Nanocrystalline Cellulose-Assisted Generation of Silver Nanoparticles for Nonenzymatic Glucose Detection and Antibacterial Agent.

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) is a kind of natural biopolymers with merits of large surface area, high specific strength and unique optical properties. This report shows that NCC can serve as the substrate, allowing glucose to reduce Tollen's reagent to produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at room temperature. The generation of AgNPs is affected by the factors such as the concentrations of silver ions, NCC and glucose, as well as the different reaction temperatures. The AgNPs with NCC are applied for the development of a visual, quantitative, nonenzymatic and high-sensitive assay for glucose detection in serum. This assay is also used for monitoring the concentration change of glucose in medium during cell culture. For the antibacterial activity, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the generated AgNPs with NCC is much lower than that of commercial AgNPs, attributed to the good dispersion of AgNPs with the presence of NCC. As NCC exhibits unique advantages including green, stable, inexpensive, and abundant, the NCC-based generation of AgNPs may find promising applications in clinical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, and the control of bacteria.

Bioinspired, Robust, and Absorbable Cellulose Nanofibrils/Chitosan Filament with Remarkable Cytocompatibility and Wound Healing Properties.

Surgical threads are of great importance to prevent wound infection and accelerate tissue healing in surgical treatment. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and chitosan (CS) are attracting increasing attention to be employed as biomedicine materials due to their nontoxicity, cytocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, a robust and absorbable cellulose-based surgical thread has not been explored. Therefore, in this work, a bioinspired CNF/CS composite thread containing 5% cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) by the mass of CS was prepared, and the obtained CNF/CS-5C thread exhibited excellent mechanical properties and low swelling ratio in water due to the high cross-link degree. Especially, the tensile strength (1877 ± 107 MPa) of this thread was much higher than that of most reported CNF-based threads. Meanwhile, compared with commercial silk and Vicryl surgical threads, the CNF/CS-5C thread exhibited better in vitro cytocompatibility toward endothelial and fibroblast cells and lower inflammatory response in vivo to subcutaneous tissues of rats. In addition, the obtained thread could be regarded as a promising absorbable suture, which exhibited excellent wound healing performances in vivo. Therefore, the prepared absorbable thread will open a new window to prepare novel and advanced cellulose-based threads for medical applications.

Red blood cell membrane-functionalized Nanofibrous tubes for small-diameter vascular grafts.

The off-the-shelf small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs) have inferior clinical efficacy. Red blood cell membrane (Rm) has easy availability and multiple bioactive components (such as phospholipids, proteins, and glycoproteins), which can improve the clinic's availability and patency of SDVGs. Here we developed a facile approach to preparing an Rm-functionalized poly-ε-caprolactone/poly-d-lysine (Rm@PCL/PDL) tube by co-incubation and single-step rolling. The integrity, stability, and bioactivity of Rm on Rm@PCL/PDL were evaluated. The revascularization of Rm@PCL/PDL tubes was studied by implantation in the carotid artery of rabbits. Rm@PCL/PDL can be quickly prepared and showed excellent bioactivity with good hemocompatibility and great anti-inflammatory. Rm@PCL/PDL tubes as the substitute for the carotid artery of rabbits had good patency and quick remodeling within 21 days. Rm, as a "self" biomaterial with high biosafety, provides a new and facile approach to developing personalized or universal SDVGs for the clinic, which is of great significance in cardiovascular regenerative medicine and organ chip.

The interaction between nanocellulose and microorganisms for new degradable packaging: A review.

Nanocellulose (NC), including cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), and bacterial cellulose (BC), has attracted a great deal of attention as a green packaging material. NC can protect food from pathogen adhesion and can be degraded by microorganisms after being discarded. In this review, we introduce preparations of NC-based film, including layer by layer (LbL) assembly, electrospinning, coating, extrusion, casting, vacuum filtration, and immersion. We summarize the interaction between microorganisms and NC, and focused on the impact of NC on microbial adhesion to surfaces and the influence of microorganisms on degradation of NC-based film. We put forward the challenges of NC faces in packaging, such as hydrophobicity, antibacterial properties, and industrialization. We finally propose future perspectives of NC-based film as the packaging material.

Nanocrystalline Cellulose Cures Constipation via Gut Microbiota Metabolism.

Constipation can seriously affect the quality of life and increase the risk of colorectal cancer. The present strategies for constipation therapy have adverse effects, such as causing irreversible intestinal damage and affecting the absorption of nutrients. Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), which is from natural plants, has good biocompatibility and high safety. Herein, we used NCC to treat constipation assessed by the black stool, intestinal tissue sections, and serum biomarkers. We studied the effect of NCC on gut microbiota and discussed the correlation of gut microbiota and metabolites. We evaluated the long-term biosafety of NCC. NCC could effectively treat constipation through gut microbiota metabolism, which required a small dosage and did not affect the organs and intestines. NCC could be used as an alternative to medications and dietary fiber for constipation therapy.

