% of other disulfated and unsulfated disaccharides.

Production of Chitin from Penaeus vannamei By-Products to Pilot Plant Scale Using a Combination of Enzymatic and Chemical Processes and Subsequent Optimization of the Chemical Production of Chitosan by Response Surface Methodology.

The waste generated from shrimp processing contains valuable materials such as protein, carotenoids, and chitin. The present study describes a process at pilot plant scale to recover chitin from the cephalothorax of Penaeus vannamei using mild conditions. The application of a sequential enzymatic-acid-alkaline treatment yields 30% chitin of comparable purity to commercial sources. Effluents from the process are rich in protein and astaxanthin, and represent inputs for further by-product recovery. As a last step, chitin is deacetylated to produce chitosan; the optimal conditions are established by applying a response surface methodology (RSM). Under these conditions, deacetylation reaches 92% as determined by Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR), and the molecular weight (Mw) of chitosan is estimated at 82 KDa by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Chitin and chitosan microstructures are characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Levels of potential bioactive compounds including carotenoids, vitamin C and phenolic compounds, and expression of their cognate biosynthetic genes vary significantly in different varieties of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) grown under uniform cultural conditions.

BACKGROUND: In addition to their high carbohydrate content, potatoes are also an important dietary source of vitamin C and bioactive secondary metabolites, including phenolic compounds and carotenoids, which have been suggested to play a role in human health. The expression of genes encoding key enzymes involved in the synthesis of these compounds was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and compared to the accumulation of the corresponding product in seven potato varieties showing contrasting levels of metabolite accumulation. RESULTS: Strong positive correlations were found between phenolic content in the flesh of tubers and transcript levels of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS) genes. The expression of PAL and CHS was also related to that of AN1, a transcription factor involved in the synthesis of anthocyanins, suggesting that these genes are regulated in a coordinated manner. No clear relationship was found between transcript levels of phytoene synthase (PSY) or L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH) genes and total carotenoid or vitamin C accumulation, respectively. CONCLUSION: Data indicate that levels of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds in potato are controlled primarily by PAL and CHS gene expression. Transcript levels of PSY and GLDH did not control accumulation of carotenoids or vitamin C.

Optimal and sustainable production of tailored fish protein hydrolysates from tuna canning wastes and discarded blue whiting: Effect of protein molecular weight on chemical and bioactive properties.

Thousands tons of discards of blue whiting (BW) and tuna heads (YT) by-products are generated each year in Europe. BW is the species most discarded by European fishing fleet and, in some canning factories, YT are processed for the retrieval of oil rich in omega-3, but producing a huge amount of solid remains and effluents disposal as wastes. The development of optimal and sustainable processes for both substrates is mandatory in order to reach clean solutions under the circular economy precepts. This work focused on the mathematical optimization of the production of tailored fish protein hydrolysates (FPH), from blue whiting and tuna residues, in terms of controlling average molecular weights (Mw) of proteins. For the modeling of the protein depolymerization time-course, a pseudo-mechanistic model was used, which combined a reaction mechanistic equation affected, in the kinetic parameters, by two non-lineal equations (a first-order kinetic and like-Weibull formulae). In all situations, experimental data were accurately simulated by that model achieving R2 values higher than 0.96. The validity of the experimental conditions obtained from modeling were confirmed performing productions of FPH at scale of 5 L-reactor, without pH-control in most of cases, at the different ranges of Mw selected (1-2 kDa, 2-5 kDa and 5-10 kDa). The results showed that FPH from BW with lower Mw led to a remarkable yield of production (12 % w/w of substrate), largest protein contents (77 % w/w of BW hydrolysate), greatest in vitro digestibility (>95 %), highest essential amino acid presence (43 %) and the best antioxidant (DPPH = 62 %) and antihypertensive (IC50-ACE = 80 mg/L) properties. Our results prove that the proposed procedure to produce sustainable FPH, with specific Mw characterisitics, could be extended to other fish waste substrates. Tailored FPH may have the potential to serve as valuable ingredients for functional foods and high-quality aquaculture feed.

Boosting Supercapacitor Efficiency with Amorphous Biomass-Derived C@TiO2 Composites.

