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Curcumin has a limited clinical application because of its extremely poor accessibility. In the present study, improved curcumin bioavailability within a castor oil polyurethane/layered double hydroxide (LDH) wound cover was achieved by preparing a curcumin

In this study, multifunctional polyurethane nanoparticles (MPUNs) were embedded into the methacrylated gellan gum (MGG) to prepare stimuli-responsive hydrogels with improved mechanical properties including remarkable fatigue resistance and excellent self-recoverability. The photocurable MPUNs/MGG nanocomposite hydrogels with different formulations were synthesized through a facile and green solution mixing method. The result obtained from mechanical analysis displayed an excellent improvement in compression strength (120 6 ± 83.7 kPa) and ultimate strain (94.2 ± 2.7%) in the optimized formulation. Furthermore, the optimized formulation could restore approximately its original shape after continuous loading-unloading compression tests over 100 cycles which might result from its favorable crosslinked structure. These reinforced hydrogels exhibited a dual physical and chemical crosslinking mechanism based on the hydrogen bonding formation and photocrosslinking of methacrylate functional groups, respectively. Interestingly, the nanocomposite hydrogels exhibited no significant cytotoxicity to human dermal fibroblast cells which made them suitable as the appropriate biomaterials for the engineering of soft tissues.

Despite numerous applications of nanofibrous alginate (Alg) mat, its facile fabrication via electrospinning is still challenging. The low alginate content compared to the carrier polymer and existence of impurities are the main drawbacks of existing approaches. The purpose of this research is both to study and improve alginate electrospinnability by focusing on the effect of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Based on hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) theory, the Na+ cations (carboxylate counter-cation) were substituted with a harder acid, Li+ cation, to increase the strength of ionic interaction and decrease the density of hydrogen bonding. Viscosity and electrical conductivity measurements as well as FTIR and 1H NMR revealed a lower intramolecular hydrogen bonding density in Li-Alg. SEM images showed improvement of alginate electrospinnability for Li-Alg compared to the salts of Na-Alg and K-Alg. This study sheds more light on underlying reasons hindering alginate electrospinning and introduces a simple method for fabrication of nanofibers with high alginate content.

The aim of current study is to tailor chitosan derivate which is water-soluble while presents original biological features of chitosan. For this purpose, the 6-O chitosan sulfate (CS) with naked amine groups was synthesized via regioselective modification of chitosan (C) during which both crosslinking capacity and antibacterial properties of the C were remained intact. This was achieved by sulfation the C under controlled acidic conditions using chlorosulfonic acid/sulfuric acid mixture. Subsequently, a chemically crosslinked hydrogel of the CS was used as a wound dressing substrate. The modified sulfate groups retained the biocompatibility of C and showed antibacterial effects against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In addition, the presence of sulfate groups in the CS chemical structure improved its anticoagulant activity compared to the unmodified C. Both in vitro and in vivo enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measurements showed that CS had a higher potential to bind and scavenger anti-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), both of which play critical roles in the early stage of the wound healing process. After treatment of full-thickness wounds with CS hydrogels, the macrophage cells (c.a. 6 × 10

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are defined as chronic and non-healing wounds that cause skin disorders. Here, we introduce a novel biodegradable gelatin/sulfated alginate hybrid scaffold as a dermal substitute to accelerate the healing of full-thickness diabetic ulcers in a diabetic mouse model. The hybrid scaffold possessing different weight ratios of sulfated alginate, from 10 % up to 50 %, were prepared through chemical crosslinking by carbodiimide chemistry and further freeze-drying. Based on the in vitro cytotoxicity experiments, the hybrid scaffolds not only showed no cytotoxicity, but the cell growth also dramatically increased by increasing the sulfated alginate content. Finally, the pathology of hybrid scaffolds as the dermal substitutes for healing of full-thickness diabetic wounds showed the more appropriate formation of epidermal layer, more homogeneous distribution of collagenous tissue and lower penetration of immune cells for the hybrid scaffolds-treated wounds.

