Electron beam irradiation is a high-tech process widely used to enhance the melt strength of polypropylene (PP). In this research, heterophasic ethylene-propylene copolymer (HEPC) as a grade of PP with high-impact strength was irradiated by exposing granules to several doses (25-125 kGy), under nitrogen gas atmosphere. The changes in the structure and properties were assessed by different methods including infrared spectroscopy, thermal/ thermomechanical analysis and extensional rheology. As the radiation dose increased, strain hardening behavior was observed which indicates chain branching and improved melt strength. Tensile strength was decreased from 30.7 +/- 1.0 to 21.9 +/- 0.2 MPa, impact strength decreased from 48 kJ/m2 to 10 kJ/m2 at the highest dose of radiation. Irradiation effects on the L929 fibroblast cell behavior were also studied and compared to a commercially branched PP grade (PF-814). By quantifying the number of the cells on the surface, it was shown that radiation of PP at doses higher than 50 kGy (75,100,125 kGy), can result in a significantly higher number of cells on the surface of the films. This finding was attributed to the higher chain mobility after irradiation. Results of this research shed light on the favorable changes in the cell behavior induced by electron beam irradiation, paving the path for future development of PP-based biomaterials.

While Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) offers a safe, non-animal source of chitin-glucan (CG), its potential as a functional cosmetic ingredient has been overshadowed by industrial sources like Aspergillus niger. This study advances the existing literature by establishing a critical structure-function relationship for CG micro/nano particles extracted via three physical disruption methods: ultrasonic bath, ultrasonic probe, and autoclaving. The obtained CG was systematically characterized by physicochemical and biological tests. A significant trade-off was identified: while autoclaving (40 min) resulted in lower mass yield compared to ultrasonication, it produced particles with the highest crystallinity, an enriched chitin/glucan ratio, and the smallest particle size (similar to 70% of particles with mean diameter of 480 +/- 33 nm). Structurally, these sub-micron particles demonstrated superior colloidal stability and a physical "barrier effect" for sustained hydration, outperforming the amorphous structures typically associated with mild extraction. The anti-wrinkle efficacy was validated through a specific "triad" mechanism: (1) the insoluble 3D network ensures prolonged water retention, (2) the particles exhibit robust free radical scavenging activity (similar to 67%), and (3) most notably, the specific nano-structure significantly upregulated Collagen Type I-alpha 1 expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and human skin fibroblasts (HSF), surpassing commercial chitin controls. These findings prove that the extraction-induced nano-structure, rather than mass yield, is the determinant factor for bioactivity, positioning S. cerevisiae CG as a high-performance, multi-target ingredient for anti-aging formulations.

Microneedle (MN) technology is a fast-growing technique to combat skin aging. Chitin-glucan (CG) has shown promising effects in skin rejuvenation however, its utilization in MN patches was not investigated before. In this research, MN patches composed of CG, hyaluronic acid (HA), hydrolyzed HA (HHA) and 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid (EA) were fabricated based on PVP/PVA for the first time. MN patches containing more than 2000 needles with a length of similar to 300 mu m were fabricated by micro-molding method. Rheological behavior of the solutions was studied before casting. Due to the lower molecular weight, solutions containing HHA showed a lower viscosity and lower mechanical properties compared to HA. CG increased the antioxidant activity of the patches from 35% to more than 60% while all of the MNs containing both CG + EA showed an antioxidant activity of 65-75%. The solubility, morphology, skin penetration and recovery of the MNs were also characterized. The developed MNs showed ability to pierce the skin. Fluorescent microscopic images revealed the successful delivery of CG into skin sublayers through the holes created by the needles. Release study showed that more than 70% of EA was released from the patches within 12 h. The patches containing CG, showed excellent biocompatibility with human skin fibroblasts (up to similar to 130%) and significantly stimulated collagen secretion from the cells compared to the MN without CG. Results of this research introduces novel dissolvable MN patches containing CG as a bioactive macromolecule, with promising applications in the field of cosmetics and dermatology for skin rejuvenation.

