Constructing a biofunctionalized 3D-printed gelatin/sodium alginate/chitosan tri-polymer complex scaffold with improvised biological andmechanical properties for bone-tissue engineering

Sodium alginate(SA)/chitosan(CH)polyelectrolyte scaffold is a suitable substrate for tissue-engineering application.The present study deals with further improvement in the tensile strength and biological properties of this type of scaffold to make it a potential template for bone-tissue regeneration.We experimented with adding 0%–15%(volume fraction)gelatin(GE),a protein-based biopolymer known to promote cell adhesion,proliferation,and differentiation.The resulting tri-polymer complex was used as bioink to fabricate SA/CH/GEmatrices by three-dimensional(3D)printing.Morphological studies using scanning electron microscopy revealed the microfibrous porous architecture of all the structures,which had a pore size range of 383–419μm.X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses revealed the amorphous nature of the scaffold and the strong electrostatic interactions among the functional groups of the polymers,thereby forming polyelectrolyte complexes which were found to improve mechanical properties and structural stability.The scaffolds exhibited a desirable degradation rate,controlled swelling,and hydrophilic characteristics which are favorable for bone-tissue engineering.The tensile strength improved from(386±15)to(693±15)kPa due to the increased stiffness of SA/CH scaffolds upon addition of gelatin.The enhanced protein adsorption and in vitro bioactivity(forming an apatite layer)confirmed the ability of the SA/CH/GE scaffold to offer higher cellular adhesion and a bone-like environment to cells during the process of tissue regeneration.In vitro biological evaluation including the MTT assay,confocal microscopy analysis,and alizarin red S assay showed a significant increase in cell attachment,cell viability,and cell proliferation,which further improved biomineralization over the scaffold surface.In addition,SA/CH containing 15%gelatin designated as SA/CH/GE15 showed superior performance to the other fabricated 3D structures,demonstrating its potential for use in bone-tissue engineering.

Chitosan/Sodium Alginate Multilayer pH-Sensitive Films Based on Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly for Intelligent Packaging

The abuse of plastic food packaging has brought about severe white pollution issues around the world.Developing green and sustainable biomass packaging is an effective way to solve this problem.Hence,a chitosan/sodium alginate-based multilayer film is fabricated via a layer-by-layer(LBL)self-assembly method.With the help of superior interaction between the layers,the multilayer film possesses excellent mechanical properties(with a tensile strength of 50 MPa).Besides,the film displays outstanding water retention property(blocking moisture of 97.56%)and ultraviolet blocking property.Anthocyanin is introduced into the film to detect the food quality since it is one natural plant polyphenol that is sensitive to the pH changes ranging from 1 to 13 in food when spoilage occurs.It is noted that the film is also bacteriostatic which is desired for food packaging.This study describes a simple technique for the development of advanced multifunctional and fully biodegradable food packaging film and it is a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.

Fabrication of Core-Shell Hydrogel Bead Based on Sodium Alginate and Chitosan for Methylene Blue Adsorption

A novel core-shell hydrogel bead was fabricated for effective removal of methylene blue dye from aqueous solutions.The core,made of sodium alginate-g-polyacrylamide and attapulgite nanofibers,was cross-linked by Calcium ions(Ca^(2+)).The shell,composed of a chitosan/activated carbon mixture,was then coated onto the core.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the grafting polymerization of acrylamide onto sodium alginate.Scanning electron microscopy images showed the core-shell structure.The core exhibited a high water uptake ratio,facilitating the diffusion of methylene blue into the core.During the diffusion process,the methylene blue was first adsorbed by the shell and then further adsorbed by the core.Adsorption tests showed that the coreshell structure had a larger adsorption capacity than the core alone.The shell effectively enhanced the adsorption capacity to methylene blue compared to the single core.Methylene blue was adsorbed by activated carbon and chitosan in the shell,and the residual methylene blue diffused into the core and was further adsorbed.

