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Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study of ZnO-and-TiO₂-Nanoparticles-Functionalized Polyvinyl Alcohol/Chitosan Bionanocomposites for Multifunctional Biomedical Applications

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Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3477; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163477 - 19 Aug 2023

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Abstract

This study aimed to synthesize chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA)-based zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) hybrid bionanocomposites (BNCs) and observe their comparative accomplishment against the skin cancer cell line, A431, and antioxidant potential. CS was blended with PVA to form polymeric [...] Read more.

This study aimed to synthesize chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA)-based zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) hybrid bionanocomposites (BNCs) and observe their comparative accomplishment against the skin cancer cell line, A431, and antioxidant potential. CS was blended with PVA to form polymeric films reinforced with the immobilization of ZnO and TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs), separately. The optimization of the BNCs was done via physicochemical studies, viz. moisture content, swelling ratio, and contact angle measurements. The free radical scavenging activity was observed for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl, and the antibacterial assay against the Escherichia coli strain showed a higher zone of inhibition. Furthermore, the anticancer activity of the synthesized BNCs was revealed against the skin cancer cell line A431 under varying concentrations of 50, 100, 150, 200, and 300 μg/mL. The anticancer study revealed a high percent of cancerous cell inhibition (70%) in ZnO BNCs as compared to (61%) TiO₂ BNCs in a dose-dependent manner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Biopolymer-Based Composite Hydrogels Embedding Small Silver Nanoparticles for Advanced Antimicrobial Applications: Experimental and Theoretical Insights

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Moises A. Rojas

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John Amalraj

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Leonardo S. Santos

Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3370; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15163370 - 11 Aug 2023

Viewed by 489

Abstract

In this work, we report a two-step methodology for the synthesis of small silver nanoparticles embedded into hydrogels based on chitosan (CS) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) biopolymers. This method uses d-glucose as an external green reducing agent and purified water as a [...] Read more.

In this work, we report a two-step methodology for the synthesis of small silver nanoparticles embedded into hydrogels based on chitosan (CS) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) biopolymers. This method uses d-glucose as an external green reducing agent and purified water as a solvent, leading to an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and biocompatible process for the synthesis of silver nanocomposite hydrogels. Their characterization comprises ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectra, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy assays. Moreover, the structural stability of the hydrogels was investigated through sequential swelling–deswelling cycles. The nanomaterials showed good mechanical properties in terms of their structural stability and revealed prominent antibacterial properties due to the reduced-size particles that promote their use as new advanced antimicrobial agents, an advantage compared to conventional particles in aqueous suspension that lose stability and effectiveness. Finally, theoretical analyses provided insights into the possible interactions, charge transfer, and stabilization process of nanoclusters mediated by the high-electron-density groups belonging to CS and HPMC, revealing their unique structural properties in the preparation of nano-scaled materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan Functionalized Silver Nanoparticles for Antibacterial and Anti-Lung Cancer Applications

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Devaraj Bharathi

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Jaya Ganesh Thiruvengadam Nandagopal

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Jintae Lee

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Rajamani Ranjithkumar

Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2700; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15122700 - 16 Jun 2023

Viewed by 955

Abstract

In the treatment of bacterial contamination, the problem of multi-drug resistance is becoming an increasingly pressing concern. Nanotechnology advancements enable the preparation of metal nanoparticles that can be assembled into complex systems to control bacterial and tumor cell growth. The current work investigates [...] Read more.

In the treatment of bacterial contamination, the problem of multi-drug resistance is becoming an increasingly pressing concern. Nanotechnology advancements enable the preparation of metal nanoparticles that can be assembled into complex systems to control bacterial and tumor cell growth. The current work investigates the green production of chitosan functionalized silver nanoparticles (CS/Ag NPs) using Sida acuta and their inhibition efficacy against bacterial pathogens and lung cancer cells (A549). Initially, a brown color formation confirmed the synthesis, and the chemical nature of the synthesized NPs were examined by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR demonstrated the occurrence of CS and S. acuta functional groups in the synthesized CS/Ag NPs. The electron microscopy study exhibited CS/Ag NPs with a spherical morphology and size ranges of 6–45 nm, while XRD analysis demonstrated the crystallinity of Ag NPs. Further, the bacterial inhibition property of CS/Ag NPs was examined against K. pneumoniae and S. aureus, which showed clear inhibition zones at different concentrations. In addition, the antibacterial properties were further confirmed by a fluorescent AO/EtBr staining technique. Furthermore, prepared CS/Ag NPs exhibited a potential anti-cancer character against a human lung cancer cell line (A549). In conclusion, our findings revealed that the produced CS/Ag NPs could be used as an excellent inhibitory material in industrial and clinical sectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Zinc Nanocomposite Supported Chitosan for Nitrite Sensing and Hydrogen Evolution Applications

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Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2357; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102357 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 877

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Nanoparticles of ZnO-Chitosan (Zn-Chit) composite were prepared using precipitation methods. Several analytical techniques, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmitted electron microscope (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and thermal analysis, were used to characterize the prepared composite. The activity of [...] Read more.

