Textile dyes loaded chitosan nanoparticles: Characterization, biocompatibility and staining capacity

Enhancing Targeted Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma through a pH-Responsive Delivery System: Folic Acid-Modified Polydopamine-Paclitaxel-Loaded Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Nanoparticles

Currently, there is an inherent contradiction between the multifunctionality and excellent biocompatibility of anticancer drug nanocarriers, which limits their application. Therefore, to overcome this limitation, we aimed to develop a biocompatible drug delivery system for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we employed poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as the fundamental framework of the nanocarrier and utilized the emulsion solvent evaporation method to fabricate nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel (PTX), known as PTX-PHBV NPs. To enhance the tumor-targeting capability, a dopamine self-polymerization strategy was employed to form a pH-sensitive coating on the surface of the nanoparticles. Then, folic acid (FA)-targeting HCC was conjugated to the nanoparticles with a polydopamine (PDA) coating by using the Michael addition reaction, resulting in the formation of HCC-targeted nanoparticles (PTX-PHBV@PDA-FA NPs). The PTX-PHBV@PDA-FA NPs were characterized and analyzed by using dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Encouragingly, PTX-PHBV@PDA-FA NPs exhibited remarkable anticancer efficacy in an HCC xenograft mouse model. Furthermore, compared to raw PTX, PTX-PHBV@PDA-FA NPs showed less toxicity in vivo. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the potential of PTX-PHBV@PDA-FA NPs for HCC treatment and biocompatibility.

Anti-obesity potential of a yogurt functionalized with a CLNA-rich pomegranate oil

Pomegranate oil is rich in conjugated linolenic acids, compounds which have attracted attention due to their potential applicability in obesity management as they are capable of modulating leptin and adiponectin secretion and regulate fatty acids storage and glucose metabolism. Among the possible bioactive foodstuffs capable of delivering these bioactive compounds yogurts have shown potential. Thus, the purpose of this work was to develop functional yogurts through the addition of pomegranate oil either in its free or encapsulated (used as a protective strategy against oxidation and gastrointestinal tract passage) forms. To that end, the pomegranate oil (free and encapsulated) was incorporated in yogurt and the functional yogurt capacity to modulate hepatic lipid accumulation, adipocyte metabolism (in terms of lipolysis, and adipokines secretion) and immune response was evaluated. The results obtained showed that the pomegranate oil's incorporation led to an improvement in the yogurts' nutritional values, with a reduction in its atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes (more than 78% for atherogenic and 76% for thrombogenic index) and an enhancement of its hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (more than 62%) when compared to the control yogurt. Furthermore, data also showed for the first time how these functional yogurts promoted modulation of metabolic processes post GIT as they were capable of reducing by 40% triglycerides accumulation in steatosis-induced Hep G2 cells and by 30 % in differentiated adipocytes. Moreover, samples also showed a capacity to modulate the leptin and adiponectin secretion (56 % of increase in adiponectin) and reduce the IL-6 secretion (ca 44%) and TNF-α (ca 12%) in LPS-stimulated cells. Thus, the CLNA-rich yogurt here developed showed potential as a viable nutraceutical alternative for obesity management.

Alginate Core-Shell Capsules Production through Coextrusion Methods: Principles and Technologies

This paper provides an overview of coextrusion methods for encapsulation. Encapsulation involves the coating or entrapment of a core material such as food ingredients, enzymes, cells, or bioactives. Encapsulation can help compounds add to other matrices, stabilize compounds during storage, or enable controlled delivery. This review explores the principal l coextrusion methods available that can be used to produce core-shell capsules through the use of coaxial nozzles. Four methods for encapsulation by coextrusion are examined in detail, including dripping, jet cutting, centrifugal, and electrohydrodynamic systems. The targeted capsule size determines the appropriate parameters for each method. Coextrusion technology is a promising encapsulation technique able to generate core-shell capsules in a controlled manner, which can be applied to cosmetic, food, pharmaceutical, agriculture, and textile industries. Coextrusion is an excellent way to preserve active molecules and present a significant economic interest.

