Direct binding of Concanvalin A onto iron oxide nanoparticles for fast magnetic selective separation of lactoferrin

Application of cellulose to chromatographic media: Cellulose dissolution, and media fabrication and derivatization

As the cornerstone of chromatographic technology, the development of high-performance chromatographic media is a crucial means to enhance the purification efficiency of biological macromolecules. Cellulose is a popular biological separation medium due to its abundant hydroxyl group on the surface, easy modification and, weak non-specific adsorption. In this paper, the development of cellulosic solvent systems, typical preparation methods of cellulosic chromatographic media, and the enhancement of chromatographic properties of cellulosic chromatographic media by polymeric ligand grafting strategies and their mechanism of action are reviewed. Ultimately, based on the current research status, a promising outlook for the preparation of high-performance cellulose-based chromatographic media was presented.

Separation Technologies for Whey Protein Fractionation

Whey is a by-product of cheese, casein, and yogurt manufacture. It contains a mixture of proteins that need to be isolated and purified to fully exploit their nutritional and functional characteristics. Protein-enriched fractions and highly purified proteins derived from whey have led to the production of valuable ingredients for many important food and pharmaceutical applications. This article provides a review on the separation principles behind both the commercial and emerging techniques used for whey protein fractionation, as well as the efficacy and limitations of these techniques in isolating and purifying individual whey proteins. The fractionation of whey proteins has mainly been achieved at commercial scale using membrane filtration, resin-based chromatography, and the integration of multiple technologies (e.g., precipitation, membrane filtration, and chromatography). Electromembrane separation and membrane chromatography are two main emerging techniques that have been developed substantially in recent years. Other new techniques such as aqueous two-phase separation and magnetic fishing are also discussed, but only a limited number of studies have reported their application in whey protein fractionation. This review offers useful insights into research directions and technology screening for academic researchers and dairy processors for the production of whey protein fractions with desired nutritional and functional properties.

Aptamer-functionalized pH-responsive polymer-modified magnetic nanoparticles for specific enrichment and sensitive determination of lactoferrin

A new type of aptamer-functionalized pH-responsive polymer-modified magnetic nanoparticles (ApMNPs) is introduced for specific enrichment and sensitive determination of lactoferrin (Lf) in complex matrixes. In the construction, Fe₃O₄@3-(Triethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate@poly(4-Vinyl-1, 3-dioxolan-2-one-acrylic acid) (Fe₃O₄@MPS@p(VEC-AA)) were synthesized as pH-responsive polymer-modified magnetic nanoparticles (pMNPs) through free radical polymerization to increase the tunable interaction. Lf-binding aptamers were conjugated onto pMNPs through the reaction of amino-group in aptamer and epoxide-group in VEC, innovatively applied to prepare Lf-ApMNPs. On the basis of the synergistic effect of specific affinity of aptamer on Lf and tunable hydrophobic/hydrophilic property of pH-responsive polymer, Lf-ApMNPs presented good selectivity toward Lf, excellent adsorption capacity (as high as 233.9 mg g^-1), as well as good recoveries in the range 93.6-99.6% in Lf-related nutrition samples. Significantly, the introduction of pH-responsive monomer (AA) effectively regulated the adsorption-desorption process of Lf, with the function similar to a switch. Moreover, the good performances of Ct-ApMNPs toward α-Chymotrypsin showed that ApMNPs exhibited universality to other proteins through easily changing the binding aptamer, thereby offering a facile and efficient approach for specific enrichment and sensitive determination of targets in real biological samples.

Nano-adsorbents an effective candidate for removal of toxic pharmaceutical compounds from aqueous environment: A critical review on emerging trends

Advancements in medical research has resulted in the modernization of healthcare facilities, subsequently leading to a higher level of production and usage of pharmaceuticals to sustain better quality of life. Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) possess high genotoxicity and eco-toxicity thus presenting numerous side effects to living beings on long-term exposure. The fate and toxicity of PhACs were explored in detail, aiming to elucidate their occurrence and transmission in wastewater treatment systems (WWTPs). Adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds using Nano-adsorbents has gained momentum in recent years owing to their low-cost, high surface area and effectiveness. This review has been conducted in order to widen the utilization of Nano adsorbents in the adsorption of pharmaceutical compounds with a focus on the aqueous environment. The synthesis routes and properties of Nano-adsorbents for removal of PhACs were assessed in a comprehensive way. The recovery and reuse ability of nano-adsorbents also forms an integral part of its application in the removal of PhACs and has hence been delineated.