Efficacy of chitosan and sodium alginate scaffolds for repair of spinal cord injury in rats

Spinal cord injury results in the loss of motor and sensory pathways and spontaneous regeneration of adult mammalian spinal cord neurons is limited. Chitosan and sodium alginate have good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and are suitable to assist the recovery of damaged tissues, such as skin, bone and nerve. Chitosan scaffolds, sodium alginate scaffolds and chitosan-sodium alginate scaffolds were separately transplanted into rats with spinal cord hemisection. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores and electrophysiological results showed that chitosan scaffolds promoted recovery of locomotor capacity and nerve transduction of the experimental rats.Sixty days after surgery, chitosan scaffolds retained the original shape of the spinal cord. Compared with sodium alginate scaffolds- and chitosan-sodium alginate scaffolds-transplanted rats, more neurofilament-H-immunoreactive cells （regenerating nerve fibers） and less glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive cells （astrocytic scar tissue） were observed at the injury site of experimental rats in chitosan scaffold-transplanted rats. Due to the fast degradation rate of sodium alginate, sodium alginate scaffolds and composite material scaffolds did not have a supporting and bridging effect on the damaged tissue. Above all, compared with sodium alginate and composite material scaffolds, chitosan had better biocompatibility, could promote the regeneration of nerve fibers and prevent the formation of scar tissue,and as such, is more suitable to help the repair of spinal cord injury.

Preparation, characterization and in vivo evaluation of alginate-coated chitosan and trimethylchitosan nanoparticles loaded with PR8 influenza virus for nasal immunization

For efficient mucosal vaccine delivery, nanoparticulate antigens are better taken by microfold cells in the nasal associated lymphoid tissue and also dendritic cells. Nanoparticles based on polymers such as chitosan(CHT) and its water soluble derivative, trimethylchitosan(TMC), could be successfully used as carrier/adjuvant for this purpose. Sodium alginate, a negatively charged biopolymer, could modify the immunostimulatory properties of CHT and TMC NPs and increase their stability. Sodium alginate(ALG)-coated chitosan(CHT)and trimethylchitosan(TMC) nanoparticles(NPs) loaded with inactivated PR8 influenza virus were successfully prepared by direct coating of the virus with CHT or TMC polymers to evaluate their immunoadjuvant potential after nasal immunization. After nasal immunizations in BALB/c mice, PR8-CHT formulation elicited higher IgG2 a and Ig G1 antibody titers compared with PR8-TMC. ALG coating of this formulation(PR8-CHT-ALG) significantly decreased the antibody titers and a less immune response was induced than PR8-TMC-ALG formulation. PR8-TMC-ALG formulation showed significantly higher Ig G2 a/Ig G1 ratio, as criteria for Th1-type immune response, compared with PR8-CHT-ALG and PR8 virus alone. Altogether, the PR8-TMC-ALG formulation could be considered as an efficient intranasal antigen delivery system for nasal vaccines.

The Effect of Chitosan and Sodium Alginate on the Root Growth and Enzyme Activity of Soybean

The resaerch examined the effect of the two oceanic materials as coating materials on the soybean growth.The results showed chitosan and sodium alginate seed coating can enhance the growth of seedling root,increase the nodule mumber,root activity and the growth of underground.The suggested coating ratios were 0.5～1.0g/kgseed,the same as chitosan.The two materials could increase the contents of CAT and NR in soybean leaves,decrease the contents of POD in soybean leaves.

Effect of formulation variables on in vitro release of a water-soluble drug from chitosanesodium alginate matrix tablets

The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using chitosanesodium alginate(CSeSA)based matrix tablets for extended-release of highly water-soluble drugs by changing formulation variables.Using trimetazidine hydrochloride(TH)as a water-soluble model drug,influence of dissolution medium,the amount of CSeSA,the CS:SA ratio,the type of SA,the type and amount of diluents,on in vitro drug release from CSeSA based matrix tablets were studied.Drug release kinetics and release mechanisms were elucidated.In vitro release experiments were conducted in simulated gastric fluid(SGF)followed by simulated intestinal fluid(SIF).Drug release rate decreased with the increase of CSeSA amount.CS:SA ratio had only slight effect on drug release and no influence of SA type on drug release was found.On the other hand,a large amount of water-soluble diluents could modify drug release profiles.It was found that drug release kinetics showed the best fit to Higuchi equation with Fickian diffusion as the main release mechanism.In conclusion,this study demonstrated that it is possible to design extended-release tablets of watersoluble drugs using CSeSA as the matrix by optimizing formulation components,and provide better understanding about drug release from CSeSA matrix tablets.

