Preparation and characterization of mucilage polysaccharide for biomedical applications

In the present investigation, the polysaccharide/mucilage from waste of Abelmoscus esculentus by modification in hot extraction using two different solvents (Acetone, Methanol) were extracted, characterized and further compared with seaweed polysaccharide for their potential applications. The percentage yield, emulsifying capacity and swelling index of this mucilage were determined. The macro algae and okra waste, gave high % yield (22.2% and 8.6% respectively) and good emulsifying capacity (EC% = 52.38% and 54.76% respectively) with acetone, compared to methanol (11.3% and 0.28%; EC% = 50%) (PH = 7) while swelling index was greater with methanol than acetone extracts respectively. The infrared (I.R.) spectrum of the samples was recorded to investigate the chemical structure of mucilage. Thermal analysis of the mucilage was done with TGA (Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer) and DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter) which showed both okra and algal polysaccharide were thermostable hydrogels.     

Preparation and characterization of N-heterocyclic chitosan derivative based gels for biomedical applications

The novel N-heterocyclic chitosan aerogel derivatives were prepared by reacting 79% deacetylated chitosan separately with 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde followed by subsequent solvent exchange into acetone, filteration and lyophilization. The identity of the Schiff bases was confirmed by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The N-heterocyclic chitosan derivatives were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), rheological studies and biological activity. Overall, the N-heterocyclic chitosan derivative based gels open new perspectives in biomedical applications.     

Preparation and characterization of novel chitosan/gelatin membranes using chitosan hydrogel

Chitin and chitosan are novel biomaterials. The novel chitosan/gelatin membranes were prepared using the suspension of chitosan hydrogel mixed with gelatin. The prepared chitosan/gelatin membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical, swelling, and thermal studies. The morphology of these chitosan/gelatin membranes was found to be very smooth and homogeneous. The XRD studies showed that the chitosan/gelatin membranes have good compatibility and interaction between the chitosan and gelatin. The stress and elongation of chitosan/gelatin membranes on wet condition showed excellent when the mixture ratio of gelatin was 0.50. The prepared chitosan/gelatin membranes showed good swelling, mechanical and thermal properties. Cell adhesion studies were also carried out using human MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. The cells incubated with chitosan/gelatin membranes for 24 h were capable of forming cell adhesion. Thus the prepared chitosan/gelatin membranes are bioactive and are suitable for cell adhesion suggesting that these membranes can be used for tissue-engineering applications. Therefore, these novel chitosan/gelatin membranes are useful for biomedical applications.     

Processing silk hydrogel and its applications in biomedical materials

This review mainly introduces the types of silk hydrogels, their processing methods, and applications. There are various methods for hydrogel preparation, and many new processes are being developed for various applications. Silk hydrogels can be used in cartilage tissue engineering, drug release materials, 3D scaffolds for cells, and artificial skin, among other applications because of their porous structure and high porosity and the large surface area for growth, migration, adhesion and proliferation of cells that the hydrogels provide. All of these advantages have made silk hydrogels increasingly attractive. In addition, silk hydrogels have wide prospects for application in the field of biomedical materials. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:630–640, 2015     

Preparation and characterization of novel beta-chitin-hydroxyapatite composite membranes for tissue engineering applications

Beta-chitin is a biopolymer principally found in shells of squid pen. It has the properties of biodegradability, biocompatibility, chemical inertness, wound healing, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a natural inorganic component of bone and teeth and has osteoconductive property. In this work, beta-chitin-HAp composite membranes were prepared by alternate soaking of beta-chitin membranes in CaCl2 (pH 7.4) and Na2HPO4 solutions for 2 h in each solution. After 1, 3 and 5 cycles of immersion, beta-chitin membranes were characterized using the SEM, FT-IR, EDS and XRD analyses. The results showed the presence of apatite layer on surface of beta-chitin membranes, and the amounts of size and deposition of apatite layers were increased with increasing number of immersion cycles. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were used for evaluation of the biocompatibility of pristine as well as composite membranes for tissue engineering applications. The presence of apatite layers on the surface of beta-chitin membranes increased the cell attachment and spreading suggesting that beta-chitin-HAp composite membranes can be used for tissue engineering applications.     