Carbon materials are readily available and are essential in energy storage. One of the routes used to enhance their surface area and activity is the decoration of carbons with semiconductors, such as amorphous TiO2, for application in energy storage devices.

Valorisation of pork by-products to obtain antioxidant and antihypertensive peptides.

The porcine liver could be used for the extraction of zinc-protoporphyrin (ZnPP) as a natural red meat pigment. During the autolysis process, porcine liver homogenates was incubated at pH 4.8 and 45 °C under anaerobic conditions to obtain insoluble ZnPP. After incubation, the homogenates were readjusted at pH 4.8, and at pH 7.5 before being centrifuged at 5500 × g for 20 min at 4 °C and the resulting supernatant were compared with the obtained at pH 4.8 at the beginning of the incubation. The molecular weight distributions of the porcine liver fractions at both pHs were very similar, however, eight essential amino acids were more abundant in fractions obtained at pH 4.8. Regarding the ORAC assay, porcine liver protein fraction at pH 4.8 showed the highest antioxidant capacity but antihypertensive inhibition was similar for both pHs. Peptides with strong bioactivity potential from aldehyde dehydrogenase, lactoylglutathione lyase, SEC14-like protein 3 and others were identified. The findings have demonstrated the potential of the porcine liver to extract natural pigments and bioactive peptides.

Chitins from Seafood Waste as Sustainable Porous Carbon Precursors for the Development of Eco-Friendly Supercapacitors.

Carbon materials derived from marine waste have been drawing attention for supercapacitor applications. In this work, chitins from squid and prawn marine wastes were used as carbon precursors for further application as electrodes for energy storage devices. Chitins were obtained through a deproteinization method based on enzymatic hydrolysis as an alternative to chemical hydrolysis as commonly presented in the literature. The obtained porous carbons were characterized using a BET surface area analyzer to determine the specific surface area and pore size, as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to characterize their morphology, composition, and structure. The electrochemical characterization was performed using a glassy carbon (GC) electrode modified with marine waste-based porous carbons as the working electrode through cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge using ethaline, a choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent (DES), as an eco-friendly and sustainable electrolyte. Squid and prawn chitin-based carbons presented a surface area of 149.3 m2 g-1 and 85.0 m2 g-1, pore volume of 0.053 cm3 g-1 and 0.029 cm3 g-1, and an associated specific capacitance of 20 and 15 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, respectively. Preliminary studies were performed to understand the effect of -OH groups on the chitin-based carbon surface with DES as an electrolyte, as well as the effect of aqueous electrolytes (1 mol L-1 sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and 1 mol L-1 potassium hydroxide (KOH)) on the capacitance and retention of the half-cell set up. It is provided, for the first time, the use of chitin-based carbon materials obtained through a one-step carbonization process combined with an eco-friendly DES electrolyte for potential application in energy storage devices.

Renewable Carbon Materials as Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors: From Marine Biowaste to High Specific Surface Area Porous Biocarbons.

Waste, in particular, biowaste, can be a valuable source of novel carbon materials. Renewable carbon materials, such as biomass-derived carbons, have gained significant attention recently as potential electrode materials for various electrochemical devices, including batteries and supercapacitors. The importance of renewable carbon materials as electrodes can be attributed to their sustainability, low cost, high purity, high surface area, and tailored properties. Fish waste recovered from the fish processing industry can be used for energy applications and prioritizing the circular economy principles. Herein, a method is proposed to prepare a high surface area biocarbon from glycogen extracted from mussel cooking wastewater. The biocarbon materials were characterized using a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer to determine the specific surface area and pore size and by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Raman analysis, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical characterization was performed using a three-electrode system, utilizing a choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) as an eco-friendly and sustainable electrolyte. Optimal time and temperature allowed the preparation of glycogen-based carbon materials, with a specific surface area of 1526 m2 g-1, a pore volume of 0.38 cm3 g-1, and an associated specific capacitance of 657 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1, at 30 °C. The optimal material was scaled up to a two-electrode supercapacitor using a DES-based solid-state electrolyte (SSE@DES). This prototype delivered a maximum capacitance of 703 F g-1 at a 1 A g-1 of current density, showing 75% capacitance retention over 1000 cycles, delivering the highest energy density of 0.335 W h kg-1 and power density of 1341 W kg-1. Marine waste can be a sustainable source for producing nanoporous carbon materials to be incorporated as electrode materials in energy storage devices.

