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The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is involved in termination of synaptic transmission at cholinergic synapses and plays a vital role in the insecticide detection and inhibitor screening. Here, we report the heterologous expression of an AChE from Tetronarce californica (TcA) in Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a soluble active protein. TcA was immobilized in calcium alginate beads; the morphology, biochemical properties, and insecticide detection performance of free and immobilized TcA were characterized. Moreover, we used sequence, structure-based approaches, and molecular docking to investigate structural and functional characterization of TcA. The results showed that TcA exhibited a specific activity of 102 U/mg, with optimal activity at pH 8.0 and 30 °C. Immobilized TcA demonstrated superior thermal stability, pH stability, and storage stability compared to the free enzyme. The highest sensitivity of free TcA was observed with trichlorfon, whereas immobilized TcA showed reduced IC50 values towards tested insecticides by 3 to 180-fold. Molecular docking analysis revealed the interaction of trichlorfon, acephate, isoprocarb, λ-cyhalothrin, and fenpropathrin in the active site gorge of TcA, particularly mediated through the formation of hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking. Therefore, TcA expressed heterologously in E. coli is a promising candidate for applications in food safety and environmental analysis. Key points: • T. californica AChE was expressed solubly in prokaryotic system. • The biochemical properties of free/immobilized enzyme were characterized. • The sensitivity of enzyme to insecticides was evaluated in vitro and in silico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles of Al2O3, ZrO2, Fe3O4 and their mixed oxides are synthesized adopting new green methods. Aloe-vera gel is identified as a capping agent for controlling the size of particles. The slow generation of precipitating agent, NH3, and increase in viscosity of medium, assist the synthesis. The mixed nanoparticles are found to be very effective in the simultaneous extraction of phosphate (qe:112.14 mg/g) and chromate (qe:122.6 mg/g) from water atpH: 4, equilibration time: 60 min and dosage: 0.12 g/150 mL. These particles when doped in calcium alginate beads to make the filtration easy, the effective pH is increased to 10 for the simultaneous removal of both the pollutants with enhancement in adsorption capacities for phosphate (qe:130.01 mg/g) and chromate(qe:144.12 mg/g) at the equilibration time: 90 min and dosage: 0.10 g/150 mL. The nano mixed oxide as well as beads are characterized by FTIR, XRD, FESEM and EDX techniques. Spontaneous and endothermic nature of sorption is revealed by thermodynamic investigations. The adsorbents are robust and effective up to six regeneration cycles. The experimental data are best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models with R2 values > 0.99 for both the adsorbates. The methodology developed is applied to water remediation for phosphate and chromate. The importance of the present investigation is that the adsorbents based on nanomaterials synthesised by new green methods are identified to have high adsorption capacities for the simultaneous extraction of chromate and phosphate from polluted water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, public concern is focused on the degradation of water quality. For this reason, the development of innovative technologies for water treatment in view of (micro)pollutant removal is important. Indeed, organic (micro)pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, herbicides, pesticides and plasticizers at concentration levels of μg L−1 or even ng L−1 are hardly removed during conventional wastewater treatment. In view of this, thermo-plasma expanded graphite, a light-weight innovative material in the form of a powder, was encapsulated into calcium alginate to obtain a granular form useful as filtration and adsorption material for removal of different pollutants. The produced material was used to remove atrazine, bisphenol-A, 17-α-ethinylestradiol and carbamazepine (at concentration levels of 125, 250 and 500 µg L−1) by top-down filtration. The effect of flow rate, bed depth and adsorbent composition was evaluated based on breakthrough curves. The experimental data was analysed with the Adams-Bohart model in view of scale-up. Under optimal conditions, removal and adsorption capacity of respectively about 21%, 21%, 38%,42%, 43 µg g−1, 44 µg g−1, 37 µg g−1 and 87 µg g−1 were obtained for atrazine, bisphenol, 17-α ethinylestradiol and carbamazepine when using 0.12 g of thermo-plasma expanded graphite to treat 200 mL at 500 µg L−1 (for each compound) of solution obtaining at contact time of 20 min. The granular form of TPEG obtained (GTPEG) by entrapping in calcium alginate results to have a good adsorbent property for the removal of carbamazepine, atrazine, bisphenol A and 17-α ethinylestradiol from water at concentration levels between 250 and 500 μg L−1. Promising results confirm the adsorbent properties of TPEG and push-up us to investigate on its application and improve of its performance by evaluating different entrapping materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Artificial diets are one of the most critical components in insect mass-rearing facilities worldwide. Research on artificial diets to rear pestiferous tephritid flies dates back to the 1950s but is still a topic of great relevance, as fruit flies represent one of the ten most important pests of fruit in temperate and tropical regions of the world. In the past 15 years, much research has been performed to develop liquid- or gel-based diets more closely resembling the rearing environment a wild fruit fly larva experiences inside a fruit in nature. To identify new gelling agents that could perform better than already established ones such as agar and carrageenan, we assessed the performance of calcium alginate, a gelling agent widely used in the food industry, that had not been tested in the case of fruit fly mass rearing. We also examined larval density in gel diets as a critical factor that affects insect-rearing systems. Our results show that agar and carrageenan diets outperformed calcium alginate diets broadly and that the effects of larval density depended on the gel type used. We believe that the applications of calcium alginate in tephritid rearing should be analyzed in more depth in future studies. Research on larval rearing and nutrition of tephritid flies on artificial diets is key for the sterile insect technique. Here, we examined the effects of the type of gel (calcium alginate, agar, or carrageenan), at varying percentages in artificial diets for the polyphagous pest Anastrepha ludens, on the physicochemical and nutritional traits of the diets, and the effects of the type of gel, the gel content and the larval density (larvae/g of diet) used in production, quality parameters for mass-reared tephritids, diet removal (an indirect estimation of diet consumption), and nutritional traits of flies. Regardless of the gel content, calcium alginate diets were firmer and more resistant to penetration than the agar and carrageenan diets. The larval recovery, pupation, pupal weight, and flight ability of A. ludens were lower in calcium alginate diets than in agar and carrageenan diets. Diet removal was higher in calcium alginate diets; however, low levels of ammonium and high levels of uric acid in excretions from larvae on these diets suggest an alteration in protein metabolism. The firmness and penetration resistance characteristics of calcium alginate diets may have limited movement and feeding of larvae, but this could be overcome by the collective feeding of large groups of larvae. