Forefront Research of Foaming Strategies on Biodegradable Polymers and Their Composites by Thermal or Melt-Based Processing Technologies: Advances and Perspectives.

The last few decades have witnessed significant advances in the development of polymeric-based foam materials. These materials find several practical applications in our daily lives due to their characteristic properties such as low density, thermal insulation, and porosity, which are important in packaging, in building construction, and in biomedical applications, respectively. The first foams with practical applications used polymeric materials of petrochemical origin.

COX-2 inhibitor delivery system aiming intestinal inflammatory disorders.

Selective COX-2 inhibitors such as etoricoxib (ETX) are potentially indicated for the treatment of intestinal inflammatory disorders. However, their systemic administration provokes some off-site secondary effects, decreasing the desirable local effectiveness. To circumvent such limitations, herein an ETX delivery system based on electrospun fibrous meshes (eFMs) was proposed.

Chitosan/Virgin-Coconut-Oil-Based System Enriched with Cubosomes: A 3D Drug-Delivery Approach.

Emulsion-based systems that combine natural polymers with vegetable oils have been identified as a promising research avenue for developing structures with potential for biomedical applications. Herein, chitosan (CHT), a natural polymer, and virgin coconut oil (VCO), a resource obtained from coconut kernels, were combined to create an emulsion system. Phytantriol-based cubosomes encapsulating sodium diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, were further dispersed into CHT/VCO- based emulsion.

Advanced Polymeric Membranes as Biomaterials Based on Marine Sources Envisaging the Regeneration of Human Tissues.

The self-repair capacity of human tissue is limited, motivating the arising of tissue engineering (TE) in building temporary scaffolds that envisage the regeneration of human tissues, including articular cartilage. However, despite the large number of preclinical data available, current therapies are not yet capable of fully restoring the entire healthy structure and function on this tissue when significantly damaged. For this reason, new biomaterial approaches are needed, and the present work proposes the development and characterization of innovative polymeric membranes formed by blending marine origin polymers, in a chemical free cross-linking approach, as biomaterials for tissue regeneration.

Structure and Composition of the Cuticle of the Goose Barnacle : A Flexible Composite Biomaterial.

Arthropods, the largest animal phylum, including insects, spiders and crustaceans, are characterized by their bodies being covered primarily in chitin. Besides being a source of this biopolymer, crustaceans have also attracted attention from biotechnology given their cuticles' remarkable and diverse mechanical properties. The goose barnacle, , is a sessile crustacean characterized by their body parts covered with calcified plates and a peduncle attached to a substrate covered with a cuticle.

Development of Cork Biocomposites Enriched with Chitosan Targeting Antibacterial and Antifouling Properties.

The demand for bio-based and safer composite materials is increasing due to the growth of the industry, human population, and environmental concerns. In this framework, sustainable and safer cork-polymer composites (CPC), based on green low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were developed using melt-based technologies. Chitosan and polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) were employed to enhance the CPC's properties.

Development of bilayered porous silk scaffolds for thymus bioengineering.

The thymus coordinates the development and selection of T cells. It is structured into two main compartments: the cortex and the medulla. The replication of such complex 3D environment has been challenged by bioengineering approaches.

Collagen membrane from bovine pericardium for treatment of long bone defect.

The treatment of bone regeneration failures has been constantly improved with the study of new biomaterials. Techgraft® is a collagen membrane derived from bovine pericardium, which has been shown to have biocompatibility and effectiveness in tissue repair. However, its use in orthopedics has not yet been evaluated.

Assessing the combined effect of surface topography and substrate rigidity in human bone marrow stem cell cultures.

The combined effect of surface topography and substrate rigidity in stem cell cultures is still under-investigated, especially when biodegradable polymers are used. Herein, we assessed human bone marrow stem cell response on aliphatic polyester substrates as a function of anisotropic grooved topography and rigidity (7 and 12 kPa). Planar tissue culture plastic (TCP, 3 GPa) and aliphatic polyester substrates were used as controls.

Untangling the biological and inflammatory behavior of silk-like sutures In vivo.

Recombinant spider silk materials with antimicrobial peptides are a promising new class of drug-free antimicrobial materials capable of preventing surgical site infections (SSI), but their potential to impede infections is unclear. Herein, we aimed to unravel the biological and inflammatory potential of bioengineered spider silk materials to prevent SSI using an infection animal model. Silk-like fibers made of silk fibroin and spider silk proteins with antimicrobial peptides (6mer-HNP1) held improved stiffness (2.

Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Agents versus Bovine Colostrum Supplementation for the Management of Bone Health Using an Osteoporosis-Induced Rat Model.

Osteoporosis is defined by loss of bone mass and deteriorated bone microarchitecture. The present study compared the effects of available pharmacological and non-pharmacological agents for osteoporosis [alendronate (ALE) and concomitant supplementation of vitamin D (VD) and calcium (Ca)] with the effects of bovine colostrum (BC) supplementation in ovariectomized (OVX) and orchidectomized (ORX) rats. Seven-month-old rats were randomly allocated to: (1) placebo-control, (2) ALE group (7.

Tailoring Natural-Based Oleogels Combining Ethylcellulose and Virgin Coconut Oil.

