Chitin-glucan improves important pathophysiological features of irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most frequent and debilitating conditions leading to gastroenterological referrals. However, recommended treatments remain limited, yielding only limited therapeutic gains. Chitin-glucan (CG) is a novel dietary prebiotic classically used in humans at a dosage of 1.5-3.0 g/d and is considered a safe food ingredient by the European Food Safety Authority. To provide an alternative approach to managing patients with IBS, we performed preclinical molecular, cellular, and animal studies to evaluate the role of chitin-glucan in the main pathophysiological mechanisms involved in IBS. AIM: To evaluate the roles of CG in visceral analgesia, intestinal inflammation, barrier function, and to develop computational molecular models. METHODS: Visceral pain was recorded through colorectal distension (CRD) in a model of long-lasting colon hypersensitivity induced by an intra-rectal administration of TNBS [15 milligrams (mg)/kilogram (kg)] in 33 Sprague-Dawley rats. Intracolonic pressure was regularly assessed during the 9 wk-experiment (weeks 0, 3, 5, and 7) in animals receiving CG (n = 14) at a human equivalent dose (HED) of 1.5 g/d or 3.0 g/d and compared to negative control (tap water, n = 11) and positive control (phloroglucinol at 1.5 g/d HED, n = 8) groups. The anti-inflammatory effect of CG was evaluated using clinical and histological scores in 30 C57bl6 male mice with colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) administered in their drinking water during 14 d. HT-29 cells under basal conditions and after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were treated with CG to evaluate changes in pathways related to analgesia (µ-opioid receptor (MOR), cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, inflammation [interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1b, and IL-8] and barrier function [mucin 2-5AC, claudin-2, zonula occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-2] using the real-time PCR method. Molecular modelling of CG, LPS, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and phospholipomannan (PLM) was developed, and the ability of CG to chelate microbial pathogenic lipids was evaluated by docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Data were expressed as the mean ± SEM. RESULTS: Daily CG orally-administered to rats or mice was well tolerated without including diarrhea, visceral hypersensitivity, or inflammation, as evaluated at histological and molecular levels. In a model of CRD, CG at a dosage of 3 g/d HED significantly decreased visceral pain perception by 14% after 2 wk of administration (P < 0.01) and reduced inflammation intensity by 50%, resulting in complete regeneration of the colonic mucosa in mice with DSS-induced colitis. To better reproduce the characteristics of visceral pain in patients with IBS, we then measured the therapeutic impact of CG in rats with TNBS-induced inflammation to long-lasting visceral hypersensitivity. CG at a dosage of 1.5 g/d HED decreased visceral pain perception by 20% five weeks after colitis induction (P < 0.01). When the CG dosage was increased to 3.0 g/d HED, this analgesic effect surpassed that of the spasmolytic agent phloroglucinol, manifesting more rapidly within 3 wk and leading to a 50% inhibition of pain perception (P < 0.0001). The underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to these analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of CG involved, at least in part, a significant induction of MOR, CB2 receptor, and IL-10, as well as a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1b and IL-8. CG also significantly upregulated barrier-related genes including muc5AC, claudin-2, and ZO-2. Molecular modelling of CG revealed a new property of the molecule as a chelator of microbial pathogenic lipids, sequestering gram-negative LPS and gram-positive LTA bacterial toxins, as well as PLM in fungi at the lowesr energy conformations. CONCLUSION: CG decreased visceral perception and intestinal inflammation through master gene regulation and direct binding of microbial products, suggesting that CG may constitute a new therapeutic strategy for patients with IBS or IBS-like symptoms.

Galloyl-oligochitosan nano-vehicles for effective and controlled propolis delivery targeting upgrading its antioxidant and antiproliferative potential.

A new conjugate, galloyl-oligochitosan nanoparticles (GOCNPs), was fabricated and used as nano-vehicle for effective and controlled delivery of propolis extract (PE) in the form of PE#GOCNPs, targeting improving its pharmaceutical potential. H-bonding interactions between the carboxyl, amino, and hydroxyl groups of the GOCNPs and PE resulted in successful encapsulation, with an entrapment efficacy of 97.3 %. The PE#GOCNPs formulation also exhibited excellent physicochemical stability and time-triggered drug release characteristics under physiological conditions. Furthermore, PE#GOCNPs showed significant activity against MCF-7 and HEPG2 carcinoma cells by scavenging free oxygen radicals and upregulating antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, PE#GOCNPs displayed anti-inflammatory properties by increasing IL10 and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines more effectively than celecoxib. Furthermore, PE#GOCNPs reduced the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and survivin genes. Furthermore, the encapsulated PE demonstrated significant activity in suppressing sonic hedgehog protein (SHH). The use of GOCNPs in combination with propolis presents a promising new strategy for chemotherapy with reduced toxicity and enhanced biocompatibility. This novel approach has the potential to revolutionize the field of chemotherapy. Future studies should focus on the application of the encapsulated PE in various cancer cell lines, distinct gene expression factors, and cell cycles.

