Phage-Based antibacterial hydrogels for bacterial targeting and Ablation: Progress and perspective.

The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria makes antibiotics inadequate to treat bacterial infections, which is now a global problem. Phage as a virus with specific recognition ability can effectively kill the bacteria, which is an efficacious antibacterial material to replace antibiotics. Phage-based hydrogels have good biocompatibility and antibacterial effect at the site of infection. Phage hydrogels have remarkable antibacterial effects on targeted bacteria because of their specific targeted bactericidal ability, but there are few reports and reviews on phage hydrogels. This paper discusses the construction method of phage-based antibacterial hydrogels (PAGs), summarizes the advantages related to PAGs and their applications in the direction of wound healing, treating bone bacterial infections, gastrointestinal infection treatment and other application, and finally gives an outlook on the development and research of PAGs.

Biological regulation on iodine using nano-starch for preventing thyroid dysfunction.

The growing incidence of thyroid disease triggered by excess iodine uptake poses a severe health threat throughout the world. Extracellular interference therapies impede iodine transport across the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) membrane protein and thus prevent excessive iodine uptake by thyroid cells, which may lessen the occurrence of disease. Herein, we for the first time utilized nano-starch particles (St NPs) to regulate iodine transport across the NIS protein of thyroid cells by using extracellular interference therapy. By precisely encapsulating iodine within the cavity of a glucan α-helix via hydrogen bonding, extracellular St NPs prevented excess iodine uptake by thyroid cells in vitro and in vivo; this down-regulated the expression of NIS protein (0.06-fold) and autophagy protein LC3B-II (0.35-fold). We also found that St NPs regulated the metabolic pathway of iodine in zebrafish. We believe this proposed strategy offers a novel insight into controlling iodine uptake by the thyroid and indicates a new direction for preventing iodine-induced thyroid disease.

Recent advances in bacterial cellulose-based antibacterial composites for infected wound therapy.

Wound infection arising from pathogenic bacteria brought serious trouble to the patient and medical system. Among various wound dressings that are effective in killing pathogenic bacteria, antimicrobial composites based on bacterial cellulose (BC) are becoming the most popular materials due to their success in eliminating pathogenic bacteria, preventing wound infection, and promoting wound healing. However, as an extracellular natural polymer, BC is not inherently antimicrobial, which means that it must be combined with other antimicrobials to be effective against pathogens. BC has many advantages over other polymers, including nano-structure, significant moisture retention, non-adhesion to the wound surface, which has made it superior to other biopolymers. This review introduces the recent advances in BC-based composites for the treatment of wound infection, including the classification and preparation methods of composites, the mechanism of wound treatment, and commercial application. Moreover, their wound therapy applications include hydrogel dressing, surgical sutures, wound healing bandages, and patches are summarized in detail. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of BC-based antibacterial composites for the treatment of infected wounds are discussed.

Functional carbohydrate-based hydrogels for diabetic wound therapy.

Diabetes wound are grave and universal complications of diabetes. Owing to poor treatment course, high amputation rate and mortality, diabetes wound treatment and care have become a global challenge. Wound dressings have received much attention due to their ease of use, good therapeutic effect, and low costs. Among them, carbohydrate-based hydrogels with excellent biocompatibility are considered to be the best candidates for wound dressings. Based on this, we first systematically summarized the problems and healing mechanism of diabetes wounds. Next, common treatment methods and wound dressings were discussed, and the application of various carbohydrate-based hydrogels and their corresponding functionalization (antibacterial, antioxidant, autoxidation and bioactive substance delivery) in the treatment of diabetes wounds were emphatically introduced. Ultimately, the future development of carbohydrate-based hydrogel dressings was proposed. This review aims to provide a deeper understanding of wound treatment and theoretical support for the design of hydrogel dressings.

Near-infrared Light-accelerated Glucose Oxidase-MoS2 Cascade Catalytic Chemodynamic Therapy in Synergistic Cationic Polymer Hydrogels to Combate Multibacterial Infection.

Given the poor antibacterial activity of hydrogels, a multimodal synergistic antibacterial hydrogel based on dopamine-modified oxidized hyaluronic acid was developed, and its antibacterial activity and biocompatibility were demonstrated. First, dopamine-modified oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA-DA) was used as the hydrogel backbone. A dual-dynamically cross-linked injectable hydrogel was constructed by mixing OHA-DA, Fe3+ with cationic antimicrobial peptide polylysine (EPL) via Schiff base and coordination complexation. Next, glucose oxidase-loaded MoS2 nanosheets were synthesized through electrostatic interaction and loaded into the hydrogel through physical mixing. Finally, a multimodal synergistic antibacterial hydrogel OD/EPL/GM was obtained. Antibacterial experiments show that the hydrogel has good antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, and the antibacterial rate can reach 99.99%.

Advances in stimuli-responsive systems for pesticides delivery: Recent efforts and future outlook.

