Scaffold Using Chitosan, Agarose, Cellulose, Dextran and Protein for Tissue Engineering-A Review.

Biological macromolecules like polysaccharides/proteins/glycoproteins have been widely used in the field of tissue engineering due to their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix of tissue. In addition to this, these macromolecules are found to have higher biocompatibility and no/lesser toxicity when compared to synthetic polymers. In recent years, scaffolds made up of proteins, polysaccharides, or glycoproteins have been highly used due to their tensile strength, biodegradability, and flexibility. This review is about the fabrication methods and applications of scaffolds made using various biological macromolecules, including polysaccharides like chitosan, agarose, cellulose, and dextran and proteins like soy proteins, zein proteins, etc. Biopolymer-based nanocomposite production and its application and limitations are also discussed in this review. This review also emphasizes the importance of using natural polymers rather than synthetic ones for developing scaffolds, as natural polymers have unique properties, like high biocompatibility, biodegradability, accessibility, stability, absence of toxicity, and low cost.

Bauhinia tomentosa stimulates the immune system and scavenges free radical generation in vitro.

A methanolic extract of Bauhinia tomentosa was studied for its immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity in BALB/c mice. Intraperitoneal administration of the extract significantly increased the total leukocyte account (10075 +/- 542 cells/cm2) on the 18th day, bone marrow cellularity (93.1 x 10(5) +/- 3.35 cells/femur), and alpha-esterase positive cells (1332 +/- 32 cells/4000 bone marrow cells) when compared with untreated control mice. The weights of lymphoid organs, such as spleen and thymus, also increased. An evaluation of the antioxidant activity of B. tomentosa revealed that the extract inhibited non-enzymic lipid peroxidation in mouse liver microsomes at all concentrations, with an IC50 value of 90 microg/ml. For nitric oxide radical scavenging activity, the IC50 of B. tomentosa was 65.0 microg/ml, indicating that B. tomentosa is a good antioxidant. The anti-inflammatory effect B. tomentosa also significantly reduced acute inflammation of the paw edema induced by carrageenan and formalin.