Chitosan based-nanoparticles and nanocapsules: Overview, physicochemical features, applications of a nanofibrous scaffold, and bioprinting

Core-Shell Type Lipidic and Polymeric Nanocapsules: the Transformative Multifaceted Delivery Systems

Amongst the several nano-drug delivery systems, lipid or polymer-based core-shell nanocapsules (NCs) have garnered much attention of researchers owing to its multidisciplinary properties and wide application. NCs are structured core-shell systems in which the core is an aqueous or oily phase protecting the encapsulated drug from environmental conditions, whereas the shell can be lipidic or polymeric. The core is stabilized by surfactant/lipids/polymers, which control the release of the drug. The presence of a plethora of biocompatible lipids and polymers with the provision of amicable surface modifications makes NCs an ideal choice for precise drug delivery. In the present article, multiple lipidic and polymeric NC (LNCs and PNCs) systems are described with an emphasis on fabrication methods and characterization techniques. Far-reaching applications as a carrier or delivery system are demonstrated for oral, parenteral, nasal, and transdermal routes of administration to enhance the bioavailability of hard-to-formulate drugs and to achieve sustained and targeted delivery. This review provide in depth understanding on core-shell NC's mechanism of absorption, surface modification, size tuning, and toxicity moderation which overshadows the drawbacks of conventional approaches. Additionally, the review shines a spotlight on the current challenges associated with core-shell NCs and applications in the foreseeable future.

Emerging 3D bioprinting applications in plastic surgery

Plastic surgery is a discipline that uses surgical methods or tissue transplantation to repair, reconstruct and beautify the defects and deformities of human tissues and organs. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has gained widespread attention because it enables fine customization of the implants in the patient's surgical area preoperatively while avoiding some of the adverse reactions and complications of traditional surgical approaches. In this paper, we review the recent research advances in the application of 3D bioprinting in plastic surgery. We first introduce the printing process and basic principles of 3D bioprinting technology, revealing the advantages and disadvantages of different bioprinting technologies. Then, we describe the currently available bioprinting materials, and dissect the rationale for special dynamic 3D bioprinting (4D bioprinting) that is achieved by varying the combination strategy of bioprinting materials. Later, we focus on the viable clinical applications and effects of 3D bioprinting in plastic surgery. Finally, we summarize and discuss the challenges and prospects for the application of 3D bioprinting in plastic surgery. We believe that this review can contribute to further development of 3D bioprinting in plastic surgery and provide lessons for related research.

Mediation of synergistic chemotherapy and gene therapy via nanoparticles based on chitosan and ionic polysaccharides

Nanoparticles (NPs)-based on various ionic polysaccharides, including chitosan, hyaluronic acid, and alginate have been frequently summarized for controlled release applications, however, most of the published reviews, to our knowledge, focused on the delivery of a single therapeutic agent. A comprehensive summarization of the co-delivery of multiple therapeutic agents by the ionic polysaccharides-based NPs, especially on the optimization of the polysaccharide structure for overcoming various extracellular and intracellular barriers toward maximized synergistic effects, to our knowledge, has been rarely explored so far. For this purpose, the strategies used for overcoming various extracellular and intracellular barriers in vivo were introduced first to provide guidance for the rational design of ionic polysaccharides-based NPs with desired features, including long-term circulation, enhanced cellular internalization, controllable drug/gene release, endosomal escape and improved nucleus localization. Next, four preparation strategies were summarized including three physical methods of polyelectrolyte complexation, ionic crosslinking, and self-assembly and a chemical conjugation approach. The challenges and future trends of this rapidly developing field were finally discussed in the concluding remarks. The important guidelines on the rational design of ionic polysaccharides-based NPs for maximized synergistic efficiency drawn in this review will promote the future generation and clinical translation of polysaccharides-based NPs for cancer therapy.

Microcarriers in application for cartilage tissue engineering: Recent progress and challenges

Successful regeneration of cartilage tissue at a clinical scale has been a tremendous challenge in the past decades. Microcarriers (MCs), usually used for cell and drug delivery, have been studied broadly across a wide range of medical fields, especially the cartilage tissue engineering (TE). Notably, microcarrier systems provide an attractive method for regulating cell phenotype and microtissue maturations, they also serve as powerful injectable carriers and are combined with new technologies for cartilage regeneration. In this review, we introduced the typical methods to fabricate various types of microcarriers and discussed the appropriate materials for microcarriers. Furthermore, we highlighted recent progress of applications and general design principle for microcarriers. Finally, we summarized the current challenges and promising prospects of microcarrier-based systems for medical applications. Overall, this review provides comprehensive and systematic guidelines for the rational design and applications of microcarriers in cartilage TE.

