Assembly of Layered Monetite-Chitosan Nanocomposite and Its Transition to Organized Hydroxyapatite

Encapsulation of phenolic acids within food-grade carriers systems: a systematic review

Phenolic acids are natural compounds with potential therapeutic effects against various diseases. However, their incorporation into food and pharmaceutical products is limited by challenges such as instability, low solubility, and reduced bioavailability. This systematic review summarizes recent advances in phenolic acid encapsulation using food-grade carrier systems, focusing on proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. Encapsulation efficiency, release behavior, and bioavailability are examined, as well as the potential health benefits of encapsulated phenolic acids in food products. Strategies to address limitations of current encapsulation systems are also proposed. Encapsulation has emerged as a promising method to enhance the stability and bioavailability of phenolic acids in food products, and various encapsulation technologies have been developed for this purpose. The use of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates as carriers in food-grade encapsulation systems remains a common approach, but it is associated with certain limitations. Future research on phenolic acid encapsulation should focus on developing environmentally friendly, organic solvent-free, low-energy, scalable, and stable encapsulation systems, as well as co-encapsulation methods that combine multiple phenolic acids or phenolic acids with other bioactive substances to produce synergistic effects.

Fabrication of a Fish-Bone-Inspired Inorganic-Organic Composite Membrane

Biological materials have properties like great strength and flexibility that are not present in synthetic materials. Using the ribs of crucian carp as a reference, we investigated the mechanisms behind the high mechanical properties of this rib bone, and found highly oriented layers of calcium phosphate (CaP) and collagen fibers. To fabricate a fish-rib-bone-mimicking membrane with similar structure and mechanical properties, this study involves (1) the rapid synthesis of plate-like CaP crystals, (2) the layering of CaP-gelatin hydrogels by gradual drying, and (3) controlling the shape of composite membranes using porous gypsum molds. Finally, as a result of optimizing the compositional ratio of CaP filler and gelatin hydrogel, a CaP filler content of 40% provided the optimal mechanical properties of toughness and stiffness similar to fish bone. Due to the rigidity, flexibility, and ease of shape control of the composite membrane materials, this membrane could be applied as a guided bone regeneration (GBR) membrane.

Recent development in nanoencapsulation and delivery of natural bioactives through chitosan scaffolds for various biological applications

Nowadays, nano/micro-encapsulation as a pioneering technique may significantly improve the bioavailability and durability of Natural bioactives. For this purpose, chitosan as a bioactive cationic natural polysaccharide has been frequently used as a carrier because of its distinct chemical and biological properties, including polycationic nature, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Moreover, polysaccharide-based nano/micro-formulations are a new and extensive trend in scientific research and development in the disciplines of biomedicine, bioorganic/ medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, agrochemistry, and the food industry. It promises a new paradigm in drug delivery systems and nanocarrier formulations. This review aims to summarize current developments in approaches for designing innovative chitosan micro/nano-matrix, with an emphasis on the encapsulation of natural bioactives. The special emphasis led to a detailed integrative scientific achievement of the functionalities and abilities for encapsulating natural bioactives and mechanisms regulated in vitro/in vivo release in various biological/physiological environments.

Biomimetic Nanomaterials: Diversity, Technology, and Biomedical Applications

Biomimetic nanomaterials (BNMs) are functional materials containing nanoscale components and having structural and technological similarities to natural (biogenic) prototypes. Despite the fact that biomimetic approaches in materials technology have been used since the second half of the 20th century, BNMs are still at the forefront of materials science. This review considered a general classification of such nanomaterials according to the characteristic features of natural analogues that are reproduced in the preparation of BNMs, including biomimetic structure, biomimetic synthesis, and the inclusion of biogenic components. BNMs containing magnetic, metal, or metal oxide organic and ceramic structural elements (including their various combinations) were considered separately. The BNMs under consideration were analyzed according to the declared areas of application, which included tooth and bone reconstruction, magnetic and infrared hyperthermia, chemo- and immunotherapy, the development of new drugs for targeted therapy, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy, and bioimaging. In conclusion, the authors' point of view is given about the prospects for the development of this scientific area associated with the use of native, genetically modified, or completely artificial phospholipid membranes, which allow combining the physicochemical and biological properties of biogenic prototypes with high biocompatibility, economic availability, and scalability of fully synthetic nanomaterials.