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism governing gel-diet rearing systems for A. ludens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) has become one of the main causes of female infertility. How to effectively prevent postoperative re-adhesion has become a clinical challenge. In this study, a mussel-inspired dual-network hydrogel was proposed for the postoperative anti-adhesion of IUA. First, a calcium alginate/polyacrylamide (CA-PAM) hydrogel was prepared via covalent and Ca2+ cross-linking. Benefiting from abundant phenolic hydroxyl groups, polydopamine (PDA) was introduced to further enhance the adhesion ability and biocompatibility. This CA-PAM hydrogel immersed in 10 mg/mL dopamine solution possessed remarkable mechanical strength (elastic modulus > 5 kPa) and super stretchability (with a breaking elongation of 720%). At the same time, it showed excellent adhesion (more than 6 kPa). Surprisingly, the coagulation index of the hydrogel was 27.27 ± 4.91, demonstrating attractive coagulation performance in vitro and the potential for rapid hemostasis after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the photocatalysis material CA+, which uses calcium alginate as carrier and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as surfactant, was studied. The morphology and structure of the prepared CA+ were characterised by SEM, TEM, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. The surface electrical properties and stability of the catalytic materials were evaluated by Zeta potential and cycling performance measurements, and the data were analyzed and processed according to the principle of degradation kinetics. The results show that Ag@AgCl Nanoparticles are distributed on the cross-linked structure of CA in the form of clusters. The prepared CA+ photocatalyst material has good adsorption performance and photocatalytic activity for tetracycline (TC). Temperature has a significant effect on the degradation of TC by photocatalytic materials. The photocatalytic degradation rate is the highest at 40 °C, and the photocatalytic reaction rate was 0.08276 min−1. The photocatalytic degradation process at different temperatures conforms to the quasi first-order reaction kinetics. Adding a certain amount of H2O2 can produce more active species O2−. The photocatalytic material has the advantages of good stability, short photocatalytic degradation time, high catalytic efficiency, and can be used for the degradation of actual tetracycline polluted wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces an innovative method of using activated carbon derived from citrus sinensis peels incorporated into calcium alginate beads to remove lead from synthetic water efficiently. This novel approach demonstrates remarkable effectiveness in addressing lead pollution in water. Established techniques such as SEM and FTIR were employed to characterize the adsorbents created in the laboratories. Batch studies confirmed the lead adsorbed were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of lead removal, with the highest removal efficiencies achieved at pH 6.5 (90.3%), an adsorbent dose of 2 mg (90.3%), a contact time of 50 min (92.3%), and an initial lead solution concentration of 20 ppm (93.2%). The study employed various adsorption models, including Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin models. The Langmuir model exhibited an excellent fit to the adsorption isotherm at 60°C, as indicated by a high linear regression correlation coefficient. For the bioadsorption process, pseudo-second-order kinetics fits well (R²=0.9992). The analytical results verify that activated carbon from discarded orange peels and calcium alginate beads effectively removes Pb, offering an encouraging solution for water purification challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we employed sodium alginate, a naturally occurring biodegradable biopolymer, to create calcium alginate beads through the cross-linking process using CaCl2 as the gelling agent. The obtained beads were subjected to characterization through various analyses, including textural and structural structure via N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm via Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Visible diffuse reflectance analyses. The effectiveness of this adsorbent was investigated in the removal of Auramine O dye (AO) and phosphate from aqueous solutions through an adsorption process. An initial examination of Auramine O and phosphate removal using calcium alginate beads as the adsorbent was conducted to identify the optimal adsorption conditions, including contact time (adsorbate/adsorbent), initial adsorbate concentration, pH, and initial adsorbent quantity. A full factorial design matrix was used to study the direct effects and interactions of the principal parameters. Experimental results show that under the optimal conditions, calcium alginate beads demonstrate significant adsorption capabilities, achieving a phosphate removal rate of 82.5% and an AO dye removal rate of 48% within a 180 min timeframe. The adsorption findings closely align with the Langmuir model in the case of Auramine O and the Freundlich model for phosphate indicating monolayer and multilayer adsorption process, respectively. Moreover, the pseudo-second-order model fits effectively for both AO and phosphate, indicating a chemisorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important solutions to overcome energy and environmental problems and to replace the fossil fuel-based economy could be the use of photosynthetic microorganisms. The use of photosynthetic microorganisms is a potential alternative to energy generation from fossil fuels because they efficiently produce hydrogen (H2). Immobilization of photosynthetic microorganisms is used for many biotechnological applications such as H2 production. This method appears attractive because it restricts cell movement in an entrapped matrix. Immobilization of Rhodopseudomonas sp. S16-VOGS3 cells is a promising way to improve H2 production. In this work, the ability of immobilized Rhodopseudomonas sp. S16-VOGS3 cells to produce H2 was investigated in two types of PBRs. The PBRs used in this work were a cylindrical one with 0.2 ​L working volume (C-PBR) and a flat Roux type with 0.6 ​L working volume (FRT-PBR). The calcium alginate beads prepared were resistant to culture mixing and showed little leakage of cells, and the immobilized cells continued the photofermentation process in both PBRs. The immobilized cells in the C-PBR produced 936.8 ​mL of H2 with an average H2 production rate of 2.99 ​mL/h. The average productivity was 126.4 ​μL (H2)/mg (cells)/h or 14.96 ​mL (H2)/L (culture)/h, and the light conversion efficiency was 2.37 ​%. The immobilized cells in the FRT-PBR produced a total of 662.2 ​mL of H2 with an average H2 production rate of 1.55 ​mL/h. The average productivity was 31.1 ​μL (H2)/mg (cells)/h or 2.58 ​mL (H2)/L (culture)/h, and the light conversion efficiency was 0.52 ​%. The more uniform and therefore more efficient degree of bacterial cell mixing achieved in the C-PBR with cylindrical configuration played an important role compared to the FRT-PBR. In the FRT-PBR, the beads were aggregated at the bottom, which limited light penetration and resulted in low H2 production efficiency.

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is a prevalent phthalate ester widely used as a plasticizer, leading to its widespread presence in various environmental matrices. This study presents an innovative microbial immobilization strategy utilizing biochar, calcium alginate (alginate-Ca, (C12H14CaO12)n), and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) composites to enhance the biodegradation efficiency of DBP. The results revealed that rice husk biochar, pyrolyzed at 300 °C, exhibits relatively safer and more stable physical and chemical properties, making it an effective immobilization matrix. Additionally, the optimal cultural conditions for Bacillus aquimaris in DBP biodegradation were identified as incubation at 30 °C and pH 7, with the supplementation of 0.15 g of yeast extract, 0.0625 g of glucose, and 1 CMC of Triton X-100. Algal biotoxicity results indicated a significant decrease in biotoxicity, as evidenced by an increase in chlorophyll a content in Chlorella vulgaris following DBP removal from the culture medium. Finally, microbial community analysis demonstrated that encapsulating B. aquimaris within alginate-Ca and WPU layers not only enhanced DBP degradation, but also prevented ecological competition from indigenous microorganisms. This novel approach showcases the potential of agricultural waste utilization and microbial immobilization techniques for the remediation of DBP-contaminated environments.