Owing to the similarity of hydrogels to cartilage extracellular matrix, they have been extensively utilized in the chondral lesions. Moreover, their tunable administration properties are desirable for reducing injuries in lesion sites. Generally, injectable hydrogels are mechanically weak, requiring some modifications for being used as a cell carrier in place of articular cartilage. In this study, a combination of

Osteoarthritis, which typically arises from aging, traumatic injury, or obesity, is the most common form of arthritis, which usually leads to malfunction of the joints and requires medical interventions due to the poor self-healing capacity of articular cartilage. However, currently used medical treatment modalities have reported, at least in part, disappointing and frustrating results for patients with osteoarthritis. Recent progress in the design and fabrication of tissue-engineered microscale/nanoscale platforms, which arises from the convergence of stem cell research and nanotechnology methods, has shown promising results in the administration of new and efficient options for treating osteochondral lesions. This paper presents an overview of the recent advances in osteochondral tissue engineering resulting from the application of micro- and nanotechnology approaches in the structure of biomaterials, including biological and microscale/nanoscale topographical cues, microspheres, nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanotubes.

Despite recent advances in preparing hydrogels, their application is mainly limited due to the poor mechanical properties or the high risk of inflammatory response. Therefore, in this study a fully defined in situ hydrogelation system is developed based on green-chemistry in which alginate dialdehyde (ADA) was coupled to an isocyanate-free urethane derivative. FTIR analysis along with 1HNMR confirmed hydrogel formation. Improved thermal stability of the hydrogel was an indication of hydrogen bonding at various sites. The microgels possessed the mean diameter of 4 microns, reasonable gelation time and suitable biocompatibility which made them prospective candidates for various fields of biomedicine.

Using tissue engineering approaches is one of interesting strategies to repair cartilage injuries. This study reports the preparation of surface-modified electrospun polycaprolactone nanofibrous scaffolds with highly negatively-charged sulfated alginate as functional support for chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. In this regard, polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning, surface-activated by cold atmospheric plasma and further surface-modified with aqueous solutions of sulfated alginate. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed the nanofibrous structure of electrospun PCL mats. The successful surface modification of PCL nanofibrous scaffolds with sulfated alginate was confirmed by the appearance of fingerprint region of mannuronic acid at 812 cm− 1 in attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectra. The cytocompatibility of the nanofibrous scaffolds for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was confirmed using MTT assay. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemistry for type 2 collagen marker were conducted to confirm the chondrogenic differentiation of seeded MSCs on the surface of scaffolds. The expression of type 2 collagen by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry analyses confirmed the chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. Our results showed that sulfated alginate surface-modified PCL (SM-PCL) nanofibrous scaffold as an appropriate substrate for cell attachment and growth could promote the MSCs differentiate to chondrocytes.

Since vascular diseases are regarded as a major cause of death worldwide, developing engineered biomimetic elastomers with physicochemical and biological properties resembling those of the natural vascular tissues, is vital for vascular tissue engineering (VTE). This study reports synthesis of highly tough supramolecular biologically active alginate-based supramolecular polyurethane (BASPU) elastomers that benefit from the presence of two physical networks with different strength of soft tertiary ammonium-soft sulfate pairs, as strong ionic bonds, and soft tertiary ammonium-hard carboxylate groups, as the weak bonds. The presence of sulfate groups resulted in low Young’s modulus, high toughness and stretchability, proper energy dissipation, ultrafast self-healing and complete healing efficiency of BASPU. In vitro studies showed higher endothelial cells attachment, higher anticoagulation ability and significantly less platelet adhesion for BASPUs compared to the commercial vascular prosthesis. The histological studies of subcutaneously implanted scaffolds confirmed their low fibrosis and gradual biodegradation during 2 months of following.

