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Abstract Hydroxyapatite (HA) is an extensively used biomaterial for dental and orthopaedic applications because of its biocompatibility and biomimetic nature. HA is extensively used as a bone-graft substitute. HA bone graft substitutes of bovine or synthetic origins have been extensively studied. However, caprine-based HA has not been explored. In this study, we aimed to determine the utilization of goat bone-derived HA for commercial applications. HA from caprine bone and teeth was isolated using thermal calcination. The developed HA can be used as a bone graft substitute. Chemical characterization of the isolated HA was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The biocompatibility and apatite formation of isolated HA were assessed using MG-63 cells, MC3T3-E1, L929 cells, MSCs, adipose derived stem cells, human dermal tissue derived fibroblast cells and osteoblast-like cell line, The studies demonstrate that HA support cell adhesion and osteogenic properties. To improve sheep, lamp, or caprine bone-derived HA, several other composites have been developed with MgO2, ZrO2, ZnO2, and other polymeric substances. 3D printed technology was used to develop a bioink using sheep-derived HA and printed the composite scaffold as a bone graft substitute. Furthermore, the biomedical applications of sheep-derived HA been studied in terms of their antimicrobial activity, bone-forming ability, and wound healing applications. Sheep-, goat-, and caprine-derived HA are still underutilized and require further research to develop commercial possibilities and sustainable raw materials for HA-based bone graft substitutes.

Despite present antiviral agents that can effectively work against HIV-1 replication, side effects and drug resistance have pushed researchers toward novel approaches. In this context, there is a continued focus on discovering new and more effective antiviral compounds, particularly those that have a natural origin. Polysaccharides are known for their numerous bioactivities, including inhibiting HIV-1 infection and replication. In the present study, phosphorylated chitosan oligosaccharides (PCOSs) were evaluated for their anti-HIV-1 potential in vitro. Treatment with PCOSs effectively protected cells from HIV-1-induced lytic effects and suppressed the production of HIV-1 p24 protein. In addition, results show that PCOSs lost their protective effect upon post-infection treatment. According to the results of ELISA, PCOSs notably disrupted the binding of HIV-1 gp120 protein to T cell surface receptor CD4, which is required for HIV-1 entry. Overall, the results point out that PCOSs might prevent HIV-1 infection at the entry stage, possibly via blocking the viral entry through disruption of virus–cell fusion. Nevertheless, the current results only present the potential of PCOSs, and further studies to elucidate its action mechanism in detail are needed to employ phosphorylation of COSs as a method to develop novel antiviral agents.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of gallic acid grafted onto COS chains (GA-COS), focusing on the reduction of nitric oxide production, downregulation of inflammatory signals such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), gene expression of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signalling, including the p50 and p65 subunits. The anti-inflammatory effect is mediated through the reduction of nitric oxide production and downregulation of inflammatory proteins such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), gene expression of cytokines like TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signalling, including the p50 and p65 subunits. Target proteins were identified by western blot analysis with specific monoclonal antibodies. The levels of gene expression were determined by the RT-PCR method. The results demonstrate that GA-COS effectively reduces nitric oxide generation and downregulates iNOS protein and cytokine expression and NF-κB signalling in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced RAW 264.7 cells. GA-COS exhibits significantly enhanced anti-inflammatory activity compared to the free chitooligosaccharide chain. This study lays the groundwork for future research to demonstrate that GACOS holds significant potential as a novel compound for the prevention of inflammatory diseases.

Introduction: Withania somnifera (WS) or ashwagandha is an adaptogenic plant used extensively in traditional medicines and as a food supplement. Despite a long history of use and numerous clinical trials, the human pharmacokinetics of withanolides, the active phytochemicals in WS extracts, have not been fully evaluated. This study evaluated the oral pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of active withanolides in human plasma after administration of a single dose of two commercial ashwagandha extracts containing equal amounts of total withanolides. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, single-dose crossover study of 16 healthy human volunteers evaluated the acute oral bioavailability of withanolides and the bioequivalence of two WS extracts, WS-35 and WS-2.5. WS-35 was standardized to total withanolides not less than 40% comprising not less than 35% withanolide glycosides and WS-2.5 was standardized to 2.5% withanolides. The clinical dosages were normalized to 185 mg of total withanolide in each extract at the bioequivalent dosages. The pharmacokinetic parameters of withanolide A, withanoside IV, withaferin A, and total withanolides were quantified in the blood plasma using a validated LC-MS/MS method. Results: The half-life, C-max, and mean residence time of the total withanolides were 5.18, 5.62 and 4.13 times significantly higher and had lower systemic clearance with WS-35 than with WS-2.5 extract. Considering the plasma AUC 0-inf of total withanolides per mg of each WS extract administered orally, WS-35 was 280.74 times more bioavailable than WS-2.5. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the importance of withanolide glycosides in improving the pharmacokinetics of WS extracts. Owing to its superior pharmacokinetic profile, WS-35, with 35% withanolide glycosides, is a promising candidate for further studies on Withania somnifera. Clinical trial registration: CTRI/2020/10/028397 [registered on:13/10/2020] (Trial prospectively registered) http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?trialid=42149&EncHid=&userName=CTRI/2020/10/028397.

