Applications of chitin and chitosan based biomaterials for the adsorptive removal of textile dyes from water - A comprehensive review.

The presence of pollutants in the water bodies deteriorate the water quality and make it unfit for use. From an environmental perspective, it is essential to develop new technologies for the wastewater treatment and recycling of dye contaminated water. The surface modified chitin and chitosan biopolymeric composites based adsorbents, have an important role in the toxic organic dyes from removal wastewater. The surface modification of biopolymers with various organics and inorganics produces more active sites at the surface of the adsorbent, which enhances dye and adsorbent interaction more reliable. Herein, the work brought in the thought of the application of various chitin and chitosan composites in wastewater remediation and suggested the versatility in composites for the development of rapid, selective and effective removal processes for the detoxification of a variety of organic dyes. It further emphasizes the existing obstruction and impending prediction for the deprivation of dyes via adsorption techniques.

Gelatin/carboxymethyl cellulose based stimuli-responsive hydrogels for controlled delivery of 5-fluorouracil, development, in vitro characterization, in vivo safety and bioavailability evaluation.

Current work focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel pH-sensitive biocompatible gelatin/carboxymethyl cellulose based hydrogels by free radical polymerization technique cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Effect of pH, polymer ratio and variable crosslinking concentrations on dynamic swelling, equilibrium swelling, porosity, sol-gel analysis and in vitro release pattern was investigated. Hydrogel structure was confirmed by FTIR, XRD, and DSC. Moreover scanning electron microscopy confirmed the porous structure of gel network. Various structure property relationships like average molecular weight between crosslinks (Mc), solvent interaction parameters, volume fraction of polymer (V2,s) and diffusion coefficient (D) that affect the release behaviour were determined. Results showed that maximum swelling and highest release of drug occurred at pH 1.2. Porosity and gel fraction increased by increasing polymer load. The invivo absorption and pharmacokinetics evaluation in rabbit's models revealed the controlled nature of hydrogels. MTT assay confirmed the biocompatible nature of blank hydrogels against Vero cell lines and cytotoxic potential against HeLa cell lines. The preliminary safety evaluation and oral tolerability revealed that the hydrogel solution is safe up to 4000 mg/kg body weight without causing any hematological or histopathological changes in rabbits.

Effects of 1Dy12 subunit silencing on seed storage protein accumulation and flour-processing quality in a common wheat somatic variation line.

Dissecting the functions of high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) is helpful for improving wheat quality via breeding. In this study, we used a wheat mutant AS273 in which HMW-GS 1Dy12 was silenced to investigate the silencing mechanism of 1Dy12 and its effects on gluten accumulation and flour-processing quality. Results suggested that the expression of 1Dy12 in AS273 was decreased by one fifth during grain development; a stop codon produced by a base mutation (C/T) led to truncated translation; the absence of 1Dy12 stimulated the accumulation of low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs), gliadins, and glutenin macropolymers, and was resulted in larger protein bodies; AS273 had an inferior flour-processing performance. Based on the outputs achieved in this study it is concluded that 1Dy12 makes important contributions to bread, sponge cake and biscuit-processing quality.

Influence of temperature fluctuations on growth and recrystallization of ice crystals in frozen peeled shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) pre-soaked with carrageenan oligosaccharide and xylooligosaccharide.

Temperature fluctuation is a common problem in the frozen storage of shrimp products. This study investigated the influence of carrageenan oligosaccharide (CO) and xylooligosaccharide (XO) on the growth and recrystallization of ice crystals in frozen peeled shrimp exposed to temperature fluctuations. Shrimp soaked with water and 3.0% (w/v) Na4P2O7 solution were designated as the negative and positive controls, respectively. Our data revealed that both CO- and XO-soaked shrimp had significant improvements in thawing and cooking loss, myofibrillar protein content, Ca2+-ATPase activity, and textural variables when exposed to temperature fluctuations compared to control samples. Microstructural imaging indicated that soaking the shrimp in CO and XO slowed the progression of damage caused to tissue myofibrils by large ice crystals, as well as inhibited the growth and recrystallization of ice crystals in muscle tissues. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed that treatment with the oligosaccharides exhibited marked effects on the stability of muscle proteins and inhibited the degradation of muscle proteins affected by the temperature fluctuations. Based on these data, we hypothesize that the incorporated CO and XO may bind to muscle proteins and capture water molecules in the myofibrillar network through hydrogen bonding, thereby suppressing the myofibrillar denaturation and tissue structure destruction induced by the growth and recrystallization of ice crystals.