Research progress on black phosphorus hybrids hydrogel platforms for biomedical applications

Cell migration is a pivotal biological process, whose dysregulation is found in many diseases including inflammation and cancer. Advances in microscopy technologies allow now to study cell migration in vitro, within engineered microenvironments that resemble in vivo conditions. However, to capture an entire 3D migration chamber for extended periods of time and with high temporal resolution, images are generally acquired with low resolution, which poses a challenge for data analysis. Indeed, cell detection and tracking are hampered due to the large pixel size (i.e., cell diameter down to 2 pixels), the possible low signal-to-noise ratio, and distortions in the cell shape due to changes in the z-axis position. Although fluorescent staining can be used to facilitate cell detection, it may alter cell behavior and it may suffer from fluorescence loss over time (photobleaching).

Here we describe a protocol that employs an established deep learning method (U-NET), to specifically convert transmitted light (TL) signal from unlabeled cells imaged with low resolution to a fluorescent-like signal (class 1 probability). We demonstrate its application to study cancer cell migration, obtaining a significant improvement in tracking accuracy, while not suffering from photobleaching. This is reflected in the possibility of tracking cells for three-fold longer periods of time. To facilitate the application of the protocol we provide WID-U, an open-source plugin for FIJI and Imaris imaging software, the training dataset used in this paper, and the code to train the network for custom experimental settings.

     

Morphology and chemical characterization of Ti surfaces modified for biomedical applications

The aim of the present work is to characterize in detail the chemical composition and morphology of titanium surfaces subjected to various environments. Modifications consisted of exposure of Ti to acidic, alkaline or polymer solutions. Such modifications result in chemical and/or morphological changes in the Ti surface. Special attention has been given to identifying the factors influencing cell adhesion and growth. SEM examinations provided morphological characterization of the Ti samples. Surface analytical techniques such as AES or XPS combined with Ar(+) ion sputtering allowed examination of the chemical properties of the Ti surface after chemical pretreatments and investigating the chemical composition of the Ti oxide layer. Raman spectroscopy investigations allowed determination of the crystalline phases of the Ti-oxide layers and characterization of the dextran-modified surface. The results show large differences in the morphology of Ti pretreated with different procedures whereas only minor differences in the chemistry of the surfaces were found. High-resolution Auger investigations have revealed that all the chemical modifications of Ti surfaces resulted in the formation of a titanium oxide layer. XPS confirmed that TiO(2) is the main component of the chemically modified Ti surface. The Raman spectroscopy investigations showed that the titanium surface with a dextran coating is rich in hydroxyl groups. All the surfaces investigated exhibit a hydrophilic character. The possible influence of various surface features on surface biocompatibility is discussed.     

Effect of crosslinking in chitosan/aloe vera-based membranes for biomedical applications

The positive interaction between polysaccharides with active phytochemicals found in medicinal plants may represent a strategy to create active wound dressing materials useful for skin repair. In the present work, blended membranes composed of chitosan (Cht) and aloe vera gel were prepared through the solvent casting, and were crosslinked with genipin to improve their properties. Topography, swelling, wettability, mechanical properties and in vitro cellular response of the membranes were investigated. With the incorporation of aloe vera gel into chitosan solution, the developed chitosan/aloe-based membranes displayed increased roughness and wettability; while the genipin crosslinking promoted the formation of stiffer membranes in comparison to those of the non-modified membranes. Moreover, in vitro cell culture studies evidenced that the L929 cells have high cell viability, confirmed by MTS test and calcein-AM staining. The findings suggested that both blend compositions and crosslinking affected the physico-chemical properties and cellular behavior of the developed membranes.     