Contamination with cadmium (Cd) is a prominent issue in agricultural non-point source pollution in China. With the deposition and activation of numerous Cd metal elements in farmland, the problem of excessive pollution of agricultural produce can no longer be disregarded. Considering the issue of Cd pollution in farmland, this study proposes the utilization of cross-linked modified biochar (prepared from pine wood) and calcium alginate hydrogels to fabricate a composite material which is called MB-CA for short. The aim is to investigate the adsorption and passivation mechanism of soil Cd by this innovative composite. The MB-CA exhibits a higher heavy metal adsorption capacity compared to traditional biochar and hydrogel due to its increased oxygen-containing functional groups and heavy metal adsorption sites. In the Cd solution adsorption experiment, the highest Cd2+ removal rate reached 85.48%. In addition, it was found that the material also has an excellent pH improvement effect. Through the adsorption kinetics experiment and the soil culture experiments, it was determined that MB-CA adheres to the quasi-second-order kinetic model and is capable of adsorbing 35.94% of Cd2+ in soil. This study validates the efficacy of MB-CA in the adsorption and passivation of Cd in soil, offering a novel approach for managing Cd-contaminated cultivated land.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the preparation of alginate-based microparticles with meloxicam (MLX). A poorly soluble substance classified to BCS class II, it was chosen as a model substance. The ionotropic gelation was the process used for the formation of microparticles. The impact of the carrier on the dissolution of MLX from this formulation was also investigated. Study was realized in few steps: preparation of polymer particles containing suspended MLX in their structure; drying them in various conditions (room temperature, freeze drying); morphology characterization and then assessment of impact of polymer on dissolution of the model substance. Also, DDSolver software was used for checking the similarity of release profiles. Validated UV-Vis spectrophotometric method was used for MLX determination on different steps of work. As it showed, calcium alginate particles were successfully prepared with ionotropic gelation. The drying method of prepared particles has a substantial impact on the release profiles of meloxicam, and these formulations significantly improve the MLX release from this form of the delivery system.

This study aims to assess the efficiency of two agricultural wastes as biosorbents to remove the chemical oxygen demand (COD) from a batik wastewater sample. COD-containing batik wastewater was treated with a combination of biosorbents by eggshells and tea waste activated using H?SO? and then immobilized in calcium alginate through the entrapment technique. The contact time, pH, and biosorbent dose were all investigated to examine the efficiency of biosorbent to remove COD. The independent variables for the optimization process are the contact time (47.13, 50, 60, 70, and 72.87 min), pH of the samples (1.71, 2,3, 4, and 4.28), and the ratio of the number of biosorbent between eggshells: tea waste (2.67:12.33, 3.75:11.25, 7.5:7.5, 11.25:3.75, and 12.33:2.67). The Characterization of the biosorbents was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. The results show that eggshells and tea waste immobilized by calcium alginate with a ratio of 2.67 g: 12.33 g, a contact time of 60 min, and a sample pH of 3 are 89% effective in removing the COD in batik wastewater samples.

AbstractIn this paper, the photocatalysis material CA+, which uses calcium alginate as carrier and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as surfactant, was studied. The morphology and structure of the prepared CA+ were characterised by SEM, TEM, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. The surface electrical properties and stability of the catalytic materials were evaluated by Zeta potential and cycling performance measurements, and the data were analyzed and processed according to the principle of degradation kinetics. The results show that Ag@AgCl Nanoparticles are distributed on the cross-linked structure of CA in the form of clusters. The prepared CA+ photocatalyst material has good adsorption performance and photocatalytic activity for tetracycline (TC). Temperature has a significant effect on the degradation of TC by photocatalytic materials. The photocatalytic degradation rate is the highest at 40 °C, and the photocatalytic reaction rate was 0.08276 min−1. The photocatalytic degradation process at different temperatures conforms to the quasi first-order reaction kinetics. Adding a certain amount of H2O2 can produce more active species O2−. The photocatalytic material has the advantages of good stability, short photocatalytic degradation time, high catalytic efficiency, and can be used for the degradation of actual tetracycline polluted wastewater.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is increasingly used in desalination due to its excellent evaporation performance. The continuous evaporation of water would lead to an increase in the salinity of the evaporator, which has been often neglected and rarely exploited. In this work, a calcium alginate hydrogel and nickel foam composited membrane (CHN) was proposed as a new platform for constructing solar-powered hybrid systems with the function of synchronous desalination and salinity power generation. The calcium alginate hydrogels can reduce the enthalpy of water evaporation and convert the salinity gradient between the evaporator and seawater into electrical energy. The evaporation rate of the mixed system (CHN-CB) with carbon black (CB) as the solar absorber is greater than 2.1 kg m−2 h−1. Additionally, under 1 sun, the system achieved a maximum short-circuit current of 20.3 mA m−2 and generated an extra electrical power of 5.3 mW m−2. As a universal multi-energy conversion platform, the CHN membranes can combine different photothermal materials for synchronous evaporation and salinity gradient power generation. These results open new paths for the combination of desalination and power generation, demonstrating the potential for diversified use of blue energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control of plant virus diseases largely depends on the induced plant defence achieved by the external application of synthetic chemical inducers with the ability to modify defence‐signalling pathways. However, most of the molecular mechanisms underlying these chemical inducers remain unknown. Here, we developed a chitosan‐coated lentinan‐loaded hydrogel and discovered how it protects plants from different virus infections. The hydrogel was synthesized by coating chitosan on the surface of the calcium alginate‐lentinan (LNT) hydrogel (SL‐gel) to form a CSL‐gel. CSL‐gels exhibit the capacity to prolong the stable release of lentinan and promote Ca2+ release. Application of CSL‐gels on the root of plants induces broad‐spectrum resistance against plant viruses (TMV, TRV, PVX and TuMV). RNA‐seq analysis identified that Nicotiana benthamiana calmodulin‐like protein gene 3 (NbCML3) is upregulated by the sustained release of Ca2+ from the CSL‐gel, and silencing and overexpression of NbCML alter the susceptibility and resistance of tobacco to TMV. Our findings provide evidence that this novel and synthetic CSL‐gel strongly inhibits the infection of plant viruses by the sustainable release of LNT and Ca2+. This study uncovers a novel mode of action by which CSL‐gels trigger NbCML3 expression through the stable and sustained release of Ca2+. Summary statement: Synthesis of chemical inducers with the ability to induce plant defence or modify defence‐signalling pathways is a practical way to control plant virus diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of chemical inducers remain largely unknown. This study demonstrates that a chitosan‐coated lentinan‐loaded calcium alginate hydrogel with prolonged and sustained release of lentinan and Ca2+ in plant roots promotes plant growth and enhances broad‐spectrum virus resistance by inducing NbCML3 expression in N. benthamiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As it is a typical dye pollutant in water, methylene blue detection is important to health and environmental safety. A kind of methylene blue optical fiber sensor was successfully fabricated, which was highly sensitive, responded linearly, was easy to manufacture and was low cost. The sensor was composed of a capillary glass tube, single-mode fiber and calcium alginate hydrogel. The interference spectrum of the optical fiber F–P cavity successfully responded to the methylene blue solution. The response sensitivity of 2.46 nm/(mg/L) was obtained with the typical sensor with a 39.18 μm cavity length. The linearity of