A Degradable-Renewable Ionic Skin Based on Edible Glutinous Rice Gel.

Traditional wearable devices are commonly nonrecyclable and nondegradable, resulting in energy waste and environmental pollution. Here, a household degradable and renewable ionic skin based on edible glutinous rice gel is developed for a strain, temperature and salivary enzyme activity sensor. This gel depends on intermolecular and intramolecular H-bonds among amylopectin and amylose, and this presents excellent skin-like properties, including stretchability, self-healing property, and adhesion to various substrates. The glutinous rice gel-based skin sensor can be used to monitor vital signs and physiological parameters such as body temperature and heart rate. The sensor also achieves specific speech recognition and detects temperature and body micromovements, which provides the potential to reconstruct language or sensory/motor functions. More importantly, because of the excellent biocompatibility and degradability, the sensor can directly detect the activity of human salivary amylase, which is useful for diagnosing pancreas-, kidney-, and spleen-related diseases in the elderly. Finally, the raw material of ionic skin that originates from traditional grains is degradable and renewable as well as it can be used to prepare household wearable devices. Hence, this work not only extends the application of wearable electronics in daily life but also facilitates health monitoring in the elderly and improves their quality of life.

The hydrogel of whey protein isolate coated by lotus root amylopectin enhance the stability and bioavailability of quercetin.

In this study, whey protein isolate (WPI)-quercetin (Que)-lotus root amylopectin (LRA) hydrogels (WPI-QUE-LRA) was developed to improve the solubility, stability and bioavailability of quercetin. Results showed that the favorable WPI-QUE-LRA was formed using WPI and LRA in the ratio of 1:2 at pH 7.0. Under this condition, the average size, polydispersity index, zeta potential of the WPI-QUE-LRA was 179.5 nm, 0.271, -18.6 mV, respectively. The analysis of transmission electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometer revealed that the quercetin was successfully encapsulated in WPI-LRA, giving a high encapsulation efficiency of 92.4 %. Moreover, the WPI-LRA could significantly improve the storage stability and photochemical stability of quercetin. The in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that LRA-coated WPI hydrogel can enable quercetin to be stable in stomach and be effectively released in small intestine, leading to the enhancement of the bioavailability of quercetin.

Polysaccharide-coated liposomal amphotericin B for the treatment of murine pulmonary candidiasis.

Amylopectin-coated liposomal amphotericin B was investigated in a murine model of pulmonary candidiasis. The LD50 of amylopectin-coated liposomal amphotericin B in normal mice was more than 10.0 mg/kg, and that of conventional amphotericin B was 1.2 mg/kg. Amylopectin-coated liposomes showed twice the concentration in the lungs of conventional liposomes. Candida albicans was inoculated intratracheally into BALB/C mice. Twenty-four hours later, the number of Candida in the lungs of mice treated with amylopectin-coated liposomes was less than in those treated with conventional liposomes, and amylopectin-coated liposomes improved the survival rate of inoculated mice. Coating liposomes with amylopectin aids the targeting of amphotericin B to the lungs.

Induction of colorectal tumors in rats by sulfated polysaccharides.

Some sulfated polysaccharides, such as d-CGN, APS, and DSS, have carcinogenicity to the rat colorectum. These materials first induced colitis, secondly squamous metaplasia, and finally tumors at the colorectum. Initially, colitis was located in the columnar epithelium of the rectum and extended proximally thereafter. Squamous metaplasia persisted in almost all experimental rats and progressed irreversibly. The tumors were adenoma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell papilloma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Macrophages containing these materials were observed in the lamina propria mucosa and submucosa of the colorectum. There were differences in the molecular weight of the substances and their tumor incidences. However, with regard to their carcinogenicity, these sulfated polysaccharides were inferred to be similar to each other in their target organs and process of tumor development. Consequently, these sulfated polysaccharides may be one entity of carcinogenic sulfates.

Induction of colorectal adenocarcinoma in rats by amylopectin sulfate.

The carcinogenicity of orally administered amylopectin sulfate was studied in F344 rats. Amylopectin sulfate induced adenomas and adenocarcinomas in the rat colorectum. The incidences of tumor induction in groups that were given a 5% diet of amylopectin sulfate for 3, 6 and 9 months were 2 out of 20 rats (10%), 9 out of 20 rats (45%) and 12 out of 20 rats (60%), respectively. Squamous metaplasia of the colorectum persisted in all rats and progressed irreversibly. Amylopectin sulfate was deposited in the colorectal lamina propria, submucosa and regional lymph nodes. Amylopectin sulfate induced a lesion similar to that produced by degraded carrageenan in the rat colorectum.