Ferreira G, Barbosa RFS, Marciano JS, Camani PH, Souza AG, Rosa DS. Multifunctional cotton fabrics with novel antibacterial coatings based on chitosan nanocapsules and polyacrylate

Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide with intrinsic antimicrobial properties that can be used as an ecological alternative to develop functional materials to inhibit the proliferation of microorganisms. This work evaluates chitosan nanocapsules (CNs) as a self-disinfecting agent to provide bactericidal activity on cotton fabrics (CF), using polyacrylate to bind the CNs on the CF surface. The fabrics were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle (CA), moisture retention, and antimicrobial tests against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The FTIR results showed new peaks related to chitosan structure, indicating the adequate fixation of the CNs on the cotton fibers. SEM images corroborated the polyacrylate binder's efficient adhesion, connecting the CNs and the cotton fiber surface. The CF surface properties were considerably modified, while CN/polyacrylate coating promoted antibacterial activity against the B. subtilis (gram-positive bacteria) for the developed wipe, but they do not display bactericidal effects against E. coli (gram-negative bacteria).

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Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11998-023-00761-y.

A novel chitosan-biochar immobilized microorganism strategy to enhance bioremediation of crude oil in soil

The chitosan-biochar composite is a clean and environmentally friendly immobilized microorganisms carrier. In this study, the chitosan-biochar composite as a carrier to immobilize a compound microbial agent contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus licheniformis, and investigated its role in the remediation of oil-contaminated soil. When using 1% (v/v) acetic acid, 3% (m/v) chitosan solution, 0.1% biochar, 4% (v/v) NaOH solution, freeze-drying 6 h, the optimal chitosan-biochar composite material could be obtained. The specific surfacearea of the material increased to 1.725 m²/g and the average pore size also increased from 130.2260 nm to 165.2980 nm after the addition of biochar through the analysis of specific surface area and pore size, which enlarged the contact area of microorganisms and crude oil with the material. SEM showed that the bacterial successfully adhered to the surface and internal of the material. Using FTIR, the results showed that the synthesis of composite carrier material was the covalent combination of -NH₂ on chitosan and -COOH on biochar, forming a new chemical bond -NH-CO-. After 60 days of remediation of oil-contaminated soil, the removal rate of crude oil by chitosan-biochar composite immobilized microorganism method was 45.82%, which was 21.26% higher than that of natural remediation. Simultaneously, several oil-degrading bacteria increased at genus level, including Nocardioides (26.79%-33.09%), Bacillus (3.01%-4.10%), Dietzia (1.84%-5.56%), Pseudomonas (0-0.78%), among which Pseudomonas belongs to exogenous bacteria. The results indicated that the chitosan-biochar composite material has high application value in removing crude oil, and further provides a new strategy for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

Insights into the Biocompatibility and Biological Potential of a Chitosan Nanoencapsulated Textile Dye

Traditionally synthetic textile dyes are hazardous and toxic compounds devoid of any biological activity. As nanoencapsulation of yellow everzol textile dye with chitosan has been shown to produce biocompatible nanoparticles which were still capable of dyeing textiles, this work aims to further characterize the biocompatibility of yellow everzol nanoparticles (NPs) and to ascertain if the produced nanoencapsulated dyes possess any biological activity against various skin pathogens in vitro assays and in a cell infection model. The results showed that the NPs had no deleterious effects on the HaCat cells' metabolism and cell wall, contrary to the high toxicity of the dye. The biological activity evaluation showed that NPs had a significant antimicrobial activity, with low MICs (0.5-2 mg/mL) and MBCs (1-3 mg/mL) being registered. Additionally, NPs inhibited biofilm formation of all tested microorganisms (inhibitions between 30 and 87%) and biofilm quorum sensing. Lastly, the dye NPs were effective in managing MRSA infection of HaCat cells as they significantly reduced intracellular and extracellular bacterial counts.

Chitosan Nanoparticles as Bioactive Vehicles for Textile Dyeing: A Proof of Concept

In recent years bioactive textiles have risen to the forefront of consumers perception due to their potential protection against virus, fungi and bacteria. However, traditional textile staining is an eco-damaging process that and current methods of textile functionalization are expensive, complicated and with great environmental impact. With that in mind, this work sought to show a possible solution for this problematic through the usage of a novel one step textile dyeing and functionalization method based upon nanoencapsulated textile dyes (NTDs). To do so navy blue everzol NTDs were produced with chitosan, cotton dyed, characterized through FTIR and SEM and biological potential evaluated through biocompatibility screening and antimicrobial activity against skin pathogens. The data obtained showed that NTDs effectively dyed the target textile through a coating of the cotton fibre and that NTDs formed hydrogen bonds with the cellulose fibre via electrostatic interactions of the chitosan amino groups with cotton sulphate groups. From a biocompatibility perspective NTDs dyed cotton had no deleterious effects upon a skin cell line, as it promoted cellular metabolism of HaCat cells, while traditionally died cotton reduced it by 10%. Last but not least, NTDs dyed cotton showed significant antimicrobial activity as it reduced viable counts of MRSA, MSSA and A. baumannii between 1 and 2 log of CFU while traditional dyed cotton had no antimicrobial activity. Considering these results the novel method proposed shows is a viable and ecological alternative for the development of antimicrobial textiles with potential biomedical applications.