the experiment curve was 0.99247. Furthermore, the influence of sodium alginate concentrations on sensitivity was also investigated. The results showed that the sodium alginate concentration had an optimum value. In addition, the dynamic response characteristic was tested. A 25 s response time was obtained with testing using a typical sensor, which showed a fast response time. The sensor has the potential to be applied to online methylene blue detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted on a laboratory scale and the main objective was to evaluate the feasibility of using bentonite and calcium alginate-based granules to adsorb pollutants from rainwater in a columnar system. Therefore, in this study, the fine powder of clay materials was mixed with calcium alginate to obtain capsules that can be easily separated and recovered. These granular sorbents were found to be a new and inexpensive solution for removing heavy metals from water. On the basis of the pollutant adsorption study, the sorption capacities of the adsorbent and bed, adsorption rates, and bed breakthrough time were determined. Characterisation of the structural features of the granules using modern observational and spectroscopic techniques, that is, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, was also an important part of the study. The aim of the study was to conduct the adsorption process under dynamic conditions to determine the efficiency of removing copper and lead ions from rainwater. Static adsorption showed a high percentage of copper removal of 72.75% and lead removal of 84.5% for a dose of 2.0 g/L. The column adsorption system showed a high removal rate. Regeneration showed a high efficiency of copper and lead adsorption. In the fourth cycle in the case of Cu(II), 60%, column 2 - 52.5%, column 3 - 30%, for Pb(II) for column 1 - 73%, column 2 - 76%, column 3 - 50% were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of alginates, AlgLF and AlgP, were used in this study to produce alginate beads by electro-vibratory extrusion. AlgLF and AlgP exhibited different Mannuronate/Guluronate (M/G) ratios and molecular weights as measured by NMR and SEC-MALS. The calcium chloride concentration was found to have the greatest effect on bead size. Higher concentrations resulted in smaller beads. AlgLF with a higher molecular weight and a lower proportion of G blocks showed smaller beads. For both alginates, the bead size was also influenced by the flow rate and vibration frequency. Alginate solution aging showed a minimal effect. Alginate reticulation was modeled using a mathematical equation. The study provides insights for the optimization of alginate-based materials in different applications by shedding light on the main factors influencing bead size. The importance of the molecular weight, M/G ratio and calcium ion concentration in the gelling process is highlighted, providing opportunities for the tailoring of alginate materials through a phenomenological model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work was performed to dig into the phytochemical composition and bioactivities of Nocardiopsis sp. UR67 associated with the marine sponge Callyspongia sp. It was fermented in suspension and immobilised in calcium alginate bead cultures. The ethyl acetate extracts, afforded from the broth in each case named EG-49 and J-48g, respectively, revealed 16 chemical principles mostly belonging to polyketides, macrolides, and peptides. EG-49 and J-48g displayed anti-Candida albicans activity with IC50 values of 8.1 and 8.3 µg/mL, and a substantial cytotoxic effect against lung adenocarcinoma H1650 at IC50 12.6 and 13.7 µg/mL, respectively. However, only EG-49 exhibited a noteworthy anti-trypanosomal activity at 7.5 µg/mL. Molecular docking of the characterised compounds against Trypanosoma brucei trypanothione reductase demonstrated the highest binding models of griseochelin-methyl ester (9) and filipin-II (11), which drew considerable significance of the metabolites derived from Nocardiopsis sp. UR67 developing potential T. brucei trypanothione reductase inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implant‐related infections (IRIs), characterized by the formation of bacterial biofilms and immunosuppressive microenvironment, are a common but tricky clinical issue. In this study, a self‐adaptive theranostics nanosystem is designed based on phase change material (PCM) for IRIs therapy, which can monitor the severity of infection in real time and automatically provide the most appropriate treatment on demand. The nanosystem called CaAlg/LOD/POD@MNO/FAs (CLPM) is made of the fatty acids (FAs) core with dissolved minocycline (MNO) and the calcium alginate (CaAlg) shell with an immobilized lactate oxidase/pyruvate oxidase (LOD/POD) enzyme‐linked system. When the level of infection is mild (wound temperature < 39 °C), the CLPMs perform a bacteriostatic function by slowly releasing MNO from the solid‐phase FAs core. When the infection deteriorates (wound temperature > 39 °C), the solid‐to‐liquid phase change of FAs not only enables a rapid release of MNO but also disrupts the mechanical strength of the biofilm skeleton doped with CLPM, performing a bactericidal function. In addition, CLPM can reduce the accumulation of bacteria‐derived lactate to address lactate‐induced immunosuppression and enhance immune memory response, thereby inhibiting infection recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study disclosed the synthesis and characterization of externally and/or internally crosslinked alginate‐gellan gum composite interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) and IPN hydrogel microspheres for controlled delivery of gliclazid. The internal cross‐linking of the polymer sol was accomplished via slow release of Ca2+ ions from calcium silicate in presence of gluconic acid d‐lactone. The microspheres had spherical shape with smooth surface morphology. The IPN or composite IPN hydrogel microspheres had drug entrapment efficiency of 70%–76%. Incorporation of gellan gum or gellan gum/calcium silicate in the alginate sol sustained the release of drug in simulated gastrointestinal fluids over 12 h without any sign of particle disintegration. Inclusion of calcium silicate in alginate gels was ineffective in controlling drug release under simulated gastrointestinal milieu. The drug release obeyed anomalous diffusion mechanism after inclusion of gellan gum or gellan gum‐calcium silicate in the alginate gel microspheres. Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and zeta analysis confirmed absence of drug‐polymer chemical interaction. The thermal and x‐ray diffraction analyses suggested that the drug transformed into amorphous state after incorporation into composite hydrogel system. Hence, it may be advantageous to combine internal and external gelation procedures for creating composite IPN or IPN hydrogel microspheres for avoiding burst effect of alginate microspheres and managing desired drug release patterns in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Alginate‐based encapsulation is an effective probiotics delivery system in the intestine. However, due to calcium ions and gastric juice damaging cell wall/membrane integrity during freeze‐drying and gastrointestinal ingestion, lots of cell lose their viability. This study, taking Lactiplantibacillus plantarum grx16 as an example, indicated that co‐encapsulation of cryoprotectants and porous starch within calcium alginate capsules (CAC) could combinedly improve the viability of probiotics encapsulated. Compared with calcium alginate‐protectant capsule (CAC‐Pro) (50.67%), the combination of porous starch increased the encapsulation rate of PS0.8‐CAC‐Pro to 82.68%. Meanwhile, the death rate constants of PS0.8‐CAC‐Pro decreased by 31.3% (−20 °C), 13.5% (4 °C) and 7.5% (25 °C), respectively. The survival rate of PS0.8‐CAC‐Pro was 81.94% after continuous simulated gastrointestinal digestion, which was significantly higher than that of CACs (69.46%) and CAC‐Pro (76.92%). This study provided an effective approach for modifying alginate capsule to reduce the loss of probiotics viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of different pH values (4–7) and whey protein isolate (WPI) concentrations (0.5–1.5%) were evaluated on physical, mechanical, and rheological properties of cold‐set alginate‐based soybean oil hybrid emulgels. The pH value changes were more effective than WPI concentration changes on emulgel properties. According to syneresis and texture profile analysis results, 1% WPI was selected as the optimum concentration. The XRD analysis showed that calcium alginate (CA) emulgel at pH 6 had a different peak at 2θ of 14.8°, likely indicating the highest amount of ion‐bridging and maximum number of junction zones. The homogeneity of CA and CA + WPI emulgels (determined by image entropy