International Journal of Biological Macromolecules最新文献

Regenerating bone tissue poses a formidable challenge in regenerative therapies, particularly for extensive or intricate defects that exceed the body's innate repair mechanisms. The advancement of 3D printed scaffolds has emerged as a promising method for creating biomimetic constructs with accurate architectural designs. However, a major hurdle is finding architectural materials that can effectively deliver mechanical strength, biodegradability, and bioactivity all at once. This study details the fabrication of poly lactic acid (PLA) scaffolds using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), which feature square-shaped pores arranged at 90° angles between the X and Y axes. To improve both the biological performance and mechanical characteristics, the surfaces were coated with a starch-based solution containing akermanite through electrospinning, film casting, and sponge techniques. Preliminary results showed that akermanite incorporation markedly improved the compressive strength and bioactivity across all fabricated scaffolds, while preserving their architectural stability. Among various architectural designs developed, the modified composition with electrospun fibers exhibited superior crystallinity (∼38.12%), enabling a controlled degradation rate of 45% over 14 days. The resultant scaffold also displayed 99% cell viability and a great condition for MG63 cell attachment. Also, the material demonstrated proper antibacterial performance, with colony counts measuring (1.04 ± 0.05) × 10⁶ and (2.02 ± 0.48) × 10⁷ against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. Consequently, this study establishes a solid foundation for further in vivo investigations and for the clinical application of starch-based bio-ceramic composites in bone repair. Future investigations should focus on comprehensive in vivo studies to assess the long-term durability and biological performance of the platform under physiological conditions. At the same time, strategies such as incorporating bioactive agents including growth factors or stem cells could be explored to further enhance its osteogenic potential. In parallel, optimizing the geometrical architecture of the 3D-printed substrate should also be pursued, as structural design parameters may play a critical role in improving cellular responses and overall bone regeneration efficiency.

Bladder cancer (BLC) is the tenth most prevalent malignancy worldwide, presenting substantial challenges to healthcare systems due to its high per-patient management costs. These costs are attributed to extended treatment durations, frequent follow-up care, and reliance on resource-intensive invasive procedures. Despite advancements in oncology, the development of effective therapies and improvements in patient quality of life for BLC have lagged behind those for other cancers, underscoring the need for innovative, less burdensome therapeutic strategies. To further explore the role of red ginseng polysaccharide (RGP) in BLC, this study assessed RGP's capacity to suppress tumor growth in an animal model and clarified the molecular mechanisms underlying BLC. The effects of RGP on BLC cells were investigated using real-time cell analysis and colony formation assays. To look into its mode of action, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and flow cytometric analysis were used. The results indicated that RGP significantly inhibits BLC cell proliferation and dose-dependently downregulates PI3K subunit expression. Additionally, RGP suppressed the activity of downstream signaling pathways, including AKT/mTOR and PKCα. It induced mitochondrial apoptosis in BLC cells by modulating the expression of BCL-2 family proteins, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and programmed cell death. RGP exhibited significant anti-tumor and anti-proliferative effects, inducing mitochondrial apoptosis via the PI3K/BAD signaling pathway in an animal model and suppressing EGF-regulated protein expression in BLC. These findings highlight the preclinical potential of RGP, necessitating further clinical trials to assess its pharmacokinetics, safety, and therapeutic efficacy as a potential treatment for metastatic bladder cancer.

Traditional hemostatic materials often exhibit poor adaptability to irregular wounds, insufficient tissue adhesion, and secondary damage from heat released during free radical polymerization of hydrogels in sudden traumatic bleeding. To address these issues, this study developed a carboxymethyl chitosan/oxidized guar gum@tannic acid (COG@TA) hydrogel for tissue wound bleeding management. The hydrogel exhibits strong tissue adhesion, self-healing, biodegradability, and injectability, all achieved through a Schiff base reaction. Furthermore, the gelation process is mild, preventing secondary tissue damage. Upon injection into wounds, the hydrogel adaptively conforms to various shapes, forming a cohesive structure via self-healing. The dynamic cross-linked network arises from amino groups of carboxymethyl chitosan and aldehyde groups of oxidized guar gum. Incorporation of tannic acid markedly enhances adhesion strength (8.88 ± 1.45 kPa) and UV-shielding capacity, while imparting antibacterial and antioxidant functions. These attributes not only aid bleeding control but also protect the wound. Cytotoxicity tests show that COG@TA hydrogel has excellent biocompatibility. This study presents a multifunctional approach for rapid hemostasis of traumatic wounds, combining quick wound closure with anti-infection properties, and holds great potential for clinical application.