Hyaluronan Brush-like Copolymers Promote CD44 Declustering in Breast Cancer Cells.

We report on the synthesis of hyaluronan (HA) brush-like copolymers and their application as antagonists of tumorigenic CD44-HA interactions. HA (4.8 kDa, ca. 24 saccharides) was grafted on 2-hydrohyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) by end-on oxime ligation. The obtained copolymers were compared with low and high molecular weight HA in terms of hydrolysis kinetics in the presence of hyaluronidase (isothermal titration calorimetry) and interactions with CD44 (surface plasmon resonance). The results evidenced that the high molecular weight HA and HA-g-HEMA have a much higher affinity to CD44 than low molecular weight HA. Additionally, slower enzymatic degradation was observed for the copolymer, making it an excellent candidate for active targeting of tumorigenic CD44-HA interactions. We, therefore, investigated the effect of the copolymer on cancer cell lines with different expression of CD44 and observed an efficient declustering of CD44 that is usually associated with reduction of metastasis and drug resistance.

Characterization of Tuna Gelatin-Based Hydrogels as a Matrix for Drug Delivery.

The skin of yellowfin tuna is one of the fishery industry solid residues with the greatest potential to add extra value to its circular economy that remains yet unexploited. Particularly, the high collagen content of fish skin allows generating gelatin by hydrolysis, which is ideal for forming hydrogels due to its biocompatibility and gelling capability. Hydrogels have been used as drug carriers for local administration due to their mechanical properties and drug loading capacity. Herein, novel tuna gelatin hydrogels were designed as drug vehicles with two structurally different antitumoral model compounds such as Doxorubicin and Crocin to be administrated locally in tissues with complex human anatomies after surgical resection. The characterization by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of purified gelatin confirmed their heterogeneity composition, exhibiting three major bands that correspond to the ß and α chains along with high molecular weight species. In addition, the Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectra of gelatin probed the secondary structure of the gelatin showing the simultaneous existence of α helix, ß sheet, and random coil structures. Morphological studies at different length scales were performed by a multi-technique approach using SAXS/WAXS, AFM and cryo-SEM that revealed the porous network formed by the interaction of gelatin planar aggregates. In addition, the sol-gel transition, as well as the gelation point and the hydrogel strength, were studied using dynamic rheology and differential scanning calorimetry. Likewise, the loading and release profiles followed by UV-visible spectroscopy indicated that the novel gelatin hydrogels improve the drug release of Doxorubicin and Crocin in a sustained fashion, indicating the structure-function importance in the material composition.

Multifunctional PLA/Gelatin Bionanocomposites for Tailored Drug Delivery Systems.

A series of bionanocomposites composed of shark gelatin hydrogels and PLA nanoparticles featuring different nanostructures were designed to generate multifunctional drug delivery systems with tailored release rates required for personalized treatment approaches. The global conception of the systems was considered from the desired customization of the drug release while featuring the viscoelastic properties needed for their ease of storage and posterior local administration as well as their biocompatibility and cell growth capability for the successful administration at the biomolecular level. The hydrogel matrix offers the support to develop a direct thermal method to convert the typical kinetic trapped nanostructures afforded by the formulation method whilst avoiding the detrimental nanoparticle agglomeration that diminishes their therapeutic effect. The nanoparticles generated were successfully formulated with two different antitumoral compounds (doxorubicin and dasatinib) possessing different structures to prove the loading versatility of the drug delivery system. The bionanocomposites were characterized by several techniques (SEM, DLS, RAMAN, DSC, SAXS/WAXS and rheology) as well as their reversible sol-gel transition upon thermal treatment that occurs during the drug delivery system preparation and the thermal annealing step. In addition, the local applicability of the drug delivery system was assessed by the so-called "syringe test" to validate both the storage capability and its flow properties at simulated physiological conditions. Finally, the drug release profiles of the doxorubicin from both the PLA nanoparticles or the bionanocomposites were analyzed and correlated to the nanostructure of the drug delivery system.