Marine Algae Extract (Grateloupia Sparsa) for the Green Synthesis of Co3O4NPs: Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer, and Hemolytic Activities

The aqueous extract of red algae was used for bio-inspired manufacturing of cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co3O4NPs) and for antioxidant, antibacterial, hemolytic potency, and anticancer activity. Typical, characterization techniques include UV-Vis, SEM, EDAX, TEM, FTIR, XRD, and TGA. Using an X-ray diffraction assay, the size of the Co3O4NPs crystal was determined to range from 23.2 to 11.8 nm. Based on TEM and SEM pictures, biosynthesized Co3O4NPs' had a homogeneous spherical morphology with a 28.8 to 7.6 nm average diameter. Furthermore, Co3O4NPs biological properties were investigated, including determining the antibacterial potency using the zone of inhibition (ZOI) method and determining the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The antibacterial activity of Co3O4NPs was higher than that of the ciprofloxacin standard. Alternatively, scavenging of DPPH free radical investigation was carried out to test the antioxidant capacitance of Co3O4NPs, revealing significant antioxidant ability. The biosynthesized Co3O4NPs have a dose-dependent effect on erythrocyte viability, indicating that this technique is harmless. Furthermore, bioinspired Co3O4NPs effectively against HepG2 cancer cells (IC50: 201.3 μg/ml). Co3O4NPs would be a therapeutic aid due to their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties.

Constructing biomimetic liver models through biomaterials and vasculature engineering

The occurrence of various liver diseases can lead to organ failure of the liver, which is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Liver tissue engineering see the potential for replacing liver transplantation and drug toxicity studies facing donor shortages. The basic elements in liver tissue engineering are cells and biomaterials. Both mature hepatocytes and differentiated stem cells can be used as the main source of cells to construct spheroids and organoids, achieving improved cell function. To mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) environment, biomaterials need to be biocompatible and bioactive, which also help support cell proliferation and differentiation and allow ECM deposition and vascularized structures formation. In addition, advanced manufacturing approaches are required to construct the extracellular microenvironment, and it has been proved that the structured three-dimensional culture system can help to improve the activity of hepatocytes and the characterization of specific proteins. In summary, we review biomaterials for liver tissue engineering, including natural hydrogels and synthetic polymers, and advanced processing techniques for building vascularized microenvironments, including bioassembly, bioprinting and microfluidic methods. We then summarize the application fields including transplant and regeneration, disease models and drug cytotoxicity analysis. In the end, we put the challenges and prospects of vascularized liver tissue engineering.

Chitosan nanocomposite incorporated Satureja kermanica essential oil and extract: Synthesis, characterization and antifungal assay

The present study reports the design, synthesis, and characterization of nanoencapsulated Satureja kermanica essential oil/extract by chitosan biopolymer (SKEO-CSN)/(SKEX-CSN) for the antifungal efficacy against Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Pythium aphanidermatum. The prepared SKEO-CSN and SKEX-CSN were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). GC-Mass analysis was done to identify Satureja kermanica essential oil chemical compounds (SKEO). Thirty-five different components were detected from GC-MS analysis. Thymol (46.54 %), and Carvacrol (30.54 %) were demonstrated as major compounds. Antifungal studies showed that the SKEO-CSN and SKEX-CSN formulation effectively inhibit fungal growth more than free SKEO and SKEX. According to the results, SKEO-CSN and SKEX-CSN provide a wide range of promising antifungal effects and can be applied as an efficient green strategy to protect plants from fungus infections.

Electrospun Biomimetic Nanofibrous Scaffolds: A Promising Prospect for Bone Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Skeletal-related disorders such as arthritis, bone cancer, osteosarcoma, and osteoarthritis are among the most common reasons for mortality in humans at present. Nanostructured scaffolds have been discovered to be more efficient for bone regeneration than macro/micro-sized scaffolds because they sufficiently permit cell adhesion, proliferation, and chemical transformation. Nanofibrous scaffolds mimicking artificial extracellular matrices provide a natural environment for tissue regeneration owing to their large surface area, high porosity, and appreciable drug loading capacity. Here, we review recent progress and possible future prospective electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds have demonstrated promising potential in bone tissue regeneration using a variety of nanomaterials. This review focused on the crucial role of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds in biological applications, including drug/growth factor delivery to bone tissue regeneration. Natural and synthetic polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds are extensively inspected to regenerate bone tissue. We focused mainly on the significant impact of nanofibrous composite scaffolds on cell adhesion and function, and different composites of organic/inorganic nanoparticles with nanofiber scaffolds. This analysis provides an overview of nanofibrous scaffold-based bone regeneration strategies; however, the same concepts can be applied to other organ and tissue regeneration tactics.

