An eco-friendly chitosan/cellulose acetate hybrid nanostructure containing Ziziphora clinopodioides essential oils for active food packaging applications.

This work presents the fabrication and characterization of a hybrid nanostructure, Ziziphora clinopodioides essential oils (ZEO)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs-ZEO) embedded into cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers (CA-CSNPs-ZEO). The CSNPs-ZEO were first synthesized through the ionic gelation method. Then, through simultaneous electrospraying and electrospinning processes, the nanoparticles were embedded in the CA nanofibers. The morphological and physicochemical characteristics of the prepared nanostructures were evaluated using different methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water vapor permeability (WVP), moisture content (MC), mechanical testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and release profile studies. The antibacterial activity of the nanostructures was explored on raw beef as a food model during 12 days of storage at 4 °C. The obtained results indicated the successful synthesis of CSNPs-ZEO nanoparticles with an average size of 267 ± 6 nm and their incorporation into the nanofibers matrix. Moreover, the CA-CSNPs-ZEO nanostructure showed a lower water vapor barrier and higher tensile strength compared with ZEO-loaded CA (CA-ZEO) nanofiber. The CA-CSNPs-ZEO nanostructure also exhibited strong antibacterial activity, which effectively extended the shelf-life of raw beef. The results demonstrated a strong potential for innovative hybrid nanostructures in active packaging to maintain the quality of perishable food products.

Osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs on semi-interpenetrating polymer networks of polyurethane/poly(2­hydroxyethyl methacrylate)/cellulose nanowhisker scaffolds.

Poly (2­hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) was crosslinked in the presence of biocompatible and biodegradable poly(caprolactone) (PCL) based polyurethanes (PUs) and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs). The CNWs were obtained from wastepaper. In order to crosslink PHEMA (10 wt%), a novel acrylic-urethane cross-linker was produced by a condensation reaction of PHEMA and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The PU-PHEMA-CNWs scaffolds were prepared by solvent casting/particulate leaching method in different weight percentages of CNWs (i.e., 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt%). The structural, mechanical, and in vitro biological properties of bio-nanocomposites were evaluated via FTIR, SEM, tensile, and MTT assay. The tensile strength of PU-PHEMA-0, PU-PHEMA-0.1, PU-PHEMA-0.5, and PU-PHEMA-1 were 76.2, 95.8, 98.1, and 89.8 kPa, respectively. Incorporation of CNWs also resulted in improved cell proliferation on PU-PHEMA-CNWs scaffolds. The bone marrow derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were seeded on the prepared porous scaffolds and incubated in osteogenic medium. Based on the results including calcium content assay, alkaline phosphatase assay, and mineralization staining, PU-PHEMA-CNW scaffolds were introduced as a suitable election for imitating the behavior of cellular niche. Bone mineralization and osteogenesis differentiation of hMSCs on PU-PHEMA-CNW scaffolds were significantly more than control after 14 days.

A survey on species and prevalence rate of bacterial agents isolated from cockroaches in three hospitals.

The presence of cockroaches has health implications, such as nosocomial infection, as the insects move freely from areas within and around hospitals that may harbor pathogenic organisms. The goals of the present study were to determine species of bacteria isolated from cockroaches found in three Tehran hospitals, and to determine distribution of potential vectors by species and sex. The study is descriptive laboratory research. A total of 305 cockroaches from three species were trapped and identified: Periplaneta americana (65.6%), Blatella germanica (12.1%), and Blatta orientalis (22.3%). From these potential vectors, 19 species of bacteria were isolated and identified. After transportation of cockroaches to the laboratory, separation of the whole-homogenized suspension of each species was carried out. Identification of the isolated bacteria was performed according to Burgey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 9th Edition. The most common species of bacteria isolated from cockroaches were Escherichia coli, Streptococcus Group D, Bacillus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus vulgaris. No statistical significance was found between sex and species of cockroach carrying bacteria (p > 0.05), but significance was found for sex in Citrobacter freundii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus non-group A&B (p < 0.05).