Novel mechanically reinforced nanocomposite hydrogels (NCHs) were developed based on methacrylated gellan gum (MGG) and cationic polyurethane nanoparticles (CPUNs) through a green chemical approach. A series of NCHs were synthesized by the incorporation of CPUNs with weight ratios of 0, 10, 30 and 50 w/w% into the MGG solution, with two different methacrylation degrees (1.2, 5.6%). The chemical structure, morphology, mechanical properties, stimuli-responsivity and cytotoxicity of synthesized NCHs were investigated. Analysis of the hydrogels mechanical testing demonstrated that the addition of CPUNs affords the significant increase in compressive properties. Meanwhile, the formulation of NCH containing the MGG with lower methacrylation degree and 30 w/w% CPUNs showed the highest mechanical properties. Furthermore, equilibrium swelling ratio of the hydrogels decreased by CPUNs addition. Finally, it is worth mentioning that NCHs showed no significant toxicity to human dermal fibroblast cells (HDFs) which idealize them as the suitable hydrogels for biomedical applications.

Hydrogels used for cartilage tissue engineering purposes must be designed to mimic the biological and physical features of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we developed three different types of physical and chemical chondro-inductive hydrogels with the controlled drug release ability based on sulfated alginate (SAlg) and chitosan (CS). Bioconjugation of catechol to SAlg (SAlg-Cat) resulted in formation of SAlg-Cat/CS hydrogels with higher mechanical stability than physical SAlg/CS hydrogel. In the chemical double-network hydrogel (DN/SAlg-Cat), the presence of catechol and amine groups within the network resulted in dynamic and reversible bonding with energy dissipation. Our DN/SAlg-Cat hydrogel with initial compressive modulus of 34.86 kPa exhibited adequate compressive strength (421.45 kPa), toughness (89.69 kJ/m3), ability to self-heal and recoverability, which could be exceptional for utilizing in a load-bearing tissue like cartilage. Among hydrogels, the DN/SAlg-Cat hydrogel displayed less degradation rate (6.81%) and higher mechanical stability (81% retention of stiffness) in the presence of lysozyme (15 μg/mL) during 21 days. Incorporation of the sulfate and catechol groups within these hydrogels mediated the sustained release of TGF-β1 and kartogenin (KGN) chondrogenic agents, and resulted in proper chondrogenesis of the encapsulated mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and chondrocyte (CH) co-culture. The catechol-enriched hydrogels (SAlg-Cat/CS and DN/SAlg-Cat) showed better regeneration of full-thickness articular defects in rabbits after 12 weeks due to the high affinity of the catechol group for cell adhesion, tissue integration, and immobilization of the biological factors. Our results demonstrated a role for a biomimetic microenvironment in efficient chondrogenesis.

Novel high molecular weight alginate-based supramolecular ionic polyurethane (SPU) networks were prepared via the reaction of chemically modified polyanionic alginate and isocyanate-terminated cationic oligourethanes under transition-metal-free conditions. Alginate, a naturally occurring polyanionic carbohydrate diol possessing carboxylate groups, was considered as both chain extender and the anionic part of SPU network. The tailor-made, ionically crosslinked linear alginate-based SPUs illustrated superior thermal stability with a decomposition temperature around 500 °C at 10% weight loss which specializes them as highly thermally stable, wonder materials compared to the today’s high-tech products.

Risk factors of nonhealing wounds include persistent bacterial infections and rapid onset of dehydration; therefore, wound dressings should be used to accelerate the healing process by helping to disinfect the wound bed and provide moisture. Herein, we introduce a transparent tributylammonium alginate surface-modified cationic polyurethane (CPU) wound dressing, which is appropriate for full-thickness wounds. We studied the physicochemical properties of the dressing using Fourier transform infrared

Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces pathological and inflammatory responses that create an inhibitory environment at the site of trauma, resulting in axonal degeneration and functional disability. Combination therapies targeting multiple aspects of the injury, will likely be more effective than single therapies to facilitate tissue regeneration after SCI. In this study, we designed a dual-delivery system consisting of a neuroprotective drug, minocycline hydrochloride (MH), and a neuroregenerative drug, paclitaxel (PTX), to enhance tissue regeneration in a rat hemisection model of SCI. For this purpose, PTX-encapsulated poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA microspheres along with MH were incorporated into the alginate hydrogel. A prolonged and sustained release of MH and PTX from the alginate hydrogel was obtained over eight weeks. The obtained hydrogels loaded with a combination of both drugs or each of them alone, along with the blank hydrogel (devoid of any drugs) were injected into the lesion site after SCI (at the acute phase). Histological assessments showed that the dual-drug treatment reduced inflammation after seven days. Moreover, a decrease in the scar tissue, as well as an increase in neuronal regeneration was observed after 28 days in rats treated with dual-drug delivery system. Over time, a fast and sustained functional improvement was achieved in animals that received dual-drug treatment compared with other experimental groups. This study provides a novel dual-drug delivery system that can be developed to test for a variety of SCI models or neurological disorders.

Alginate-based supramolecular ionic polyurethanes (ASPUs) as mechanically tunable biomaterials with high strength and toughness in both dry and hydrated states are developed under metal-free conditions. The Young's modulus and tensile strength of ASPUs are tuned from 30 to 100 MPa, and 20 to 50 MPa, respectively. Interestingly, the ASPUs exhibit a small hysteresis loop, minimal loss of tensile strength and minimal creep deformation after 100 repetitive cycles which makes them of use for engineering of load-bearing tissues. This is the first report that describes a linear PU can resist a large number of cyclic stresses without significant stretching. These bio-based elastomers engineered by ionic interactions are biocompatible and biodegradable. The ASPUs demonstrate a similar in vivo degradation rate compared to polycaprolactone (PCL). These biomaterials also demonstrate a rapid self-healing and recovery after rupture, and have a linear biodegradation profile. Furthermore, histological examination of subcutaneous transplanted ASPUs after five months reveals low immunological response and low fibrosis.

The ionic complexation of different chemical compositions of alginate and its sulfated derivative with tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), as a cationic drug model, was investigated. The complexes of TCH with mannuronate-enriched alginate entrapped the highest amount of the drug. However, the ability of all un-modified alginates for ionic complexation was very weak. Interestingly, the chemical modification of alginate with sulfate groups resulted in drug-polymer complexes with remarkable entrapment efficiency of TCH. The results of this study suggested alginate sulfate as a promising biomaterial in designing delivery systems for cationic small molecule drugs.

Mass fabrication of sodium alginate nanofibers using single-nuzzle electrospinning process is an open challenge mainly due to its inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding, rigid chain conformation and low solubility. In this regards, we synthesized sodium sulfated alginate (SSA) through sulfation of hydroxyl functional groups of alginate. Not only decreases the hydrogen bonding density through the sulfation reaction, but the sulfated alginate also demonstrates more solubility in aqueous media compared to the pristine alginate. Beside the sulfation of alginate, its electrospinnability in combination with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) significantly improves. In contrast to the neat alginate, concentrated aqueous solutions of sulfated alginate, 10 wt%, can be easily prepared and electrospun to obtain nanofibers of sulfated alginate. In this regards, facile fabrication of electrospun nanofibers of alginate derivatives with 50 wt% content in dry electrospun mat of SSA/PVA using single-nuzzle electrospinning and flow rate of 5 mL h−1 was developed for the first time.

Aqueous polyurethane dispersions (APUDs) are commodity synthetic polymers and have a broad range of well-known applications, nevertheless their possible use as a green catalyst or ionic solvent is yet unknown. Here, we demonstrate how a polyurethane dispersion facilitates the progress of the Cannizzaro reaction under very mild alkaline conditions. We introduce anionic polyurethane nanomicelles as an expeditious green polymer ionic solvent for the Cannizzaro reaction. The reusable and novel eco-friendly polymer solvent, excellent yields of the products, low reaction times and low reaction temperatures are the main advantages of this reaction.