Benefits and limitations of nanomedicine treatment of brain cancers and age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders

The treatment of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies, including brain cancers, is limited by a number of obstructions, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the heterogeneity and high invasiveness of tumors, the inaccessibility of tissues for early diagnosis and effective surgery, and anti-cancer drug resistance. Therapies employing nanomedicine have been shown to facilitate drug penetration across the BBB and maintain biodistribution and accumulation of therapeutic agents at the desired target site. The application of lipid-, polymer-, or metal-based nanocarriers represents an advanced drug delivery system for a growing group of anti-cancer chemicals. The nanocarrier surface is designed to contain an active ligand (cancer cell marker or antibody)-binding structure which can be modified to target specific cancer cells. Glioblastoma, ependymoma, neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, and primary CNS lymphomas were recently targeted by easily absorbed nanocarriers. The metal- (such as transferrin drug-loaded systems), polymer- (nanocapsules and nanospheres), or lipid- (such as sulfatide-containing nanoliposomes)-based nano-vehicles were loaded with apoptosis- and/or ferroptosis-stimulating agents and demonstrated promising anti-cancer effects. This review aims to discuss effective nanomedicine approaches designed to overcome the current limitations in the therapy of brain cancers and age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders. To accent current obstacles for successful CNS-based cancer therapy, we discuss nanomedicine perspectives and limitations of nanodrug use associated with the specificity of nervous tissue characteristics and the effects nanocarriers have on cognition.

Controlled synthesis of in-situ gold nanoparticles onto chitosan functionalized PLGA nanoparticles for oral insulin delivery

Chitosan-based nanoparticles (chitosan nanoparticles (ChNps), chitosan gold Nps (ChAuNps), and chitosan gold Nps functionalized with poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) (ChAuNps/PLGA)) were prepared as nanocarriers for insulin to improve its oral uptake. The emulsion solvent diffusion method was employed to functionalize the Nps with PLGA. TEM, SEM, DLS, and zeta potential were conducted to characterize the Nps. The morphological analysis confirmed the formation of spherical Nps with hydrodynamic particle sizes of 138±23, 16±2.2, and 50±9.3 nm for ChNps, ChAuNps, and ChAuNps/PLGA, respectively. Zeta potential measurements indicated two types of Nps, regardless of insulin entrapment, positively charged, (ChNps (+36 ± 4.2, +31 ± 2.2mv)) and ChAuNps (+37 ± 4.3, +33 ± 2.5mv) and negatively charged (ChAuNps/PLGA (-31 ± 2.7, -26 ± 2.1 mv)). The in vitro studies were assessed by measuring the entrapment efficiencies (EE%) and the release profiles of insulin at different pH values. EE% for ChNps, ChAuNps, and ChAuNps/PLGA were 97 ± 1.5, 98.4 ± 1.9, and 99 ± 1.2%, respectively. At an acidic medium, a significant level of insulin retention was observed (96 ± 0.08%) for ChAuNps/PLGA. While a high amount was released at higher pH values over an extended period of time. In vivo studies, diabetic rats treated with insulin-loaded Nps had reduced blood glucose level (BGL) (38 ± 2.8, 35 ± 6.5, and 27 ± 5.6%) for ChNps ChAuNps and ChAuNps/PLGA, respectively. The pharmacological availability (PA%) and bioavailability (FR%) for insulin-loaded ChAuNps/PLGA were 15.8 ± 0.71% and 7.7 ± 0.93%, respectively. Altogether, emphasize the role of biocompatible Nps and their efficiency in the convenient delivery of insulin, thus lowering the BGL in a safe condition.

Citric acid-mediated green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles: antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticoagulant potential applications

Using microwave technique in the presence of citric acid, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were fabricated. The morphological characteristics revealed that the spherical SeNPs with diameters ranging from 10.5 to 20 nm aggregated spherical shapes with sizes ranging from 0.67 to 0.83 mm. Moreover, the antioxidant efficacy was assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging test, which depicted that green-prepared nanoparticle at a 106.3 mg/mL dosage had the maximum scavenging capacity (301.1 ± 11.42 mg/g). Otherwise, with nanoparticle concentrations of 500 mg/ml, in vitro cell viability of SeNPs through human breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines was reduced to 61.2 ± 2.2% after 1 day of exposure. The antibacterial activity was tested against G-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), G-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which demonstrated that SeNPs had little activity against S. aureus. Still, it had the highest activity against E. coli, with a zone of inhibition (ZOI) of 25.2 ± 1.5 mm compared to 16.0 ± 0.6 mm for the standard antibiotic. Most notably, biogenic SeNPs have anticoagulant activities using activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assessment. Based on previous findings, SeNPs can be used in medical aid and their cell viability, antioxidant, anticoagulant, and effects on bacteria.