Oleogels are becoming an attractive research field, since they have recently been shown to be feasible for the food and pharmaceutical sectors and provided some insights into the biomedical area. In this work, edible oleogels were tailored through the combination of ethylcellulose (EC), a gelling agent, with virgin coconut oil (VCO), vegetable oil derived from coconut. The influence of the different EC and VCO ratios on the structural, physical, and thermal properties of the oleogels was studied.

Silk fibroin/cholinium gallate-based architectures as therapeutic tools.

The combination of natural resources with biologically active biocompatible ionic liquids (Bio-IL) is presented as a combinatorial approach for developing tools to manage inflammatory diseases. Innovative biomedical solutions were constructed combining silk fibroin (SF) and Ch[Gallate], a Bio-IL with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory features, as freeze-dried 3D-based sponges. An evaluation of the effect of the Ch[Gallate] concentration (≤3% w/v) on the SF/Ch[Gallate] sponges was studied.

Bovine Colostrum Supplementation Improves Bone Metabolism in an Osteoporosis-Induced Animal Model.

Osteoporosis is characterized by bone loss. The present study aims to investigate the effects of bovine colostrum (BC) on bone metabolism using ovariectomized (OVX) and orchidectomized (ORX) rat models. Twenty-seven-week-old Wistar Han rats were randomly assigned as: (1) placebo control, (2) BC supplementation dose 1 (BC1: 0.

An Overview of the Antimicrobial Properties of Lignocellulosic Materials.

Pathogenic microbes are a major source of health and environmental problems, mostly due to their easy proliferation on most surfaces. Currently, new classes of antimicrobial agents are under development to prevent microbial adhesion and biofilm formation. However, they are mostly from synthetic origin and present several disadvantages.

Engineering 3D printed bioactive composite scaffolds based on the combination of aliphatic polyester and calcium phosphates for bone tissue regeneration.

In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) filled with hydroxyapatite (HA) or beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) in 5 wt% and 10 wt% of concentration were produced employing twin-screw extrusion followed by fused filament fabrication in two different architectures, varying the orientation of fibers of adjacent layers. The extruded 3D filaments presented suitable rheological and thermal properties to manufacture of 3D scaffolds envisaging bone tissue engineering. The produced scaffolds exhibited a high level of printing accuracy related to the 3D model; confirmed by micro-CT and electron microscopy analysis.

Physicochemical features assessment of acemannan-based ternary blended films for biomedical purposes.

The exploitation of natural origin macromolecules, as complex physical mixtures or drugs, increases in biomedical or tissue engineering (TE) solutions. Aloe Vera is a highly explored medicinal plant, from which the main polysaccharide is acemannan (ACE). The ACE combination with chitosan and alginate results in interactions that lead to mixed junction zones formation, predicting membrane functionality improvement.

Development and characterisation of cytocompatible polyester substrates with tunable mechanical properties and degradation rate.

Although it has been repeatedly indicated the importance to develop implantable devices and cell culture substrates with tissue-specific rigidity, current commercially available products, in particular cell culture substrates, have rigidity values well above most tissues in the body. Herein, six resorbable polyester films were fabricated using compression moulding with a thermal presser into films with tailored stiffness by appropriately selecting the ratio of their building up monomers (e.g.

Manufacturing and Characterization of Coatings from Polyamide Powders Functionalized with Nanosilica.

Polyamide coatings are thermoplastics with great advantages such as a good corrosion protection of the base metal and wear resistance. Their application as powder coatings is an environmentally friendly option that is currently attracting growing interest. However, during their life service, they can sometimes be exposed to conditions that they are unable to stand.

Approach on chitosan/virgin coconut oil-based emulsion matrices as a platform to design superabsorbent materials.

The design of innovative pharmaceutical products, able to reach unexplored market niches, requires natural materials use with improved swelling and moisture properties. Herein, chitosan (CHT), a natural polymer, was combined with virgin coconut oil (VCO), a resource extracted from coconut kernels, to develop emulsion-based films for biomedical purposes. The film's properties were tuned by changing VCO concentrations, and the structural, morphological, and physical properties of the films were evaluated.

Spatial immobilization of endogenous growth factors to control vascularization in bone tissue engineering.

The intimate crosstalk between endothelial and bony cells is essential for the reconstruction of bone tissue defects. Indeed, a successful bone repair is greatly dependent on the formation of new blood vessels, to ensure the supply of nutrients and gases, as well as the removal of metabolites. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are involved on cells differentiation and bone vascularization aiming to develop viable bone tissue.

Antimicrobial coating of spider silk to prevent bacterial attachment on silk surgical sutures.

Microbial infections from post-surgery or other medical-related procedure is a serious health problem. Nowadays, the research is focused on the development of new drug-free materials with antibacterial properties to prevent or minimize the risk of infections. Spider silk is known for its unique biomechanical properties allied with biocompatibility.

Show your beaks and we tell you what you eat: Different ecology in sympatric Antarctic benthic octopods under a climate change context.

Sympatry can lead to higher competition under climate change and other environmental pressures, including in South Georgia, Antarctica, where the two most common octopod species, Adelieledone polymorpha and Pareledone turqueti, occur side by side. Since cephalopods are typically elusive animals, the ecology of both species is poorly known. As beaks of cephalopods are recurrently found in top predator's stomachs, we studied the feeding ecology of both octopods through the evaluation of niche overlapping and specific beak adaptations that both species present.