analysis) decreased by pH reduction from 7 to 4, which can be related to acid‐induced intermolecular interactions between alginate chains. The rheological properties of CA and CA + WPI emulgels revealed predominant elastic character (G′ > G′′) at different pH values. Creep test results showed that the relative recovery of emulgel prepared at pH 7 and 5 was 18.10 and 63.83%, respectively, suggesting pH reduction contributed to increase in the elastic component of material. The findings of this study can be applied for developing structured cold‐set emulgels as solid fat replacers in meat and dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to study the antimicrobial activity of new biomaterials based on decamethoxine and commercially available wound dressings against reference and clinical strains of S.aureus and E.coli. Materials and methods. Developed biomaterials with 0.05 % decamethoxine (DCM No. 1-3) and wound dressings containing antiseptics Suprasorb®, SILVERCEL®, Urgotul SSD®, GUANPOLISEPT®, Betadine® were used for the study. Antimicrobial properties were studied by zone of inhibition (ZOI) testing using the Kirby- Bauer method. Results. In relation to S.aureus ATCC 25923, a significantly higher antimicrobial activity of biomaterials with DCM compared to silver- and iodine-containing wound dressings was found to be 1.97-2.11 (p <0.001) and 1.73-1.86 times (p <0.001), respectively. Similar activity against S.aureus ATCC 25923 was possessed by all three samples with DCM (ZOI - from 21.98±0.18 to 23.58±0.26 mm) and Suprasorb® (19.31±0.17 mm), Guanpolisept® (19.13±0.12 mm). Such a tendency was also found in relation to clinical strains of staphylococci. A high level of activity against E. coli ATCC 25922 was shown by biomaterials No. 1-3 DCM (ZOI - from 19.01±0.33 to 21.54±0.23 mm), Guanpolisept® (18.74±0.12 mm) and Suprasorb® (18.43±0.13 mm). Clinical strains of E.coli showed greater tolerance to antimicrobial biomaterials: the difference in mean values between the ZOI of the reference and ZOI of clinical strains of E.coli was significant for all biomaterials (p <0.001). The most effective were biomaterials with DCM No. 1-3 (ZOI - from 15.58±0.25 to 16.41±0.16 mm), as well as Suprasorb® (15.82±0.31 mm). Conclusions. Biomaterials based on decamethoxine No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, Suprasorb®, Guanpolisept®, and Betadine® have the highest antistaphylococcal activity. Biomaterials with decamethoxin No.1-3, Suprasorb® and Guanpolisept® show the strongest effect on reference and clinical strains of E.coli [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracking is an inevitable feature of concrete, typically leading to corrosion of the embedded steel reinforcement and massive deterioration because of the freezing–thawing cycles. Different means have been proposed to increase the serviceability performance of cracked concrete structures. This case study deals with bacteria encapsulated in cementitious materials to "heal" cracks. Such a biological self-healing system requires preserving the bacteria's viability in the cement matrix. Many embedded bacterial spores are damaged during concrete curing, drastically reducing efficiency. This study investigates the viability of commonly used non-ureolytic bacterial spores when immobilized in calcium alginate microcapsules within self-healing cementitious composites. Three Bacillus species were used in this study, i.e., B. pseudofirmus, B. cohnii, and B. halodurans. B. pseudofirmus demonstrated the best mineralization activity; a sufficient number of bacterial spores remained viable after the encapsulation. B. pseudofirmus and B. halodurans spores retained the highest viability after incorporating the microcapsules into the cement paste, while B. halodurans spores retained the highest viability in the mortar. Cracks with a width of about 0.13 mm were filled with bacterial calcium carbonate within 14 to 28 days, depending on the type of bacteria. Larger cracks were not healed entirely. B. pseudofirmus had the highest efficiency, with a healing coefficient of 0.497 after 56 days. This study also revealed the essential role of the cement hydration temperature on bacterial viability. Thus, further studies should optimize the content of bacteria and nutrients in the microcapsule structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water shortage has risen severely in recent years, confronting mankind with a worldwide challenge, especially as the accessible water resources are further limited by diverse contamination. The most widespread industrial process for water treatment is the activated sludge process, in which, however, excessive sludge production has become an enormous environmental problem worldwide. To overcome this problem, hydrogels possess outstanding potential in view of adsorptive removal of contaminants like heavy metal ions, fertilizers, and dyes. In this paper, we report about the synthesis of biobased alginate hydrogel beads along with polyethyleneimine‐modified composite hydrogels for water treatment. The adsorption of methylene blue as a positively charged and of congo red as a negatively charged model dye is quantitatively investigated, both separately and in combination. In addition, the pH‐dependent adsorption of the dyes is determined. The use of alginate‐based hydrogel systems combines several prospects: they are bio‐based, inexpensive, easily available to a sufficient extent, sustainable, and are applicable in a broad range of wastewater treatment by its charged groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tannase from Aspergillus ficuum was immobilized by two different techniques for comparison of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. Tannase was either entrapped in calcium alginate beads or covalently-immobilized onto magnetic diatomaceous earth nanoparticles. When immobilized on nanoparticles, tannase exhibited lower activation energy (15.1 kJ/mol) than when immobilized in alginate beads (31.3 kJ/mol). Surprisingly, the thermal treatment had a positive effect on tannase entrapped in alginate beads since the enzyme became more solvent exposed due to matrix leaching. Accordingly, the proposed mathematical model revealed a two-step inactivation process. In the former step the activity increased leading to activation energies of additional activity of 3.1 and 26.8 kJ/mol at 20–50 °C and 50–70 °C, respectively, while a slight decay occurred in the latter, resulting in the following thermodynamic parameters of denaturation: 14.3 kJ/mol activation energy as well as 5.6–9.7 kJ/mol standard Gibbs free energy, 15.6 kJ/mol standard enthalpy and 18.3–29.0 J/(K·mol) standard entropy variations. Conversely, tannase immobilized on nanoparticles displayed a typical linear decay trend with 43.8 kJ/mol activation energy, 99.2–103.1 kJ/mol Gibbs free energy, 41.1–41.3 kJ/mol enthalpy and −191.6/−191.0 J/(K·mol) entropy of denaturation. A 90-day shelf-life investigation revealed that tannase immobilized on nanoparticles was approximately twice more stable than the one immobilized in calcium alginate beads, which suggests its use and recycling in food industry clarification operations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comparative study on kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of a tannase produced by A. ficuum in its free and immobilized forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selected biosorbents, Prickly Pear Peels (PPP), that have been chemically activated by Zncl2 and encapsulated in calcium alginate beads, bear the hybrid biosorbent names CA-ZnPPP, and are used for the disposal of Cr (VI) with water-based solutions. CA-ZnPPP is characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM),subsequently Batch tests were undertaken to evaluate the impact of the variables, in particular the pH value in the first instance, the retention time, and the metal content in the course of adsorption. Langmuir's isothermal model showed the greatest consistency with the test results and the biosorption rate of the single layer was 16.28 mg g-1 in less than 120 min working with 1.0 g L-1 of CA-ZnPPP, and apH of 2. The pseudo-second order kinetic pattern correctly defined the results of the adsorption dynamics. Thermodynamic parameters (G°, H°, and S°) in a temperature range of 298-328 K, have revealed that biosorption is exothermic and instantaneous. These values show that CA-ZnPPP is a favorable adsorption material for the removal of Cr (VI) in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to assess the suitability of vitrification cryo-plate (V cryo-plate) and dehydration cryo-plate (D cryo-plate) methods for the long-term conservation of eight autochthonous Prunus domestica L. genotypes originating from the Balkan Peninsula region. In vitro shoot tips were briefly pre-cultured for 1 day at 23 °C in the dark on a medium containing 