Culture of yeast cells immobilized by alginate-chitosan microcapsules in aqueous-organic solvent biphasic system

Immobilization biocatalysis is a potential technology to improve the activity and stability of biocatalysts in nonaqueous systems for efficient industrial production.Alginate-chitosan(AC)microcapsules were prepared as immobilization carriers by emulsifi cation-internal gelation and complexation reaction,and their contribution on facilitating the growth and metabolism of yeast cells were testifi ed successfully in culture medium-solvent biphasic systems.The cell growth in AC microcapsules is superior to that in alginate beads,and the cells in both immobilization carriers maintain much higher activity than free cells,which demonstrates AC microcapsules can confer yeast cells the ability to resist the adverse effect of solvent.Moreover,the performance of AC microcapsules in biphasic systems could be improved by adjusting the formation of outer polyelectrolyte complex(PEC)membrane to promote the cell growth and metabolic ability under the balance of resisting solvent toxicity and permitting substrate diffusion.Therefore,these findings are quite valuable for applying AC microcapsules as novel immobilization carriers to realize the biotransformation of value-added products in aqueous-solvent biphasic systems.

Bactericidal activity of hydrogel beads based on N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan/alginate complexes loaded with silver nanoparticles

Polysaccharide-based composite materials（beads） containing silver nanoparticles（AgNPs） were successfully prepared.Hydrogel beads acted as an efficient vehicle for Ag＊ delivery.Beads promoted the AgNPs protection and inhibited their aggregation.Antimicrobial assays showed that the beads/AgNPs concentration can be modulated to deliver an amount of Ag＊ necessary for kill Escherichia coli cells.

A comparative study for petroleum removal capacities of the bacterial consortia entrapped in sodium alginate,sodium alginate/poly(vinyl alcohol),and bushnell haas agar

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the degradation efficiencies of free and entrapped bacterial consortia(Staphylococcus capitis CP053957.1 and Achromobacter marplatensis MT078618.1)to different polymers such as Sodium Alginate(SA),Sodium Alginate/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)(SA/PVA),and Bushnell Haas Agar(BHA).In addition to SA and SA/PVA,which are cost-effective,non-toxic and have different functional groups,BHA,which is frequently encountered in laboratory-scale studies but has not been used as an entrapment material until now.Based on these,the polymers with different surface morphologies and chemical compositions were analyzed by SEM and FT-IR.While the petroleum removal efficiency was higher with the entrapped bacterial consortia than with the free one,BHA-entrapped bacterial consortium enhanced the petroleum removal more than SA and SA/PVA.Accordingly,the degradation rate of bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA was 2.039 day^(-1),SA/PVA was 1.560,SA was 0.993,the half-life period of BHA-entrapped bacterial consortia is quite low(t_(1/2)=0.339)compared with SA(t_(1/2)=0.444)and SA/PVA(t_(1/2)=0.697).The effects of the four main factors such as:amount of BHA(0.5,1,1.5,2,2.5,3 g),disc size(4,5,6,7,8 mm),inoculum concentration(1,2.5,5,7.5,10 mL),and incubation period on petroleum removal were also investigated.The maximum petroleum removal(94.5%)was obtained at≥2.5 mL of bacterial consortium entrapped in 2 g BHA with a 7 mm disc size at 168 h and the results were also confirmed by statistical analysis.Although a decrease was observed during the reuse of bacterial consortium entrapped in BHA,the petroleum removal was still above 50%at 10th cycle.Based on GC-MS analysis,the removal capacity of BHA-entrapped consortium was over 90%for short-chain n-alkanes and 80%for medium-chain n-alkanes.Overall,the obtained data are expected to provide a potential guideline in cleaning up the large-scale oil pollution in the future.Since there has been no similar study investigating petroleum removal with the bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA,this novel entrapment material can potentially be used in the treatment of petroleum pollution in advanced remediation studies.