Nanoparticles of ZnO-Chitosan (Zn-Chit) composite were prepared using precipitation methods. Several analytical techniques, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmitted electron microscope (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and thermal analysis, were used to characterize the prepared composite. The activity of the modified composite was investigated for nitrite sensing and hydrogen production applications using various electrochemical techniques. A comparative study was performed for pristine ZnO and ZnO loaded on chitosan. The modified Zn-Chit has a linear range of detection 1–150 µM and a limit of detection (LOD) = 0.402 µM (response time ~3 s). The activity of the modified electrode was investigated in a real sample (milk). Furthermore, the anti-interference capability of the surface was utilized in the presence of several inorganic salts and organic additives. Additionally, Zn-Chit composite was employed as an efficient catalyst for hydrogen production in an acidic medium. Thus, the electrode showed long-term stability toward fuel production and enhanced energy security. The electrode reached a current density of 50 mA cm⁻² at an overpotential equal to −0.31 and −0.2 V (vs. RHE) for GC/ZnO and GC/Zn-Chit, respectively. Electrode durability was studied for long-time constant potential chronoamperometry for 5 h. The electrodes lost 8% and 9% of the initial current for GC/ZnO and GC/Zn-Chit, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Antimicrobial and Mechanical Properties of Ag@Ti₃C₂T_x-Modified PVA Composite Hydrogels Enhanced with Quaternary Ammonium Chitosan

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Linxinzheng Guo

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Kun Hu

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Haibo Wang

Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2352; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102352 - 18 May 2023

Viewed by 974

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a polymeric material with good biocompatibility, excellent hydrophilicity, and a large number of hydroxyl groups. However, due to its insufficient mechanical properties and poor inhibition of bacteria, it has a lack of applications in wound dressings, stent materials, and [...] Read more.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a polymeric material with good biocompatibility, excellent hydrophilicity, and a large number of hydroxyl groups. However, due to its insufficient mechanical properties and poor inhibition of bacteria, it has a lack of applications in wound dressings, stent materials, and other fields. In this study, a simple method was used to prepare composite gel materials: Ag@MXene-HACC-PVA hydrogels with a double-network structure were prepared using an acetal reaction. Due to the double cross-linked interaction, the hydrogel has good mechanical properties and is resistant to swelling. The adhesion and bacterial inhibition were enhanced due to the addition of HACC. In addition, the strain sensing properties of this conductive hydrogel were stable, and the GF (specification factor) was 1.7617 at 40–90% strain. Therefore, the dual-network hydrogel with excellent sensing properties, adhesion properties, antibacterial properties, and cytocompatibility has potential applications in biomedical materials, especially as a tissue engineering repair material. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles Modified by Quaternary Chitosan Covalently Bonded with Gallic Acid

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Polymers 2023, 15(9), 2123; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15092123 - 29 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 806

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Quaternary chitosan derivative with covalently bonded antioxidant (QCG) was used as media for synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). SeNPs were characterized using AFM, TEM, and DLS methods. The data confirmed the formation of stable nanoparticles with a positive charge (34.86–46.73 mV) and a [...] Read more.

Quaternary chitosan derivative with covalently bonded antioxidant (QCG) was used as media for synthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). SeNPs were characterized using AFM, TEM, and DLS methods. The data confirmed the formation of stable nanoparticles with a positive charge (34.86–46.73 mV) and a size in the range 119.5–238.6 nm. The antibacterial and fungicidal activity of SeNPs occurred within the range of values for chitosan derivatives. In all cases, the highest activity was against C. albicans (MIC 125 µg/mL). The toxicity of the modified selenium nanoparticles to eukaryotic cells was significantly higher. Among nanoparticle samples, SeNPs that were synthesized at 55 °C demonstrated the highest toxicity against Colo357 and HaCaT cell lines. Based on these results, SeNPs loaded with doxorubicin were obtained. DOX loading efficiency was about 18%. QCG-SeNPs loaded with DOX at a concentration of 1.25 μg/mL inhibited more than 50% of hepatocarcinoma (Colo 357) cells and about 70% of keratinocytes (HaCaT). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Amelioration of Cancer Employing Chitosan, Its Derivatives, and Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles: Recent Updates

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Abdulmalik S. A. Altamimi

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2928; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132928 - 01 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1322

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The limitations associated with the conventional treatment of cancer have necessitated the design and development of novel drug delivery systems based mainly on nanotechnology. These novel drug delivery systems include various kinds of nanoparticles, such as polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid [...] Read more.