The valorization of food waste biomass for the extraction of bioactive compounds presents a sustainable solution to global food waste challenges while offering significant economic and environmental benefits. This review comprehensively examines advanced green extraction technologies such as ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) for recovering polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other high-value compounds from fruit, vegetable, cereal, and animal-derived waste. Highlighting optimized extraction parameters showed that modern techniques outperform conventional methods in yield, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, with UAE reducing manufacturing costs by up to 84

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films have been widely used in industries but they have limited water absorption and tensile strength. Chitin-glucan (CG), is a natural biopolymer with a 3D network structure capable of retaining large amounts of water. In this research, CG obtained from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast was added into PVA films to enhance the water absorption and tensile strength. The results showed that by addition of 2% CG micro/ nano particles, the tensile strength was highly improved (from 1.4 MPa for PVA film to 5.4 MPa for PVA/CG2% film) while 1, 1.5 and 3% CG had a lower effect on the tensile strength. The degree of swelling for PVA/CG 2% film was also increased to from 175% for PVA film to 310% for PVA/CG2% film. The swelling behavior curves showed a faster water absorption rate for PVA/CG films. Results of this research, enlightens the promising role of CG micro/nano particles in enhancing the mechanical properties and water absorption of PVA films.

A nano-sized drug carrier possesses several advantages, including adjustable drug encapsulation and release properties, reduced drug toxicity and improved drug stability. Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) inherits the advantages of chitosan and water solubility of carboxymethyl groups. Amphiphilic CMCh can form nano-sized self-aggregates, which have important potential applications in oil-soluble drug delivery. In this study, two types of amphiphilic CMCh, N-stearic-O-carboxymethyl chitosan (SA-CMCh) and N-lauric-O-carboxymethyl chitosan (LA-CMCh), were synthesized, which exhibited pH-responsive properties. The optimum reaction conditions were determined by assessing the maximum degree of substitution (DS), and the molecular structures were confirmed through Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The physicochemical properties of SA-CMCh and LA-CMCh, including thermal stability, aggregation behavior, antibacterial activity against S. aureusand E. coli, and in vitrocytotoxicity, were comprehensively evaluated and compared. SA-CMCh and LA-CMCh self-assembled into nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 285 to 723 nm, depending on DS and alkyl chain length. The critical aggregation concentrations were inversely proportional to the DS. These nano-sized self-aggregates were utilized to encapsulate curcumin, allowing for an assessment of their potential as drug carriers. Notably, SA-CMCh aggregates exhibited an initially rapid release of curcumin, followed by a sustained release over 800 m under intestinal pH conditions (6.86) and physiological temperature (37 ºC), with a maximum release rate of 41.73

In this study, pullulan was oxidized by NaIO4 into low, medium and high oxidation degrees (OPL1,OPL2,OPL3) and used as a crosslinker to enhance physicochemical and biological properties of the wound dressings based on polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)/chitosan/collagen (FPL,FOPL1,FOPL2,FOPL3). Physicochemical, mechanical and biological properties of OPL samples as well as crosslinked films were characterized. The results showed that OPL not only increased the cell viability of human skin fibroblasts but also promoted antibacterial activity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, rheological and gel content results proved the crosslinking effect of OPL. Mechanical properties of FOPL2 and FOPL3 films was >2 times higher than FPL film. The viability of human skin fibroblast cells was higher than the control for all films, and antibacterial activity of the film FOPL3 was significantly higher compared to other films. Wound healing effect of FOPL3 film was evaluated in a methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) infected full-thickness skin defect model in mice. The results showed a significantly lower wound area after 7,10,14 days of treatment compared to the control group treated by normal saline. The findings of this research enlighten wound healing potentials of oxidized pullulan to be used as a multifunctional ingredient for the development of future skin care biomaterials.

Global consumption of ginger has been growing in recent years resulting in high volumes of ginger root, rhizome, and leaf waste. Valorization of ginger waste is of great importance for a sustainable environment. In this research, ginger leaf waste was considered a valuable source for the extraction of phytotoxic chemicals. Ginger leaf waste from two varieties (Chinese and Sidhdha) was used for extraction using different organic solvents. The extracts were tested for phytotoxicity against elongation of root and shoot of Lactuca sativa seeds, bioassay-guided fractionation as well as spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. All of the tested phytochemical groups were qualitatively identified in the methanolic extracts of both varieties. It was found that the level of inhibition was concentration-dependent, but the effect of variety on the extraction yield and level of phytotoxicity was nonsignificant. The methanolic extract showed significantly higher elongation inhibitions than the other solvent extracts. Accordingly, methanol was found to be the most effective solvent for extracting phytotoxic chemicals. Two potent phytotoxic compounds, named as R/ZO/1 and R/ZO/2, with 100