0.3 M sucrose and then embedded in calcium alginate gel within the wells of the aluminum cryo-plates. In the V cryo-plate protocol, dehydration was carried out at room temperature using the following vitrification solutions: original plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) and 90% PVS2 solution (for 20 and 40 min) and plant vitrification solution 3 (PVS3) (for 60 and 80 min). In the D cryo-plate protocol, desiccation was performed for 2, 2.5, or 3 h over silica gel at 23 °C. The effect of different treatments was evaluated by monitoring the regrowth of both non-frozen and cryo-preserved explants. After cryo-preservation, five genotypes achieved regrowth rates over 40% in at least one of the applied protocols, while two genotypes showed regrowth rates of around 10%. A significant improvement in regrowth success for all genotypes using both cryo-plate methods was achieved by pre-culturing shoot tips for 7 days on a medium containing 0.5 M sucrose in complete darkness at 4 °C. Shoots regenerated from cryo-preserved explants were further monitored in vitro. By the third subculture, they had not only regained but had even exceeded the multiplication capacity (index of multiplication, length of axial, and lateral shoots) of shoots regenerated from dissection controls. Following multiplication, the cryo-preserved shoots were successfully rooted and rooting ability was assessed by monitoring the percentage of rooting, number and length of roots, and height of rooted plantlets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The millimeter-scale capsules for oil encapsulation have been used successfully in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical engineering. However, aqueous core capsules still have poor barrier properties and a short storage life. In this work, a rapid and mild coating method was applied on millimeter-scale calcium alginate aqueous core capsules (mm-CaSA-Caps). A layer of poly(ethyl-cyanoacrylate) (PECA) was coated on the surface of the mm-CaSA-Caps using interfacial polymerization. The PECA-coated mm-CaSA-Caps (PECA@CaSA-Caps) prepared in the trichloromethane maintained a spherical shape in wet and dry conditions. Compared with the mm-CaSA-Caps, the weight loss ratio of water in the PECA@CaSA-Caps decreased by 38.59%. The release rates of dye in PECA@CaSA-Caps greatly reduced in neutral (pH 7.0), alkaline (pH 10.0) and acidic (pH 1.0) conditions. This work provides a new way to improve the barrier properties and storage life of hydrogel capsules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, extracted algal alginate from red algae as natural coagulant was used for removal of textile dye congo red (CR) from water. In developing countries like India, only about 10% of the wastewater being generated is treated, whereas the remaining 90% is discharged into the water bodies as it stands. Color and turbidity are the most common problems in the disposal of wastewater. The removal of color is one of the key challenges in wastewater treatment. For the coagulation process, the synthetic textile wastewater samples had CR concentrations of 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg/L and varying initial pH of 4, 5, and 6. Different dosages of calcium and alginate (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 g/L) were used to perform the experiments. The obtained results exhibited that the effectiveness of color removal was higher at lower pH 4, and the calcium and alginate dosages are dependent on the CR concentration of the synthetic textile wastewater. These investigations demonstrating the higher efficiency of calcium alginate as a coagulant, where maximum color removal achieved over 95.05%. Increasing alginate dosages and residence times can enhance the performance of coagulation. Dye color is often present in real wastewater and needs to be removed before being reused or discharged to the environment.

Polyurea-crosslinked calcium alginate (X-Ca-Alg) aerogels were investigated under physiological relevant conditions and showed signs of degradation. Geometric and spectral measurements were made to quantify this degradation in vitro and ex vivo. The time dependence in vitro degradation of these aerogels was accelerated in the presence of shear force. Diagnostic ultrasound techniques have been shown to reliably identify X-Ca-Alg aerogels both in vitro and ex vivo as well as detect degradation of these aerogels in these different environments. Geometric measurements of aerogel implants taken from the US images closely match the measurements taken from optical imaging showing the reliability of US imaging and degradation tracking of implants in clinical settings. Acoustic attenuation was also calculated and was shown to indicate and identify aerogel degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mannan oligosaccharides (MOSs) are excellent prebiotics that are usually obtained via the enzymatic hydrolysis of mannan. In order to reduce the cost of preparing MOSs, immobilized enzymes that demonstrate good performance, require simple preparation, and are safe, inexpensive, and reusable must be developed urgently. In this study, β-mannanase was immobilized on calcium alginate (CaAlg). Under the optimal conditions of 320 U enzyme addition, 1.6% sodium alginate, 2% CaCl2, and 1 h of immobilization time, the immobilization yield reached 68.3%. The optimum temperature and pH for the immobilized β-mannanase (Man-CaAlg) were 75 °C and 6.0, respectively. The Man-CaAlg exhibited better thermal stability, a high degree of pH stability, and less substrate affinity than free β-mannanase. The Man-CaAlg could be reused eight times and retained 70.34% of its activity; additionally, the Man-CaAlg showed 58.17% activity after 30 days of storage. A total of 7.94 mg/mL of MOSs, with 4.94 mg/mL of mannobiose and 3.00 mg/mL of mannotriose, were generated in the oligosaccharide production assay. It is believed that this convenient and safe strategy has great potential in the important field of the use of immobilized β-mannanase for the production of mannan oligosaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has played a huge role in the interventional treatment of organ bleeding and accidental bleeding. Choosing bio-embolization materials with good biocompatibility is an important part of TAE. In this work, we prepared a calcium alginate embolic microsphere using high-voltage electrostatic droplet technology. The microsphere simultaneously encapsulated silver sulfide quantum dots (Ag 2 S QDs) and barium sulfate (BaSO 4), and fixed thrombin on its surface. Thrombin can achieve an embolic effect while stopping bleeding. The embolic microsphere has good near-infrared two-zone (NIR-II) imaging and X-ray imaging effects, and the luminous effect of NIR-II is better than that of X-rays. This breaks the limitations of traditional embolic microspheres that only have X-ray imaging. And the microspheres have good biocompatibility and blood compatibility. Preliminary application results show that the microspheres can achieve a good embolization effect in the ear arteries of New Zealand white rabbits, and can be used as an effective material for arterial embolization and hemostasis. This work realizes the clinical embolization application of NIR-II combined with X-ray multimodal imaging technology in biomedical imaging, achieving complementary advantages and excellent results, more suitable for studying biological changes and clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, Aspergillus uvarum was subjected to random mutagenesis, by treatment with chemical mutagen i.e., Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Among the various mutant strains of A. uvarum, the strain that was obtained after treatment with EMS at 12% v/v concentration and 60 min of exposure time showed 1.8-fold and 1.4-fold increased cellulase activity using submerged (SmF) and solid state fermentation (SSF), respectively, as compared to the parent wild strain. Partial purification of the cellulase by ammonium sulphate fractionation and dialysis showed 1.46 and 2.02 fold purification, respectively. Among the several concentrations of sodium alginate and calcium chloride used for immobilization, partially purified cellulase demonstrated maximum activity with 2% w/v concentration of sodium alginate and 0.2 M concentration of calcium chloride. The optimal temperature and pH for immobilized cellulase were observed to be 60 °C and 7, respectively. Furthermore, the immobilized enzyme presented increased reusability, having 18.5% relative activity after five consecutive uses, and was more stable, maintaining 64.5 and 48.7% of its initial activity at 4 and 30 °C, respectively, after 30 days of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfoxaflor (SUL, [N-[methyloxido[1-[6-(trifluoromethyl)-3-pyridinyl] ethyl]-λ4-sulfanylidene] cyanamide]) is a widely used