Core-Sheath Electrospun Nanofibers Based on Chitosan and Cyclodextrin Polymer for the Prolonged Release of Triclosan

This work focuses on the manufacture of core-sheath nanofibers (NFs) based on chitosan (CHT) as sheath and cyclodextrin polymer (PCD) as core and loaded with triclosan (TCL). In parallel, monolithic NFs consisting of blended CHT-PCD and TCL were prepared. Nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). SEM displayed the morphology of NFs and the structure of the nanowebs, while TEM evidenced the core-sheath structure of NFs prepared by coaxial electrospinning. The core diameters and sheath thicknesses were found dependent on respective flow rates of both precursor solutions. Nanofibers stability and TCL release in aqueous medium were studied and correlated with the antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Results showed that the release profiles of TCL and therefore the antibacterial activity were directly related to the type of nanofibers. In the case of monolithic nanofibers, the NFs matrix was composed of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC formed between CHT and PCD) and resulted in a prolonged release of TCL and a sustained antibacterial effect. In the case of core-sheath NFs, the PEC was formed only at the core-sheath interface, leading to less stable NFs and therefore to a faster release of TCL, and to a less extended antibacterial activity compared to monolithic ones.

E. Gaafar P, Mousa MR, Fayez AM, Elsheikh MA. Novel Luteolin-Loaded Chitosan Decorated Nanoparticles for Brain-Targeting Delivery in a Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model: Focus on Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Amyloidogenic Pathways

Preparation and evaluation of a non-invasive intranasal luteolin delivery for the management of cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) using novel chitosan decorated nanoparticles. Development of luteolin-loaded chitosomes was followed by full in vitro characterization. In vivo efficacy was evaluated using a sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD) animal model via intracerebroventricular injection of 3 mg/kg streptozotocin (ICV-STZ). Treatment groups of luteolin suspension and chitosomes (50 mg/kg) were then intranasally administered after 5 h of ICV-STZ followed by everyday administration for 21 consecutive days. Behavioral, histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical studies were conducted. Chitosomes yielded promising quality attributes in terms of particle size (PS) (412.8 ± 3.28 nm), polydispersity index (PDI) (0.378 ± 0.07), Zeta potential (ZP) (37.4 ± 2.13 mv), and percentage entrapment efficiency (EE%) (86.6 ± 2.05%). Behavioral findings showed obvious improvement in the acquisition of short-term and long-term spatial memory. Furthermore, histological evaluation revealed an increased neuronal survival rate with a reduction in the number of amyloid plaques. Biochemical results showed improved antioxidant effects and reduced pro-inflammatory mediators' levels. In addition, a suppression by half was observed in the levels of both Aβ aggregation and hyperphosphorylated-tau protein in comparison to the model control group which in turn confirmed the capability of luteolin-loaded chitosomes (LUT-CHS) in attenuating the pathological changes of AD. The prepared nanoparticles are considered a promising safe, effective, and non-invasive nanodelivery system that improves cognitive function in SAD albino mice as opposed to luteolin suspension.

Review of the Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofibers Applications in Water Purification

Recently, nanofibers have come to be considered one of the sustainable routes with enormous applicability in different fields, such as wastewater treatment. Electrospun nanofibers can be fabricated from various materials, such as synthetic and natural polymers, and contribute to the synthesis of novel nanomaterials and nanocomposites. Therefore, they have promising properties, such as an interconnected porous structure, light weight, high porosity, and large surface area, and are easily modified with other polymeric materials or nanomaterials to enhance their suitability for specific applications. As such, this review surveys recent progress made in the use of electrospun nanofibers to purify polluted water, wherein the distinctive characteristics of this type of nanofiber are essential when using them to remove organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater, as well as for oil/water (O/W) separation.

Natural-Fiber-Reinforced Chitosan, Chitosan Blends and Their Nanocomposites for Various Advanced Applications

There has been much effort to provide eco-friendly and biodegradable materials for the next generation of composite products owing to global environmental concerns and increased awareness of renewable green resources. This review article uniquely highlights the use of green composites from natural fiber, particularly with regard to the development and characterization of chitosan, natural-fiber-reinforced chitosan biopolymer, chitosan blends, and chitosan nanocomposites. Natural fiber composites have a number of advantages such as durability, low cost, low weight, high specific strength, non-abrasiveness, equitably good mechanical properties, environmental friendliness, and biodegradability. Findings revealed that chitosan is a natural fiber that falls to the animal fiber category. As it has a biomaterial form, chitosan can be presented as hydrogels, sponges, film, and porous membrane. There are different processing methods in the preparation of chitosan composites such as solution and solvent casting, dipping and spray coating, freeze casting and drying, layer-by-layer preparation, and extrusion. It was also reported that the developed chitosan-based composites possess high thermal stability, as well as good chemical and physical properties. In these regards, chitosan-based "green" composites have wide applicability and potential in the industry of biomedicine, cosmetology, papermaking, wastewater treatment, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.