The growing demand for advanced sustainable materials has stimulated significant interest in biomass materials, among which cellulose has attracted considerable attention due to its notable eco-benefits and tunable properties. However, the fire hazard caused by the inherent flammability of cellulose restricts its widespread application. In this study, micro-carboxymethylated cellulose (MC) is prepared by regulating the carboxymethylation process, which improved the compatibility between cellulose and sodium alginate (SA). Subsequently, the functional component graphite is introduced and cross-linked with metal ions to prepare a composite cellulose film. The synergistic flame-retardant effect between graphite and metal ions enhanced the fire resistance of cellulose film (LOI = 41.6% ± 1.2%), inducing the formation of a dense carbon layer. With the enhanced carbonization ability of the cellulose membrane and improved compatibility between MC and SA, the cellulose film exhibits sensitive flame response properties (∼ 1.5 s). Additionally, the conductivity of graphite and photothermal conversion capability endow the cellulose film with suitability for flexible sensing and photothermal evaporation applications. This work provides a strategy for preparing bio-based flame-retardant materials, which largely improves the utilization of bio-based polymers and provides inspiration and solutions for the development of functional cellulose-based films.

Intermolecularly aggregated complexation between purified acidic phenolics (PAP) and plant proteins is a promising yet underexplored strategy for developing novel multifunctional food materials. This study systematically compared the complexation behavior and functionality of faba bean protein isolate (FPI)-PAP and soy protein isolate (SPI)-PAP systems using multi-scale experiments. Molecular docking simulation revealed lesser binding affinity of FPI 7S vicilin-PAP and 11S legumin-PAP complexes compared to that of SPI 7S β-conglycinin-PAP and 11S glycinin-PAP complexes. Under practical conditions, the inherently higher aggregation state of FPI hindered intermolecular interactions with PAP, thereby substantially reducing the extent of FPI-PAP complexation. This complexation slightly decreased tyrosine-tryptophan solvent exposure, slightly promoted an α-helix-to-β-sheet transition, and induced minor morphological alterations, indicating a relatively mild protein-protein aggregation effect. Consequently, PAP was less effectively embedded within newly formed aggregates, reducing phenolic-binding capacity and antioxidant activity. Moreover, the milder aggregation effect resulted in a less compact particle structure, leading to smaller particle size, a narrower particle size distribution, and lower thermal stability. Nonetheless, the intrinsic aggregation state of FPI resulted in an overall higher aggregated state of FPI-PAP complex, severely impairing its ability to stabilize air-in-water foams and oil-in-water high internal phase emulsions. Overall, the FPI-PAP complexation system was inferior to its SPI-PAP counterpart. This finding highlights the intrinsic aggregation state of plant proteins as a critical factor leading the behavior and performance of protein-PAP aggregated complex systems.

Calcium-Alginate (Ca-Alg) hydrogels with tunable properties are increasingly desired across diverse applications, yet our understanding of how their structure-property relationships determine performance remains limited. Here, we systematically examined alginate molecular weight (M_w) and concentration (c) as key levers to modulate Ca-Alg hydrogel behaviour. Three alginates, spanning low to high viscosity, were fully characterized by Size-Exclusion Chromatography-Triple-Detector-Array (SEC-TDA), revealing distinct molecular weight distributions (M_w 123 ± 4 to 400 ± 20 kDa; M_w/M_n = 1.5-2.3). Ca-Alg hydrogel sponges were fabricated from these alginates at 10-40 g/L concentrations, and the impact of M_w and c on their properties was assessed. Polymer concentration primarily influenced sponge density, while the the 3D-microarchitecture became increasingly well-defined with M_w and c. Apparent porosity remained consistently high (>90%), whereas water-uptake (4-7 g/g) exhibited limited and inconsistent dependence on the parameters. In contrast, mechanical stiffness and degradation kinetics, two critical determinants of hydrogel performance, were strongly and predictably enhanced by higher M_w and c with G' values in the range 4-260 kPa and residual mass after 30 days in Phosphate-Buffer-Saline varying from about 23% to 66%. Quantitative relationships correlating these properties to polymer chain-length and concentration were established, providing a predictive framework for rational hydrogel design. Biological evaluation demonstrated comparable human dermal fibroblast colonization, proliferation, and collagen-I expression in sponges with the most divergent physicochemical characteristics. Overall, these results offer valuable insights into the roles of alginate M_w and concentration in determining Ca-Alg hydrogel performance and provide mathematical correlations to guide optimization toward targeted applications.