Glycyrrhetinic acid-functionalized degradable micelles as liver-targeted drug carrier.

Recently, many efforts have been devoted to investigating the application of functionalized micelles as targeted drug delivery carriers. In this study, glycyrrhetinic acid (GA, a liver targeting ligand) modified poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate) micelles were prepared and evaluated as a potential liver-targeted drug carrier. The aggregation behavior, stability, size and morphology of the micelles were investigated. Anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated in the micelles. The drug release profile, in vivo distribution and the cytotoxicity against hepatic carcinoma QGY-7703 cells of DOX-loaded micelles were studied. The results indicated that the release profile was pH-dependent with Fickian diffusion kinetics. The micelles were remarkably targeted to the liver, inducing a 4.9-fold higher DOX concentration than that for free DOX · HCl. The DOX-loaded micelles exhibited almost twofold more potent cytotoxicity compared with DOX · HCl, and the cytotoxicity was time- and dosage-dependent. These results suggest that GA-functionalized micelles represent a promising carrier for drug delivery to the liver.

Advances in polysaccharide nanocrystals as pharmaceutical excipients.

Polysaccharide nanocrystals (PNs) are attractive pharmaceutical excipients due to their abundant surface hydroxyl groups, high surface charges, prominent mechanical properties, excellent fluidity, and good swelling properties. In this review, we summarize three kinds of PNs, including cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), starch nanocrystals (SNCs), and chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs). We introduce the applications of PNs as stabilizers, adsorbents, film-forming materials, gel materials, disintegrants, and ointment matrices. We focus on the advantages of PNs to improve mechanical properties, thermal stability, therapeutic effect, biocompatibility, and release of active pharmaceutical ingredients. We discuss regulatory issues of PNs. We finally propose the challenges and future perspectives of PNs as pharmaceutical excipients.

The Effect of Different Additives on the Hydration and Gelation Properties of Composite Dental Gypsum.

Dental mold gypsum materials require fine powder, appropriate liquidity, fast curing, and easy-to-perform clinical operations. They require low linear expansion coefficient and high strength, reflecting the master model and facilitating demolding. In this article, the suitable accelerators and reinforcing agents were selected as additives to modify dental gypsum. The main experimental methods used were to compare the trends of linear expansion coefficients of several commercially available dental gypsum products over 72 h and to observe the cross-sectional microstructure of cured bodies before and after dental gypsum modification using scanning electron microscopy. By adjusting the application of additives, the linear expansion coefficient of dental gypsum decreased from 0.26% to 0.06%, while the flexural strength increased from 6.7 MPa to 7.4 MPa at 2 h. Formulated samples showed good stability and gelation properties with linear expansion completed within 12 h. It is indicated that the performance of dental gypsum materials can be improved by adding additives and nanomaterials, which provided a good reference for clinical preparation of high-precision dental prosthesis.

Adsorptivity of cationic cellulose nanocrystals for phosphate and its application in hyperphosphatemia therapy.

Nanocellulose has gained much attention because of its excellent properties. Cationic cellulose nanocrystals (cCNC) shows good adsorptivity toward negative ions and molecules. Phosphate binders are most used to treat hyperphosphatemia and it is significant to develop its alternatives with high specific and low cost in the clinic. Herein, we prepared cCNC and characterized it by FTIR, TEM, dynamic light scattering, and viscosity method. We simulated the binding process of cationic cellulose for phosphate and used it as phosphate binder for hyperphosphatemia therapy to study the phosphate binding effect and evaluate the oral toxicity. Cationic cellulose improved the conditions of mice models and efficiently decreased the level of phosphate in the serum. cCNC had a better binding effect than cationic microcrystalline cellulose both in vitro and in vivo. cCNC could be used as alternatives to phosphate binder for therapy of chronic renal failure and hyperphosphatemia.

Dialdehyde Nanocrystalline Cellulose as Antibiotic Substitutes against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Antibiotic abuse resulted in the emergence of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens, which pose a severe threat to public health. It is urgent to develop antibiotic substitutes to kill multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens effectively. Herein, the antibacterial dialdehyde nanocrystalline cellulose (DNC) was prepared and characterized. The antibacterial activity and biosafety of DNC were studied. With the increasing content of aldehyde groups, DNC exhibited high antibacterial activity against Gram-positive pathogens in vitro. DNC3 significantly reduced the amounts of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on the skin of infected mice models, which showed low cytotoxicity, excellent skin compatibility, and no acute oral toxicity. DNC exhibited potentials as antibiotic substitutes to fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as ingredients in salves to treat skin infection and other on-skin applications.