systemic insecticide, and its residue has frequently been detected in the environment, posing a potential threat to the environment. In this study, Pseudaminobacter salicylatoxidans CGMCC 1.17248 rapidly converted SUL into X11719474 via a hydration pathway mediated by two nitrile hydratases (AnhA and AnhB). Extensive (96.4%) degradation of 0.83 mmol/L SUL was achieved by P. salicylatoxidans CGMCC 1.17248 resting cells within 30 min (half-life of SUL 6.4 min). Cell immobilization by entrapment into calcium alginate remediated 82.8% of the SUL in 90 min, and almost no SUL was observed in surface water after incubation for 3 h. P. salicylatoxidans NHases AnhA and AnhB both hydrolyzed SUL to X11719474, although AnhA exhibited much better catalytic performance. The genome sequence of P. salicylatoxidans CGMCC 1.17248 revealed that this strain could efficiently eliminate nitrile-containing insecticides and adapt to harsh environments. We firstly found that UV irradiation transforms SUL to the derivatives X11719474 and X11721061, and the potential reaction pathways were proposed. These results further deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of SUL degradation as well as the environmental fate of SUL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development and utilization of offshore petroleum resources, petroleum leakage accidents had gradually become an urgent problem to be solved. Immobilization technology had been widely concerned for protecting microorganisms from direct contact with toxic pollutants and improving biological density. In order to enhance the remediation effect of immobilized petroleum-degrading bacteria beads on petroleum-polluted seawater, a mobile bioreactor using immobilized petroleum-degrading bacteria beads was designed. Immobilized petroleum-degrading bacteria beads with Enteromorpha biochar was selected in bioreactor in this study. However, salinity and pH in different sea areas could affect the practical application of bioreactor with immobilized petroleum-degrading bacteria beads. Therefore, the influence of environmental factors on the physical and chemical properties of immobilized petroleum-degrading bacteria beads in the bioreactor was further investigated by changing the salinity and pH of input water. Research result showed alginate lyase had more binding sites with calcium alginate at the pH of 8.0 and 30‰ salinity when penetration time of bioreactor was least. The research in this paper would contribute to the development of a more efficient and widely applicable bioreactor, and further provide theoretical support for the biological remediation of petroleum-polluted sea areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to identify the efficient cryoprotectants formulations on the survival of Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP133 microencapsulated in calcium alginate during freeze-drying. Trehalose, maltodextrin, sorbitol, sucrose, and soy peptone were selected to develop optimal formulations of cryoprotectants that were added to the calcium alginate microencapsulation using extrusion technology. The soy peptone after being combined with trehalose and maltodextrin was determined to have the highest cell viability than other combinations of sucrose and sorbitol during freeze-drying after microencapsulation (p ≤ 0.05). After storage for 12 weeks at 40 °C, the viability of microencapsulated L. plantarum was reduced by 1.03 log CFU mL− 1, while free cell viability was reduced by 1.68 log CFU mL− 1. Additionally, microencapsulated cells with cryoprotectants were resistant to simulated stomach–duodenum passage (SSDP) in vitro model, compared to free cells (p ≤ 0.05). This study highlighted that soy peptone was the most suitable cryoprotectant with trehalose and that the addition of maltodextrin during freeze-drying after microencapsulation of L. plantarum conferred enhanced survival during long-term storage at high temperatures and under adverse SSDP conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated carbon (AC) is an effective adsorbent for removing environmental pollutants. However, the traditional powder form of AC shows difficulty in handling during application which widely limits its utilization on the industrial scale. Herein, to avoid such limitation, traditional AC powder was encapsulated into calcium alginate (CA) microspheres. Calcium alginate/activated carbon (CAA) composite microspheres were prepared via cross-linking of sodium alginate/activated carbon composite solutions in a calcium chloride solution. Furthermore, in order to boost adsorption affinity of CAA composite microspheres toward elemental mercury (Hg°), ammonium iodide (NH4I)-treated calcium alginate/activated carbon (NCA) composite microspheres were obtained by a simple impregnation method using NH4I treatment. The morphological, structural, and textural properties of the microspheres were characterized and their Hg° adsorptive capacity was tested at different temperatures. Interestingly, the maximum adsorption capacity of NCA adsorbent composite microspheres was determined as 36,056.5 μg/g at a flow rate of 250 mL/min, temperature of 25 °C, and 500 μg/Nm3 of Hg° initial concentration. The Gibbs free energy (ΔG°) for NCA adsorbent composite microspheres varied from − 8.59 to − 10.54 kJ/mol indicating a spontaneous adsorption process with an exothermic nature. The experimental Hg° breakthrough curve correlated well with Yoon‒Nelson and Thomas models. The breakthrough time (tb) and equilibrium time (te) were found to be 7.5 days and 23 days, respectively. Collectively, the findings of this work indicate a good feasibility of using NCA composite microspheres as potential adsorbents for removing Hg° from natural gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For much of the Caribbean region, plastic pollution and the persistence of the great Atlantic Sargassum belt lead to significant regional loss in biodiversity, employment and tourism. Yet, seaweeds such as Sargassum possess all the characteristics for bioplastic production. This study presents a new process on the production of biodegradable calcium alginate (Ca(Alg)2) composite bioplastic, and evaluates its economic feasibility and environmental impact in the Caribbean, compared to bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) and synthetic plastics (PET). Our cradle-to-gate life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) shows normalized (kg CO2eq per kg plastic) greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts 3 to 7 times higher for the baseline alginate composite process over those of PLA and PET films – linked mainly to chemical consumption. However, through the integration of abundant bioenergy from the local paper industry and the nascent E-methanol (E-MeOH) supply chains, GHG impact reduces by 79% – illustrating a pathway to a sustainable bioplastic production flowsheet. More attractively, the alginate bioplastic outperforms in providing ultra-low oxygen barrier packaging properties – with a required mass of plastic material producing a total carbon footprint (kg CO2eq) 64–978 times lower than PLA and PET respectively, and overall packaging costs 280 times less than current synthetic plastic. Techno-economics illustrate that a total annualized cost (TAC) for alginate bioplastic of $US 4.56 per kg is possible, ensuring high economic feasibility, comparable to current commercial bio-based alternatives. Moreover, sensitivity analysis highlights that variability in TAC was mainly associated with sodium alginate utilization in the manufacture process – contributing up to 67% to the overall cost. In light of this, the integration of sound policies aligned to improved consumer awareness and reduced plastic waste can help to drive greater economic feasibility of the alginate bioplastic industry. Ultimately, our study illustrates a viable and sustainable alginate bioplastic alternative, promoting and informing on packaging innovation while achieving low carbon operations within the Caribbean plastic sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Underwater superoleophobic coatings exhibit promising prospects in the field of oil contamination resistance. However, their poor durability, stemming from the fragile structures and unstable hydrophilicity, greatly restricted their development. In this report, we proposed a novel strategy of combination water-induced phase separation and biomineralization to prepare the robust underwater superoleophobic epoxy resin-calcium alginate (EP-CA) coating by utilizing a surfactant-free emulsion of epoxy resin/sodium alginate (EP/SA). The EP-CA coating not only exhibited excellent adhesion to various substrates, but also had remarkable resistance to the physical/chemical attacks such as abrasion, acid, alkali and salt. It could also protect the substrate (e.g., PET substrate) from the damage of organic