Biofunctionalization and Applications of Polymeric Nanofibers in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

The limited ability of most human tissues to regenerate has necessitated the interventions namely autograft and allograft, both of which carry the limitations of its own. An alternative to such interventions could be the capability to regenerate the tissue in vivo.Regeneration of tissue using the innate capacity of the cells to regenerate is studied under the discipline of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). Besides the cells and growth-controlling bioactives, scaffolds play the central role in TERM which is analogous to the role performed by extracellular matrix (ECM) in the vivo. Mimicking the structure of ECM at the nanoscale is one of the critical attributes demonstrated by nanofibers. This unique feature and its customizable structure to befit different types of tissues make nanofibers a competent candidate for tissue engineering. This review discusses broad range of natural and synthetic biodegradable polymers employed to construct nanofibers as well as biofunctionalization of polymers to improve cellular interaction and tissue integration. Amongst the diverse ways to fabricate nanofibers, electrospinning has been discussed in detail along with advances in this technique. Review also presents a discourse on application of nanofibers for a range of tissues, namely neural, vascular, cartilage, bone, dermal and cardiac.

Deep Eutectic Solvents: Fundamental Aspect, Characterizations and Applications.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) containing bioactive have been explored as potential choices for therapeutic efficiency enhancement. DESs are regarded as superior compared to established solvents owing to accessibility, storage conditions, synthesis, and low cost. As such, intensive research has taken place in different disciplines, especially nutraceuticals, foods and pharmaceuticals. The applications of DESs, especially in nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical delivery, have shown great promise. Despite these different successes, the safety issues of these DESs need to be properly identified. A safe mixture of DESs must be developed to take its broad range of advantages to the nutraceutical industry, and, therefore, its nutraceutical applications can only be introduced if DESs are known to have profiles of negligible or minimal toxicity. This review emphasizes the fundamental aspects needed to have a better understanding of DESs. It covers the current prospects of DES, including types, properties, formulation components and characterization methods. The several characterization methods, viz., pH, density, refractive index, viscosity, surface tension, solubility, polarized optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction studies, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are also mentioned. Further, the promising applications of DESs in different nutraceutical and pharmaceutical domains are highlighted.