Preparation and Properties of Nanocellulose/Sodium Alginate Composite Hydrogel

Cellulose nanofiber(CNF)was isolated from Okara using deep eutectic solvent(DES)with high-speed stirring.The composite hydrogels obtained by using different proportions of CNF and sodium alginate(SA)had different properties.The CNF/SA composite hydrogels were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy and tested for compression properties,rheological properties,water content,and swelling degree.Physical crosslinking between SA and Ca^(2+),and different degrees of hydrogen bond formation between SA and CNF were observed.The CNF/SA composite hydrogel have great potential as reinforcements in eco-friendly composite hydrogels for diverse applications.

Okara Cellulose Nanofibrils Produced by Pretreatment with Sustainable Deep Eutectic Solvent Coupled with Various Mechanical Treatments

In this study,a green,environmentally friendly method for rapid cellulose nanofribril(CNF)preparation with a significant cost advantage was developed.Pretreatment with a deep eutectic solvent(DES)synthesized from oxalic acid dihydrate and choline chloride(ChCl-O)was combined with various mechanical treatment methods to produce okara CNFs from agricultural waste,with different diameter distributions.The results showed that high-speed stirring produced CNFs with an average diameter of 27 nm.This method was advantageous because it consumed about 94%less energy than traditional high-pressure homogenization method.The DES recovery rate was more than 90%,and DES served as a highly effective treatment,indicating that DES pretreatment is an economical,convenient,and effective strategy for okara CNF preparation.

Melanin nanoparticles alleviate sepsis-induced myocardial injury by suppressing ferroptosis and inflammation

Myocardial injury as one of the severe complications leads to the increasing morbidity and mortality in patients with sepsis.Recent studies reported that reactive oxygen species(ROS)-mediated ferroptosis plays a critical role in the development of heart diseases.Therefore,we hypothesized that anti-ferroptosis agent might be a novel potential therapeutic strategy for sepsis-induced cardiac injury.Herein,we demonstrated that a small biocompatible and MRI-visible melanin nanoparticles(MMPP)improves myocardial function by inhibiting ROS-related ferroptosis signaling pathway.In LPS-induced murine sepsis model,after a single dose intravenously injection of MMPP treatment,MMPP markedly alleviated the myocardial injury including cardiac function and heart structure disorder through suppressing iron-accumulation induced ferroptosis.In vitro,MMPP inhibited cardiomyocyte death by attenuating oxidative stress,inflammation and maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis.Collectively,our findings demonstrated that MMPP protected heart against sepsis-induced myocardial injury via inhibiting ferroptosis and inflammation,which might be a novel therapeutic approach in future.