Digital microfluidic hydrogel microreactors for proteomics

Proteolytic digestion is an essential step in proteomic sample processing. While this step has traditionally been implemented in homogeneous (solution) format, there is a growing trend to use heterogeneous systems in which the enzyme is immobilized on hydrogels or other solid supports. Here, we introduce the use of immobilized enzymes in hydrogels for proteomic sample processing in digital microfluidic (DMF) systems. In this technique, preformed cylindrical agarose discs bearing immobilized trypsin or pepsin were integrated into DMF devices. A fluorogenic assay was used to optimize the covalent modification procedure for enzymatic digestion efficiency, with maximum efficiency observed at 31 μg trypsin in 2-mm diameter agarose gel discs. Gel discs prepared in this manner were used in an integrated method in which proteomic samples were sequentially reduced, alkylated, and digested, with all sample and reagent handling controlled by DMF droplet operation. Mass spectrometry analysis of the products revealed that digestion using the trypsin gel discs resulted in higher sequence coverage in model analytes relative to conventional homogenous processing. Proof-of-principle was demonstrated for a parallel digestion system in which a single sample was simultaneously digested on multiple gel discs bearing different enzymes. We propose that these methods represent a useful new tool for the growing trend toward miniaturization and automation in proteomic sample processing.     

Exosomes: Isolation,characterization, and biomedical applications

Exosomes are nano-sized bioactive vesicles of 30–150 nm in diameter. They are secreted by exocytosis of nearly all type of cells in to the extracellular fluid. Thereby, they can be found in many biological fluids. Exosomes regulate intracellular communication between cells via delivery of their cargo which include lipids, proteins, and nucleic acid. Many desirable features of exosomes made them promising candidates in several therapeutic applications. In this review, we discuss the use of exosomes as diagnostic tools and their possible biomedical applications. Additionally, current techniques used for isolation, purification, and characterization of exosomes from both biological fluids and in vitro cell cultures were discussed.     

聚乙烯醇-明胶复合膜固定化重组大肠杆菌NAD激酶的研究

为提高烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(NAD)激酶的稳定性,采用复合膜对NAD激酶进行固定化研究。选用聚乙烯醇(PVA)、聚乳酸(PLA)、海藻酸钠(SA)和明胶(GEL)膜材料固定化NAD激酶。通过单因素实验确定最佳固定化条件为:PVA∶GEL为4∶1,加酶量为0.6 mL,固定化时间为6h,固定化温度为35℃,此时酶活力回收率达到最高值84%。固定化酶酶学性质分析结果表明,与游离酶进行比较,固定化后NAD激酶的最适温度由50℃提高至55℃,最适pH由8.0降至7.0,NAD激酶的热稳定性和pH稳定性均得到显著提高,但固定化酶的亲和力降低。固定化NAD激酶重复利用6次后,酶活性依然可维持初始酶活性的75%以上,表明聚乙烯醇-明胶复合膜固定化酶具有良好的操作稳定性。     

电纺技术在生物医学中的应用进展

电纺技术已经成为结合多组分化合物与织造技术的关键工具,可改变电纺丝材料的化学、物理和生物特性,使其与不同的应用环境相适应。通过电纺技术制作的功能化纳米电纺丝材料,在组织工程、创伤敷料、酶的固定化和药物（基因）载体等生物医学方面得到了广泛的应用。新型的电纺技术可以进一步优化纳米电纺丝的特性,如同轴电纺、二相电纺技术;电纺丝膜的修饰也为调控电纺丝的各向异性和多孔性提供了有效的方法。该文将概述功能化电纺丝的纺织技术及修饰方法在生物医学领域的研究与应用进展。     

Two-photon probes for biomedical applications

Two-photon microscopy (TPM), which uses two photons of lower energy as the excitation source, is a vital tool in biology and clinical science, due to its capacity to image deep inside intact tissues for a long period of time. To make TPM a more versatile tool in biomedical research, we have developed a variety of two-photon probes for specific applications. In this mini review, we will briefly discuss two-photon probes for lipid rafts, lysosomes, mitochondria, and pH, and their biomedical applications. [BMB Reports 2013; 46(4): 188-194]     

Luminescent nanodiamonds for biomedical applications

In recent years, nanodiamonds have emerged from primarily an industrial and mechanical applications base, to potentially underpinning sophisticated new technologies in biomedical and quantum science. Nanodiamonds are relatively inexpensive, biocompatible, easy to surface functionalise and optically stable. This combination of physical properties are ideally suited to biological applications, including intracellular labelling and tracking, extracellular drug delivery and adsorptive detection of bioactive molecules. Here we describe some of the methods and challenges for processing nanodiamond materials, detection schemes and some of the leading applications currently under investigation.     