Biomimetic materials for better bone graft substitutes are a thrust area of research among researchers and clinicians. Autografts, allografts, and synthetic grafts are often utilized to repair and regenerate bone defects. Autografts are still considered the gold-standard method/material to treat bone-related issues with satisfactory outcomes. It is important that the material used for bone tissue repair is simultaneously osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteogenic. To overcome this problem, researchers have tried several ways to develop different materials using chitosan-based nanocomposites of silver, copper, gold, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and biosilica. The combination of materials helps in the expression of ideal bone formation genes of alkaline phosphatase, bone morphogenic protein, runt-related transcription factor-2, bone sialoprotein, and osteocalcin. In vitro and in vivo studies highlight the scientific findings of antibacterial activity, tissue integration, stiffness, mechanical strength, and degradation behaviour of composite materials for tissue engineering applications.

Increased fisheries products have raised by-products that are discarded due to low economic value. In addition, marine by-products are still rich in protein and nutritional value that have biological activities and give benefits to human health. Meanwhile, there is raised pressure for sustainability practices in marine industries to reduce waste and minimize the detrimental effect on the environment. Thus, valorization by-products through bioactive peptide mining are crucial. This review focus on various ways to obtain bioactive peptides from marine by-products through protein hydrolysis, for instance chemical hydrolysis (acid and based), biochemical hydrolysis (autolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis), microbial fermentation, and subcritical water hydrolysis. Nevertheless, these processes have benefits and drawbacks which need to be considered. This review also addresses various biological activities that are favorable in pharmaceutical industries, including antioxidant, antihypertensive, anticancer, anti-obesity, and other beneficial bioactivities. In addition, some potential marine resources of Indonesia for the marine biopeptide from their by-product or undesired marine commodities would be addressed as well.

Polyphenol has been used in treatment for some health disorders due to their diverse health promoting properties. These compounds can reduce the impacts of oxidation on the human body, prevent the organs and cell structure against deterioration and protect their functional integrity. The health promoting abilities are attributed to their high bioactivity imparting them high antioxidative, antihypertensive, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral activity, as well as anticancer properties. The application of polyphenols such as flavonoids, catechin, tannins, and phenolic acids in the food industry as bio-preservative substances for foods and beverages can exert a superb activity on the inhibition of oxidative stress via different types of mechanisms. In this review, the detailed classification of polyphenolic compunds and their important bioactivity with special focus on human health are addressed. Additionally, their ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 could be used as alternative therapy to treat COVID patients. Inclusions of polyphenolic compounds in various foods have demonstrated their ability to extend shelf life and they positive impacts on human health (antioxidative, antihypertensive, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, anticancer). Additionally, their ability to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been reported. Considering their natural occurrence and GRAS status they are highly recommended in food.

The fourth generation of bioethanol production is on a lookout for non-lignocellulosic biomass waste. One such candidate is chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer on earth. However, the crystalline nature of chitin hinders its application potential for bioethanol production. This limitation can be circumvented by hydrolysing this polymer into oligomers using chitinases. We used this hypothesis and isolated a Bacillus haynesii, a marine bacterium that utilizes colloidal chitin as a substrate and produces chitin oligosaccharides. Further, we utilized Mucor circinelloides to produce bioethanol using the chitin oligosaccharides in the shake flask. We investigated the effect of inoculum age, filling volume, different substrates, and substrate concentration on bioethanol production using Mucor circinelloides from Bacillus haynesii-produced chitin oligosaccharides. Bacillus haynesii demonstrated a maximum chitinase activity of 3.08 U/mL with specific activity of 96 U/mg at the 90th h. Chitin oligosaccharides produced by Bacillus haynesii were confirmed using mass spectrometry. Bioethanol concentration was determined using dichromate oxidation assay as well as gas chromatography. The research resulted in 7.4 g/L of ethanol from 30 g/L of chitin oligosaccharides, with a maximum ethanol yield of 0.25 g of ethanol/g substrate at the 55th h with 48 h inoculum in 80 mL of fermentation medium. Results suggest that chitin oligosaccharides from Bacillus haynesii are an effective and renewable substrate for bioethanol production.

The market demand for marine-based cosmetics has shown a tremendous growth rate in the last decade. Marine resources represent a promising source of novel bioactive compounds for new cosmetic ingredient development. However, concern about sustainability also becomes an issue that should be considered in developing cosmetic ingredients. The fisheries industry (e.g., fishing, farming, and processing) generates large amounts of leftovers containing valuable substances, which are potent sources of cosmeceutical ingredients. Several bioactive substances could be extracted from the marine by-product that can be utilized as a potent ingredient to develop cosmetics products. Those bioactive substances (e.g., collagen from fish waste and chitin from crustacean waste) could be utilized as anti-photoaging, anti-wrinkle, skin barrier, and hair care products. From this perspective, this review aims to approach the potential active ingredients derived from marine by-products for cosmetics and discuss the possible activity of those active ingredients in promoting human beauty. In addition, this review also covers the prospect and challenge of using marine by-products toward the emerging concept of sustainable blue cosmetics.