Unveiling the structural properties and induced resistance activity in rice of Chitin/Chitosan-Glucan Complex of Rhizoctonia solani AG1 IA inner cell wall.

Phytopathogen cell wall polysaccharides have important physiological functions. In this study, we isolated and characterized the alkali-insoluble residue on the inner layers of the Rhizoctonia solani AG1 IA cell wall (RsCW-AIR). Through chemical composition and structural analysis, RsCW-AIR was mainly identified as a complex of chitin/chitosan and glucan (ChCsGC), with glucose and glucosamine were present in a molar ratio of 2.7:1.0. The predominant glycosidic bond linkage of glucan in ChCsGC was ß-1,3-linked Glcp, both the α and ß-polymorphic forms of chitin were presented in it by IR, XRD, and solid-state NMR, and the ChCsGC exhibited a degree of deacetylation measuring 67.08 %. RsCW-AIR pretreatment effectively reduced the incidence of rice sheath blight, and its induced resistance activity in rice was evaluated, such as inducing a reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst, leading to the accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) and the up-regulation of SA-related gene expression. The recognition of RsCW-AIR in rice is partially dependent on CERK1.

Chitin-mediated blockade of chitinase-like proteins reduces tumor immunosuppression, inhibits lymphatic metastasis and enhances anti-PD-1 efficacy in complementary TNBC models.

BACKGROUND: Chitinase-like proteins (CLPs) play a key role in immunosuppression under inflammatory conditions such as cancer. CLPs are enzymatically inactive and become neutralized upon binding of their natural ligand chitin, potentially reducing CLP-driven immunosuppression. We investigated the efficacy of chitin treatment in the context of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) using complementary mouse models. We also evaluated the immunomodulatory influence of chitin on immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and compared its efficacy as general CLP blocker with blockade of a single CLP, i.e. chitinase 3-like 1 (CHI3L1). METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were intraductally injected with luciferase-expressing 4T1 or 66cl4 cells and systemically treated with chitin in combination with or without anti-programmed death (PD)-1 ICB. For single CLP blockade, tumor-bearing mice were treated with anti-CHI3L1 antibodies. Metastatic progression was monitored through bioluminescence imaging. Immune cell changes in primary tumors and lymphoid organs (i.e. axillary lymph nodes and spleen) were investigated through flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, cytokine profiling and RNA-sequencing. CHI3L1-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages were subjected to 2D lymphatic endothelial cell adhesion and 3D lymphatic integration in vitro assays for studying macrophage-mediated lymphatic remodeling. RESULTS: Chitin significantly reduced primary tumor progression in the 4T1-based model by decreasing the high production of CLPs that originate from tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) and Stat3 signaling, prominently affecting the CHI3L1 and CHI3L3 primary tumor levels. It reduced immunosuppressive cell types and increased anti-tumorigenic T-cells in primary tumors as well as axillary lymph nodes. Chitin also significantly reduced CHI3L3 primary tumor levels and immunosuppression in the 66cl4-based model. Compared to anti-CHI3L1, chitin enhanced primary tumor growth reduction and anti-tumorigenicity. Both treatments equally inhibited lymphatic adhesion and integration of macrophages, thereby hampering lymphatic tumor cell spreading. Upon ICB combination therapy, chitin alleviated anti-PD-1 resistance in both TNBC models, providing a significant add-on reduction in primary tumor and lung metastatic growth compared to chitin monotherapy. These add-on effects occurred through additional increase in CD8α+ T-cell infiltration and activation in primary tumor and lymphoid organs. CONCLUSIONS: Chitin, as a general CLP blocker, reduces CLP production, enhances anti-tumor immunity as well as ICB responses, supporting its potential clinical relevance in immunosuppressed TNBC patients.

