Polymer Materials from Natural Resources

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 3916

Special Issue Editor

College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, China
Interests: chitosan; alginate; collagen; polymer material

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue focuses on the different types of polymer materials from natural resources which are mainly including various polysaccharides and proteins. It discusses the natural polymer materials preparation, performance, and function. Various natural polymers, such as chitosan, alginate, agarose, and collagen, are explained their structure, source and characteristics. Importantly, the applications of the natural polymer materials based on the above polysaccharides and proteins is widely introduced.

Prof. Dr. Yang Liu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • chitosan
  • alginate
  • collagen
  • polymer material

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2804 KiB  
Article
Essential Oil Nanoemulsion Hydrogel with Anti-Biofilm Activity for the Treatment of Infected Wounds
by Kun Cai, Yang Liu, Yan Yue, Yuancheng Liu and Fengbiao Guo
Polymers 2023, 15(6), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15061376 - 09 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2173
Abstract
The formation of a bacterial biofilm on an infected wound can impede drug penetration and greatly thwart the healing process. Thus, it is essential to develop a wound dressing that can inhibit the growth of and remove biofilms, facilitating the healing of infected [...] Read more.
The formation of a bacterial biofilm on an infected wound can impede drug penetration and greatly thwart the healing process. Thus, it is essential to develop a wound dressing that can inhibit the growth of and remove biofilms, facilitating the healing of infected wounds. In this study, optimized eucalyptus essential oil nanoemulsions (EEO NEs) were prepared from eucalyptus essential oil, Tween 80, anhydrous ethanol, and water. Afterward, they were combined with a hydrogel matrix physically cross-linked with Carbomer 940 (CBM) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) to prepare eucalyptus essential oil nanoemulsion hydrogels (CBM/CMC/EEO NE). The physical-chemical properties, in vitro bacterial inhibition, and biocompatibility of EEO NE and CBM/CMC/EEO NE were extensively investigated and the infected wound models were proposed to validate the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of CBM/CMC/EEO NE. The results showed that the average particle size of EEO NE was 15.34 ± 3.77 nm with PDI ˂ 0.2, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EEO NE was 15 mg/mL, and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against S. aureus was 25 mg/mL. The inhibition and clearance of EEO NE against S. aureus biofilm at 2×MIC concentrations were 77.530 ± 7.292% and 60.700 ± 3.341%, respectively, demonstrating high anti-biofilm activity in vitro. CBM/CMC/EEO NE exhibited good rheology, water retention, porosity, water vapor permeability, and biocompatibility, meeting the requirements for trauma dressings. In vivo experiments revealed that CBM/CMC/EEO NE effectively promoted wound healing, reduced the bacterial load of wounds, and accelerated the recovery of epidermal and dermal tissue cells. Moreover, CBM/CMC/EEO NE significantly down-regulated the expression of two inflammatory factors, IL-6 and TNF-α, and up-regulated three growth-promoting factors, TGF-β1, VEGF, and EGF. Thus, the CBM/CMC/EEO NE hydrogel effectively treated wounds infected with S. aureus, enhancing the healing process. It is expected to be a new clinical alternative for healing infected wounds in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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14 pages, 3050 KiB  
Article
Design of Nanohydroxyapatite/Pectin Composite from Opuntia Ficus-Indica Cladodes for the Management of Microbial Infections
by N. Saidi, K. Azzaoui, M. Ramdani, E. Mejdoubi, N. Jaradat, S. Jodeh, B. Hammouti, R. Sabbahi and A. Lamhamdi
Polymers 2022, 14(20), 4446; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14204446 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1397
Abstract
Hydroxyapatite (HAp) attracts interest as a biomaterial for use in bone substitution or allografts. In the current work, biomaterial nanocomposites based on HAp and pectin were synthesized by using the double decomposition method, which involved using pectin extracted from fresh cladodes of the [...] Read more.
Hydroxyapatite (HAp) attracts interest as a biomaterial for use in bone substitution or allografts. In the current work, biomaterial nanocomposites based on HAp and pectin were synthesized by using the double decomposition method, which involved using pectin extracted from fresh cladodes of the prickly pear, Opuntia ficus-indica. The crystallinity, purity, and several analytical techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy were used to understand the surface’s shape. The results revealed that the produced HAp/pectin nanoparticles are pure, spherical, and amorphous. The spectroscopic data indicated a substantial interaction between HAp and pectin, specifically between Ca (II) and pectin hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. The presence of pectin showed a noticeable influence on the prepared nanocomposite texture and porosity. We further assess the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the developed nanocomposite against a number of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, evaluated by the well diffusion method. In the absence of pectin, the XRD analysis revealed that the HAp nanoparticles had 10.93% crystallinity. When the pectin concentration reached 10 wt.%, it was reduced to approximately 7.29%. All synthesized nanocomposites demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria in addition to various fungi (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium funiculosum, and Trichoderma viride). This study endorses the HAp/Pectin nanocomposite as an efficient antimicrobial material for biomedical advanced applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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