Alginate oligosaccharide-mediated butyrate-HIF-1α axis improves skin aging in mice

The“gut-skin”axis has been proved and is considered as a novel therapy for the prevention of skin aging.The antioxidant efficacy of oligomannonic acid(MAOS)makes it an intriguing target for use to improve skin aging.The present study further explored whereby MAOS-mediated gut-skin axis balance prevented skin aging in mice.The data indicated the skin aging phenotypes,oxidative stress,skin mitochondrial dysfunction,and intestinal dysbiosis(especially the butyrate and HIF-1a levels decreased)in aging mice.Similarly,fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)from aging mice rebuild the aging-like phenotypes.Further,we demonstrated MAOS-mediated colonic butyrate-HIF-1a axis homeostasis promoted the entry of butyrate into the skin,upregulated mitophagy level and ultimately improving skin aging via HDAC3/PHD/HIF-1a/mitophagy loop in skin of mice.Overall,our study offered a better insights of the effectiveness of alginate oligosaccharides(AOS),promised to become a personalized targeted therapeutic agents,on gut-skin axis disorder inducing skin aging.

Eco-friendly calcium alginate microspheres enable enhanced profile control and oil displacement

Polymer microspheres(PMs),such as polyacrylamide,have been widely applied for enhanced oil recovery(EOR),yet with environmental concerns.Here,we report a microfluid displacement technology containing a bio-based eco-friendly material,i.e.,calcium alginate(CaAlg)microspheres for EOR.Two dominant mechanisms responsible for EOR over Ca Alg fluid have been verified,including the microscopic oil displacement efficacy augmented by regulating capillary force(determined by the joint action of interfacial tension and wettability between different phases)and macroscopic sweep volume increment through profile control and mobility ratio reduction.This comprehensive effectiveness can be further impacted when the CaAlg microsphere is embellished ulteriorly by using appropriate amount of sodium dodecyl sulfonate(SDS).The core flooding and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)tests demonstrate that CaAlg-SDS microsphere can balance the interphase property regulation(wettability alteration and IFT reduction)and rheology properties,enabling simultaneous profile control and oil displacement.Excessive introduction of SDS will have a negative impact on rheological properties,which is not favored for EOR.Our results show that the involvement of 4-m M SDS will provide the best behavior,with an EOR rate of 34.38%.This cost-effective and environmentally-friendly bio-microspherebased microfluidic displacement technology is expected to achieve“green”oil recovery in future oilfield exploitation.

Physiological and Transcriptome Analysis Illuminates the Molecular Mechanisms of the Drought Resistance Improved by Alginate Oligosaccharides in Triticum aestivum L.

Alginate oligosaccharides(AOS)enhance drought resistance in wheat(Triticum aestivum L.),but the definite mechanisms remain largely unknown.The physiological and transcriptome responses of wheat seedlings treated with AOS were analyzed under drought stress simulated with polyethylene glycol-6000.The results showed that AOS promoted the growth of wheat seedlings and reduced oxidative damage by improving peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities under drought stress.A total of 10,064 and 15,208 differentially expressed unigenes(DEGs)obtained from the AOS treatment and control samples at 24 and 72 h after dehydration,respectively,were mainly enriched in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites(phenylpropanoid biosynthesis,flavonoid biosynthesis),carbohydrate metabolism(starch and sucrose metabolism,carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms),lipid metabolism(fatty acid elongation,biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids,alpha-linolenic acid metabolism,cutin,suberine and wax biosynthesis),and signaling transduction pathways.The up-regulated genes were related to,for example,chlorophyll a-b binding protein,amylosynthease,phosphotransferase,peroxidase,phenylalanine ammonia lyase,flavone synthase,glutathione synthetase.Signaling molecules(including MAPK,plant hormones,H_(2)O_(2) and calcium)and transcription factors(mainly including NAC,MYB,MYB-related,WRKY,bZIP family members)were involved in the AOS-induced wheat drought resistance.The results obtained in this study help underpin the mechanisms of wheat drought resistance improved by AOS,and provides a theoretical basis for the application of AOS as an environmentally sustainable biological method to improve drought resistance in agriculture.