Structural and biochemical properties of silver carp surimi as affected by comminution method.

Effects of two typical comminution methods (shearing and blending) on structural and biochemical properties of silver carp surimi were comparatively investigated. Surimi myofibrils in striated appearance were progressively disrupted within 15 min of blending. The myofibrils were completely disintegrated after shearing for 5 min. Surface hydrophobicity of surimi increased and then gradually decreased (p < 0.05) under shearing, while it continuously increased (p < 0.05) under blending. As shearing time was extended, α-helical structure decreased and ß-sheet structure increased simultaneously; surface active sulfhydryl content (SH) increased and then decreased (p < 0.05); and intensity of myosin heavy chain (MHC) was gradually reduced. However, secondary structure, MHC intensity and SH were slightly changed as blending time extended. Ca2+-ATPase activities increased and then declined (p < 0.05) with transition times at 1 min and 5 min under shearing and blending, respectively. Results indicated that shearing disrupted the ultrastructure and changed biochemical properties of surimi more pronouncedly than blending.

Effect of phosphates on gelling characteristics and water mobility of myofibrillar protein from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus).

Effect of phosphates on the heat-induced gel characteristics of myofibrillar protein (MP) from grass carp was investigated. Both heating and phosphates exerted significant influences. Heating induced more elastic, water-holding and less flowing gel. But phosphates had diverse effects at different temperatures. At 4 °C and 40 °C, phosphate as a dominant factor reduced the gel elasticity and resistance and increased flowability with increasing levels of phosphates. Furthermore, 280 mg/kg sodium pyrophosphate (SPP) or 440 mg/kg sodium triphosphates (STP) transformed MP from weak gel into concentrated solution. It clarified phosphates disentangled MP macromolecules and inhibited their aggregation and pre-gelation at low temperature. At 80 °C, heating accompanied with phosphates governed MP gelation. The appropriate level of phosphates (SPP superior to STP) endowed MP-phosphate gels with the lowest flowability and greatest elasticity, textural properties as well as finest microstructures. Besides, phosphates entrapped a portion of weak immobile water more tightly into smaller-sized pores of protein network.

Synthesis of chitosan derivatives with organoselenium and organosulfur compounds: Characterization, antimicrobial properties and application as biomaterials.

In this study, Schiff bases of chitosan (CS) were synthesized using citronellal, citral, and their derivatives containing selenium and sulfur. Organoselenium and organosulfur compounds show attractive biological and pharmaceutical activities, which can be beneficial to CS-based materials. From the characterization analyses, it was found that the CS-derivatives containing organoselenium and organosulfur compounds exhibited the highest conversion degrees (23 and 28%). Biological assays were conducted using films prepared by the blending of CS-derivatives and poly(vinyl alcohol). The antimicrobial evaluation indicated that the film prepared with the sulfur-containing CS was the most active against the tested pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans) since it reduced considerably their counts (42.5%, 17.4%, and 18.7%). Finally, in vivo assays revealed that this film attenuates atopic dermatitis-like symptoms in mice by suppressing the increase of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and reactive species (RS) levels induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). In summary, CS-derivatives containing chalcogens, mainly organosulfur, are potential candidates for biomedical applications such as for the treatment of chronic skin diseases.

Mitochondrial activity as an indicator of fish freshness.

The current methods used to routinely assess freshness in the fishing industry reflect more a state of spoilage than a state of freshness. Mitochondria, the seat of cellular respiration, undergo profound changes in post mortem tissues. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that mitochondrial activity constitutes a putative early fish freshness marker. The structure of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) muscle tissue was evaluated over time by transmission electron microscopy. Respiration was assessed in mitochondria isolated from sea bream fillets using oxygraphy. Membrane potential (ΔΨm) was determined by fluorescence (Rhodamine 123). Mitochondrial activity of fillets stored at +4 °C was studied for 6 days. Changes in mitochondrial cristae structure appeared from Day 3 highlighting the presence of dense granules. ΔΨm and mitochondrial activity were significantly disrupted in sea bream fillets after 96 h of storage at +4 °C. Mitochondrial activity constituted a reliable and early indicator of fish freshness.