Modulating intestinal health: Impact of chitooligosaccharide molecular weight on suppressing RAGE expression and inflammatory response in methylglyoxal-induced advanced glycation end-products.

The accumulation of methylglyoxal (MGO) produced in high-temperature processed foods and excessive production in the body contributes to intestinal barrier dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the effects of chitooligosaccharides (COSs) of different molecular weights (<1 kDa, 1-3 kDa, 3-5 kDa, 5-10 kDa, and >10 kDa) on MGO-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction. We investigated the effect of COSs on inhibiting intracellular MGO accumulation/MGO-derived AGEs production and regulating the receptor for AGE (RAGE)-mediated downstream protein expression, including proteins related to apoptosis and inflammation, intestinal barrier integrity, and paracellular permeability. Pretreatment with COSs ameliorated MGO-induced increased RAGE protein expression, activation of apoptotic cascade/inflammatory response, loss of intestinal epithelial barrier integrity, and increased paracellular permeability, ameliorating intestinal dysfunction through MGO scavenging. 1-3 kDa COSs most effectively ameliorated MGO-induced intestinal dysfunction. Our results suggest the potential of COSs in improving intestinal health by ameliorating intestinal barrier dysfunction by acting as an MGO scavenger and highlighting the need for the optimization of the molecular weight of COSs to optimize its protective effects.

Caffeic acid-grafted chitooligosaccharides downregulate MAPK and NF-kB in RAW264.7 cells.

Chitooligosaccharide (COS) is a derivative of chitosan, which is a natural macromolecular compound. COS has been shown effects in an inflammatory response. Recent reports show that COS derivatives have enhanced anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting intracellular signals. Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effect of caffeic acid conjugated COS chain (CA-COS) was performed in this study. The effects of CA-COS on the inflammatory response were demonstrated in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. The results showed that CA-COS inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production and downregulated the gene expression of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-1ß, and IL-6 without cytotoxic effect. In addition, western blot analysis showed that CA-COS inhibits the protein expression of iNOS and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), including p50 and p65, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Collectively, these results provide clear evidence for the anti-inflammatory mechanism of CA-COS that show great potential as a novel agent for the prevention and therapy of inflammatory diseases.

Poacic Acid, a Plant-Derived Stilbenoid, Augments Cell Wall Chitin Production, but Its Antifungal Activity Is Hindered by This Polysaccharide and by Fungal Essential Metals.

Climate and environmental changes have modified the habitats of fungal pathogens, inflicting devastating effects on livestock and crop production. Additionally, drug-resistant fungi are increasing worldwide, driving the urgent need to identify new molecular scaffolds for the development of antifungal agents for humans, animals, and plants. Poacic acid (PA), a plant-derived stilbenoid, was recently discovered to be a novel molecular scaffold that inhibits the growth of several fungi. Its antifungal activity has been associated with perturbation of the production/assembly of the fungal cell wall ß-1,3-glucan, but its mode of action is not resolved. In this study, we investigated the antifungal activity of PA and its derivatives on a panel of yeast. PA had a fungistatic effect on S. cerevisiae and a fungicidal effect on plasma membrane-damaged Candida albicans mutants. Live cell fluorescence microscopy experiments revealed that PA increases chitin production and modifies its cell wall distribution. Chitin production and cell growth returned to normal after prolonged incubation. The antifungal activity of PA was reduced in the presence of exogenous chitin, suggesting that the potentiation of chitin production is a stress response that helps the yeast cell overcome the effect of this antifungal stilbenoid. Growth inhibition was also reduced by metal ions, indicating that PA affects the metal homeostasis. These findings suggest that PA has a complex antifungal mechanism of action that involves perturbation of the cell wall ß-1,3-glucan production/assembly, chitin production, and metal homeostasis.

Chitin: A versatile biopolymer-based functional therapy for cartilage regeneration.

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer and its inherent biological characteristics make it ideal to use for tissue engineering. For many decades, its properties like non-toxicity, abundant availability, ease of modification, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and anti-microbial activity have made chitin an ideal biopolymer for drug delivery. Research studies have also shown many potential benefits of chitin in the formulation of functional therapy for cartilage regeneration. Chitin and its derivatives can be processed into 2D/3D scaffolds, hydrogels, films, exosomes, and nano-fibers, which make it a versatile and functional biopolymer in tissue engineering. Chitin is a biomimetic polymer that provides targeted delivery of mesenchymal stem cells, especially of chondrocytes at the injected donor sites to accelerate regeneration by enhancing cell proliferation and differentiation. Due to this property, chitin is considered an interesting polymer that has a high potential to provide targeted therapy in the regeneration of cartilage. Our paper presents an overview of the method of extraction, structure, properties, and functional role of this versatile biopolymer in tissue engineering, especially cartilage regeneration.