Bone tissue scaffolds made from either natural or synthetic polymers are employed to promote bone healing. However, lack of sufficient or poor mechanical properties such as low integrity and stability reduces their medical applications. Crosslinking, defined as induction of chemical or physical links among polymer chains, is a simple method generally used to modify mechanical, biological and degradation properties of hydrogels. Although crosslinking through chemical reactions improves the mechanical properties of bone substitutes, most of the reagents used for this aim demonstrate undesirable effects and may exert toxic reactions. Glutaraldehyde is a widely-used chemical crosslinker with unique ability to crosslink a wide variety of biomaterials; however, many contradictory views have been recently raised on its cytotoxic effects. By keeping this limit in mind, green chemicals or natural crosslinking agents have been shown to provide desired improvements in mechanical properties of bone scaffolds. Therefore, developing more efficient crosslinking materials and methods are desirable to obtain crosslinked scaffolds with perfect properties in bone tissue engineering from different biopolymers such as collagen, gelatin, cellulose, chitosan, alginate, etc. In this review, we focused on developed or developing modalities used to improve mechanical properties of various bone scaffolds and matrices based on common crosslinking reagents.

Alginic acid, a widely used naturally occurring carbohydrate which is generally derived from brown seaweeds, can be considered as a bifunctional heterogeneous and green biopolymeric organocatalyst. Alginic acid, without any post-modification with active Bronsted or Lewis acid centers, was found to be a highly active, cost-effective, commercially-available, renewable and recoverable heterogeneous biopolymeric organocatalyst for the expeditious synthesis of polyhydroquinolines (PHQs). Polyhydroquinolines were synthesized from the four-component Hantzsch reaction of ethyl acetoacetate, different aldehydes, ammonium acetate and cyclic 1,3-diones under mild conditions in high to quantitative yields, 75-97%, using alginic acid. Furthermore, alginic acid was found to be reusable for at least 6 consecutive cycles without considerable loss of its catalytic activity.

Alginate as a naturally-derived biomaterial with marine algae sources has gained much attention in both laboratorial and industrial applications due to its structural and chemical resemblance to extracellular matrix (ECM) as well as desirable properties like biocompatibility, biodegradability, processability and low cost. Electrospun alginate nanofibrous scaffolds have found wide applications in biomedical field such as tissue engineering, biomedicine and drug delivery systems. However, electrospinning of alginate is challenging due to the low solubility and high viscosity of high molecular weight alginate, high density of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding, polyelectrolyte nature of aqueous solution and lack of appropriate organic solvent. The aim of this review is to summarize the challenges and obstacles in alginate electrospinning reported in the literature as well as the introduced solutions for them, in order to open new opportunities for more intended and successful investigations in the field.

In present research, polypropylene (PP) was selected as a model nonpolar substrate for chemical modification using plasma. In the first step, the PP samples were treated using oxygen and argon atmospheres, individually. The prepared samples were analyzed using both FTIR and AFM techniques. The output of these techniques revealed that the carbonyl, carboxylic acid and its derivatives have been formed on the surface of PP. Afterward, a series of aqueous polyurethane-urea dispersions were synthesized as the novel polar coating for modified nonpolar polymers and characterized by different techniques including FTIR, DSC, TGA, mechanical properties and contact angle. Finally, the plasma treated samples were coated by prepared polyurethane ionomer. The results of pull-off analysis confirmed the significant role of the polyurethane as an extremely polar coating to create hydrogen bonding with functional groups on the surface of treated PP. The adhesion strength of polypropylenes increased from 0.04 MPa to 0.61 MPa for neat and oxygen-based plasma treated samples, respectively.

