ABSTRACT
The wound-healing process can be disrupted at any stage due to various internal and external factors. The inflammatory stage of the process plays a vital role in determining the outcome of the wound. Prolonged inflammation due to bacterial infection can lead to tissue damage, slow healing, and complications. Wound dressings made using materials such as poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), chitosan (CS), and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) with Mangifera extract (ME) added can help reduce infection and inflammation, creating a conducive environment for faster healing. However, creating the electrospun membrane is challenging due to balancing various forces such as rheological behavior, conductivity, and surface tension. To improve the electrospinnability of the polymer solution, an atmospheric pressure plasma jet can induce chemistry in the solution and increase the polarity of the solvent. Thus, this research aims to investigate the effect of plasma treatment on PVA, CS, and PEG polymer solutions and fabricate ME wound dressing via electrospinning. The results indicated that increasing plasma treatment time increased the viscosity of the polymer solution, from 269 mPaâto 331 mPaâs after 60 min, and led to an increase in conductivity from 298 mS/cm to 330 mS/cm and an increase in nanofiber diameter from 90 ± 40 nm to 109 ± 49 nm. Incorporating 1% mangiferin extract into an electrospun nanofiber membrane has been found to increase the inhibition rates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by 29.2% and 61.2%, respectively. Additionally, the fiber diameter decreases when compared with the electrospun nanofiber membrane without ME. Our findings demonstrate that electrospun nanofiber membrane with ME has anti-infective properties and can promote faster wound healing.
ABSTRACT
Non-chemical modification of tapioca starch was investigated using jet atmospheric argon plasma treatment. Two forms of starch slurry, i.e. granular starch (G) and cooked starch (C), were jet-treated by argon plasma generated by supplying input power of 50 W (denoted as G50 and C50 samples) and 100 W (denoted as G100 and C100 samples) for 5 min. Physical, rheological, and structural characteristics of the modified starch were investigated. The G50 and C100 samples had lower paste clarity but higher thermal stability and performed stronger gels (G50 only) compared to their control counterparts. On the other hand, the analyzed properties of the G100 and C50 samples showed the opposite trend. FTIR and (1)H NMR results revealed that the relative areas of COC and OH peaks were changed after the treatment. Cross-linking reaction seemed to predominantly take place for the G50 and C100 samples, whereas depolymerization predominated for the G100 and C50 samples.
ABSTRACT
Physicochemical properties of cross-linked tapioca starch (CLTS) with different cross-linking levels and their application as a thickening agent in soups were studied. The CLTS was prepared by cross-linking native tapioca starch suspended in alkaline solution (41.67% (w/w), pH 11) using a mixture (99:1 (w/w) ratio) of sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) at different concentrations ranged from 0.25% to 6.0% (w/w of starch) at 45°C for 3h. Starch paste clarity decreased with increasing concentration of STMP/STPP mixture. Variations of swelling power, solubility, pasting, gelatinization, and rheological properties of the CLTS were found. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited higher thermal stability for the CLTS granules compared to the native one. Among the samples, the CLTS prepared using 1.0% STMP/STPP (1.0%-CLTS) and soup containing the 1.0%-CLTS exhibited the strongest gel characteristic and the greatest shear resistant properties. The 1.0%-CLTS improved the textural properties and sensory quality of soups.