3D Printing for Bone-Cartilage Interface Regeneration

Due to the vasculature defects and/or the avascular nature of cartilage, as well as the complex gradients for bone-cartilage interface regeneration and the layered zonal architecture, self-repair of cartilage and subchondral bone is challenging. Currently, the primary osteochondral defect treatment strategies, including artificial joint replacement and autologous and allogeneic bone graft, are limited by their ability to simply repair, rather than induce regeneration of tissues. Meanwhile, over the past two decades, three-dimension (3D) printing technology has achieved admirable advancements in bone and cartilage reconstruction, providing a new strategy for restoring joint function. The advantages of 3D printing hybrid materials include rapid and accurate molding, as well as personalized therapy. However, certain challenges also exist. For instance, 3D printing technology for osteochondral reconstruction must simulate the histological structure of cartilage and subchondral bone, thus, it is necessary to determine the optimal bioink concentrations to maintain mechanical strength and cell viability, while also identifying biomaterials with dual bioactivities capable of simultaneously regenerating cartilage. The study showed that the regeneration of bone-cartilage interface is crucial for the repair of osteochondral defect. In this review, we focus on the significant progress and application of 3D printing technology for bone-cartilage interface regeneration, while also expounding the potential prospects for 3D printing technology and highlighting some of the most significant challenges currently facing this field.

Drug release study of the chitosan-based nanoparticles

Recently, multifunctional drug delivery systems (DDSs) have been designed to provide a comprehensive approach with multiple functionalities, including diagnostic imaging, targeted drug delivery, and controlled drug release. Chitosan-based drug nanoparticles (CSNPs) systems are employed as diagnostic imaging and delivering the drug to particular targeted sites in a regulated manner. Drug release is an important factor in ensuring high reproducibility, stability, quality control of CSNPs, and scientific-based for developing CSNPs. Several factors influence drug release from CSNPs, including composition, composition ratio, ingredient interactions, and preparation methods. Early, CSNPs were used for improving drug solubility, stability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics properties. Chitosan has been developed toward a multifunctional drug delivery system by exploring positively charged properties and modifiable functional groups. Various modifications to the polymer backbone, charge, or functional groups will undoubtedly affect the drug release from CSNPs. The drug release from CSNPs has a significant influence on its therapeutic actions. Our review's objective was to summarize and discuss the relationship between the modification in CSNPs as multifunctional delivery systems and drug release properties and kinetics of the drug release model. Kinetic models help describe the release rate, leading to increased efficiency, accuracy, the safety of the dose, optimizing the drug delivery device's design, evaluating the drug release rate, and improvement of patient compatibility. In conclusion, almost all CSNPs showed bi-phasic release, initial burst release drug in a particular time followed controlled manner release in achieving the expected release, stimuli external can be applied. CSNPs are a promising technique for multifunctional drug delivery systems.

Nanoencapsulation of hydroxytyrosol in chitosan crosslinked with sodium bisulfate tandem ultrasonication: Techno-characterization, release and antiproliferative properties

This research includes production of chitosan nanocapsules through ionic gelation with sodium bisulfate for nanoencapsulation of hydroxytyrosol (HT) using ultrasonication in tandem. The resulting nanocapsules encapsulating HT were analyzed for particle size, ζ-potential, packaging characteristics, FESEM, ATR-FTIR, XRD, DSC, in vitro release, antioxidant potential and antiproliferative properties. The nanocapsules (size 119.50-365.21 nm) were spherical to irregular shaped with positive ζ-potential (17.50-18.09 mV). The encapsulation efficiency of 5 mg/g HT (HTS1) and 20 mg/g HT (HTS2) was 77.13% and 56.30%, respectively. The nanocapsules were amorphous in nature with 12.34% to 15.48% crystallinity and crystallite size between 20 nm and 27 nm. Formation of nanocapsules resulted in increasing the glass transition temperature. HTS2 delivered 67.12% HT (HTS1 58.89%) at the end of the simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The nanoencapsulated HT showed higher antioxidant and antiproliferative (against A549 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines) properties than the free HT.