An Overview on Mushroom Polysaccharides: Health-promoting Properties, Prebiotic and Gut Microbiota Modulation Effects and Structure-function Correlation.

Mushroom polysaccharides are recognized as "biological response modifiers". Besides several bioactivities, a growing interest in their prebiotic potential has been raised due to the gut microbiota modulation potential. This review comprehensively summarizes mushroom polysaccharides' biological properties, structure-function relationship, and underlying mechanisms. It provides a recent overview of the key findings in the field (2018-2024). Key findings and limitations on structure-function correlation are discussed. Although most studies focus on ß-glucans or extracts, α-glucans and chitin have gained interest. Prebiotic capacity has been associated with α-glucans and chitin, while antimicrobial and wound healing potential is attributed to chitin. However, further research is of utmost importance. Human fecal fermentation is the most reported approach to assess prebiotic potential, indicating impacts on intestinal biological, mechanical, chemical and immunological barriers. Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been directly connected with intestinal, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological diseases. Concerning gut microbiota modulation, animal experiments have suggested proinflammatory cytokines reduction and redox balance re-establishment. Most literature focused on the anticancer and immunomodulatory potential. However, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic, antilipidemic, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties are discussed. A significant overview of the gaps and research directions in synergistic effects, underlying mechanisms, structure-function correlation, clinical trials and scientific data is also given.

Chitin whisker/chitosan liquid crystal hydrogel assisted scaffolds with bone-like ECM microenvironment for bone regeneration.

Natural bone exhibits a complex anisotropic and micro-nano hierarchical structure, more importantly, bone extracellular matrix (ECM) presents liquid crystal (LC) phase and viscoelastic characteristics, providing a unique microenvironment for guiding cell behavior and regulating osteogenesis. However, in bone tissue engineering scaffolds, the construction of bone-like ECM microenvironment with exquisite microstructure is still a great challenge. Here, we developed a novel polysaccharide LC hydrogel supported 3D printed poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) scaffold with bone-like ECM microenvironment and micro-nano aligned structure. First, we prepared a chitin whisker/chitosan polysaccharide LC precursor, and then infuse it into the pores of 3D printed PLLA scaffold, which was previously surface modified with a polydopamine layer. Next, the LC precursor was chemical cross-linked by genipin to form a hydrogel network with bone-like ECM viscoelasticity and LC phase in the scaffold. Subsequently, we performed directional freeze-casting on the composite scaffold to create oriented channels in the LC hydrogel. Finally, we soaked the composite scaffold in phytic acid to further physical cross-link the LC hydrogel through electrostatic interactions and impart antibacterial effects to the scaffold. The resultant biomimetic scaffold displays osteogenic activity, vascularization ability and antibacterial effect, and is expected to be a promising candidate for bone repair.

Sprayable hydroxypropyl chitin/collagen extract of Ampelopsis brevipedunculata hydrogel accelerates wound healing.

OBJECTIVE: Keeping a wound moist can allow effective and rapid healing, and it can control the formation of scabs, thereby allowing cell proliferation and epithelial formation. When regularly changing a dressing, thermosensitive hydrogel as a moist dressing does not cause a secondary wound from adhesion. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a new sprayable thermosensitive hydrogel on wound healing. METHOD: The hydrophobic N-acetyl group of chitin was removed by microwave reaction with lye until the degree of acetylation was 60%, followed by reaction with propylene oxide to obtain hydroxypropyl chitin (HPCH) with a degree of substitution of 40%. After mixing HPCH with fish scale collagen (FSC), a thermosensitive hydrogel with a gel temperature of 26.5°C was obtained. Ampelopsis brevipedunculata extracts (ABE), which have been found to accelerate wound repair and improve healing, were added. HPCH/FSC is not toxic to the mouse L929 cell line and forms a hydrogel at body surface temperature. It can be easily sprayed on a wound. The HPCH/FSC has a three-dimensional network porous structure with a swelling ratio of 10.95:1 and a water vapour transmission rate of 2386.03±228.87g/m2/day; it can facilitate the penetration of water and air, and promote absorption of wound exudate. Wound repair was performed on five Sprague-Dawley rats. Each rat had three wounds, which were treated with medical gauze, HPCH/FSC and HPCH/FSC/ABE, respectively. RESULTS: The wounds in the HPCH/FSC/ABE group recovered the fastest in vivo, the mature wound site was smoother, the re-epithelialisation was even and thicker, and the angiogenesis developed rapidly to the mature stage. CONCLUSION: In this study, HPCH/FSC/ABE thermosensitive hydrogel was shown to effectively accelerate wound healing and was convenient for practical application.