Characterization and Evaluation of Commercial Carboxymethyl Cellulose Potential as an Active Ingredient for Cosmetics

Carboxymethyl cellulose is the most used water-soluble cellulose with applications in industries such as food, cosmetics, and tissue engineering. However, due to a perceived lack of biological activity, carboxymethyl cellulose is mostly used as a structural element. As such, this work sought to investigate whether CMC possesses relevant biological properties that could grant it added value as a cosmeceutical ingredient in future skincare formulations. To that end, CMC samples (Mw between 471 and 322 kDa) skin cell cytotoxicity, impact upon pro-collagen I α I production, and inflammatory response were evaluated. Results showed that samples were not cytotoxic towards HaCat and HDFa up to 10 mg/mL while simultaneously promoting intracellular production of pro-collagen I α I up by 228% relative to the basal metabolism, which appeared to be related to the highest DS and Mw. Additionally, CMC samples modulated HaCat immune response as they decreased by ca. 1.4-fold IL-8 production and increased IL-6 levels by ca. five fold. Despite this increase, only two samples presented IL-6 levels similar to those of the inflammation control. Considering these results, CMC showed potential to be a more natural alternative to traditional bioactive cosmetic ingredients and, as it is capable of being a bioactive and structural ingredient, it may play a key role in future skincare formulations.

Removal of a reactive dye from simulated textile wastewater by environmentally friendly oxidant calcium peroxide

In the present study, calcium peroxide (CaO2) was used separately for potential application as an environmentally friendly and low-cost oxidant for the removal of a textile dye ‘Reactive Black 5’ (RB5) from simulated textile wastewater containing auxiliary chemicals of textile production. The specific morphology, elemental analysis, particle size distribution, specific surface area, identification of crystalline phases and surface functional groups of the synthesized CaO2 were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), laser diffraction (LD), Brunaure–Emmett–Teller method (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR), respectively. X-ray Diffraction analysis confirmed the synthesized oxidant as CaO2 with the tetragonal crystalline structure. The signal corresponded to a bending vibration of O–Ca–O was detected in the fingerprint region of the FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of various independent parameters such as contact time, pH, initial RB5 concentration and CaO2 dosage on decolorization were investigated. The results of the study showed that pH, initial dye concentration and the CaO2 amounts have significant effects on removal of the RB5. The optimum pH was determined 7 for the removal of RB5 by CaO2. 2.0 g CaO2 was found to be sufficient for the removal of 300 mg/L RB5 with 96.93% removal efficiency. Also 82.8% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency from simulated textile wastewater (STW) was obtained by 2.0 g CaO2. The results of the present study showed that the CaO2 can be used as an environmentally friendly and low-cost oxidant for effective removal of reactive textile dyes.

Development of smart core-shell nanoparticle-based sensors for the point-of-care detection of alpha amylase in diagnostics and forensics

Smart biocompatible materials, responsive to various external stimuli, hold immense potential in the development of biosensors for low-cost diagnostics. The present paper outlines the development of smart enzyme-responsive core-shell nanoparticle-based sensors as low-cost diagnostics for alpha amylase detection. The biocompatible core-shell nanoparticles of 200-250 nm size consisted of a chitosan-tripolyphosphate core formed by ionic gelation coated with a starch-iodine shell. In the presence of specific concentrations of amylase, the starch-iodine shell was disrupted and resulted in the exposure of core. This application herein describes a visible switch in color from blue to red towards the point-of-care detection of salivary alpha amylase (sAA). Stress and other autonomic disturbances can be diagnosed by measuring this biomarker. Also, alpha amylase can be used in the detection of latent saliva at crime scenes for forensic investigations. Using the present platform technology, a paper-based diagnostic was developed for detection of salivary alpha amylase that demonstrated a limit of detection (LoD) of 140 units/ml (70 mg/ml) at 5 minutes while a coated swab developed from the nanoparticles for crime scene investigations could achieve an LoD of 2.5 units/ml (1.25 mg/ml) over 30 minutes. The nanoparticles demonstrated stability and reproducibility with no interference seen with other substances in saliva. The present paper provides a proof-of-concept technology underscoring the utility of smart nanoparticles in affordable, versatile biosensing platforms like paper-based and swab-based formats for such diverse applications as diagnostics for stress and in forensics.