Carbohydrate Polymers

In practical scenarios, destabilizing the physical attributes of natural polymers such as gelatin and starch occurs readily when exposed to specific moisture levels and heat. In this context, this work was carried out to assess the impact of PVA addition (up to 13 wt%) on the structure and physical properties of a 6:4 (w/w) gelatin/starch blend. The inclusion of PVA unfolded the molecular chains of gelatin and starch, thereby disrupting gelatin α-helices and impeding biopolymer crystallization. This facilitated hydrogen-bonding interaction between PVA and the two biopolymers, enhancing the stability of the molecular network structure...

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a plant of industrial importance, its fibres being presently used for high-value textile applications, composite reinforcements as well as natural actuators. Human interest in this fibre-rich plant dates back several millennia, including to Ancient Egypt where flax was used extensively in various quotidian items. While the recent technical developments of flax fibres continue to diversify through scientific research, the historical use of flax also has rich lessons for today...

Starch is a primary source of food energy for human beings. Its chain-length distribution (CLD) is a major structural feature influencing physiologically-important properties, such as digestibility and palatability, of starch-containing foods. Diabetes, which is of epidemic proportions in many countries, is related to the rate of starch digestion in foods. Isoforms of three biosynthesis enzymes, starch synthase, starch branching enzymes and debranching enzymes, control the CLDs of starch, which can be measured by methods such as size-exclusion chromatography and fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis...

The paper reports new multifunctional plant biostimulant formulations obtained via in situ hydrogelation of chitosan with salicylaldehyde in the presence of a mimetic naphthalimide-based strigolactone, in specific conditions. Various analytical techniques (FTIR, 1 H NMR, SEM, POM, TGA, WRXD) were employed to understand the particularities of the hydrogelation mechanism and its consequences on the formulations' properties. Further, in order to evaluate their potential for the targeted application, the swelling in media of pH characteristic for different soils, water holding capacity, soil biodegradability, in vitro release of the strigolactone mimic and impact on tomatoes plant growth in laboratory conditions were investigated and discussed...

Cellulose laminates represent a remarkable convergence of natural materials and modern engineering, offering a wide range of versatile applications in sustainable packaging, construction, and advanced materials. In this study, novel all-cellulose laminates are developed using an environmentally friendly approach, where freshly regenerated cellulose II films are stacked without the need for solvents (for impregnation and/or partial dissolution), chemical modifications, or resins. The structural and mechanical properties of these all-cellulose laminates were thoroughly investigated...

Functional gradient materials with material property anisotropy are one of the hotspots of current new material research. The gradient change of material properties comes from the change of the content of one or more components in the material, which is closely related to the preparation process of the material. Meanwhile, polysaccharide materials, as an environmentally friendly and green material, have attracted extensive attention from researchers. This paper focuses on the preparation process of functional gradient gel materials based on polysaccharides, analyzes the laws affecting the distribution of substances during the molding process from the basic principles of material molding, and clarifies the advantages and disadvantages of various methods, so as to promote the innovation of the theory of the preparation method of functional gradient gel materials...

A highly hydrophobic fluorinated ionic liquid (IL), 3-aminopropyl-tributylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsolfonyl)imide ([aP4443 ][NTf2 ]), was synthesized, and applied for the surface modification of cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs) by reductive amination. The modified CNMs were fully characterized for their chemical structure, morphology, thermal stability, and surface hydrophobicity. Results obtained from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (1 H, 13 C, 19 F and 31 P), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction confirmed the successful grafting of [aP4443 ][NTf2 ] onto the surface of CNMs up to a degree of surface functionalization of 2...

A wide range of articles describe the role of different probiotics in the prevention or treatment of various diseases. However, currently, the focus is shifting from whole microorganisms to their easier-to-define components that can confer similar or stronger benefits on the host. Here, we aimed to describe polysaccharide B.PAT, which is a surface antigen isolated from Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. animalis CCDM 218 and to understand the relationship between its structure and function. For this reason, we determined its glycerol phosphate-substituted structure, which consists of glucose, galactose, and rhamnose residues creating the following repeating unit: To fully understand the role of glycerol phosphate substitution on the B...

Grifola frondosa polysaccharide (GFP) is a consumable fungus recognized for its potential health advantages. The present study aimed to investigate the development and potential etiologies of ulcerative colitis (UC) utilizing oxazolone (OXZ) as an inducer in mice, along with assessing the therapeutic effects of GFP at varying doses in UC mice, with sulfasalazine (SASP) serving as the positive control. The obtained results indicated that OXZ intervention in mice induced numerous physical manifestations of UC, including increased disease activity index (DAI), decreased goblet cell division, enhanced fibrosis, reduced expression of Claudin1 and Zona encludens protein1 (ZO-1), decreased proliferative activity of colonic mucosal epithelial cells, disturbed oxidation balance, and alterations in intestinal flora...

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) as an emerging natural polymer has attracted increasing interests owing to its film-forming properties, excellent gelation, non-toxic characteristics, strong adhesion, good biocompatibility, and easy biodegradability. Benefiting from these superior performances, KGM has been widely applied in the construction of multiple composite materials to further improve their intrinsic performances (e.g., mechanical strength and properties). Up to now, KGM-based composite materials have obtained widespread applications in diverse fields, especially in the field of biomedical...