Surface functionalization of cellulose fibers is the current focus of research seeking to develop composite materials for various applications. One reason is the low compatibility of natural cellulose-based fibers with thermoplastic matrices for the production of wood-plastic composites. In this research, kenaf fibers (KF) were esterified with lauroyl chloride. Before the esterification reaction, two alkaline pretreatment methods were used: Bain-Marie at low temperature, and at high temperature and pressure in the digester. SEM results showed a smoother surface morphology after esterification. ATR-FTIR results confirmed the substitution of hydroxyl groups of cellulose with lauroylate functional groups. Increasing the carbon content in EDX spectroscopy further supported the successful esterification of kenaf fibers, which is in accordance with ATR-FTIR findings. Based on ATR-FTIR and EDX results, the Bain-Marie pretreatment method was more effective for the esterification reaction. According to the XRD results, the crystallinity index of the fibers slightly increased after esterification reaction. However, the fibers pretreated in the digester had a higher crystallinity index, which was related to efficient removal of amorphous regions due to higher temperature and pressure used in the digester process. This research showed that alkaline pretreatment in Bain-Marie was more effective for the surface functionalization of cellulose fibers than the digester process. These results can be applied in future research works for esterification of cellulose fibers.

Gelatin-based hydrogels have gained considerable attention due to their resemblance to the extracellular matrix and hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure. Apart from providing an air-permeable and moist environment, these hydrogels optimize the inflammatory microenvironment of the wounds. These properties make gelatin-based hydrogels highly competitive in the field of wound dressings. In this study, a series of composite hydrogels were prepared using gelatin (Gel) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) as primary materials, glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker, and aloe vera juice as an anti-inflammatory component. The properties of the hydrogel, including its rheological properties, microscopic structures, mechanical properties, swelling ratios, thermal stability, antibacterial properties, and biocompatibility, were investigated. The results demonstrate that the gelatin-based hydrogels exhibit good elasticity and rapid self-healing ability. The hydrogels exhibited slight shear behavior, which is advantageous for skin care applications. Furthermore, the inclusion of aloe vera juice into the hydrogel resulted in a dense structure, improved mechanical properties and enhanced swelling ratio. The Gel/CMCh/Aloe hydrogels tolerate a compressive strength similar to that of human skin. Moreover, the hydrogels displayed excellent cytocompatibility with HFF-1 cells, and exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Lomefloxacin was used as a model drug to study the releasing behavior of the Gel/CMCh/aloe hydrogels. The results showed that the drug was released rapidly at the initial stage, and could continue to be released for 12 h, the maximum releasing rate exceeded 20 %. These findings suggest that the gelatin-based hydrogels hold great promise as effective wound dressings.

Nanoclays are a class of nanomaterials extensively used to prepare polymer nanocomposites. In this study, four types of common nanoclays were selected to prepare chitosan–polyvinyl alcohol (CP) nanocomposite films. Montmorillonite cloisite Na+ (MMT), organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT), and bentonite (BNT), as layered aluminosilicates, and halloysite nanotubes (HNT), as a tubular nanoclay, were blended with CP films at concentrations of 1.5, 3 and 4.5%. The nanocomposite films were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDX, AFM, tensile strength, and antibacterial tests. SEM/EDX results showed a more uniform distribution of the OMMT and HNT nanoclays in the polymer matrix. AFM images showed a rougher surface for nanocomposite films compared to CP film. Increasing the nanoclay concentration in the films from 1.5 to 4.5% resulted in higher tensile strength for HNT and MMT while the trend was reversed for OMMT and BNT. Among the samples, nanocomposite films composed of OMMT and BNT showed the highest tensile strength at the lowest concentrations (CP-OMMT1.5 99 ± 3.7 MPa, CP-B1.5 81 ± 1.5 MPa). The nanocomposite films prepared from OMMT showed the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus with an inhibition zone of 15 and 19 mm, respectively. The results of this study showed that BNT and OMMT are promising nanoclays for enhancing the mechanical properties and antibacterial activity of hydrophilic polymers. The results of this research can provide new insights into selecting suitable nanoclays for different applications.