Polymeric blends of hydrocolloid from chia seeds/apple pectin with potential antioxidant for food packaging applications.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant, mechanical and physical properties of a new film-based polymeric blend of hydrocolloids obtained from the aqueous extraction of chia seeds (source antioxidants) and apple pectin. The individual matrices films were brittle and rigid with poor mechanical properties. The blends formulations contributed to improved mechanical properties regarding workability and resistance. The antioxidant results showed the potential hydrocolloid from chia seeds as natural source of antioxidant in these polymeric films. The formulation 3 (14(hydrocolloid):41(pectin):25(glycerol):20(glutaraldehyde) displayed well thermal, mechanical, morphological and antioxidant properties, suggesting their great potential for food packaging.

Structural and biochemical changes in dermis of sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) during autolysis in response to cutting the body wall.

The autolysis of sea cucumber body wall is caused by endogenous proteolysis of its structural elements. However, changes in collagen fibrils, collagen fibres and microfibrils, the major structural elements in sea cucumber body wall during autolysis are less clear. Autolysis of sea cucumber (S. japonicus) was induced by cutting the body wall, and the structural and biochemical changes in its dermis were investigated using electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and chemical analysis. During autolysis, both collagen fibres and microfibrils gradually degraded. In contrast, damage to microfibrils was more pronounced. Upon massive autolysis, collagen fibres disaggregated into collagen fibril bundles and individual fibrils due to the fracture of interfibrillar bridges. Meanwhile, excessive unfolding of collagen fibrils occurred. However, there was only slight damage to collagen monomers. Therefore, structural damage in collagen fibres, collagen fibrils and microfibrils rather than monomeric collagen accounts for autolysis of S. japonicus dermis.

Chitosan/waste coffee-grounds composite: An efficient and eco-friendly adsorbent for removal of pharmaceutical contaminants from water.

Waste coffee-grounds (WCG), a poorly explored source of biocompounds, were combined with chitosan (Cs) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in order to obtain composites. Overall, WCG showed a good interaction with the polymeric matrix and good dispersibility up to 10 wt-%. At 5 wt-% WCG, the composite exhibited a noticeable enhancement (from 10 to 44%) of the adsorption of pharmaceuticals (metamizol (MET), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), acetaminophen (ACE), and caffeine (CAF)) as compared to the pristine sample. The highest removal efficiency was registered at pH 6 and the removal followed the order ASA > CAF > ACE > MET. For all pharmaceuticals, the adsorption kinetics was found to follow the pseudo-second order model, while the adsorption mechanism was explained by the Freundlich isotherm. Reuse experiments indicated that the WCG-containing composite has an attractive cost-effectiveness since it presented a remarkable reusability in at least five consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles.

Electrochemical DNA biosensor for potential carcinogen detection in food sample.

The presence of carcinogens in food is a major food safety concern. A nanocomposite-based electrochemical DNA biosensor was constructed for potential carcinogen detection in food samples by immobilizing amine terminated single stranded DNA onto silica nanospheres deposited onto a screen-printed electrode modified using gold nanoparticles. The effect of three different DNA sequences: 15-base guanine, 24-base guanine and 24-base adenine-thymine rich DNA on carcinogen (formaldehyde and acrylamide) detection was evaluated. The competitive binding of the DNA with the carcinogen and electroactive indicator, Methylene blue (MB) was measured using differential pulse voltammetry. Optimization studies were conducted for MB concentration and accumulation time, DNA concentration, buffer concentration, pH and ionic strength. Overall, the 24-base guanine rich DNA yielded the best results with a detection limit of 0.0001 ppm, linear range between 0.0001 ppm and 0.1 ppm and reproducibility below 5% R.S.D. Finally, the results obtained using the biosensor were validated using Ames test.