The current study presents a comprehensive investigation into the structural, thermal, and dielectric properties of chitosan (Cs) composite films modified with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([BMIM][TfO]) at concentrations ranging from 10 to 70 wt%. The incorporation of IL induced a significant morphological transition from compact semi-crystalline structures to vertically aligned porous nanostructures as demonstrated by SEM and AFM. XRD and FTIR analyses revealed reduced crystallinity and the formation of new hydrogen bonding interactions between IL and Cs. Thermal analysis (TGA/DTG, DSC) showed a multi-step degradation, reduced glass transition temperatures (T_g), and the emergence of additional thermal events associated with cold crystallization/domain ordering at higher IL contents, reflecting the dual role of IL as plasticizer and structural modulator. Dielectric spectroscopy (DS) exhibited a single β-relaxation attributed to restricted local side-chain dynamics, which speed up with increasing the IL content due to the plasticization effect of IL on polymer chains. DC conductivity (σ_dc) followed Arrhenius temperature dependence with decreasing activation energy (102.08-37.69 kJ/mol), consistent with thermally activated hopping described by the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model.

GATA transcription factors (TFs) are essential regulators of plant development and stress adaptation. Although certain GATA genes have been functionally characterized in model species and identified in staple crops, the evolutionary history and divergence of this gene family within the Triticeae tribe remain largely unexplored. In this study, we identified 318 GATA genes across seven Triticeae species, classifying them into seven subgroups (I-VII). Comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed that the family's expansion was driven by ancient whole-genome duplication (WGD) and lineage-specific gene duplication events. Comprehensive transcriptomics profiling revealed divergent expression patterns among the duplicated TaGATA members and highlighted TaGATA26-5A as a drought-responsive gene. Heterologous expression of TaGATA26-5A in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced drought tolerance of transgenic plants by modulating stomatal aperture and increasing antioxidant enzyme activities in leaves. Additionally, we characterized the Triticeae-specific tandemly duplicated TaGATA31 copies, among which the ancestral copy TaGATA31.1 showed specific responsiveness to low-phosphate (LP) stress. Functional validation through dual-luciferase and yeast assays confirmed TaGATA31.1-2B as a positive regulator of LP tolerance. This study elucidates the evolutionary dynamics of Triticeae GATA genes and identifies TaGATA26-5A and TaGATA31.1-2B as promising candidates for breeding stress-resilient wheat varieties.

This study focused on developing a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based packaging film with excellent water resistance for preserving high-moisture foods. To this end, we incorporated exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) into a CMC matrix and cross-linked it with citric acid (CA) and carbon dots (CD) to create a multifunctional, nacre-mimicking double-cross-linked film (CMC/g-C₃N₄/CA/CD). The CMC/g-C₃N₄/CA/CD film showed a 58.8% increase in tensile strength and a 40.0% reduction in water vapor transmission rate compared to the control CMC film. Additionally, its moisture resistance improved significantly, and it kept its shape intact even after being immersed in water for 100 h. Moreover, the composite film demonstrated excellent functional properties, including a strong antioxidant effect that completely removed ABTS radicals and a potent antibacterial effect that fully inhibited the growth of S. enterica and L. monocytogenes. When used for blueberry packaging, this film effectively inhibits microbial contamination, maintains pH and firmness, reduces weight loss, and extends shelf life by up to 16 days. This nacre-mimicking biopolymer-based packaging material, with its high moisture resistance and physical strength, offers a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging.

The development of halogen- and phosphorus-free flame-retardant strategies is critical for advancing the safety of natural cotton textiles. This study reports an eco-friendly finishing method based on the layer-by-layer assembly of the biobased compounds sodium alginate, chitosan and calcium chloride. The structural features, thermal stability, combustion behavior, flame-retardant efficiency, and underlying mechanism of the coated cotton fabrics were systematically investigated. The coated cotton displayed a markedly reduced damaged length of 8.6 cm and an increased limiting oxygen index of 35.0%, confirming excellent flame resistance. Cone calorimetry revealed an 85% reduction in peak heat release rate, substantially lowering fire hazards. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated earlier decomposition and a pronounced increase in char yield, with residues rising from 8.4% to 42.4% under nitrogen. Raman spectroscopy further indicated enhanced graphitization of the residues, consistent with the formation of a compact carbonaceous structure. Mechanistic studies revealed that the synergistic interaction of sodium alginate, chitosan and calcium ions catalyzed dehydration and carbonization, producing a robust char barrier that effectively suppressed heat transfer. Importantly, the layer-by-layer coating induced only minor changes in tensile strength, handle and whiteness, thereby preserving the fabrics' practicality.