Anticoagulant Hydrogel Tubes with Poly(ɛ-Caprolactone) Sheaths for Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts.

Small-diameter vascular grafts (inner diameter < 6 mm) are useful in treating cardiovascular diseases. The off-the-shelf small-diameter vascular grafts for clinical applications remain a great limitation owing to their thrombogenicity or intimal hyperplasia. Herein, bilayer anticoagulant hydrogel tubes with poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) sheaths are prepared by freeze-thawing and electrospinning, which contain nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-heparin/poly-L-lysine nanoparticles tube as an inner layer and PCL sheath as an outer layer. The structure, anticoagulant property, and biocompatibility of the inner layer are studied. The effects of thickness of the outer layer on perfusion performance and mechanical property of hydrogel tubes with PCL sheaths (PCL-NFC/PVA-NPs tubes) are investigated. The effect of compliance of PCL-NFC/PVA-NPs tubes on their blood flow is studied by numerical simulation. The tissue compatibility and the patency of PCL-NFC/PVA-NPs tubes are evaluated by implantation in subcutaneous tissue of rats and carotid artery of rabbits. PCL-NFC/PVA-NPs tubes have prominent anticoagulation, sufficient burst pressure and good compliance similar to native arteries. PCL-NFC/PVA-NPs tubes facilitate infiltration of host cells and achieve active proliferation of recruited cells, which will be a promising candidate for small-diameter vascular grafts.

Nanomaterials for the theranostics of obesity.

As a chronic and lifelong disease, obesity not only significant impairs health but also dramatically shortens life span (at least 10 years). Obesity requires a life-long effort for the successful treatment because a number of abnormalities would appear in the development of obesity. Nanomaterials possess large specific surface area, strong absorptivity, and high bioavailability, especially the good targeting properties and adjustable release rate, which would benefit the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases. Herein, we discussed the therapy and diagnosis of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases by using nanomaterials. Therapies of obesity with nanomaterials include improving intestinal health and reducing energy intake, targeting and treating functional cell abnormalities, regulating redox homeostasis, and removing free lipoprotein in blood. Diagnosis of obesity-related metabolic diseases would benefit the therapy of these diseases. The development of nanomaterials will promote the diagnosis and therapy of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases.

Advances in tissue engineering of nanocellulose-based scaffolds: A review.

Scaffolds based on nanocellulose (NC) have crucial applications in tissue engineering (TE) owing to the biocompatibility, water absorption, water retention, optical transparency, and chemo-mechanical properties. In this review, we summarize the scaffolds based on nanocellulose, including nanocrystalline cellulose and nanofibrillated cellulose. We compare four representative methods to prepare NC-based scaffolds, containing electrospinning, freeze-drying, 3D printing, and solvent casting. We outline the characteristics of scaffolds obtained by different methods. Our focus is on the applications of NC-based scaffolds to repair, improve or replace damaged tissues and organs, including skin, blood vessel, nerve, skeletal muscle, heart, liver, and ophthalmology. NC-based scaffolds are attractive materials for regeneration of different tissues and organs due to the remarkable features. Finally, we propose the challenges and potentials of NC-based TE scaffolds.

Gold Nanoparticles Cure Bacterial Infection with Benefit to Intestinal Microflora.

Antibiotics that are most used to cure bacterial infections in the clinic result in the imbalance of intestinal microflora, destroy the intestinal barrier, and induce bacterial resistance. There is an urgent need for antibacterial agent therapy for bacterial infections that does not destroy intestinal microflora. Herein, we applied 4,6-diamino-2-pyrimidinethiol (DAPT)-coated Au nanoparticles (D-Au NPs) for therapy of bacterial infection induced by Escherichia coli ( E. coli) in the gut. We cultured D-Au NPs and E. coli in an anaerobic atmosphere to evaluate their bactericidal effect. We studied the microflora, distribution of Au, and biomarkers in mice after a 28-day oral administration to analyze the effect of Au NPs on mice. D-Au NPs cured bacterial infections more effectively than levofloxacin without harming intestinal microflora. D-Au NPs showed great potential as alternatives to oral antibiotics.

Nanocellulose-Based Antibacterial Materials.