Use of fish trypsin immobilized onto magnetic-chitosan composite as a new tool to detect antinutrients in aquafeeds.

The unplanned inclusion of antinutrients in fish food affects many biological processes, such as digestibility of amino acids and diet conversion, resulting in undesirable effects on body growth. Thus, the objective of this research was to propose the use of immobilized fish proteases in the detection of protease inhibitors, one of the most important antinutrients. In order to evaluate the detection of antinutritional factors through the immobilized trypsin, the enzyme was incubated with eight diets developed for commercial fish, and residual activity was measured. Comparatively, the tilapia trypsin showed an inhibition of antinutrients (protease inhibitors), present in the eight studied diets, up to 48% greater than the porcine trypsin immobilized in magnetic chitosan. Thus, it is possible to suggest the use of immobilized derivatives containing specific proteases of the target organism in the detection of antinutritional factors that reduce animal's digestive capacity and negatively influence their growth during husbandry.

Carbon disulfide-modified magnetic ion-imprinted chitosan-Fe(III): A novel adsorbent for simultaneous removal of tetracycline and cadmium.

A novel composite of carbon disulfide-modified magnetic ion-imprinted chitosan-Fe(III), i.e., MMIC-Fe(III) composite, was prepared as an efficient adsorbent for the simultaneous removal of tetracycline (TC) and Cd(II). This adsorbent showed excellent performance in removing TC and Cd(II) due to its rapid kinetics, high adsorption capacity, good reusability, and was well suited for use with real water samples. Kinetics studies demonstrated that the adsorption proceeded according to a pseudo-second order model. The adsorption isotherms were well described by the Langmuir model, with maximum adsorption capacity for TC and Cd(II) being 516.29 and 194.31mg/g, respectively. The synergistic effect of TC and Cd(II) adsorption might be due to the formation of TC-Cd(II) complex bridging the adsorbate and adsorbent. These properties demonstrate the potential application of MMIC-Fe(III) for the simultaneous removal of TC and Cd(II), and may provide some information for the synergistic removal of antibiotics and heavy metals from aquatic environments.

Review: Antimicrobial efficacy validation using in vitro and in vivo testing methods.

Pre-clinical antimicrobial validation testing for single and combination products, and parameters that should be considered when testing the antimicrobial performance of a medical device, are discussed. Guidance is provided on key elements required for in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial validation, including validation of microbial growth, microbial recovery, neutralization, and antimicrobial activity. An important consideration, both in terms of practicality and economics, is designing in vitro studies that bridge to in vivo testing: A representative in vitro model is used to generate data on many clinically relevant microorganisms, and then one microorganism is selected for use in in vivo testing. If the in vivo results correlate to the in vitro results, it can reasonably be extrapolated that the same would be true for the remaining microorganisms tested in vitro. Thus, the selection of relevant in vitro models for testing is critical for successful antimicrobial validation testing.

Acriflavine-immobilized eggshell membrane as a new solid-state biosensor for Sudan I-IV detection based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

A novel solid-surface fluorescence biosensor for rapid detection of Sudan I-IV was proposed based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The biosensor was fabricated by immobilizing acriflavine (AY) on the eggshell membrane (ESM) with glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent. FRET mechanism was demonstrated by using AY and Sudan dyes as donor and acceptor respectively, an efficient energy transfer in the present system was indicated by the sufficient spectral overlap integral (J) and proper Förster critical distance (R0). Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence of the AY-ESM could be efficiently quenched by Sudan I-IV and the corresponding linear range was 0.5-60µM with the detection limits (3σ/slope) of 0.16, 0.26, 0.21 and 0.17µM respectively. Compared to the detection of Sudan dyes in solution-state, the membrane biosensor exhibited advantages of low detection limits, high sensitivity and selectivity, as well as excellent stability. Recovery tests in spiked real samples also achieved satisfactory results.

Guar gum benzoate nanoparticle reinforced gelatin films for enhanced thermal insulation, mechanical and antimicrobial properties.

