Effect of surfactant on porosity and swelling behaviors of guar gum-g-poly(sodium acrylate-co-styrene)/attapulgite superabsorbent hydrogels

Novel fast-swelling porous guar gum-g-poly(sodium acrylate-co-styrene)/attapulgite (GG-g-P(NaA-co-St)/APT) superabsorbent hydrogels were prepared by simultaneous free-radical graft copolymerization reaction of guar gum (GG), partially neutralized AA (NaA), styrene (St) and attapulgite (APT) using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator in aqueous solution and the surfactant self-assembling templating pore-forming technique. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that the surfactant could be removed from the final hydrogel product by methanol/water (8:1, v/v) washing process and the surfactant only act as micelle template to form pores. The effect of surfactant type on the porous microstructure of the hydrogel was assessed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). It was shown that incorporation of proper amount of anionic surfactant sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the gelling process of the hydrogel can obviously enhance the swelling capacity and initial swelling rate. The salt-sensitivity of the SDS-added hydrogel in distilled water and 15 mmol/L NaCl, CaCl(2) solution or 15 mmol/L NaCl and CaCl(2) solution was investigated, and it was found that the swelling-deswelling capability is quite reversible. A similar reproducible on-off switching behavior was observed in the 1 mmol/L solution of phosphate buffer at pH 2.1 and 7.4.     

Encapsulation and survival of a chondrocyte cell line within xanthan gum derivative

A chemical derivative of xanthan gum polysaccharide is investigated as a new artificial matrix for the encapsulation of chondrocytic cells. Toward this goal, a novel micro-droplet generator is developed to produce microcapsules. Microcapsules with an average diameter of 500 μm, smooth surface, and homogeneous size distribution are obtained. ATDC5 cells encapsulated in carboxymethyl xanthan (CMX) microcapsules remain viable and are observed to proliferate for prolonged culture periods with enhanced metabolic activity. Furthermore, retention of the chondrogenic phenotype is exhibited by the cells within CMX, suggesting the ability of this material to be applied in cell-delivery therapies.     

Electro-responsive polyacrylamide-grafted-gum ghatti copolymer for transdermal drug delivery application

An application of polyacrylamide-grafted-gum ghatti (PAAm-g-GGH) copolymer for transdermal delivery of an anti-psychotic drug, quetiapine fumerate triggered by electric stimulus was explored. The electro-responsive PAAm-g-GGH was prepared by free radical polymerization underneath nitrogen atmosphere subsequent to alkaline hydrolysis. The PAAm-g-GGH was used as drug reservoir gel and crosslinked films of GGH and PVA as rate controlling membranes (RCM). The reservoir gels were uniform and translucent; pH of gels was 6.56–7.06, which is in the pH range of skin and drug content was from 89.57% to 94.51%. The thickness of RCMs was 163–227?μ; thickness was increased with increased glutaraldehyde concentration and all the RCMs were permeable to water vapors. When electric stimulus was absent, a small amount of drug was permeated from the formulations, while drug conveyance was enhanced in the existence of stimulus. Drug permeation was increased with increase in electric stimulus from 2 to 8?mA. Over two fold increase in flux was observed after application of electric stimulus. Under “on–off” electric stimulus, faster drug permeation was seen under ‘on’ condition and permeation was decreased when stimulus was ‘off.’ Histopathology study confirmed reversible alteration of skin structure under electric stimulus.     

Solutions of xanthan gum/guar gum mixtures: shear rheology,porous media flow,and solids transport in annular flow

Mixtures of xanthan and guar gum in aqueous solution were studied in two flow situations: simple shear and porous media. In addition, solids transport in vertical annular flow of sand suspensions was explored. The zero shear rate viscosity of the solutions displayed a pronounced synergy: the viscosity of the mixture is higher than that of the polymer solutions in a wide range of relative concentrations of the two polymers, in agreement with previous literature. However, at relatively high shear rates, the viscosity approaches the value of the more viscous xanthan gum solutions at mass fractions of xanthan gum between 0.1 and 0.15, and the degree of synergy substantially decreases. Stress relaxation experiments in simple shear indicate that the polymer mixtures exhibit a well-defined yield stress after relaxation that is absent in solutions of pure polymers. In porous media flow experiments, a synergistic behavior mimicking the shear flow results was obtained for the polymer mixtures at low shear rates. However, at a critical shear rate, the apparent viscosity in porous media flows exceeds the shear viscosity due to the elongational nature of flow in the pores. The solids transport capacity in annular flows is well-represented by trends in shear viscosity and stress relaxation behavior. However, the lack of viscosity synergy at high shear rates limits the applicability of the mixtures as a way to improve solids suspension capacity in annular flows.     

Synthesis of a New Hydrogel,Based on Guar Gum,for Controlled Drug Release

Summary: Guar gum (GG) polymer was crosslinked in order to obtain a new hydrogel. The GG hydrogel has been characterized by means of FT-IR spectroscopy, the determination of the water content, at different pH values, rheological measurements and in vitro release studies. The GG hydrogel shows a maximum water uptake at acid and basic pH values. The mechanical properties are investigated in order to verify the thixotropic behaviour of the material. In vitro release studies are conducted to evaluate the application of the GG hydrogel as a matrix for controlled drug release.     