solution and the fouling of crude oil. This report provides a new perspective to fabricate robust superhydrophilic coating with a facile way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction of biomass-based wearable aerogel heater with enhanced thermal insulation property plays a significant role in preventing heat loss for personal thermal management. Inspired by natural creatures' utilization own hollow microstructures to resist the extremely cold surroundings, we report an eco-friendly strategy to construct calcium alginate (CA) /kapok fiber (KF)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) active-cum-passive aerogel heater with desired economic feasibility, sustainability and efficient thermal insulation performance. The renewable cellulose hollow KF disrupts the heat transfer pathway and enabled CA/KF/CNT lower thermal conductivity (0.024 W/m·K) and ultralight density (0.027 g/cm3). The CNTs in the aerogel heater not only provided excellent conductivity for realizing Joule-heating but also enhanced the photothermal conversion capability from solar irradiation, ensuring extra self-heating ability without power supply. According to energy-saving analysis, the total energy saved in China per year was 6.03 × 109 kWh when using the developed aerogel heater instead of the traditional heating method. This developed biomass aerogel heater in this work exhibits great potential to be applicable in the fields of wearable personal thermal management to enhance the adaptability of human body in cold environment. Our work may inspire the study of biomass-derived wearable heaters for solving global energy issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibers composed of polysaccharides are a promising candidate to be applied for biomaterials such as absorbable surgical sutures, textile fabrics, and hierarchical three-dimensional scaffolds. In this work, in order to fabricate biocompatible fibers with controlled-release abilities, the fabrication of coaxial fibers of calcium alginate (ALG-Ca) and polyion complexes (PICs) consisting of chitosan (CHI) and chondroitin sulfate C (CS), denoted as ALG-PIC fibers, by using a wet spinning process, and the evaluation of their molecular loading and release behavior were performed. The diameter and mechanical strength of the obtained ALG-PIC fibers increased with increasing concentrations of the CHI solution for PIC coatings. This indicated that higher concentrations of the CHI solution afforded a thicker PIC coating layer. Further, fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled-bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA)-loaded ALG-PIC fibers were successfully prepared. The release behavior of FITC-BSA in the fibers exhibited a slower rate at the initial state than that in ALG-Ca, indicating that PIC coatings suppressed an initial burst release of the loading molecules. Accordingly, the fabricated coaxial fibers can be utilized as sustained-release drug carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The immune system plays an important role in the skeletal system during bone repair and regeneration, especially in the oral environment with its constant host–microbe interactions. This study aims to determine the effect of the controlled delivery of immunomodulatory biologicals on alveolar bone regeneration. This study aims to explore the regulatory effect of a hydrogel microbead, coated with multiple immunomodulatory substances (cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides and glucosylxanthone Mangiferin), on alveolar bone regeneration. The results showed that the complex microbeads could promote the anti-inflammatory response in splenocytes, inhibit RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis in a co-culture model of activated splenocytes and osteoclast precursors cells, and promote new bone deposition in mice. This study demonstrated that alveolar bone regeneration could be regulated by cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides and glucosylxanthone Mangiferin, which provides a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of alveolar bone regeneration. The immune system plays an important role in the skeletal system during bone repair and regeneration. The controlled release of biological factors from the immune system could facilitate and optimize the bone remodeling process through the regulation of the activities of bone cells. This study aimed to determine the effect of the controlled delivery of immunomodulatory biologicals on bone regeneration. Immunostimulatory cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) and glucosylxanthone Mangiferin (MAG)-embedded microbeads were incubated with P. gingivalis-challenged splenocytes, or co-cultured with RAW264.7 cells. The effect of CpG ODN/MAG-containing microbeads on bone regeneration was then tested in vivo in a mouse alveolar bone defect model. The results demonstrated that MAG significantly antagonized P. gingivalis proliferation and reduced the live/dead cell ratio. After the addition of CpG ODN + MAG microbeads, anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and IL-4 were upregulated on day 2 but not day 4, whereas pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β responses showed no difference at both timepoints. RANKL production by splenocytes and TRAP+ cell formation of RAW264.7 cells were inhibited by the addition of CpG ODN + MAG microbeads. Alveolar bony defects, filled with CpG ODN + MAG microbeads, showed significantly increased new bone after 4 weeks. In summary, this study evaluated a new hydrogel-based regimen for the local delivery and controlled release of biologicals to repair and regenerate alveolar bony defects. The combined CpG ODN + MAG treatment may promote alveolar bone regeneration through the anti-microbial/anti-inflammatory effects and the inhibition of RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a simple spectrophotometric method has been applied to investigate the adsorption of Hg(II) from aqueous solution on glycine functionalised magnetic nanoparticles entrapped calcium alginate beads (GFMNPECABs) from aqueous solution. The adsorbent was characterised by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The influence of pH, contact time, temperature, adsorbent dose etc. were studied and optimised. The results of batch adsorption experiment showed that maximum adsorption capacity of 3.59 mg g‒1 was obtained at pH 5 and 65 minutes of contact time.The adsorption behaviour of Hg(II) was evaluated using Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm and it was found that the data best fitted with the Freundlich model. The kinetic study revealed that the adsorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetics with a high correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.9998. The thermodynamic investigation verified the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process with an enthalpy change (∆H) and entropy change (∆S) of 20.25 kJ mol−1 and 79.88 J mol‒1 K, respectively. The adsorption studies were monitored based on the reaction of Hg(II) with iodine and leucocrystal violet. This study shows that GFMNPECABs is a promising adsorbent for removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solution and the above spectrophotometric method could be satisfactorily applied for adsorption studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Calcium alginate dressings are commonly used on split-thickness skin donor sites, where they are typically removed after 14 days. Alginates have been used previously on superficial, partial thickness burns, but changed every 3 to 5 days. In this study, alginates were applied to superficial, partial thickness burns on adults within 36 hours of injury, then left intact for up to 14 days. Wound healing (≥95% wound epithelialization) and pain were measured. Twenty-one burns were reviewed on ten patients. Per the initial protocol, six patients were reviewed every 3 to 5 days, with removal of only secondary dressings, until days 13 to 14, when the alginate dressings were removed. One patient was reviewed every 3 to 5 days until day 10, when a clinic nurse removed the alginate dressing. Restrictions on movement during the COVID pandemic necessitated a protocol change, with only one review at approximately day 14 for removal of alginate and secondary dressings; three patients were reviewed in this manner. Burns on all patients were 100% epithelialized at the time of final review and there were no complications, such as scarring, infection, or need for grafting. Following initial debridement and dressings, patients reported minimal pain. Dressing costs appeared to be significantly decreased. This protocol may be particularly useful for patients managed in rural and remote locations, with telemedicine support if required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]