Development of Cationic Cellulose-Modified Bentonite-Alginate Nanocomposite Gels for Sustained Release of Alachlor

Hierarchical Assembly of Cellulose Fibrils and Tannin in Biocomposite Foam: Scalable Production via Oven Drying and Customizable Metal Ions Release for Antimicrobial Activity

Advanced cellulose-based foams are urgently needed as sustainable packaging materials in an era of prioritizing environmental consciousness. However, transferring the mechanical properties of cellulose fibers into porous structures is always limited by gas entrapment during foaming and irreversible structural collapse upon liquid evaporation. Herein, a hierarchical assembly strategy combines cationic cellulose nanofibrils (CCNF) with a dynamic covalent tannin/borate (T/B) complex to fabricate 3D continuous foams with distinct lamellar structure via oven drying is proposed for scalable production. CCNF assembles the T/B complex onto cellulose fibers by electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding, while the reversible covalent bonds among T/B complex impart shear-thinning and self-healing properties, thereby ensuring foamability (exceeding 300%) and structural stability. Moreover, the T/B foam offers a versatile platform for customization with metal ions (Fe3+, Cu2+, and Ag+), allowing the tailoring of physical and mechanical properties. At an optimized tannin addition of 10%, the 10T/5B-Fe foam exhibits the highest normalized strength above 410 Pa/density, while maintaining an ultralow density of 9.2 mg cm- 3. Additionally, the pH-responsiveness of T/B complexes enables the release of metal ions for long-term antimicrobial activity. This study demonstrates a green and scalable strategy for functional foam production, offering new possibilities for next-generation antimicrobial packaging materials.

Current status and future developments of biopolymer microspheres in the field of pharmaceutical preparation

Polymer composite microspheres offer several advantages including highly designable structural properties, adjustable micro-nano particle size distribution, easy surface modification, large specific surface area, and high stability. These features make them valuable in various fields such as medicine, sensing, optics, and display technologies, with significant applications in clinical diagnostics, pathological imaging, and drug delivery in the medical field. Currently, microspheres are primarily used in biomedical research as long-acting controlled-release agents and targeted delivery systems, and are widely applied in bone tissue repair, cancer treatment, and wound healing. Different types of polymer microspheres offer distinct advantages and application prospects. Efforts are ongoing to transition successful experimental research to industrial production by expanding various fabrication technologies. This article provides an overview of materials used in microsphere manufacturing, different fabrication methods, modification techniques to enhance their properties and applications, and discusses the role of microspheres in drug delivery engineering.

Preparation of Emamectin Benzoate·Hexaflumuron Granules Based on Response Surface Methodology

In order to obtain particles with an optimal loading rate and encapsulation efficiency and to explore the effects of sodium alginate, carboxymethyl chitosan, and bentonite on the particle loading rate and encapsulation rate, the preparation parameters of particles were optimized by the response surface method. A series of particles with constantly changing components were prepared, and the particle loading rate and encapsulation rate were determined. The release experiment of granules in different mass release media was implemented, and the optimal loading rate and encapsulation efficiency of particles were used to control the fall armyworm (FAW). The results showed that when the amount of sodium alginate was 1.83%, that of carboxymethyl chitosan was 0.41% and that of bentonite was 0.37%. The maximum theoretical value based on the response surface simulation was 92.63%, and the actual value at this ratio was 91.61%, which was 98.90% of the theoretical value. The release assay indicated that the mechanism of particle release in 2, 4, and 6 mL of the release medium was non-Fickian diffusion, and the controlled mechanism in 25 mL of the medium was Fickian diffusion. The beads were spread directly into maize leaf whorls in field production; at 14 days after application, the efficacy reached 91.28-98.82%. The combination of emamectin benzoate and hexaflumuron granules has a good control effect on the FAW.

Xanthan-Based Materials as a Platform for Heparin Delivery

Heparin (Hep), with its anticoagulant activity, antiangiogenic and apoptotic effects, and growth factor binding, plays an important role in various biological processes. Formulations as drug delivery systems protect its biological activity, and limit the potential side effects of faulty administration. The objective of this study was to develop novel xanthan-based materials as a delivery carrier for heparin. The materials exhibited remarkable elastic behavior and toughness without any crack development within the network, which also support their application for tissue engineering. It was found that all materials possessed the ability to control the release of heparin, according to the Korsmeyer-Peppas release model. All Hep-containing materials caused significant exchanges of the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) parameters, indicating that formulated natural/natural synthetic polymeric networks conserved heparin's biological activity and its ability to interrupt the blood coagulation cascade. The obtained results confirmed that developed materials could be carriers for the controlled release of heparin, with potential applications in topical administration.