In this study, superparamagnetic sodium alginate-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Alg-Fe3O4) as a novel magnetic adsorbent were prepared by in situ coprecipitation method, in which Fe3O4 nanoparticles were precipitated from FeCl3 and FeCl2 under alkaline medium in the presence of sodium alginate. The Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were used for removal of malachite green (MG) from aqueous solutions using batch adsorption technique. The characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was performed using XRD, FTIR, TEM, TGA and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. FTIR analysis of synthesized nanoparticles provided the evidence that sodium alginate was successfully coated on the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The FT-IR and TGA characterization showed that the Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles contained about 14% (w/w) of sodium alginate. Moreover, TEM analysis indicated that the average diameter of the Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles was about 12nm. The effects of adsorbent dosage, pH and temperature were investigated on the adsorption properties of MG onto Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The equilibrium adsorption data were modeled using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir isotherm equation was 47.84mg/g. The kinetics of adsorption of MG onto Alg-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were investigated using the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The results showed that the adsorption of MG onto nanoparticles followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model.

A number of different ionic aqueous polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) were synthesized based on NCO-terminated prepolymers. Two different anionic and cationic polyurethane samples were synthesized using dimethylol propionic acid and N-methyldiethanolamine emulsifiers, respectively. Then, proper amounts of PUDs and sodium alginate were mixed to obtain a number of aqueous polyurethane dispersions-sodium alginate (PUD/SA) elastomers. The chemical structure, thermal, morphological, thermo-mechanical and mechanical properties, and hydrophilicity content of the prepared samples were studied by FTIR, EDX, DSC, TGA, SEM, DMTA, tensile testing and contact angle techniques. The cationic polyurethanes and their blends with sodium alginate showed excellent miscibility and highly stretchable properties, while the samples containing anionic polyurethanes and alginate illustrated a poor compatibility and no significant miscibility. The morphology of alginate particles shifted from nanoparticles to microparticles by changing the nature of PUDs from cationic to anionic types. The final cationic elastomers not only showed better mechanical properties but also were formulated easier than anionic samples.

Alginic acid, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, in its granular form and without any post-modification was found to be an efficient, environmentally benign, easily recoverable and low-cost catalyst for the clean and rapid synthesis of 1,4-dihydropiridine derivatives (DHPs) just based on its polysaccharide architecture. The Hantzsch pseudo-four-component reaction of ethyl or methyl acetoacetate, ammonium acetate and different aldehydes is catalyzed by alginic acid efficiently under mild conditions to afford the desired products in high to quantitative yields and clean reaction profiles. Avoiding the use of any transition metal, the use of a one-pot and multi-component procedure for the synthesis of DHPs, the reusability of the catalyst and operational simplicity are important features of this methodology.

Polyurethane ionomers are well-known and user-friendly polymers. Here, we introduce their catalytic activity for organic reactions as a novel aspect of these polymers. We selected an isocyanide-based multicomponent reaction for proving the catalytic activity of polyurethane ionomers. Therefore, a convenient and very mild methodology is described for the preparation of 3-aminoimidazo[1,2- a ]pyridines via a three component reaction between 2-aminopyridines, aldehydes and isocyanides in the presence of a cationic polyurethane dispersion at low reaction temperatures, in short reaction times and excellent yields.

Highly stretchable elastomeric samples based on cationic polyurethane dispersions-sodium alginate nanoparticles (CPUD/SA) were prepared by the solution blending of sodium alginate and aqueous polyurethane dispersions. CPUDs were synthesized by step growth polymerization technique using N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) as a source of cationic emulsifier. The chemical structure and thermal-mechanical properties of these systems were characterized using FTIR and DMTA, respectively. The presence of nanoalginate particles including nanobead and nanorod particles were proved by SEM and EDX. It was observed that thermal properties of composites increased with increasing SA content. All prepared samples were known as thermoplastic-elastomers with high percentages of elongation. Excellent compatibility of prepared nanocomposites was proved by the DMTA data.