The limitations associated with the conventional treatment of cancer have necessitated the design and development of novel drug delivery systems based mainly on nanotechnology. These novel drug delivery systems include various kinds of nanoparticles, such as polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, hydrogels, and polymeric micelles. Among the various kinds of novel drug delivery systems, chitosan-based nanoparticles have attracted the attention of researchers to treat cancer. Chitosan is a polycationic polymer generated from chitin with various characteristics such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and mucoadhesiveness, making it an ideal polymer to fabricate drug delivery systems. However, chitosan is poorly soluble in water and soluble in acidic aqueous solutions. Furthermore, owing to the presence of reactive amino groups, chitosan can be chemically modified to improve its physiochemical properties. Chitosan and its modified derivatives can be employed to fabricate nanoparticles, which are used most frequently in the pharmaceutical sector due to their possession of various characteristics such as nanosize, appropriate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, non-immunogenicity, improved stability, and improved drug loading capacity. Furthermore, it is capable of delivering nucleic acids, chemotherapeutic medicines, and bioactives using modified chitosan. Chitosan and its modified derivative-based nanoparticles can be targeted to specific cancer sites via active and passive mechanisms. Based on chitosan drug delivery systems, many anticancer drugs now have better effectiveness, potency, cytotoxicity, or biocompatibility. The characteristics of chitosan and its chemically tailored derivatives, as well as their use in cancer therapy, will be examined in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Open AccessReview

Chitosan: Properties and Its Application in Agriculture in Context of Molecular Weight

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Ramón Román-Doval

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Sandra P. Torres-Arellanes

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Aldo Y. Tenorio-Barajas

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Alejandro Gómez-Sánchez

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Anai A. Valencia-Lazcano

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2867; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132867 - 28 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1313

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Chitosan is a naturally occurring compound that can be obtained from deacetylated chitin, which is obtained from various sources such as fungi, crustaceans, and insects. Commercially, chitosan is produced from crustaceans. Based on the range of its molecular weight, chitosan can be classified [...] Read more.

Chitosan is a naturally occurring compound that can be obtained from deacetylated chitin, which is obtained from various sources such as fungi, crustaceans, and insects. Commercially, chitosan is produced from crustaceans. Based on the range of its molecular weight, chitosan can be classified into three different types, namely, high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC, >700 kDa), medium molecular weight chitosan (MMWC, 150–700 kDa), and low molecular weight chitosan (LMWC, less than 150 kDa). Chitosan shows several properties that can be applied in horticultural crops, such as plant root growth enhancer, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Nevertheless, these properties depend on its molecular weight (MW) and acetylation degree (DD). Therefore, this article seeks to extensively review the properties of chitosan applied in the agricultural sector, classifying them in relation to chitosan’s MW, and its use as a material for sustainable agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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Open AccessReview

Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, and Biomedical Application of Chitosan-Based Hydrogels

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Polymers 2023, 15(11), 2482; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15112482 - 27 May 2023

Viewed by 1270

Abstract

The prospective applications of chitosan-based hydrogels (CBHs), a category of biocompatible and biodegradable materials, in biomedical disciplines such as tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, and biosensing have garnered great interest. The synthesis and characterization processes used to create CBHs play a significant [...] Read more.

The prospective applications of chitosan-based hydrogels (CBHs), a category of biocompatible and biodegradable materials, in biomedical disciplines such as tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, and biosensing have garnered great interest. The synthesis and characterization processes used to create CBHs play a significant role in determining their characteristics and effectiveness. The qualities of CBHs might be greatly influenced by tailoring the manufacturing method to get certain traits, including porosity, swelling, mechanical strength, and bioactivity. Additionally, characterization methods aid in gaining access to the microstructures and properties of CBHs. Herein, this review provides a comprehensive assessment of the state-of-the-art with a focus on the affiliation between particular properties and domains in biomedicine. Moreover, this review highlights the beneficial properties and wide application of stimuli-responsive CBHs. The main obstacles and prospects for the future of CBH development for biomedical applications are also covered in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chitosan, Its Derivatives and Nanoparticles Based on Chitosan: Synthesis, Characterization and Application)

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