The role of NLRP3 in the tumour microenvironment is elusive. In some cancers, the activation of NLRP3 causes a worse prognosis and in some cancers, NLRP3 increases chances of survivability. However, in many cases where NLRP3 has a protumorigenic role, inhibition of NLRP3 would be a crucial step in therapy. Consequently, activation of NLRP3 would be of essence when inflammation is required. Although many ways of inhibiting and activating NLRP3 in cancers have been discussed before, not a lot of focus has been given to chitin and chitosan in this context. The availability of these marine compounds and their versatility in dealing with inflammation needs to be investigated further in relation with cancers, along with other natural extracts. In this review, the effects of NLRP3 on gastrointestinal and gynaecological cancers and the impact of different natural extracts on NLRP3s with special emphasis on chitin and chitosan is discussed. A research gap in using chitin derivatives as anti/pro-inflammatory agents in cancer treatment has been highlighted.

Abstract The coupling between magnons and phonons and the associated phenomena have long been a focus of research in condensed matter physics. Contrary to its recognized role in magnon relaxation, its impact on phonon transport remains largely unexplored. Here, we fill this gap by investigating the effect of magnon-phonon coupling on phonon excitation, relaxation, and transport with magneto-optical reflectometry. Through simultaneous measurements of magnon and phonon populations in magnetic insulator thulium iron garnet, we observe the excitation of excessive phonons driven by non-equilibrium magnons, demonstrating the magnetic control of phonons. Furthermore, our time-resolved experiments reveal the magnetic field-dependent phononic thermal conductivity, signaling the potential of magnetic manipulation of heat transport. Our finding indicates that phonons can be controlled by magnetic means through magnon-phonon coupling and thereby opens a new avenue to harness magneto-thermoelectric effects in magnetic insulators.

We present a theoretical study of the scattering of spin waves by a domain wall (DW) in a ferrimagnetic (FiM) spin chain in which two sublattices carry spins of unequal magnitudes. We find that a narrow but atomically smooth FiM DW exhibits a different behavior in comparison with similarly smooth ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic DWs due to the inequivalence of the two sublattices. Specifically, for sufficiently weak anisotropy, the smaller spin at the center of the DW is found to become precisely normal to the easy axis, selecting an arbitrary direction in the xy plane and thereby breaking the U(1) spin-rotational symmetry spontaneously. This particular form of a FiM DW does not occur in antiferromagnetic systems and is shown to lead to a strong dependence of spin-wave scattering pattern on the state of polarization of the spin wave, which can be either right-handed or left-handed, suggesting the utilization of such a narrow DW as a spin-wave filter. Moreover, we find that in the case of an atomically sharp DW, where all the spins point either up or down due to strong easy-axis anisotropy and therefore the polarization of the spin wave is conserved upon transmission, the wave vector of the spin-wave changes after passing through the DW leading to a change in the group velocity of the spin wave. This change of the wave vector indicates the acceleration or deceleration of the spin waves and thus a sharp FiM DW could serve as a spin-wave accelerator or decelerator in spintronics devices, offering a functionality absent in a ferromagnetic and an antiferromagnetic counterpart. Our results indicate that FiM spin textures can interact with spin waves distinctly from ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic counterparts, suggesting that they may offer spin-wave functionalities that are absent in more conventional magnets.

Abstract Pick-and-place is essential in diverse robotic applications for industries including manufacturing, and assembly. Soft grippers offer a cost-effective, and low-maintenance alternative for secure object grasping without complex sensing and control systems. However, their inherent softness normally limits payload capabilities and robustness to external disturbances, constraining their applications and hindering reliable performance. In this study, we propose a weaving-inspired grasping mechanism that substantially increases payload capacity while maintaining the use of soft and flexible materials. Drawing from weaving principles, we designed a flexible continuum structure featuring multiple closed-loop strips and employing a kirigami-inspired approach to enable the instantaneous and reversible creation of a woven configuration. The mechanical stability of the woven configuration offers exceptional loading capacity, while the softness of the gripper material ensures safe and adaptive interactions with objects. Experimental results show that the 130 g·f gripper can support up to 100 kg·f. Outperforming competitors in similar weight and softness domains, this breakthrough, enabled by the weaving principle, will broaden the scope of gripper applications to previously inaccessible or barely accessible fields, such as agriculture and logistics.

The pisciculture industry has grown multi-fold over the past few decades. However, a surge in development and nutrient demand has led to the establishment of numerous challenges. Being a potential solution, chitosan has gained attention as a bio nanocomposite for its well-acclaimed properties including biodegradability, non-toxicity, immunomodulatory effects, antimicrobial activity, and biocompatibility. This biopolymer and its derivatives can be transformed into various structures, like micro and nanoparticles, for various purposes. Consequently, with regards to these properties chitin and its derivatives extend their application into drug delivery, food supplementation, vaccination, and preservation. This review focuses on the clinical advancements made in fish biotechnology via chitosan and its derivatives and highlights its prospective expansion into the pisciculture industry—in particular, warm-water species.