Producing meiosis-competent germ cells (GCs) from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is essential for developing advanced therapies for infertility. Here, a novel approach is presented for generation of GCs from ESCs. In this regard, microparticles (MPs) have been developed from alginate sulfate loaded with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4). The results here show that BMP4 release from alginate sulfate MPs is significantly retarded by the sulfated groups compared to neat alginate. Then, BMP4-laden MPs are incorporated within the aggregates during differentiation of GCs from ESCs. It is observed that BMP4-laden MPs increase GC differentiation from ESCs at least twofold compared to the conventional soluble delivery method. Interestingly, following meiosis induction, Dazl, an intrinsic factor that enables GCs to enter meiosis, and two essential meiosis genes (Stra8 and Smc1b) are upregulated significantly in MP-induced aggregates compared to aggregates, which are formed by the conventional method. Together, these data show that controlled delivery of BMP4 during ESC differentiation into GC establish meiosis-competent GCs which can serve as an attractive GC source for reproductive medicine.

Alginic acid, a naturally occurring polysaccharide, in its granular form and without any post-modification was found to be an efficient, environmentally benign, easily recoverable and low-cost catalyst for the clean and rapid synthesis of 1,4-dihydropiridine derivatives (DHPs) just based on its polysaccharide architecture. The Hantzsch pseudo-four-component reaction of ethyl or methyl acetoacetate, ammonium acetate and different aldehydes is catalyzed by alginic acid efficiently under mild conditions to afford the desired products in high to quantitative yields and clean reaction profiles. Avoiding the use of any transition metal, the use of a one-pot and multi-component procedure for the synthesis of DHPs, the reusability of the catalyst and operational simplicity are important features of this methodology.

The novel soluble alginate-based polyurethanes in organic solvents were synthesized by the reaction of NCO-terminated prepolymers and tributylammonium alginate (TBA-Alg) for the first time. The chemical structures of synthesized polyurethanes were characterized using FTIR, (1)H NMR and TGA. The reaction completion was confirmed by disappearing of NCO band in FTIR spectra. Furthermore, a peak at 4.71 ppm and some small peaks at a range of 4.12-4.37 ppm in the (1)H NMR of alginate-based polyurethanes were assigned to the backbone of alginate. The results of both FTIR and (1)H NMR were remarkably confirmed by TGA data. The ionic nature of polyurethane backbone not only affects on thermal properties of samples, but it also changes the chemically-bonded alginate morphology. Both polyether and polyester based non-ionic polyurethanes extended by TBA-Alg illustrated the distinct alginate, whereas those ionomers extended by alginate were appeared as the continuous systems at nanoscale.

A series of aqueous polyurethane dispersions were synthesized by the reaction of polytetramethylene glycol and isophorone diisocyanate, extended with dimethylol propionic acid. Their chemical structures were characterized using FTIR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR, and thermal properties were determined by DMTA. Then, a number of aqueous polyurethane dispersions–sodium alginate (PUD/SA) compositions were prepared by addition of sodium alginate solution with different concentrations into the aqueous polyurethane dispersion. Characterization of chemical structure and thermal properties of these blends were performed by FTIR, EDX and DMTA, respectively. The morphology of the alginate in polyurethane matrix was studied by SEM. The hydrophilicity of the prepared samples decreases by increasing the content of sodium alginate in blends. These observations were attributed to the increase of hydrophilicity of the blends as a consequence of addition of hydrophilic carboxylate, hydroxyl and ether functional groups of the alginate to them.

Calcium alginate nanoparticles as excellent carriers in drug delivery systems were synthesized by controlled gellification method and characterized with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). To compare mean particle size and distribution of calcium alginate nanoparticles with homopolymannuronate ones, later nanoparticles were prepared through the same conditions. Sodium homopolymannuronate is one of the ingredients of alginate polymer which was synthesized and purified by partial acid hydrolysis of sodium alginate and characterized with FTIR spectroscopy. Results showed significant improvement of size and distribution of calcium alginate nanoparticles with decrease of sodium alginate and increase of calcium cation concentrations, respectively. In addition, lower mean particle size and better distribution of calcium homopolymannuronate nanoparticles was observed in comparison with calcium alginate ones. This result may refer to the ionic interaction of calcium crosslinker ions with regular homopolymeric chains of homopolymannuronate compared to no regular chains of alginate polymer.