This work relates to guar gum benzoate self assembly nanoparticles synthesis and nano composite films development with gelatin. Guar gum benzoate was synthesized in a Hofmeister cation guided homogeneous phase reaction. Self assembly polysaccharide nanoparticles were prepared in solvent displacement technique. Electron microscopy and DLS study confirmed uniform quasi spherical nanoparticles with ζ-potential - 28.7mV. Nanocomposite films were further developed in gelatin matrix. The film capacity augmenting due to nanoparticles incorporation was noteworthy. Superior barrier properties, reinforcing and thermal insulation effects were observed in films dispersed with 20% w/w nanoparticles. Detailed FTIR studies and thermal analysis confirmed nanoparticles interactions in the film matrix. The nanocomposite film water vapour permeability was at 0.75gmm-1kPa-1h-1, thermal conductivity 0.39Wm-1K-1 and the tensile strength were recorded at 3.87MPa. The final film expressed excellent antimicrobial properties against water born gram negative and gram positive bacteria.

Chitosan-based film supported copper nanoparticles: A potential and reusable catalyst for the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds.

In this study, copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were synthesized and stabilized into a chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CP) based film using a simple protocol under mild conditions. The polymeric matrix utilized in this study allows synthesizing stable nanoparticle with narrow size distribution within the film matrix. Further, this system showed very attractive properties, such as good mechanical properties, chemical resistance, easy handling during use and recovery, relatively low-cost as compared to other similar systems, among others. The catalytic performance of CP-Cu film was tested in the reduction reaction of nitrobenzene (NB) to aniline (AN). Our findings reveal that CP-Cu film catalyzes the reaction efficiently and also decreases the energy of activation (Ea) as compared to other catalysts. The catalytic efficiency of CP-Cu regarding this reaction was kept even after 6 consecutive reuse cycles. All these results rank this novel system as a promising catalyst in the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds to aromatic amines.

Comparative study on the healing potential of chitosan, polymethylmethacrylate, and demineralized bone matrix in radial bone defects of rat.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of xenogeneic demineralized bone matrix (DBM), chitosan (CS), and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) on the regeneration of the critical-sized radial bone defects in rats after eight weeks. Fifty bilateral radial bone defects were randomly divided into five groups including untreated defects and those treated with autograft, CS scaffold, PMMA, and DBM. The defects were evaluated by diagnostic imaging, histopathology, histomorphometry, scanning electron microscopy, and biomechanical testing. Compared with the defect, CS, and PMMA groups, the autograft and DBM treated defects showed significantly higher new bone formation, bone volume, ultimate mechanical strength, and stiffness, but significantly lower inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, fibrocytes, and strain. Moreover, DBM showed significantly superior biocompatibility, biodegradability, osteoconductivity, and osteoinductivity to the CS scaffold and PMMA. In conclusion, both CS and PMMA alone were non-biocompatible polymers with slow biodegradation which retarded bone regeneration, whereas DBM significantly improved bone healing close to the gold method. However CS was not osteoconductive or osteoinductive alone, it can be combined with other biomaterials and molecules considering the excellent properties of this carbohydrate biopolymer for bone healing and regeneration.

Effect of O-chitosan nanoparticles on the development and membrane permeability of Verticillium dahliae.

Verticillium dahliae, which causes wilting in over 300 woody and herbaceous plant species, is a representative of fungal plant diseases for which effective controls are still needed. In this study, the antifungal action of oleoyl-chitosan nanoparticles was investigated against V. dahliae. Media containing oleoyl-chitosan nanoparticles dramatically decreased the mycelium growth. The highest antifungal indexes were observed on media amended with 2mg/mL nanoparticles. Optical microscopy showed that spore germination and hyphae morphology were affected. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated degenerative alterations including crumpled hyphae and spores, thickened cell walls, disappeared membranous organelles, massive vacuolation of the cytoplasm, and cell wall-plasmalemma separation. Fluorescence microscopy showed that nanoparticles were internalized by fungal cells. The sharp increase in the release of intracellular components and decrease of total cellular protein concentration demonstrated damaged cell membranes. Overall, the results indicate that oleoyl-chitosan nanoparticles have the potential to control phytopathogens in agriculture.