Chitosan nanoemulsion: Gleam into the futuristic approach for preserving the quality of muscle foods

Trend for consumption of healthy meat without synthetic additives is blooming globally and has attracted the interest of consumers and research sphere to look for enhancement of quality and safety of food. Chitosan is multi-functional marine biopolymer with several befitting properties such as non-toxicity, ease of modification, antimicrobial activity, biodegradability and bio-compatibility, making it suitable for use in meat based food systems, which are highly prone to putrescence due to availability of high level protein, micronutrients and moisture. Bioactive components from plant extracts on account of their natural lineage are exquisite determinants for meat preservation in association with chitosan to replace synthetic molecules, which are considered to evince toxicological effects. Nanoemulsions are viable systems for integrating a myriad of active constituents framed by microfluidization, high-pressure homogenization, ultra-sonication, phase inversion (PIC and PIT) and spontaneous-emulsification with benefits of droplet size reduction, improved solubility, stability and their biological activity. This article summarizes the most important information on formulation, fabrication and advancements in chitosan-based nanoemulsions highlighting their potential benefit for applications in the muscle food system. Supervising the all-around executions of chitosan nanoemulsions for various food systems, the current review has been framed to lay down understandings regarding improvements made in the production and functionality of chitosan nanoemulsions for quality retention of meat products. Furthermore, it highlights the novel trends in chitosan-nanoemulsions application in meat based food systems from a preservation and shelf-life prolongation perspective.

Chitosan for biomedical applications, promising antidiabetic drug delivery system, and new diabetes mellitus treatment based on stem cell

Since chitosan's excellent pharmacokinetic and chemical properties, it is an attractive and promising carbohydrate biopolymer in biomedical applications. Chitosan's beneficial function in the defense and propagation of pancreatic β cells, reducing hyperglycemia, and avoiding diabetes mellitus associated with impaired lipid metabolism has been demonstrated in several studies. Additionally, chitosan has also been used in various nanocarriers to deliver various antidiabetic drugs to reduce glucose levels. Herein, the first to provide the currently available potential benefits of chitosan in diabetes mellitus treatment focuses on chitosan-based nanocarriers for oral administration of various antidiabetic drugs nasal and subcutaneous passages. Moreover, chitosan is used to activate and deliver stem cells and differentiate them into cells similar to pancreatic beta cells as a new type of treatment for type one diabetes mellitus. The results of this review will be helpful in the development of promising treatments and better control of diabetes mellitus.

Effect of Micro-/Nanoparticle Hybrid Hydrogel Platform on the Treatment of Articular Cartilage-Related Diseases

Joint diseases that mainly lead to articular cartilage injury with prolonged severe pain as well as dysfunction have remained unexplained for many years. One of the main reasons is that damaged articular cartilage is unable to repair and regenerate by itself. Furthermore, current therapy, including drug therapy and operative treatment, cannot solve the problem. Fortunately, the micro-/nanoparticle hybrid hydrogel platform provides a new strategy for the treatment of articular cartilage-related diseases, owing to its outstanding biocompatibility, high loading capability, and controlled release effect. The hybrid platform is effective for controlling symptoms of pain, inflammation and dysfunction, and cartilage repair and regeneration. In this review, we attempt to summarize recent studies on the latest development of micro-/nanoparticle hybrid hydrogel for the treatment of articular cartilage-related diseases. Furthermore, some prospects are proposed, aiming to improve the properties of the micro-/nanoparticle hybrid hydrogel platform so as to offer useful new ideas for the effective and accurate treatment of articular cartilage-related diseases.

Additive Manufacturing of Biopolymers for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine: An Overview, Potential Applications, Advancements, and Trends

As a technique of producing fabric engineering scaffolds, three-dimensional (3D) printing has tremendous possibilities. 3D printing applications are restricted to a wide range of biomaterials in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Due to their biocompatibility, bioactiveness, and biodegradability, biopolymers such as collagen, alginate, silk fibroin, chitosan, alginate, cellulose, and starch are used in a variety of fields, including the food, biomedical, regeneration, agriculture, packaging, and pharmaceutical industries. The benefits of producing 3D-printed scaffolds are many, including the capacity to produce complicated geometries, porosity, and multicell coculture and to take growth factors into account. In particular, the additional production of biopolymers offers new options to produce 3D structures and materials with specialised patterns and properties. In the realm of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM), important progress has been accomplished; now, several state-of-the-art techniques are used to produce porous scaffolds for organ or tissue regeneration to be suited for tissue technology. Natural biopolymeric materials are often better suited for designing and manufacturing healing equipment than temporary implants and tissue regeneration materials owing to its appropriate properties and biocompatibility. The review focuses on the additive manufacturing of biopolymers with significant changes, advancements, trends, and developments in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering with potential applications.