Design of Functional Magnetic Nanocomposites for Bioseparation

Magnetic materials have been widely used in bioseparation in recent years due to their good biocompatibility, magnetic properties, and high binding capacity. In this review, we provide a brief introduction on the preparation and bioseparation applications of magnetic materials including the synthesis and surface modification of magnetic nanoparticles as well as the preparation and applications of magnetic nanocomposites in the separation of proteins, peptides, cells, exosomes and blood. The current limitations and remaining challenges in the fabrication process of magnetic materials for bioseparation will be also detailed.

Complexes of magnetic nanospheres with amphiprotic polymer-Zn systems for the selective isolation of lactoferrin

Amphiprotic polymer-Zn complex magnetic nanospheres, termed Fe₃O₄@PCL-CMC-Zn, are designed and prepared via a step-wise synthetic strategy. Hydrophobic polycaprolactone (PCL) is firstly coated onto the magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanospheres, and then hydrophilic carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is grafted onto the hydrophobic PCL blocks via an esterification reaction, followed by finally chelating with Zn²⁺ ions. The homogeneous core-shell structure and fastened amphiprotic polymer layer provide the as-prepared Fe₃O₄@PCL-CMC-Zn magnetic nanospheres with improved protein binding behavior, and the chelated Zn²⁺ offers the nanospheres favorable adsorption selectivity towards apo-lactoferrin. The adsorption capacity of apo-lactoferrin is high, up to 615.3 mg g^-1. The exploitation of FeCl₃ as a stripping reagent not only provides efficient recovery of the adsorbed apo-lactoferrin, i.e. a recovery of 83.2%, but also achieves the restoration of the lactoferrin structure. The Fe₃O₄@PCL-CMC-Zn magnetic nanospheres are then employed as a sorbent for the selective isolation of lactoferrin from human colostrum samples, obtaining high-purity lactoferrin as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE and Q-TOF LC-MS assays.

Preparation of Concanavalin A-Chelating Magnetic Nanoparticles for Selective Enrichment of Glycoproteins

In this work, a soft and nondestructive approach was developed to prepare concanavalin A-chelating magnetic nanoparticles (Con A-MNPs) for selective enrichment of glycoproteins. Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid-modified-MNPs (EDTA-MNPs) were prepared by a one-pot chemical coprecipitation method first, and then, Cu(II) cations were used as bridge groups to immobilize Con A on EDTA-MNPs. The as-prepared absorbents with a mean diameter of 15 nm showed a strong magnetic response to an externally applied magnetic field. The results of thermogravimetric analysis showed the content of immobilized Con A was up to 28 wt %. For glycoprotein ovalbumin, the maximum capacity and equilibrium constant were 72.41 mg/g and 0.6035 L/mg, respectively. The as-prepared nanocomposites exhibited a remarkable selectivity for glycoproteins and can enrich glycoproteins specifically from a mixture of glycoprotein and nonglycoprotein even at a molar ratio of 1:600. It was also successfully applied for the enrichment of glycoproteins from real egg white samples. We expect that our finding will serve as a helpful template for others to design new adsorbents for enriching glycoproteins.

Applications of nanomaterials in mass spectrometry analysis

Mass spectrometry (MS) based analyses have received intense research interest in a series of rapidly developing disciplines. Although current MS techniques have enjoyed great successes, several key challenges still remain in practical applications, especially for the detection of biomolecules in biological systems. The use of nanomaterials in MS based analysis provides a promising approach due to their unique physical and chemical properties. In this review, nanomaterials with different compositions and nanostructures employed in MS applications are summarised and classified by their functions. Such an integrated and wide reaching review will provide a comprehensive handbook to researchers with various backgrounds working in this exciting interdisciplinary area.

Recent advances in surface chemistry strategies for the fabrication of functional iron oxide based magnetic nanoparticles

The synthesis of superparamagnetic nanostructures, especially iron-oxide based nanoparticles (IONPs), with appropriate surface functional groups has been intensively researched for many high-technological applications, including high density data storage, biosensing and biomedicine. In medicine, IONPs are nowadays widely used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in hyperthermia therapy, but are also exploited for drug and gene delivery, detoxification of biological fluids or immunoassays, as they are relatively non-toxic. The use of magnetic particles in vivo requires IONPs to have high magnetization values, diameters below 100 nm with overall narrow size distribution and long time stability in biological fluids. Due to the high surface energies of IONPs agglomeration over time is often encountered. It is thus of prime importance to modify their surface to prevent aggregation and to limit non-specific adsorption of biomolecules onto their surface. Such chemical modifications result in IONPs being well-dispersed and biocompatible, and allow for targeted delivery and specific interactions. The chemical nature of IONPs thus determines not only the overall size of the colloid, but also plays a significant role for in vivo and in vitro applications. This review discusses the different concepts currently used for the surface functionalization and coating of iron oxide nanoparticles. The diverse strategies for the covalent linking of drugs, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, and nucleotides will be discussed and the chemically relevant steps will be explained in detail.