Smart Porous Multi-Stimulus Polysaccharide-Based Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering.

Recently, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine studies have evaluated smart biomaterials as implantable scaffolds and their interaction with cells for biomedical applications. Porous materials have been used in tissue engineering as synthetic extracellular matrices, promoting the attachment and migration of host cells to induce the in vitro regeneration of different tissues. Biomimetic 3D scaffold systems allow control over biophysical and biochemical cues, modulating the extracellular environment through mechanical, electrical, and biochemical stimulation of cells, driving their molecular reprogramming. In this review, first we outline the main advantages of using polysaccharides as raw materials for porous scaffolds, as well as the most common processing pathways to obtain the adequate textural properties, allowing the integration and attachment of cells. The second approach focuses on the tunable characteristics of the synthetic matrix, emphasizing the effect of their mechanical properties and the modification with conducting polymers in the cell response. The use and influence of polysaccharide-based porous materials as drug delivery systems for biochemical stimulation of cells is also described. Overall, engineered biomaterials are proposed as an effective strategy to improve in vitro tissue regeneration and future research directions of modified polysaccharide-based materials in the biomedical field are suggested.

Electrochemical Characterization of Mancozeb Degradation for Wastewater Treatment Using a Sensor Based on Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) Modified with Carbon Nanotubes and Gold Nanoparticles.

Mancozeb is a worldwide fungicide used on a large scale in agriculture. The active component and its main metabolite, ethylene thiourea, has been related to health issues. Robust, fast, and reliable methodologies to quantify its presence in water are of great importance for environmental and health reasons. The electrochemical evaluation of mancozeb using a low-cost electrochemical electrode modified with poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene), multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and gold nanoparticles is a novel strategy to provide an in-situ response for water pollution from agriculture. Additionally, the thermal-, electrochemical-, and photo-degradation of mancozeb and the production of ethylene thiourea under controlled conditions were evaluated in this research. The mancozeb solutions were characterized by electrochemical oxidation and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, and the ethylene thiourea concentration was measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. The degradation study of mancozeb may provide routes for treatment in wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, a low-cost electrochemical electrode was fabricated to detect mancozeb in water with a robust electrochemical response in the linear range as well as a quick response at a reduced volume. Hence, our novel modified electrode provides a potential technique to be used in environmental monitoring for pesticide detection.