高碘酸钠氧化法测定羟丙基瓜尔胶上仲羟基取代度

高碘酸钠氧化可以使邻羟基C-C键发生高选择性断裂, 同时产生两分子醛基. 在pH=4.3及25 ℃的条件下, 对瓜尔胶及其衍生物羟丙基瓜尔胶进行高碘酸钠氧化, 采用红外光谱与核磁共振谱对氧化产物结构进行了表征. 结果表明, 氧化后的瓜尔胶和及羟丙基瓜尔胶结构中醛基主要以半缩醛的形式存在. 通过测定高碘酸钠的消耗量得到不同摩尔取代度羟丙基瓜尔胶糖单元上邻羟基的含量, 结合概率分析方法, 确定摩尔取代度分别为0.04, 0.14, 0.36, 0.51, 0.78, 1.05和1.53的羟丙基瓜尔胶在仲羟基上取代度分别为0.02, 0.09, 0.18, 0.30, 0.46, 0.59和1.03, 与其它方法得到的结果一致.     

羟丙基瓜尔胶的制备及表征

瓜尔胶(guar gum)是一种天然半乳甘露聚糖,其水溶性和增稠性很好,广泛用做增稠剂、破乳剂等。原粉胶溶解较慢、水不溶物含量高、粘度不易控制,人们常利用化学手段改变其理化特性以满足实际工业生产需要,羟丙基化是有效的手段之一,但对羟丙基化的表征较为困难。S．     

A Review on the Main Phytoconstituents,Traditional Uses,Inventions, and Patent Literature of Gum Arabic Emphasizing Acacia seyal

Acacia seyal is an important source of gum Arabic. The availability, traditional, medicinal, pharmaceutical, nutritional, and cosmetic applications of gum acacia have pronounced its high economic value and attracted global attention. In addition to summarizing the inventions/patents applications related to gum A. seyal, the present review highlights recent updates regarding its phytoconstituents. Traditional, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and medicinal uses with the possible mechanism of actions have been also reviewed. The patent search revealed the identification of 30 patents/patent applications of A. seyal. The first patent related to A. seyal was published in 1892, which was related to its use in the prophylaxis/treatment of kidney and bladder affections. The use of A. seyal to treat cancer and osteoporosis has also been patented. Some inventions provided compositions and formulations containing A. seyal or its ingredients for pharmaceutical and medical applications. The inventions related to agricultural applications, food industry, cosmetics, quality control of gum Arabic, and isolation of some chemical constituents (L-rhamnose and arabinose) from A. seyal have also been summarized. The identification of only 30 patents/patent applications from 1892 to 15 November 2021 indicates a steadily growing interest and encourages developing more inventions related to A. seyal. The authors recommend exploring these opportunities for the benefit of society.     

Fabrication and Evaluation of Gellan Gum/Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel for Retinal Tissue Engineering Biomaterial and the Influence of Substrate Stress Relaxation on Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Cell therapies for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatment have been developed by integrating hydrogel-based biomaterials. Until now, cell activity has been observed only in terms of the modulus of the hydrogel. In addition, cell behavior has only been observed in the 2D environment of the hydrogel and the 3D matrix. As time-dependent stress relaxation is considered a significant mechanical cue for the control of cellular activities, it is important to optimize hydrogels for retinal tissue engineering (TE) by applying this viewpoint. Herein, a gellan Gum (GG)/Hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel was fabricated using a facile physical crosslinking method. The physicochemical and mechanical properties were controlled by forming a different composition of GG and HA. The characterization was performed by conducting a mass swelling study, a sol fraction study, a weight loss test, a viscosity test, an injection force study, a compression test, and a stress relaxation analysis. The biological activity of the cells encapsulated in 3D constructs was evaluated by conducting a morphological study, a proliferation test, a live/dead analysis, histology, immunofluorescence staining, and a gene expression study to determine the most appropriate material for retinal TE biomaterial. Hydrogels with moderate amounts of HA showed improved physicochemical and mechanical properties suitable for injection into the retina. Moreover, the time-dependent stress relaxation property of the GG/HA hydrogel was enhanced when the appropriate amount of HA was loaded. In addition, the cellular compatibility of the GG/HA hydrogel in in vitro experiments was significantly improved in the fast-relaxing hydrogel. Overall, these results demonstrate the remarkable potential of GG/HA hydrogel as an injectable hydrogel for retinal TE and the importance of the stress relaxation property when designing retinal TE hydrogels. Therefore, we believe that GG/HA hydrogel is a prospective candidate for retinal TE biomaterial.     

Effects of biopolymer ratio and heat treatment on the complex formation between whey protein isolate and soluble fraction of Persian gum

Proteins and polysaccharides are the two most important natural ingredients with unique functional properties. Their interactions can be considered as a route to produce new materials of various technological applications. In this study, the effect of pH (3–7) as well as the mixing ratio of whey protein isolate (WPI)/soluble part of Persian gum (PG) (1:3, 1:1, 3:1, 6:1, and 9:1% w/w WPI/PG) on the complex formation behavior of the two polymers were studied using spectrophotometric and dynamic light scattering techniques, soluble protein measurement, and microscopic observations. Investigating the curves of turbidity versus pH showed that pHc and pH_?1, which are associated with the formation of soluble and insoluble complexes, moved toward higher pH values by increasing WPI:PG ratio. Increased solubility was observed at pHc?>?pH?>?pH_?1 for all biopolymers mixtures. In addition, lowering the pH toward pH_?1 resulted in a decrease in the size of complexes, while further decrease of pH beyond this point led to larger particles. No significant difference was noticed between pH_c and pH_?1 of heated and unheated WPI/PG mixtures, although the turbidity of heated samples increased due to the formation of larger aggregates.