Gelatin-based hydrogels have gained considerable attention due to their resemblance to the extracellular matrix and hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure. Apart from providing an air-permeable and moist environment, these hydrogels optimize the inflammatory microenvironment of the wounds. These properties make gelatin-based hydrogels highly competitive in the field of wound dressings. In this study, a series of composite hydrogels were prepared using gelatin (Gel) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) as primary materials, glutaraldehyde as a crosslinker, and aloe vera juice as an anti-inflammatory component. The properties of the hydrogel, including its rheological properties, microscopic structures, mechanical properties, swelling ratios, thermal stability, antibacterial properties, and biocompatibility, were investigated. The results demonstrate that the gelatin-based hydrogels exhibit good elasticity and rapid self-healing ability. The hydrogels exhibited slight shear behavior, which is advantageous for skin care applications. Furthermore, the inclusion of aloe vera juice into the hydrogel resulted in a dense structure, improved mechanical properties and enhanced swelling ratio. The Gel/CMCh/Aloe hydrogels tolerate a compressive strength similar to that of human skin. Moreover, the hydrogels displayed excellent cytocompatibility with HFF-1 cells, and exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Lomefloxacin was used as a model drug to study the releasing behavior of the Gel/CMCh/aloe hydrogels. The results showed that the drug was released rapidly at the initial stage, and could continue to be released for 12 h, the maximum releasing rate exceeded 20 %. These findings suggest that the gelatin-based hydrogels hold great promise as effective wound dressings.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer leading to death depending on the stage of cancer. Targeting and drug delivery is an important strategy for cancer therapy such as BC. Destroying cancer cells and minimal damage to normal cells using nanotechnology strategy, especially carbon nanotube (CNT), is a key element in this area. Caffeic acid belongs to the polyphenol compound with anti-tumor activity. In this study, the viability of the MDA-MB-231 cell line was determined after exposing to the caffeic acid (100 µg/ml), oxidant carbon nanotube (OCNT)/caffeic acid (80 µg/ml), and chitosan (CS)/OCNT/caffeic acid (30 µg/ml) at 24 h post-exposure using 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The levels of gene and protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 were investigated using real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The apoptotic effect of caffeic acid, OCNT/caffeic acid, and CS/OCNT/caffeic acid on MDA-MB-231 was examined by flow cytometry using annexin VI. The data obtained represented that CS/OCNT/caffeic acid, OCNT/caffeic acid, and caffeic acid inhibited cell proliferation. Both mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 were up- and down-regulated compared with the control cells. However, the most effect belonged to the CS/OCNT/caffeic acid. The flow cytometry data represented that CS/OCNT/caffeic acid is very effective against MDA-MB-231. Based on the results, the CS/OCNT/caffeic acid showed the highest apoptotic effect on the MDA-MB-231 compared with the OCNT/caffeic acid and caffeic acid. The CS/OCNT/caffeic acid, OCNT/caffeic acid, and caffeic acid have toxicity for MDA-MB-231 cells through an apoptotic pathway by up-regulation of Bax expression level and down-regulation of Bcl-2.

Many polyols or diols have been used for the synthesis of polyurethanes (PU), however, to the best of our knowledge, PU-graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites synthesized with ester-based polyols have been rarely studied. In this work ester-based polyol synthesized by the reaction of adipic acid and 1,4 butane diol, was in-situ polymerized with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and GO to prepare PU-GO nanocomposites. The content of GO was changed from 1 to 2.5 wt% and its effect on the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of the samples were examined. The presence of GO more than 1.5% in the nanocomposites resulted in brittle samples and reduced the tensile strength, however, the Young's modulus of the samples containing 1 and 1.5% was increased to 11 and 12.08-fold (275 and 302 MPa) compared to the neat PU (25 MPa), respectively. The shore A hardness of the samples was increased from 86 for PU to 96 for PUGO-1.5. The abrasion resistance of the samples was decreased by increasing the GO content. Results of the thermogravimetric analysis showed that higher amounts of GO increase the thermal stability of the samples. The chemical and physical interactions between the surface of GO nanolayers and the PU chains were confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The dynamic mechanical analysis of the samples showed that GO nanolayers decreased the molecular motions of the PU chains in the nanocomposites which were noticed by shifting the glass transition to the higher temperatures.

