The Simultaneous Production of Two Distinct Types of Cellulose Nanocrystals

Natural products from Camellia oleifera fruit and its comprehensive utilisation

Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera) is a woody oil plant with a good reputation of 'Oriental Olive Oil' in China. The national understanding of the health-care benefits of Camellia oil are already widespread, but the production of C. oleifera fruit has not been achieved large-scale industrialisation. In this review, we focus on the properties and commercial value of its natural products, and processing technology, performance characterisation, and novel modification strategies of its processed products. In addition, we briefly summarised the research progress of breeding and put forward the comprehensive utilisation of C. oleifera fruit based on the tandem of extraction and processing. This review might attract more researchers to make profound study regarding it as an alternative of olive oil.

Biotechnological innovations in nanocellulose production from waste biomass with a focus on pineapple waste

New materials' synthesis and utilization have shown many critical challenges in healthcare and other industrial sectors as most of these materials are directly or indirectly developed from fossil fuel resources. Environmental regulations and sustainability concepts have promoted the use of natural compounds with unique structures and properties that can be biodegradable, biocompatible, and eco-friendly. In this context, nanocellulose (NC) utility in different sectors and industries is reported due to their unique properties including biocompatibility and antimicrobial characteristics. The bacterial nanocellulose (BNC)-based materials have been synthesized by bacterial cells and extracted from plant waste materials including pineapple plant waste biomass. These materials have been utilized in the form of nanofibers and nanocrystals. These materials are found to have excellent surface properties, low density, and good transparency, and are rich in hydroxyl groups for their modifications to other useful products. These materials are well utilized in different sectors including biomedical or health care centres, nanocomposite materials, supercapacitors, and polymer matrix production. This review explores different approaches for NC production from pineapple waste residues using biotechnological interventions, approaches for their modification, and wider applications in different sectors. Recent technological developments in NC production by enzymatic treatment are critically discussed. The utilization of pineapple waste-derived NC from a bioeconomic perspective is summarized in the paper. The chemical composition and properties of nanocellulose extracted from pineapple waste may have unique characteristics compared to other sources. Pineapple waste for nanocellulose production aligns with the principles of sustainability, waste reduction, and innovation, making it a promising and novel approach in the field of nanocellulose materials.

Extraction of the cellulose nanocrystals via ammonium persulfate oxidation of beaten cellulose fibers

The effect of beating starting pulp was investigated on the oxidation efficiency of ammonium persulfate (APS), the yield, and the properties of the CNCs. The beaten pulp and the subsequent CNCs were characterized, respectively, by different techniques. The CNCs were classified as CNC1 and CNC2, dependent on ultrasonication. It showed that the beating exposed more free OH groups in the pulp and enhanced the yield and surface charges of CNCs. Compared to the CNC2, the CNC1 had a higher surface charge, higher crystallinity, higher thermal stability, shorter length, smaller length distribution, and slightly larger width. The CNC1 and CNC2 had similar rheological properties. For the beaten pulp with a beating degree of 25°SR, the yields of the CNC1 and the total CNCs reached the maximum, 42.65 and 34.11 %, respectively. The surface charges of the CNC1 and the CNC2 also reached the maximum, -44.5 and - 33.6 mV, respectively. Their crystallinity indexes were 80.07 and 75.42 %, respectively. The lengths of the CNC1 and the CNC2 were 157.31 ± 30.61 and 214.92 ± 65.52 nm, and their widths were 10.13 ± 2.74 and 9.43 ± 2.99 nm, respectively. Therefore, proper beating enhanced the APS oxidation efficiency and influenced the CNCs properties.

A quaternized chitosan and carboxylated cellulose nanofiber-based sponge with a microchannel structure for rapid hemostasis and wound healing

A hemostatic sponge should perform rapid hemostasis and exhibit antibacterial properties, whilst being non-toxic, breathable, and degradable. This study prepared a hemostatic sponge (CQTC) with microchannels, specifically a microchannel structure based on quaternized chitosan (QCS) and carboxylated cellulose nanofibers (CCNF) obtained by using tannic acid and Cu²⁺ complex (crosslinking agent). The sponge had low density and high porosity, while being degradable. The combination of microchannels and three-dimensional porous structure of CQTC leads to excellent liquid absorption and hemostasis ability, based on a liquid absorption rate test and in vitro hemostasis experiment. In addition, CQTC exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, and it promoted wound healing. In conclusion, this porous and microchannel hemostatic sponge has broad application prospects as a clinical wound hemostatic material.