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In this study, for the first time, a composite fluff pulp was produced based on the combination of softwood (i.e., long-length fiber), hardwood (i.e., short-length fiber), non-wooden pulps (i.e., bagasse) and bentonite, with specific amounts to be used in hygienic pads (e.g., baby diapers and sanitary napkins). After the defibration process, the manufactured fluff pulp was placed as an absorbent mass in diapers and sanitary napkins. Therefore, tests related to the fluff pulp, such as grammage, thickness, density, ash content, humidity percentage, pH and brightness, tests related to the manufactured baby diapers, such as absorption capacity, retention rate, retention capacity, absorption time and rewet, and tests related to the sanitary napkin, such as absorption capacity and rewet, were performed according to the related standards. The results demonstrated that increasing the amount of bagasse pulp led to increasing the ash content, pH and density of fluff pulp and decreasing the brightness. The addition of bentonite as a filler also increased ash content and pH of fluff pulp. The results also demonstrated that increasing of bagasse pulp up to 30% in combination with softwood pulp led to increasing absorption capacity, retention rate, retention capacity, absorption time and rewet of baby diapers and of sanitary napkins., Competing Interests: S.I., S.M., P.T. and M.S. are employees at Marinasun’s Company.

We examined whether two types of xylooligosaccharides (neutral or acidic xylooligosaccharides) derived from hardwood kraft pulp ameliorate the development of atopic dermatitis (AD)-like skin lesions induced by repeated application of picryl chloride (PiCl) in NC/Nga mice. Oral administration of acidic xylooligosaccharides at a daily dose of 100 mg/kg significantly prevented the development of AD-like skin lesions. Serum histamine level was significantly suppressed, but serum total IgE level was not significantly suppressed. Moreover, the secretion of inflammatory cytokine IL-12 from splenic lymphocytes was significantly suppressed. On the other hand, neutral xylooligosaccharides showed no significant preventive effect on the development of AD-like symptoms. These results suggest that oral administration of acidic xylooligosaccharides may be effective in preventing the development of AD-like skin disease and one of the mechanisms is the suppressive effect on IL-12.