Selenizing chitooligosaccharide with site-selective modification to alleviate acute liver injury in vivo.

Two selenized chitooligosaccharide (O-Se-COS and N,O-Se-COS) with different sites modification were synthesized to alleviate liver injury in vivo. Comparing to traditional COS, both selenized COS exhibited enhanced reducibility as well as antioxidant capacity in vitro. Furthermore, O-Se-COS demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial damage compared to N,O-Se-COS as its enhanced cellular uptake by the positive/negative charge interactions. Two mechanisms were proposed to explained these results: one is to enhance the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), which effectively scavenge free radicals; the other is to down-regulate intracellular cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1) levels, inhibiting carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced peroxidation damage. In vivo studies further demonstrated the effective alleviation of CCl4-induced liver injury by selenized COS, with therapeutic efficacy observed in the following order: O-Se-COS > N,O-Se-COS > COS. Finally, hemolysis and histological tests confirmed the biosafety of both selenized COS. Taken together, these finding demonstrated that selenium has the potential to improve the biological activity of COS, and precise selenylation was more conducive to achieving the synergistic effect where 1 + 1>2.

Efficient three-dimensional (3D) human bone differentiation on quercetin-functionalized isotropic nano-architecture chitinous patterns of cockroach wings.

Developing cost-effective, biocompatible scaffolds with nano-structured surface that truthfully replicate the physico-(bio)chemical and structural properties of bone tissue's extracellular matrix (ECM) is still challenging. In this regard, surface functionalization of natural scaffolds to enhance capability of mimicking 3D niches of the bone tissue has been suggested as a solution. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the potential of chitin-based cockroach wings (CW) as a natural scaffold for bone tissue engineering. To raise the osteogenic differentiation capacity of such a scaffold, a quercetin coating was also applied (hereafter this scaffold is referred as QCW). Moreover, the QCW scaffold exhibited effective antibacterial properties against gram-positive S. aureus bacteria. With respect to bone regeneration, the QCW scaffold optimally induced the differentiation of adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (AD-hMSCs) into osteoblasts, as validated by mineralization assays, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity measurements, expression of pre-osteocyte marker genes, and immunocytochemical staining. Confirmation of the potent biocompatibility and physicochemical characteristics of the QCW scaffold through a series of in vitro and in vivo analysis revealed that surface modification had significant effect on multi-purpose features of obtained scaffold. Altogether, surface modification of QCW made it as an affordable bioinspired scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Chitinase from Streptomyces mutabilis as an Effective Eco-friendly Biocontrol Agent.

Blood sucking parasites not only cause economic loss but also transmit numerous diseases. Dermanyssus gallinae, an obligatory blood feeding ectoparasite causes huge production loss to the poultry industry. Mosquitoes act as vector for transmitting several viral and parasitic diseases in humans. Acaricide resistance limits the control of these parasites. The present study was aimed to control the parasites using chitinase that have selective degradation of chitin, an important component in exoskeleton development. Chitinase was induced in Streptomyces mutabilis IMA8 with chitin extracted from Charybdis smithii. The enzyme showed more than 50% activity at 30-50 °C and the optimum activity at 45 °C. The enzyme activity of chitinase was highest at pH 7.0. The kinetic parameters Km and Vmax values of chitinase were determined by non-linear regression using Michaelis-Menten equation and its derivative Hanes-Wolf plot. The larvicidal effect of different concentrations of chitinase was evaluated against all instar larvae (I-IV) and pupae of An. stephensi and Ae. aegypti after 24 h of exposure. The percentage of mortality was directly proportional to the chitinase concentration. Bioassay for miticidal activity showed that chitinase had excellent miticidal activity (LC50 = 24.2 ppm) against D. gallinae. The present study suggested the usage of Streptomyces mutabilis for preparation of chitinase in mosquito and mite control.