As an alternative raw material for various cellulose derivatives, the current research studied the processing of old corrugated container (OCC) in the subsequent stages of homogenization (soda cooking) and purification (bleaching with hypochlorite). The properties were characterized in four different categories including chemical composition or purity, accessibility, reactivity, and structural features. Alkali delignification and a bleaching sequence of HEHEHEA were selected for homogenization and purification of pulp followed by characterization of the pulp properties. The dissolving pulp exhibited the following properties: yield, 78%; cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content, 90.5%, 7.76%, and 0.3%, respectively; alpha cellulose, 70%. Pulp reactivity measured with two experiments showed Fock reactivity value of 85.67% as well as iodine sorption value (ISV) of 94.95 g/g; accessibility represented by two tests of water retention (WRV) and alkali retention capacity (ARC) with 6.87 for the first and 6.1% for the latter, degree of polymerization (DP), 913.4; crystallinity index, 76.95%; and brightness, 72.87%. FTIR spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) isotherms were utilized to examine the modifications of OCC to dissolving pulp. The results indicated that the dissolving pulp produced from OCC as a raw material is suitable for DP applications of cellulose derivatives.

In this work, nanocomposites of polyvinyl chloride poly(epichlorohydrin-co-ethylene oxide)(ECO)/organoclay were prepared via melt processing and various parameters including nanoclay and rubber content (ECO) as well as rotor speed were tuned to find the optimum formulation for the highest thermal stability. The prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction as well as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) and differential thermal analysis XRD results showed that rotor speeds higher than 70 r/min are crucial for obtaining highly intercalated products with good thermal stability. From DTG analyses, it was observed that at lower concentrations of rubber, the rate of mass loss is higher which results in faster dehydrochlorination of the composite. The sample prepared with 2 phr OMMT, 30 phr rubber, and 70 r/min rotor speed showed the highest thermal stability. The selected nanocomposite showed the first weight loss at 294 [Formula: see text]. Results of this research showed that even a slight change in each parameter has a great influence on thermal properties of the nanocomposites. The hydrogen bonding mode between ECO and organoclay were estimated by theoretical calculations using GAUSSIAN software. From the obtained results, the miscibility of OMMT and ECO polymer is related to the hydrogen bonds which are more preferred at chlorine atom of ECO polymer.

The purpose of this study was to present an application of the artificial neural network (ANN) that predicts the bonding strength of glulam manufactured from plane tree (Platanus orientalis L.) wood layers adhered with a combination of modified starch adhesive and UF resin. Bonding strength was measured at different weight ratios containing different values of nano-zinc oxide as an additive under different conditions of press temperature and press time. As a part of the research, an experimental design was determined. According to that, the glulam specimens were fabricated, the bonding strength of specimens was measured, and the results were statistically analyzed. Then, a model was developed to predict bonding strength using the artificial neural network (ANN) technique. To describe the results, FTIR and TGA tests were also conducted. The experimental results show that the maximum bonding strength values were obtained when the WR was at the middle level (50%), nano-zinc oxide content was at a maximum (4%), and press temperature and press time were fixed at 200 °C and 22 min, respectively. The ANN results agreed well with the experimental results. It became clear that the prediction errors were in an acceptable range. The results indicate that the developed ANN model could predict the bonding strength well with an acceptable error.

In this study, the curing kinetics of epoxy nanocomposites containing ultra-fine full-vulcanized acrylonitrile butadiene rubber nanoparticles (UFNBRP) at different concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt.% was investigated. In addition, the effect of curing temperatures was studied based on the rheological method under isothermal conditions. The epoxy resin/UFNBRP nanocomposites were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FTIR analysis exhibited the successful preparation of epoxy resin/UFNBRP, due to the existence of the UFNBRP characteristic peaks in the final product spectrum. The morphological structure of the epoxy resin/UFNBRP nanocomposites was investigated by both field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The FESEM and TEM studies showed UFNBRP had a spherical structure and was well dispersed in epoxy resin. The chemorheological analysis showed that due to the interactions between UFNBRP and epoxy resin, by increasing UFNBRP concentration at a constant temperature (65, 70 and 75 °C), the curing rate decreases at the gel point. Furthermore, both the curing kinetics modeling and chemorheological analysis demonstrated that the incorporation of 0.5% UFNBRP in epoxy resin matrix reduces the activation energy. The curing kinetic of epoxy resin/UFNBRP nanocomposite was best fitted with the Sestak–Berggren autocatalytic model.