Formulation of organic and inorganic hydrogel matrices for immobilization of β‐glucosidase in microfluidic platform

The aim of this study was to formulate silica and alginate hydrogels for immobilization of β‐glucosidase. For this purpose, enzyme kinetics in hydrogels were determined, activity of immobilized enzymes was compared with that of free enzyme, and structures of silica and alginate hydrogels were characterized in terms of surface area and pore size. The addition of polyethylene oxide improved the mechanical strength of the silica gels and 68% of the initial activity of the enzyme was preserved after immobilizing into tetraethyl orthosilicate–polyethylene oxide matrix where the relative activity in alginate beads was 87%. The immobilized β‐glucosidase was loaded into glass–silicon–glass microreactors and catalysis of 4‐nitrophenyl β‐d ‐glucopyranoside was carried out at various retention times (5, 10, and 15 min) to compare the performance of silica and alginate hydrogels as immobilization matrices. The results indicated that alginate hydrogels exhibited slightly better properties than silica, which can be utilized for biocatalysis in microfluidic platforms.     

Biochemiluminescence and biomedical applications

Although used for analytical purposes for more than 40 years it is only recently that biochemiluminescence (BCL) has found widespread acceptance. Methods employing BCL reactions now play an important role in biomedical research and laboratory medicine. The main attractions for the assay technology include exquisite sensitivity (attomole-zeptomole), high selectivity, speed and simplicity. In biomedical research, the most important applications of BCL are: (1) to estimate microbial numbers and to assess cellular states (e.g., after exposure to antibiotic or cytotoxic agents) and in reporter gene studies (firefly luciferase gene); (2) NAD(P)H involved in redox/dehydrogenase studies usingVibrio luciferase complex; (3) BCL labels and CL detection of enzyme labels in immunoassays are the most widespread routine application for this technology. BCL enzyme immunoassays represent the most active area of development, e.g., enhanced BCL method for peroxidase and BCL assays for alkaline phosphatase labels using adamantyl 1,2-dioxetane.Abbreviations BCL biochemiluminescence - CL chemiluminescence - RLU relative light unit - ROS reactive oxygen species     

Thermal microdevices for biological and biomedical applications

Temperature strongly influences the form and function of biologically important macromolecules and cells. Advances in microfabrication technology have enabled highly localized and accurate temperature control and manipulation, allowing the investigation of thermal effects on biological microsystems. This paper reviews progress in this field, with emphasis on techniques and microdevices with biomedical applications. Recent advances in the study of thermal effects on cellular behavior, enabled by MEMS-based structures are reported. These studies focus on investigating thermal interactions between the cell and its microenvironment. Thermal-based tools for concentration and purification of biologically important macromolecules like DNA and proteins are summarized. These tools address common issues in protein/DNA research, like concentration, separation and purification of samples. With the increasing research focus on the integration of biomedicine with engineering technologies and the several incentives of miniaturization, MEMS-based devices are likely to become increasingly prevalent in biology and medicine. Thermal engineering is expected to continue to play an important role in the improvement of current microdevices and the development of new ones.     

Preparation and optical parameter characterization of two aldehyde derivative thin films for photonic applications by drop casting method

In this study, thin films of polymer poly(methyl methacrylate) were prepared using a drop casting method. Two newly synthesized aldehyde derivatives, 2‐bromomalonaldehyde and 5,6‐dihydroimidazo[2,1‐b]thiazole‐2‐carbaldehyde, were used at different concentrations to dope the films. The prepared films were transparent and therefore studied for application in photonics. Optical characterization of the samples was carried out using different spectroscopy techniques. Absorption spectra for both samples were obtained using a UV–vis light spectrophotometer. Other significant optical parameters, such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, and band gap energies, were calculated from the absorption spectra. The effect of doping concentration on these parameters was studied. Emission spectra were obtained using a fluorescence spectrophotometer and the effect of doping was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectra of the doped films were obtained and compared with the pure compound to note changes in peak values and peak intensity. This present work studied the effect of doping on optical properties and examined the application of the samples for photonics.