Comparison of UV Protection Properties of Cotton Fabrics Treated with Aqueous and Methanolic Extracts of Achyranthes aspera and Alhagi maurorum Plants

Ultraviolet blocking ability, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of newly prepared polyvinyl alcohol-nanocellulose‑silver nanoparticles-ChunJian peel extract composite film

In this work, nanocellulose (CNC) from waste water chestnut (WCT) shell was firstly used for preparing nanocomposite films, by using ChunJian peel extract (CJPE) as a green reducing agent to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and then loading them into polyvinyl alcohol-nanocellulose (PVA-CNC) matrix, a multifunctional nanocomposite material that could be used in food packaging was developed. The prepared films were tested for mechanical strength, barrier properties, thermal properties, antibacterial, antioxidant and biocompatibility through various characterizations. The PVA-CNC-AgNPs-CJPE film had good thermostability, mechanical strength, barrier properties, and biocompatibility. Compared with pure PVA film and PVA-CNC film, PVA-CNC-AgNPs-CJPE could shield over 95 % of the UVB (320-275 nm) spectrum and UVC (275-200 nm) spectrum and most of the UVA (400-320 nm). By disk diffusion analysis, the inhibition zones of PVA-CNC-AgNPs-CJPE film against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and E. faecalis were 22.3 mm, 25.0 mm, 22.0 mm and 19.3 mm, respectively. The milk antibacterial simulation test confirmed that PVA-CNC-AgNPs-CJPE film could effectively limit bacterial reproduction and prolong the shelf life of milk. PVA-CNC-AgNPs-CJPE film had excellent UV barrier properties, good antioxidant properties and high-efficiency antibacterial activity, which is expected to be widely used in sustainable nanocomposite food packaging.

Preparation, structure identification and the anti-photoaging activity of peptide fraction OP-Ia from Ostrea rivularis

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the preparation and the structure of fraction OP-Ia and its protective effect against UV-induced photoaging through the MAPKs signaling pathway. Fractions OP-Ia and OP-Ib were prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis and purified by ultrafiltration (5 kDa) and gel chromatography (Sephadex G-25). The reducing power and superoxide radical scavenging ability were evaluated, which showed that OP-Ia had stronger antioxidant activity than OP-Ib. Next, ten peptides were identified in OP-Ia by UPLC-MS/MS. The mechanism of the anti-photoaging activity for fraction OP-Ia was investigated through the MAPKs pathway based on the HaCaT cell line. Fraction OP-Ia could inhibit the generation of ROS and the decline of cell viability induced by UV radiation, meanwhile downregulate the expression of IL-1β, IL-8, c-Jun, c-Fos, p65 NF-κB and p38 MAPK genes. Overall, the results showed that the fraction OP-Ia could be a potent component of functional foods with UV protection property.

OP-Ia could reduce ROS generation and cell viability declination induced by UV, and downregulate the expressions of IL-1β, IL-8, c-Jun, c-Fos, p65 and p38 genes.

Comparison of UV protection properties of cotton fabrics treated with aqueous and methanolic extracts of Solanum nigrum and Amaranthus viridis plants

Harmful effects of ultraviolet rays and protection against them have been long discussed. Numerous synthetic dyes, finishes, UV absorbers, and optical brightening agents are present in the market for decades for achieving UV protection through textiles. However, due to environmental impacts of these chemical agents, textile industry is looking for alternatives. In this regard, some natural dyes and plant extracts have shown promising results. However, use of colorless plant extracts as UV protective finishes is still rare. In this study, ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating of bleached cotton fabric has been improved by the application of plant extracts with minimal change in fabric's color. For this purpose, two medicinal plants, that is, Solanum nigrum and Amaranthus viridis were selected and bleached cotton fabric was treated with their methanolic and aqueous extracts. Fabrics treated with both extracts exhibited excellent UPF ratings.