Advances in Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

Nanoparticles (NPs) have an outstanding position in pharmaceutical, biological, and medical disciplines. Polymeric NPs based on chitosan (CS) can act as excellent drug carriers because of some intrinsic beneficial properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, bioactivity, easy preparation, and targeting specificity. Drug transport and release from CS-based particulate systems depend on the extent of cross-linking, morphology, size, and density of the particulate system, as well as physicochemical properties of the drug. All these aspects have to be considered when developing new CS-based NPs as potential drug delivery systems. This comprehensive review is summarizing and discussing recent advances in CS-based NPs being developed and examined for drug delivery. From this point of view, an enhancement of CS properties by its modification is presented. An enhancement in drug delivery by CS NPs is discussed in detail focusing on (i) a brief summarization of basic characteristics of CS NPs, (ii) a categorization of preparation procedures used for CS NPs involving also recent improvements in production schemes of conventional as well as novel CS NPs, (iii) a categorization and evaluation of CS-based-nanocomposites involving their production schemes with organic polymers and inorganic material, and (iv) very recent implementations of CS NPs and nanocomposites in drug delivery.

Formulation of Chitosan-Coated Piperine NLCs: Optimization, In Vitro Characterization, and In Vivo Preclinical Assessment

In the present research work, surface-modified nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) with chitosan (CH) were prepared to improve the therapeutic efficacy of piperine (PP). NLCs were developed and optimized (CH-PP-NLCs-opt) by design expert software and the selected NLCs surface was coated with chitosan (0.2% w/v). CH-PP-NLCs-opt have shown a particle size of 149.34 ± 4.54 nm and entrapment efficiency of 80.65 ± 1.23%. The results of the solid-state characterization study exhibited that PP enclosed in lipids and present amorphous form. It might be due to the nanoparticle size of NLCs. The drug release study revealed PP-NLCs-opt and CH-PP-NLCs-opt exhibited significant (P < 0.05) difference in PP release (88.87 ± 5.23% and 76.34 ± 4.54%) as compared to pure PP (19.02 ± 2.87%). CH-PP-NLCs-opt exhibited strong bioadhesion than PP-NLCs-opt which has a positive influence the drug permeation and absorption. CH-PP-NLCs-opt showed higher permeation (1083.34 ± 34.15 μg/ cm2) than pure PP (106.65 ± 15.44 μg/cm²) and PP-NLCs-opt (732.45 ± 28.56 μg/ cm²). The significantly enhanced bioavailability of PP was observed from CH-PP-NLCs-opt (3.76- and 1.21-fold) than PP-dispersion and PP-NLCs-opt. The diabetes was induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (STZ, 40 mg/kg, citrate buffer pH 4.5), and results revealed that PP-NLCs-opt and CH-PP-NLCs-opt reduce the blood glucose level (28.26% and 36.52% respectively) as compared to PP-dispersion (10.87%). It also helps to maintain the altered biochemical parameters. In conclusion, CH-PP-NLC can be a novel oral nanocarrier for the management of diabetes.

New Prospects in Nano Phased Co-substituted Hydroxyapatite Enrolled in Polymeric Nanofiber Mats for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

The most common forms of tissue impairment are fracture bones and significant bone disorders caused by multiple traumas or normal aging. Surgical care sometimes necessitates the placement of a temporary or permanent prosthesis, which continues to be a challenge for orthopedic surgeons, including those with large bone defects. Electrospun scaffolds made from natural and synthetic nanofiber-based polymers are studied as natural extracellular matrix (ECM)-like scaffolds for tissue engineering. Besides, nanostructured materials have properties and functions depending on the scale of natural materials such as hydroxyapatite (HAP), ranging from 1 to 100 nm, which activity was proficient upon enrolled in nanofiber mats. The use of nanofibers in combination with nano-HAP has increased the scaffold's ability to replicate the construction of natural bone tissue that is the aim of the present text. In bone engineering, nanofiber substrates facilitate cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, while HAP induces cells to secrete ECM for bone mineralization and development. This review aims to draw the reader's attention to the critical issues with synthetic and natural polymers containing HAP in bone tissue engineering; co-substituted hydroxyapatite has also been mentioned.

Progress and challenges in the synthesis of sequence controlled polysaccharides

The sequence, length and substitution of a polysaccharide influence its physical and biological properties. Thus, sequence controlled polysaccharides are important targets to establish structure-properties correlations. Polymerization techniques and enzymatic methods have been optimized to obtain samples with well-defined substitution patterns and narrow molecular weight distribution. Chemical synthesis has granted access to polysaccharides with full control over the length. Here, we review the progress towards the synthesis of well-defined polysaccharides. For each class of polysaccharides, we discuss the available synthetic approaches and their current limitations.

Polymeric nanocapsules: A review on design and production methods for pharmaceutical purpose

Polymeric nanocapsules have extensive application potential in medical, biological, and pharmaceutical fields, and, therefore, much research has been dedicated to their production. Indeed, production protocols and the materials used are decisive for obtaining the desired nanocapsules characteristics and biological performance. In addition to that, several technological strategies have been developed in the last decade to improve processing techniques and form more valuable nanocapsules. This review provides a guide to current methods for developing polymeric nanocapsules, reporting aspects to be considered when choosing appropriate materials, and discussing different ways to produce nanocapsules for superior performances.