Bacterial Cellulose Electrospun Fiber Mesh Coated with Chitin Nanofibrils for Eardrum Repair.

In this study, we develop a bio-based and bioactive nanofibrous patch based on bacterial cellulose (BC) and chitin nanofibrils (CNs) using an ionic liquid as a solvent for BC, aimed at tympanic membrane (TM) repair. Electrospun BC nanofiber meshes were produced via electrospinning, and surface-modified with CNs using electrospray. The rheology of the BC/ionic liquid system was investigated. The obtained CN/BC meshes underwent comprehensive morphological, physicochemical, and mechanical characterization. Cytotoxicity tests were conducted using L929 mouse fibroblasts, revealing a cell viability of 97.8%. In vivo tests on rabbit skin demonstrated that the patches were nonirritating. Furthermore, the CN/BC fiber meshes were tested in vitro using human dermal keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells as model cells for TM perforation healing. Both cell types demonstrated successful growth on these scaffolds. The presence of CNs resulted in improved indirect antimicrobial activity of the electrospun fiber meshes. HaCaT cells exhibited an upregulated mRNA expression at 6 and 24 h of key proinflammatory cytokines crucial for the wound healing process, indicating the potential benefits of CNs in the healing response. Overall, this study presents a natural and eco-sustainable fiber mesh with great promise for applications in TM repair, leveraging the synergistic effects of BC and CNs to possibly enhance tissue regeneration and healing. Impact statement Repair of tympanic membrane perforations following chronic otitis media is a main clinical issue in otologic surgery, where the underlying infection obstacles self-healing. To address this challenge, our study proposes a bio-based patch made of nanoscale carbohydrate materials (i.e., bacterial cellulose electrospun fibers and chitin nanofibrils) processed via green solvents. The scaffold is nonirritating in vivo, and cytocompatible with fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and keratinocytes. In epithelial cells, it stimulates the expression of the antimicrobial peptide human beta defensin 2, with a pathway of cytokine expression compatible with the wound healing process. Therefore, it could be applied with unsolved infective pathology.

Antibacterial and hemostatic chitin sponge directly constructed from Pleurotus Eryngii via top-down approach.

Chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharide on earth, possesses unique characteristics, including biosafety, biodegradability, and procoagulant activity, making it an attractive material for hemostasis. However, the conventional bottom-up construction of chitin-based materials is intricate and time-consuming. In this study, we have developed a top-down strategy to prepare a 3D porous chitin-based hemostatic sponge with exceptional hemostatic properties and antibacterial activity, directly from the spongy Pleurotus eryngii. The top-down method involves deproteinization, in situ quaternization, and tannin acid crosslinking. The obtained sponge has an interconnected microporous structure with high porosity (89.7 ± 3.2 %), endowing it with high water absorption (2047 ± 105 %) and rapid water-triggered shape-memory behavior (< 2 s). The sponge exhibits superior blood coagulant activity and outperforms standard medical gauze, gelatin sponge, and chitosan sponge in both topical artery and non-compressive liver puncture wound. In addition, the sponge exhibited significant antibacterial activity against both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli. In summary, this study provides a straightforward and practical approach for constructing an antibacterial and hemostatic chitin sponge that could be a valuable option for treating bleeding wounds.

Soy protein/ß-chitin sponge-like scaffolds laden with human mesenchymal stromal cells from hair follicle or adipose tissue promote diabetic chronic wound healing.

Chronic wounds are a worldwide problem that affect >40 million people every year. The constant inflammatory status accompanied by prolonged bacterial infections reduce patient's quality of life and life expectancy drastically. An important cell type involved in the wound healing process are mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) due to their long-term demonstrated immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative capacity. Thus, in this work, we leveraged and compared the therapeutic properties of MSCs derived from both adipose tissue and hair follicle, which we combined with sponge-like scaffolds (SLS) made of valorized soy protein and ß-chitin. In this regard, the combination of these cells with biomaterials permitted us to obtain a multifunctional therapy that allowed high cell retention and growing rates while maintaining adequate cell-viability for several days. Furthermore, this combined therapy demonstrated to increase fibroblasts and keratinocytes migration, promote human umbilical vein endothelial cells angiogenesis and protect fibroblasts from highly proteolytic environments. Finally, this combined therapy demonstrated to be highly effective in reducing wound healing time in vivo with only one treatment change during all the experimental procedure, also promoting a more functional and native-like healed skin.