Cellulose-based aerogel fibers are recognized as a promising candidate for wearable thermal insulation textiles due to their high porosity, extremely low thermal conductivity, and environmental friendliness. Unfortunately, their practical application in textiles is severely limited by their brittleness. Herein, a novel "long yarn-assisted interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (YAIPC) spinning" technique is proposed to fabricate cellulose-based aerogel fibers with a unique core-shell structure. The as-prepared core-shell aerogel fibers show excellent thermal insulation performance (34...

Chitosan is a promising natural polymer for coatings, it combines intrinsic antibacterial and pro-osteoblastic properties, but the literature still has a gap from the development to behavior of these coatings, so this systematic review aimed to answer, "What is the relationship between the physical and chemical properties of polymeric chitosan coatings on titanium implants on antibacterial activity and osteoblast viability?". PRISMA guidelines was followed, the search was applied into 4 databases and grey literature, without the restriction of time and language...

Nanocellulose hydrogels are promising to replace synthetic ones for direct ink writing (DIW)-based 3D printing biobased applications. However, less gelation strength and low solid content of the hydrogels limit the printability and subsequent fidelity of the dried object. Herein, a biobased, ternary DIW hydrogel ink is developed by one-pot gelation of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), sodium alginate (SA), and Ca-montmorillonite (Ca-MMT) via in situ ionic crosslinking. The addition of Ca-MMT into CNF/SA formulation simultaneously increases the solid content and gelation strength of the hydrogel...

Cellulose, an abundant biopolymer in nature as a structural component of plant cell walls, has a native semi-crystalline structure in which the arrangement of amorphous-crystalline domains governs its key properties such as mechanical and physico-chemical properties. The performance of the material in different situations is shaped by molecular mobility, which affects attributes such as mechanical properties, chemical reactivity, and water absorption. Nevertheless, it is difficult to investigate experimentally the structural and dynamic properties of cellulose-rich materials...

The marine ecosystem contains an assorted range of organisms, among which macroalgae stands out marine resources as an invaluable reservoir of structurally diverse bioactive compounds. Marine macroalgae are considered as primary consumers have gained more attention for their bioactive components. Sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) are complex polymers found in macroalgae that play a crucial role in their cell wall composition. This review consolidates high-tech methodologies employed in the extraction of macroalgal SPs, offering a valuable resource for researchers focuses in the pharmacological relevance of marine macromolecules...

Addressing environmental concerns and producing sustainable and environmentally friendly electronic devices with low power consumption poses a significant challenge. This study introduces phototransistor devices employing morphologically controlled block copolymers based on maltotriose, maltoheptaose, and β-cyclodextrin as polymer electrets. Ordered self-assembled morphologies can be achieved by utilizing microwave radiation for rapid annealing (within 5 s) with optimized annealing conditions. Herein, face-centered cubic (FCC), vertical, and mixed cylindrical nanostructures are reported...

The root of Millettia pulchra (YLS) has been traditionally used as a folk medicine for the treatment of depression and insomnia in the Zhuang nationality of China, and its polysaccharides have potential antidepressant effect. In this study, a novel homogeneous polysaccharide (YLP-1) was purified from the crude polysaccharides of YLS, and it is mainly composed of glucose, arabinose and mannose with molar ratio of 87.25%, 10.77%, and 1.98%, respectively. YLP-1 is a novel α-glucan with the backbone of 1,4-Glcp and branched at C6 of 1,4,6-Glcp to combine 1,4-Manp and 1,5-Araf...

Traditional fungi β-glucan commonly possesses high molecular weight with poor water solubility, which remains significant challenge in the drug development and medical application. Water-soluble β-glucan with high molecular weight (dHSCG) of 560 kDa, low molecular weight (dLSCG) of 60 kDa, and sulfated derivative (SCGS) with a molecular weight of 146 kDa and sulfate degree at 2.04 were obtained through well-controlled degradation and sulfated modification from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in this study...

In this study, carbon nanodot (CD)-corn starch (CS) nanocomposite films are fabricated for active food packaging applications. First, ginkgo biloba leaves (GBL) were used as a biomass-derived carbon precursor, and a facile hydrothermal method was employed to synthesise environmentally sustainable CDs. The GBL-derived carbon nanodots (gCDs) were then characterised and incorporated into a CS matrix via an extrusion process to fabricate the CS/gCD nanocomposite film. The effects of various gCD concentrations on the physicochemical and functional properties of CS/gCD composite films were systematically investigated...

In this work, phosphorylated cellulosic fibers were functionalized with an aminosilane ((3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, APTES) using a simple and economical method. Several characterization were performed to determine the types of bonds between phosphorylated fibers and grafted APTES. The thermal behavior, hydrophobicity and surface charge variation as a function of pH of the multifunctional cellulose fibers were determined. Results demonstrate that APTES should proceed through Si-O-C, and possibly Si-O-P, covalent bonds with cellulose although the dimerization of silane through Si-O-Si bonds has also been observed...