3D printing of sponge spicules-inspired flexible bioceramic-based scaffolds

Bioceramics are widely used in bone tissue repair and regeneration due to their desirable biocompatibility and bioactivity. However, the brittleness of bioceramics results in difficulty of surgical operation, which greatly limits their clinical applications. The spicules of the marine sponge Euplectella aspergillum (Ea) possess high flexibility and fracture toughness resulting from concentric layered silica glued by a thin organic layer. Inspired by the unique properties of sponge spicules, flexible bioceramic-based scaffolds with spicule-like concentric layered biomimetic microstructures were constructed by combining two-dimensional (2D) bioceramics and 3D printing. 2D bioceramics could be assembled and aligned by modulating the shear force field in the direct ink writing (DIW) of 3D printing. The prepared spicules-inspired flexible bioceramic-based (SFB) scaffolds differentiated themselves from traditional 3D-printed irregular particles-based bioceramic-based scaffolds as they could be adaptably compressed, cut, folded, rolled and twisted without the occurrence of fracture, significantly breaking through the bottleneck of inherent brittleness of traditional bioceramic scaffolds. In addition, SFB scaffolds showed significantly enhanced in vitro and in vivo bone-forming bioactivity as compared to conventional β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds, suggesting that SFB scaffolds combined both of excellent mechanical and bioactive characteristics, which is believed to greatly promote the bioceramic science and their clinical applications.

Multiscale engineered artificial tooth enamel

Tooth enamel, renowned for its high stiffness, hardness, and viscoelasticity, is an ideal model for designing biomimetic materials, but accurate replication of complex hierarchical organization of high-performance biomaterials in scalable abiological composites is challenging. We engineered an enamel analog with the essential hierarchical structure at multiple scales through assembly of amorphous intergranular phase (AIP)-coated hydroxyapatite nanowires intertwined with polyvinyl alcohol. The nanocomposite simultaneously exhibited high stiffness, hardness, strength, viscoelasticity, and toughness, exceeding the properties of enamel and previously manufactured bulk enamel-inspired materials. The presence of AIP, polymer confinement, and strong interfacial adhesion are all needed for high mechanical performance. This multiscale design is suitable for scalable production of high-performance materials.

Recent advances in chitosan-based layer-by-layer biomaterials and their biomedical applications

In recent years, chitosan-based biomaterials have been continually and extensively researched by using layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly, due to their potentials in biomedicine. Various chitosan-based LBL materials have been newly developed and applied in different areas along with the development of technologies. This work reviews the recent advances of chitosan-based biomaterials produced by LBL assembly. Driving forces of LBL, for example electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bond as well as Schiff base linkage have been discussed. Various forms of chitosan-based LBL materials such as films/coatings, capsules and fibers have been reviewed. The applications of these biomaterials in the field of antimicrobial applications, drug delivery, wound dressings and tissue engineering have been comprehensively reviewed.

Research Progress of Chitosan-Based Biomimetic Materials

Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide produced by deacetylation of natural biopolymer chitin. Owing to its good biocompatibility and biodegradability, non-toxicity, and easy processing, it has been widely used in many fields. After billions of years of survival of the fittest, many organisms have already evolved a nearly perfect structure. This paper reviews the research status of biomimetic functional materials that use chitosan as a matrix material to mimic the biological characteristics of bivalves, biological cell matrices, desert beetles, and honeycomb structure of bees. In addition, the application of biomimetic materials in wound healing, hemostasis, drug delivery, and smart materials is briefly overviewed according to their characteristics of adhesion, hemostasis, release, and adsorption. It also discusses prospects for their application and provides a reference for further research and development.

On the Crystallization of Hydroxyapatite under Hydrothermal Conditions: Role of Sebacic Acid as an Additive

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a major inorganic component in bone minerals and is often used for bone tissue engineering. Herein, we synthesized HAp using sebacic acid as an additive at different pH values by a hydrothermal method. Sebacic acid, which has two carboxyl group ends of the carbonate chain, binds with Ca ions during the hydrothermal process to become a crystal nucleation site in (001) and at the same time could act as an inhibitor in a specific direction [i.e., (110)] for the HAp crystal growth. Sebacic acid and the hydroxyl ion (OH^-) are competitively attracted to the a(b)-plane of HAp. Depending on the pH condition, the crystal growth resulted in different morphologies depending on the ratio of sebacic acid and hydroxide ions. It was confirmed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy that dicalcium phosphate anhydrous with HPO₄ was produced under acidic conditions and HAp was produced under neutral and basic conditions. The plate- and nanorod-HAp crystals' preferential growth along the c-axis, which were obtained under neutral and basic conditions, was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Growth control in the c-axis direction of HAp is necessary for the understanding of crystallization of bone minerals because the mineral inside the collagen fibrils in bone tissue also shows a c-axis orientation.