Effective pest management for enhanced crop output is one of the primary goals of establishing sustainable agricultural practices in the world. Pesticides are critical in preventing biological disasters, ensuring crop productivity, and fostering sustainable agricultural production growth. Studies showed that crops are unable to properly utilize pesticides because of several limiting factors, such as leaching and bioconversion, thereby damaging ecosystems and human health. In recent years, stimuli-responsive systems for pesticides delivery (SRSP) by nanotechnology demonstrated excellent promise in enhancing the effectiveness and safety of pesticides. SRSP are being developed with the goal of delivering precise amounts of active substances in response to biological needs and environmental factors. An in-depth analysis of carrier materials, design fundamentals, and classification of SRSP were provided. The adhesion of SRSP to crop tissue, absorption, translocation in and within plants, mobility in the soil, and toxicity were also discussed. The problems and shortcomings that need be resolved to accelerate the actual deployment of SRSP were highlighted in this review.

A Light-Triggered pH-Responsive Metal-Organic Framework for Smart Delivery of Fungicide to Control Sclerotinia Diseases of Oilseed Rape.

Using a simple one-pot method, we developed a prochloraz (Pro) and pH-jump reagent-loaded zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (PD@ZIF-8) composite for the smart control of Sclerotinia disease. The pH-jump reagent can induce the acidic degradation of ZIF-8 using UV light to realize the controlled release of Pro. Thus, the physical properties of PD@ZIF-8, such as its release, formulation stability, and adhesion, were investigated in detail. The results showed that the quantity of Pro released by PD@ZIF-8 under UV light irradiation (365 nm) was 63.4 ± 3.5%, whereas under dark conditions, it was only 13.7 ± 0.8%. In vitro activity indicated that the EC50 of PD@ZIF-8 under UV light irradiation was 0.122 ± 0.02 µg/mL, which was not significantly different from that of Pro (0.107 ± 0.01 µg/mL). Pot experiments showed that the efficacy of PD@ZIF-8 under light irradiation was 51.2 ± 5.7% for a fungal infection at 14 days post-spraying, whereas the effectiveness of prochloraz emulsion in water was only 9.3 ± 3.3%. Furthermore, fluorescence tracking of ZIF-8 and biosafety experiments showed that ZIF-8 could be absorbed by plant leaves and transported to various parts of oilseed rape in a short period of time and that PD@ZIF-8 was relatively safe for plants and HepG2 cells. These results highlight the potential of the composite to provide efficient and smart delivery of fungicides into plants for protection against diseases and provide an idea for developing sustainable agriculture.

A temperature-responsive release cellulose-based microcapsule loaded with chlorpyrifos for sustainable pest control.

Controlled pesticide release in response to environmental stimuli by encapsulating pesticide in carrier is a feasible approach to improve the effective utilization rate. Here, a temperature-responsive release microcapsule loaded with chlorpyrifos (CPF@CM) was prepared from n-hexadecane-in-water emulsions via interfacial polymerization. The microcapsule was consisted of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) as the shell wall material and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) as the crosslinker. The prepared CPF@CM had pesticide-loading efficiency (33.1 wt%) and favorable adhesion on the surface of cucumber and peanut foliage compared with conventional formulation. Additionally, CPF@CM could protect chlorpyrifos against photodegradation effectively. The in vitro release test showed that microcapsule had adjustable controlled-release characteristics with the change in temperature based on phase transition of the n-hexadecane core. Bioassay studies showed that control efficacy of CPF@CM microcapsule against P. xylostella was positively correlated with temperature because of temperature-induced changes in release rate. The acute toxicity of CPF@CM to zebrafish was reduced more than 5-fold compared with that of CPF technical. These results indicated that the microcapsule release system has great potential in the development of an effective and environmentally friendly pesticide formulation.

3D, eco-friendly metal-organic frameworks@carbon nanotube aerogels composite materials for removal of pesticides in water.

To alleviate the secondary risks of using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) nanoparticles as adsorbent, a novel method of loading two MOFs (ZIF-8 or UiO66-NH2) on the carbon nanotube aerogels (MPCA) by in situ nucleation and growth of MOFs nanoparticles onto carbon nanotubes were developed. The prepared MOFs@MPCA aerogels were well characterized via SEM, TEM, EDS, FT-IR, XRD and XPS to reveal the microstructure and formation mechanism of MOF@MPCA. Besides, the hydrophilia, mechanical property and thermostability of MOF@MPCA were investigated. The results showed that MOF@MPCA had good hydrophilia, compression resilience and thermostability. The study on the ability to adsorb herbicides (chipton and alachlor) showed that the adsorption capacity of MOF@MPCA was stronger compared with single MOFs nanoparticles, which indicated that there was a synergistic effect between MOFs and MPCA. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of chipton adsorbed by UiO66-NH2@MPCA was 227.3 mg/g, and can be expediently reused for 5 cycles without a significant decrease in adsorption performance. Moreover, the results of biosafety experiments showed that MPCA can reduce the risk of MOFs nanoparticles leakage into the environment and accumulation in organisms. This work can provide a new research idea, which has potential applications to remove pollutants effectively and safely from the environment.

