Antibacterial activity of nanofibrous mats coated with lysozyme-layered silicate composites via electrospraying

Coordination-driven multilayer of phosvitin-polyphenol functional nanofibrous membranes: antioxidant and biomineralization applications for tissue engineering

The layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition technique has been widely used to decorate the nanofibers formed from polymer pairs with complementary functional groups.

Well-aligned cellulose nanofiber-reinforced polyvinyl alcohol composite film: Mechanical and optical properties

Uniaxially aligned cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), which are fabricated by electrospinning of cellulose acetate derived from bamboo cellulose (B-CA) followed by deacetylation, were used as reinforcements to make optically transparent composite films. We examined the effects of B-CA concentration and electrospinning parameters (e.g. spinning distance, and collection speed) on fiber morphology and orientation, which act on mechanical-to-optical properties of the CNFs-reinforced composites. Consequently, the resultant composite film exhibits high visible-light transmittance even with high fiber content, as well as improved mechanical properties. The understanding obtained from this study may facilitate the development of novel nanofibrous materials for various optical uses.

Micro- and nanoparticles by electrospray: advances and applications in foods

Micro- and nanotechnology are tools being used strongly in the area of food technology. The electrospray technique is booming because of its importance in developing micro- and nanoparticles containing an active ingredient as bioactive compounds, enhancing molecules of flavors, odors, and packaging coatings, and developing polymers that are obtained from food (proteins, carbohydrates), as chitosan, alginate, gelatin, agar, starch, or gluten. The electrospray technique compared to conventional techniques such as nanoprecipitation, emulsion-diffusion, double-emulsification, and layer by layer provides greater advantages to develop micro- and nanoparticles because it is simple, low cost, uses a low amount of solvents, and products are obtained in one step. This technique could also be applied in the agrifood sector for the preparation of controlled and/or prolonged release systems of fertilizer or agrochemicals, for which more research must be conducted.

Nanocarriers in therapy of infectious and inflammatory diseases

Nanotechnology is a growing science that has applications in various areas of medicine. The composition of nanocarriers for drug delivery is critical to guarantee high therapeutic performance when targeting specific host sites. Applications of nanotechnology are prevalent in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. This review summarizes recent advancements in the application of nanotechnology to the therapy of infectious and inflammatory diseases. The major focus is on the design and fabrication of various nanomaterials, characteristics and physicochemical properties of drug-loaded nanocarriers, and the use of these nanoscale drug delivery systems in treating infectious and inflammatory diseases, such as AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, melanoma, and representative inflammatory diseases. Clinical trials and future perspective of the use of nanocarriers are also discussed in detail. We hope that such a review will be valuable to researchers who are exploring nanoscale drug delivery systems for the treatment of specific infectious and inflammatory diseases.

Emerging chitin and chitosan nanofibrous materials for biomedical applications

Over the past several decades, we have witnessed significant progress in chitosan and chitin based nanostructured materials. The nanofibers from chitin and chitosan with appealing physical and biological features have attracted intense attention due to their excellent biological properties related to biodegradability, biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, low immunogenicity and wound healing capacity. Various methods, such as electrospinning, self-assembly, phase separation, mechanical treatment, printing, ultrasonication and chemical treatment were employed to prepare chitin and chitosan nanofibers. These nanofibrous materials have tremendous potential to be used as drug delivery systems, tissue engineering scaffolds, wound dressing materials, antimicrobial agents, and biosensors. This review article discusses the most recent progress in the preparation and application of chitin and chitosan based nanofibrous materials in biomedical fields.

Antheraea pernyi Silk Fibroin Microspheres Carried Lysozyme

A method was developed to prepare the Antheraea Pernyi silk fibroin (ASF) microspheres using lysozyme as a model drug to estimate the application of ASF in drug controlled release field. The structure of ASF microsphere carried drug was characterized by X-ray diffraction and FTIR. The morphology and the influence of the microspheres on the degradation of lysozyme were investigated using scanning electron microscope. The results show that encapsulation rate was increased and drug content was decreased with the addition of lysozyme increasing. In vitro release of lysozyme from the ASF particles we demonstrated that the release kinetics depends on the pH. The pH played important roles in controlling lysozyme release profiles. It also can be seen that the degradation speed of lysozyme ASF microspheres slightly larger than the pure ASF microspheres.

Fabrication and evaluation of electrospun PCL–gelatin micro-/nanofiber membranes for anti-infective GTR implants

Infection is the major reason for GTR/GBR membrane failure in clinical applications.

Emerging nanostructured materials for musculoskeletal tissue engineering

This review summarizes the recent developments in the preparation and applications of nanostructured materials for musculoskeletal tissue engineering.

Vacuum-assisted layer-by-layer electrospun membranes: antibacterial and antioxidative applications

Layer-by-layer assembled films have been exploited for functional materials.