The Effect of Chitosan and Sodium Alginate on the Growth and Photosynthesis of Soybean

Seed coating can make soybean seedling grow more strongly and reinforce the resistance of soybean plant.Sodium alginate and chitosan are highˉmolecular compound of two different kind,have the characteristic of promoting the crop growth.Using Sodium alginate and chitosan as coating materials under different concentration can improve the growth and photosynthesis obviously and can decrease pollution because of their characteristics.The analysis show that the effects of Sodium Alginate on soybean plant are better than chitosan and the best concentration is 0.50 g·kg -1 .

Influence of coating on the triamcinolone release of alginate chitosan beads for colonic drug delivery

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of coating of alginate-chitosan (AL:CS) beads on the colonic drug delivery. The AL:CS systems containing triamcinolone (TC) were coated with the HPMCP and Eudragit? L100 by immersion and by spraying methods. The drug release profile in simulated colonic medium was determined using 5% human fecal content suspension in 0.01 N buffer solution, pH 6.8. The systems coated with HPMCP showed a lower rate of drug delivery in simulated enteric medium. The delivery profile in simulated colonic medium followed zero-order kinetic. The coated systems provided a promising drug-delivery profile for application in colonic drug delivery.

Preparation and release of curcumin/silk fibroin/sodium alginate film

The aim of this study was to prepare silk fibroin/sodium alginate composite film containing curcumin by casting method.Orthogonal test was used to optimize the formulation according to the values of tensile strength and elongation at break.The release of curcumin in the optimal film was studied in order to explore its application as wound dressing.The results showed that the optimum composition of curcumin/silk fibroin/sodium alginate composite film was as follows:Silk fibroin(70 mg/mL)2.7 g,sodium alginate(24 mg/mL)0.84 g,span 40(5.0 mg/mL)0.4 g,glycerol(3.75%,V/V)3 mL,curcumin(0.2 mg/mL)0.016 g.The optimum film showed the tensile strength and the elongation at break was(0.628±0.032)MPa and(0.794±0.046)%,respectively.

Application of alginate in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)represents a chronic inflammatory condition profoundly impacting the gastrointestinal tract.Its prevalence has markedly risen in both developed and developing nations over recent decades.Despite the absence of definitive etiological elucidation,therapeutic strategies predominantly revolve around pharmacological interventions aimed at symptom mitigation.Alginate(AG)is a polysaccharide of marine origin that has garnered significant attention due to its inherent biocompatibility,pH sensitivity,and cross-linking.Its exploration within drug delivery systems for IBD treatment stems from its natural sourcing,non-cytotoxic nature,and economic viability.Notably,AG demonstrates facile interpolymeric cross-linking,facilitating the formation of a cohesive network conducive to sustained drug release kinetics.AG-based carrier systems for sustained drug release,and targeted drug delivery have been widely studied.This article reviews the pathogenesis of IBD and the current drugs,AG-based drug delivery systems and their properties in alleviating IBD.The prospect of further development of AG in the field of biopharmaceutical and drug delivery is prospected.

Uptake of Bile Acid into Calcium-Induced Alginate Gel Beads Containing <i>β</i>-Chitosan Weak Acid Salt

Recently, potential applications for β-chitosan (β-CS) have been examined. In the present study, calcium-induced alginate gel beads (Alg-Ca) containing weak acid salts of β-CS were prepared and examined with regard to their ability to adsorb bile acids in vitro. More than 70% of taurocholate dissolved in solution was taken up by Alg-Ca containing 100 mg β-CS, sim. ilar to the degree of uptake observed with Alg-Ca containing α-CS salt. The adsorption of bile acid was affected by the absolute amount of β-CS and/or the acid concentration of the preparation. A secondary bile acid, taurodeoxycholate, was also adsorbed by Alg-Ca containing weak acid salts of β-CS. Therefore, β-CS might be used to adsorb bile acids within the gastrointestinal tract in the same manner as an anion-exchange resin, and thus serve as a complementary means by which to prevent hyperlipidemia.