Chitosan-derived hydrothermally carbonized materials and its applications: A review of recent literature

Chitosan (CS) is a linear polysaccharide biopolymer, one of the most abundant biowastes in the environment. This makes chitosan a potential material for a wide range of applications. To improve CS's properties, chitosan has to be chemically modified. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a sustainable process for converting chitosan to solid carbonized material. This article presents a review on the applications of hydrothermally treated chitosan in different fields such as water treatment, heavy metals adsorption, carbon dioxide capturing, solar cells, energy storage, biosensing, supercapacitors, and catalysis. Moreover, this review covers the impact of HTC process parameters on the properties of the produced carbon material. The diversity of applications indicates the great possibilities and multifunctionality of hydrothermally carbonized chitosan and its derivatives. The utilization of HTC-CS is expected to further expand as a result of the movement toward sustainable, environmentally-friendly resources. Thus, this review also recommends a few suggestions to improve the properties of HTC chitosan and its comprehensive applications.

Sustainable Agriculture Systems in Vegetable Production Using Chitin and Chitosan as Plant Biostimulants

Chitin and chitosan are natural compounds that are biodegradable and nontoxic and have gained noticeable attention due to their effective contribution to increased yield and agro-environmental sustainability. Several effects have been reported for chitosan application in plants. Particularly, it can be used in plant defense systems against biological and environmental stress conditions and as a plant growth promoter—it can increase stomatal conductance and reduce transpiration or be applied as a coating material in seeds. Moreover, it can be effective in promoting chitinolytic microorganisms and prolonging storage life through post-harvest treatments, or benefit nutrient delivery to plants since it may prevent leaching and improve slow release of nutrients in fertilizers. Finally, it can remediate polluted soils through the removal of cationic and anionic heavy metals and the improvement of soil properties. On the other hand, chitin also has many beneficial effects such as plant growth promotion, improved plant nutrition and ability to modulate and improve plants’ resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors. The present review presents a literature overview regarding the effects of chitin, chitosan and derivatives on horticultural crops, highlighting their important role in modern sustainable crop production; the main limitations as well as the future prospects of applications of this particular biostimulant category are also presented.

Recent Biomedical Approaches for Chitosan Based Materials as Drug Delivery Nanocarriers

In recent decades, drug delivery systems (DDSs) based on nanotechnology have been attracting substantial interest in the pharmaceutical field, especially those developed based on natural polymers such as chitosan, cellulose, starch, collagen, gelatin, alginate and elastin. Nanomaterials based on chitosan (CS) or chitosan derivatives are broadly investigated as promising nanocarriers due to their biodegradability, good biocompatibility, non-toxicity, low immunogenicity, great versatility and beneficial biological effects. CS, either alone or as composites, are suitable substrates in the fabrication of different types of products like hydrogels, membranes, beads, porous foams, nanoparticles, in-situ gel, microparticles, sponges and nanofibers/scaffolds. Currently, the CS based nanocarriers are intensely studied as controlled and targeted drug release systems for different drugs (anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, anticancer etc.) as well as for proteins/peptides, growth factors, vaccines, small DNA (DNAs) and short interfering RNA (siRNA). This review targets the latest biomedical approaches for CS based nanocarriers such as nanoparticles (NPs) nanofibers (NFs), nanogels (NGs) and chitosan coated liposomes (LPs) and their potential applications for medical and pharmaceutical fields. The advantages and challenges of reviewed CS based nanocarriers for different routes of administration (oral, transmucosal, pulmonary and transdermal) with reference to classical formulations are also emphasized.

Multifunctional Role of Chitosan Edible Coatings on Antioxidant Systems in Fruit Crops: A Review

Chitosan-based edible coatings represent an eco-friendly and biologically safe preservative tool to reduce qualitative decay of fresh and ready-to-eat fruits during post-harvest life due to their lack of toxicity, biodegradability, film-forming properties, and antimicrobial actions. Chitosan-based coatings modulate or control oxidative stress maintaining in different manner the appropriate balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fruit cells, by the interplay of pathways and enzymes involved in ROS production and the scavenging mechanisms which essentially constitute the basic ROS cycle. This review is carried out with the aim to provide comprehensive and updated over-view of the state of the art related to the effects of chitosan-based edible coatings on anti-oxidant systems, enzymatic and non-enzymatic, evaluating the induced oxidative damages during storage in whole and ready-to-eat fruits. All these aspects are broadly reviewed in this review, with particular emphasis on the literature published during the last five years.