In recent years, nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials have attracted a great deal of attention due to their unique and potentially useful features. In this review, several representative types of nanocellulose and modification methods for antimicrobial applications are mainly focused on. Recent literature related with the preparation and applications of nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials is reviewed. The fabrication of nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials for wound dressings, drug carriers, and packaging materials is the focus of the research. The most important additives employed in the preparation of nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials are presented, such as antibiotics, metal, and metal oxide nanoparticles, as well as chitosan. These nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials can benefit many applications including wound dressings, drug carriers, and packaging materials. Finally, the challenges of industrial production and potentials for development of nanocellulose-based antimicrobial materials are discussed.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified by CD-containing star polymer for MRI and drug delivery.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles with ultrasmall sizes show good T1 or T1+T2 contrast abilities, and have attracted considerable interest in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. For effective biomedical applications, the colloidal stability and biocompatibility of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles need to be improved without reducing MRI relaxivity. In this paper, star polymers were used as coating materials to modify Fe3O4 nanoparticles in view of their dense molecular architecture with moderate flexibility. The star polymer was composed of a ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) core and poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) arms. Meanwhile, reduced glutathione (GSH), as a model drug, was also associated with the star polymer. Thus, a new platform for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment was achieved. Compared to the Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with linear polymers, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with star polymers (Fe3O4@GCP) possessed higher GSH association capacity and better stability in serum-containing solution. GSH could be released from Fe3O4@GCP nanoparticles in response to pH value of the solution. Since the sulfhydryl group on GSH is able to combine free radicals, Fe3O4@GCP nanoparticles exhibited less cytotoxicity compared to the Fe3O4 nanoparticles without including GSH. Furthermore, the nanoparticles could also serve as good T1 MRI contrast agent, and the MRI relaxivity of Fe3O4@GCP nanoparticles did not decrease after coated with the star polymer. These results indicate that the precisely designed Fe3O4@GCP nanoparticles could be used as a versatile promising theranostic nano-platform.

Nanocrystalline cellulose-dispersed AKD emulsion for enhancing the mechanical and multiple barrier properties of surface-sized paper.

In this study, we employed nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) as an efficient dispersant to perpare alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) emulsion. The particle size and zeta potential of AKD/NCC emulsion were measured, which were approximately 5 µm and -50 mV, respectively. The surface-sized paper possessed multiple barriers properties. The air permeability of surface-sized paper was 0.29 µm/Pas and the sizing degree reached 42 s when the amount of sizing was 12.58 g/m(2) with a 96.83% decrease and a 40.00%, increase, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanical properties were optimal when the amount of sizing was about 8 g/m(2). AKD/NCC emulsion acted as a good reinforcing agent in surface-sized paper.

Water-soluble nanocrystalline cellulose films with highly transparent and oxygen barrier properties.

By mixing a guar gum (GG) solution with a nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) dispersion using a novel circular casting technology, we manufactured biodegradable films as packaging materials with improved optical and mechanical properties. These films could act as barriers for oxygen and could completely dissolve in water within 5 h. We also compared the effect of nanocomposite films and commercial food packaging materials on the preservation of food.

Formulation and evaluation of nanocrystalline cellulose as a potential disintegrant.

Disintegrant is a typical excipient that improves the solubility, dissolution and bioavailability of drug. In this study, the application of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) as a potential disintegrant in the preparation of tablet was investigated. Angle of repose of NCC was 44.26° which was between L-HPC and MCC suggesting a good fluidity of NCC. Swelling property of NCC was between CMS-Na and MCC indicating that NCC was of good absorbent ability. Carbonate calcium tablet of which NCC was used as a disintegrant exhibited fastest disintegration time than known disintegrants. The disintegration and dissolution tests demonstrated that NCC showed effective disintegrant properties, e.g. consistently fast disintegration, rapid dissolution, and effectiveness at low concentrations. Thus, we believe that NCC has a great potential as a disintegrant in tablets.

Using carboxylated nanocrystalline cellulose as an additive in cellulosic paper and poly (vinyl alcohol) fiber paper.

Specialty paper (e.g. cigarette paper and battery diaphragm paper) requires extremely high strength properties. The addition of strength agents plays an important role in increasing strength properties of paper. Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), or cellulose whiskers, has the potential to enhance the strength properties of paper via improving inter-fibers bonding. This paper was to determine the potential of using carboxylated nanocrystalline cellulose (CNCC) to improve the strength properties of paper made of cellulosic fiber or poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fiber. The results indicated that the addition of CNCC can effectively improve the strength properties. At a CNCC dosage of 0.7%, the tear index and tensile index of the cellulosic paper reached the maximum of 12.8 mN m2/g and 100.7 Nm/g, respectively. More importantly, when increasing the CNCC dosage from 0.1 to 1.0%, the tear index and tensile index of PVA fiber paper were increased by 67.29%, 22.55%, respectively.