Fabrication and characterisation of a wound dressing composed of polyvinyl alcohol and quince seed mucilage

Stimuli-responsive glucuronoxylan polysaccharide from quince seeds for biomedical, food packaging, and environmental applications

Mucilage is a gelatinous mixture of polysaccharides secreted from the seed coat and/or pericarp of many plant seeds when soaked in water. Mucilage affected seed germination while maintaining hydration levels during scarcity. Cydonia oblonga (quince) seeds are natural hydrocolloids extruding biocompatible mucilage mainly composed of polysaccharides. Quince seed mucilage (QSM) has fascinated researchers due to its applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. On a commercial scale, QSM preserved the sensory and physiochemical properties of various products such as yogurt, desserts, cakes, and burgers. QSM is responsive to salts, pH, and solvents and is mainly investigated as edible coatings in the food industry. In tablet formulations, modified and unmodified QSM as a binder sustained the release of various drugs such as cefixime, capecitabine, diclofenac sodium, theophylline, levosulpiride, diphenhydramine, metoprolol tartrate, and acyclovir sodium. QSM acted as a reducing and capping agent to prepare nanoparticles for good antimicrobial resistance, photocatalytic characteristics, and wound-healing potential. The present review discussed the extraction optimization, chemical composition, stimuli-responsiveness, and viscoelastic properties of mucilage. The potential of mucilage in edible films, tissue engineering, and water purification will also be discussed.

Innovations in hydrogel-based manufacturing: A comprehensive review of direct ink writing technique for biomedical applications

Direct ink writing (DIW) stands as a pioneering additive manufacturing technique that holds transformative potential in the field of hydrogel fabrication. This innovative approach allows for the precise deposition of hydrogel inks layer by layer, creating complex three-dimensional structures with tailored shapes, sizes, and functionalities. By harnessing the versatility of hydrogels, DIW opens up possibilities for applications spanning from tissue engineering to soft robotics and wearable devices. This comprehensive review investigates DIW as applied to hydrogels and its multifaceted applications. The paper introduces a diverse range of printing techniques while providing a thorough exploration of DIW for hydrogel-based printing. The investigation aims to explain the progress made, challenges faced, and potential trajectories that lie ahead for DIW in hydrogel-based manufacturing. The fundamental principles underlying DIW are carefully examined, specifically focusing on rheological attributes and printing parameters, prompting a comprehensive survey of the wide variety of hydrogel materials. These encompass both natural and synthetic variations, all of which can be effectively harnessed for this purpose. Furthermore, the review explores the latest applications of DIW for hydrogels in biomedical areas, with a primary focus on tissue engineering, wound dressing, and drug delivery systems. The document not only consolidates the existing state of DIW within the context of hydrogel-based manufacturing but also charts potential avenues for further research and innovative breakthroughs.

Paper Tape May Improve Scar Aesthetics and Prevent Wound Closure Complications

There is uncertainty whether postoperative application of paper tape (PT) improves scar aesthetics and reduces wound closure complications. This study aimed to review and assess the quality of applicable findings from studies investigating PT's efficacy. We queried PubMed and SCOPUS using the search terms "(("paper tape") AND (wound OR closure OR heal* OR complication OR skin OR prevent* OR scar*))." We excluded articles that were duplicates, basic science, or not clinically relevant. We assessed the level of evidence for each article using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Rating Levels of Evidence and Grading Recommendations for Therapeutic Studies, ranging from I (highest) to V (lowest). Of 186 publications reviewed, we included eight studies in the literature review. Five of these studies reported statistically significant positive outcomes on scar aesthetics and wound closure associated with using PT. Using the ASPS rating system, we found that two studies were Level I, three studies were Level II, two studies were Level IV, and one study was Level V. Notably, heterogeneity in the study designs limited outcome comparison. The data from the studies included in this literature review support using PT to optimize scar and wound management. The lack of higher levels of evidence, however, suggests the need for additional randomized controlled trials to rigorously evaluate patient outcomes when using PT compared with other forms of adhesive dressings.

Mucilage polysaccharide as a plant secretion: Potential trends in food and biomedical applications

Current trends are shifting away from using synthetic compounds in favor of discovering new natural component sources that will allow them to create goods that are healthful, environmentally friendly, sustainable, and profitable. The food industry, in light of these trends, has opted to look for safe natural ingredients that will allow the production of low-fat, artificial-additive-free, gluten-free, prebiotic, and fortified foods. Similarly, the pharmaceutical and medical industries have attempted to apply natural ingredients to address the challenges related to biomaterials more efficiently than synthetic ingredients. Against this background, plant mucilage has proven to be a polysaccharide with excellent health features and technological properties, useful for both food and biomedical applications. Many studies have shown that its inclusion in different food matrices improves the quality of the products obtained under appropriate reformulations. At the same time, plant mucilage has been indicated to be a very interesting matrix in biomedical field especially tissue engineering applications since it has been emerged to favor tissue regeneration with its highly biocompatible structure. This concise review discusses the most recent advances of the applications of plant mucilage in different foods as well as its recent use in biomedical field. In this context, firstly, a general definition of mucilage was made and information about plant-based mucilage, which is frequently used, about the plant parts they are found in, their content and how they are obtained are presented. Then, the use of mucilage in the food industry including bakery products, meat emulsions, fermented dairy products, ice cream, and other foods is presented with case studies. Afterwards, the use of plant mucilage in the biomedical field, which has attracted attention in recent years, especially in applications with tissue engineering approach such as scaffolds for tissue regeneration, wound dressings, drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical industry was evaluated.