Chitosan-Based Biomimetically Mineralized Composite Materials in Human Hard Tissue Repair

Chitosan is a natural, biodegradable cationic polysaccharide, which has a similar chemical structure and similar biological behaviors to the components of the extracellular matrix in the biomineralization process of teeth or bone. Its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and polyelectrolyte action make it a suitable organic template, which, combined with biomimetic mineralization technology, can be used to develop organic-inorganic composite materials for hard tissue repair. In recent years, various chitosan-based biomimetic organic-inorganic composite materials have been applied in the field of bone tissue engineering and enamel or dentin biomimetic repair in different forms (hydrogels, fibers, porous scaffolds, microspheres, etc.), and the inorganic components of the composites are usually biogenic minerals, such as hydroxyapatite, other calcium phosphate phases, or silica. These composites have good mechanical properties, biocompatibility, bioactivity, osteogenic potential, and other biological properties and are thus considered as promising novel materials for repairing the defects of hard tissue. This review is mainly focused on the properties and preparations of biomimetically mineralized composite materials using chitosan as an organic template, and the current application of various chitosan-based biomimetically mineralized composite materials in bone tissue engineering and dental hard tissue repair is summarized.

Self-stabilized chitosan and its complexes with carboxymethyl starch as excipients in drug delivery

This study focuses on the behavior of chitosan (CHI) and its polyelectrolyte complexes with carboxymethyl starch (CMS) used as monolithic matrices with acetaminophen as drug tracer. Two different chitosan grades were tested alone or associated in various ratios with CMS as excipients for tablets obtained by direct compression. The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of CHI, estimated from 1H NMR and FTIR data, was correlated with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate structural organization of the monolithic matrices. In vitro drug dissolution assays showed major differences in CHI kinetic profiles between tablets exposed to acidic medium for 2h (to mimick gastric passage) prior to dissolution in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), and those administered directly to SIF. Prior exposure to acidic SGF conducted to longer dissolution profiles (release completed after 16 h) and preservation of tablet shape, whereas tablets directly incubated in SIF were rapidly disintegrated. The improved properties of chitosan matrices exposed to SGF may be related to an outer compact coating layer (visible in SEM). The effect of self-stabilization of chitosan in acidic medium was compared to that due to formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) in co-processed polymeric systems (CHI:CMS). The self-formed membrane following exposure to gastric acidity appears to help maintaining tablet integrity and allows higher drug loading, recommending CHI and its complexes with CMS as excipients for drug delivery.

Phosphoprotein/chitosan electrospun nanofibrous scaffold for biomineralization

In this study, negatively charged phosvitin (PV) and positively charged chitosan (CS) were alternately deposited on negatively charged cellulose mats via layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique. Morphologies of the LBL films coating mats were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Afterwards, in vitro biomimetic mineralization was carried out through incubation of the fibrous mats in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for different time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the morphology and structure of the deposited mineral phase on the scaffolds. In addition, the cell culture experiment demonstrated that the scaffolds with the LBL structured films were of good cell compatibility for MC3T3-E1 cells. Moreover, the cell proliferation was affected by the number of deposition layers and the composition of outer-most layer. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and SEM imaging revealed a good performance of cell adhesion and spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells on the surface of biocomposite scaffold. So CS/PV nanofibrous mats were satisfactory for the composite to be used in bioapplications.

From molecules to macrostructures: recent development of bioinspired hard tissue repair

This review summarizes the bioinspired strategies for hard tissue repair, ranging from molecule-induced mineralization, to microscale assembly to macroscaffold fabrication.

Amelogenin Affects Brushite Crystal Morphology and Promotes Its Phase Transformation to Monetite

Amelogenin protein is involved in organized apatite crystallization during enamel formation. Brushite (CaHPO₄·2H₂O), one of the precursors of hydroxyapatite mineralization in vitro, has been used for fabrication of biomaterials for hard tissue repair. In order to explore its potential application in biomimetic material synthesis, we studied the influence of the enamel protein amelogenin on brushite morphology and phase transformation to monetite. Our results show that amelogenin can adsorb onto the surface of brushite, leading to the formation of layered morphology on the (010) face. Amelogenin promoted the phase transformation of brushite into monetite (CaHPO₄) in the dry state, presumably by interacting with crystalline water layers in brushite unit cells. Changes to the crystal morphology mediated by amelogenin continued even after the phase transformation from brushite to monetite, leading to the formation of organized platelets with an interlocked structure. This effect of amelogenin on brushite morphology and the phase transformation to monetite could provide a new approach to developing biomimetic materials.

Coordination-driven multilayer of phosvitin-polyphenol functional nanofibrous membranes: antioxidant and biomineralization applications for tissue engineering

The layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition technique has been widely used to decorate the nanofibers formed from polymer pairs with complementary functional groups.