Cytotoxicity and Inflammatory Effects of Chitin Nanofibrils Isolated from Fungi.

Fungal nanochitin can assist the transition from the linear fossil-based economy to a circular biobased economy given its environmental benefits over conventional crustacean-nanochitin. Its real-world implementation requires carefully assessing its toxicity so that unwanted human health and environmental issues are avoided. Accordingly, the cytotoxicity and inflammatory effects of chitin nanofibrils (ChNFs) from white mushroom is assessed. ChNFs are few nanometers in diameter, with a 75.8% N-acetylation degree, a crystallinity of 59.1%, and present a 44:56 chitin/glucan weight ratio. Studies are conducted for aqueous colloidal ChNF dispersions (0-5 mg·mL-1) and free-standing films having physically entangled ChNFs. Aqueous dispersions of chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) isolated via hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of α-chitin powder are also evaluated for comparison. Cytotoxicity studies conducted in human fibroblasts (MRC-5 cells) and murine brain microglia (BV-2 cells) reveal a comparatively safer behavior over related biobased nanomaterials. However, a strong inflammatory response was observed when BV-2 cells were cultured in the presence of colloidal ChNFs. These novel cytotoxicity and inflammatory studies shed light on the potential of fungal ChNFs for biomedical applications.

Phenolic Acid Functional Quaternized Chitooligosaccharide Derivatives: Preparation, Characterization, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antifungal Activity.

As a promising biological material, chitooligosaccharide (COS) has attracted increasing attention because of its unique biological activities. In this study, fourteen novel phenolic acid functional COS derivatives were successfully prepared using two facile methods. The structures of derivatives were characterized by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectra. The in vitro antioxidant activity experiment results demonstrated that the derivatives presented stronger 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and reducing power, especially the N,N,N-trimethylated chitooligosaccharide gallic acid salt (GLTMC), gallic acid esterified N,N,N-trimethylated chitooligosaccharide (GL-TMC) and caffeic acid N,N,N-trimethylated chitooligosaccharide (CFTMC) derivatives. Furthermore, the antifungal assay was carried out and the results indicated that the salicylic acid esterified N,N,N-trimethylated chitooligosaccharide (SY-TMC) had much better inhibitory activity against Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium graminearum. Additionally, the results of the bacteriostasis experiment showed that the caffeic acid esterified N,N,N-trimethylated chitooligosaccharide (CF-TMC) had the potential ability to inhibit Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Altogether, this study may provide a neoteric method to produce COS derivatives with significantly increased biological activities, which have potential use in food, medicine, and health care products and other related industries.

Induction of plant disease resistance by mixed oligosaccharide elicitors prepared from plant cell wall and crustacean shells.

Basal plant immune responses are activated by the recognition of conserved microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), or breakdown molecules released from the plants after damage by pathogen penetration, so-called damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). While chitin-oligosaccharide (CHOS), a primary component of fungal cell walls, is most known as MAMP, plant cell wall-derived oligosaccharides, cello-oligosaccharides (COS) from cellulose, and xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) from hemicellulose are representative DAMPs. In this study, elicitor activities of COS prepared from cotton linters, XOS prepared from corn cobs, and chitin-oligosaccharide (CHOS) from crustacean shells were comparatively investigated. In Arabidopsis, COS, XOS, or CHOS treatment triggered typical defense responses such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, phosphorylation of MAP kinases, callose deposition, and activation of the defense-related transcription factor WRKY33 promoter. When COS, XOS, and CHOS were used at concentrations with similar activity in inducing ROS production and callose depositions, CHOS was particularly potent in activating the MAPK kinases and WRKY33 promoters. Among the COS and XOS with different degrees of polymerization, cellotriose and xylotetraose showed the highest activity for the activation of WRKY33 promoter. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of RNAseq data revealed that simultaneous treatment of COS, XOS, and CHOS (oligo-mix) effectively activates plant disease resistance. In practice, treatment with the oligo-mix enhanced the resistance of tomato to powdery mildew, but plant growth was not inhibited but rather tended to be promoted, providing evidence that treatment with the oligo-mix has beneficial effects on improving disease resistance in plants, making them a promising class of compounds for practical application.