High foliar affinity cellulose for the preparation of efficient and safe fipronil formulation.

In this work, fipronil was encapsulated within ethanediamine-modified carboxymethylcellulose (ACMC) to prepare an efficient and environmentally safe pesticide formulation (ACMCF). The chemical structure, morphology, foliar adhesion, bioactivity, and soil mobility of ACMCF were also systematically investigated. Results demonstrated that fipronil was encapsulated to form microcapsules successfully. Compared with the traditional fipronil emulsion (FE), ACMCF had a relatively high retention rate on cucumber and peanut leaves. The acute contact toxicity of ACMCF (LD50 = 0.151 µg a.i./bee) toward Apis mellifera was far lower than that of FE (LD50 = 0.00204 µg a.i./bee). Biological activity surveys confirmed that ACMCF has insecticidal ability against Plutella xylostella similar to that of FE. Moreover, the leaching and migration properties of ACMCF in three different kinds soils were weaker than those of FE. These results imply that ACMCF has promising application potential in increasing the effective utilization of fipronil and reducing risk to non-target organisms and the environment.

Innovative Approach to Nano Thiazole-Zn with Promising Physicochemical and Bioactive Properties by Nanoreactor Construction.

Nanotechnology has provided a novel approach for the preparation of a safe and highly effective pesticide formulation. Thiazole-Zn, a widely used bactericide, was successfully prepared at nanoscale by an innovative approach of final synthesis process control. Its plausible formation mechanism based on restricted particle aggregation in a nanoreactor was elucidated. Then in order to assess the application performance of thiazole-Zn nanoparticle, the nanoformulation (NPF) was conveniently formulated. Interestingly, the physicochemical properties of NPF showed better than that of the commercial pesticide formulation (CPF) in dispersibility, wettability, spreadability, and stability. At the same time, the in vitro bioassay showed that the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of NPF against Xanthomonas oryzae pv Oryzae (XOO), Xanthomonas oryzae pv Oryzicola (XOC), Erwinia carotovora subsp. Carotovora (Jones) Holland (ECC), and Erwinia chrysanthemi pv Zeae (ECZ) were 46.88, 93.75, 93.75, and 375.00 mg/L, respectively, whereas those of CPF were 93.75, 375.00, 375.00, and 875.00 mg/L, respectively. Therefore, NPF exhibited stronger antibacterial activity against the above-mentioned pathogens. Moreover, NPF was more effective to bacterial blight of rice than CPF in field trial. As a conclusion, nanotechnology for pesticides by synthesis process control will have a potential in improving the utilization efficiency and relieving the corresponding environmental pollution.

Design, Synthesis, and Fungicidal Evaluation of Novel Pyrazole-furan and Pyrazole-pyrrole Carboxamide as Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors.

The identification of novel succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) inhibitors represents one of the most attractive directions in the field of fungicide research and development. During our continuous efforts to pursue inhibitors belonging to this class, some structurally novel pyrazole-furan carboxamide and pyrazole-pyrrole carboxamide derivatives have been discovered via the introduction of scaffold hopping and bioisosterism to compound 1, a remarkably potent lead obtained by pharmacophore-based virtual screening. As a result of the evaluation against three destructive fungi, including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Pyricularia grisea, a majority of them displayed potent fungicidal activities. In particular, compounds 12I-i, 12III-f, and 12III-o exhibited excellent fungicidal activity against S. sclerotiorum and R. solani comparable to that of commercial SDHI thifluzamide and 1.

Discovery of Novel Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors by the Integration of in Silico Library Design and Pharmacophore Mapping.

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) has been demonstrated as a promising target for fungicide discovery. Crystal structure data have indicated that the carboxyl "core" of current SDH inhibitors contributed largely to their binding affinity. Thus, identifying novel carboxyl "core" SDH inhibitors would remarkably improve the biological potency of current SDHI fungicides. Herein, we report the discovery and optimization of novel carboxyl scaffold SDH inhibitor via the integration of in silico library design and a highly specific amide feature-based pharmacophore model. To our delight, a promising SDH inhibitor, A16c (IC50 = 1.07 µM), with a novel pyrazol-benzoic scaffold was identified, which displayed excellent activity against Rhizoctonia solani (EC50 = 11.0 µM) and improved potency against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (EC50 = 5.5 µM) and Phyricularia grisea (EC50 = 12.0 µM) in comparison with the positive control thifluzamide, with EC50 values of 0.09, 33.2, and 33.4 µM, respectively. The results showed that our virtual screening strategy could serve as a powerful tool to accelerate the discovery of novel SDH inhibitors.