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In this study, chitosan nanoparticles were prepared and incorporated in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) films under different conditions. Mechanical properties, water vapor and oxygen permeability, water solubility, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) results were analyzed. Incorporation of chitosan nanoparticles in the films improved their mechanical properties significantly, while also improving film barrier properties significantly. The chitosan poly(methacrylic acid) (CS-PMAA) nanoparticles tend to occupy the empty spaces in the pores of the HPMC matrix, inducing the collapse of the pores and thereby improving film tensile and barrier properties. This study is the first to investigate the use of nanoparticles for the purpose of strengthening HPMC films.
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PMID:Properties of novel hydroxypropyl methylcellulose films containing chitosan nanoparticles. 1880 24

Hybrid materials of silicalite-1 (Sil-1)-coated SBA-15 particles (MSs) have been successfully synthesized by crystallization process under hydrothermal conditions. These MSs materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption and TEM techniques, which illustrated that the silicalite-1-coated SBA-15 particles were successfully prepared and had large pore volume and hierarchical pore size distribution. Further experimental studies indicated that longer crystallization time under basic condition caused the mesostructure of SBA-15 materials to collapse destructively and higher calcination temperature tended to disrupt the long-range mesoscopic order while they had little influence on the phase of microcrystalline silicalite-1 zeolite. The resultant MSs materials were investigated by estimating dynamic adsorption capacity under dry and wet conditions to evaluate their adsorptive and hydrophobic properties. The hydrophobicity index (HI) value followed the sequence of silicalite-1>MSs>SBA-15, which revealed that the SBA-15 particles coated with the silicalite-1 seeds enhanced the surface hydrophobicity, and also were consistent with FTIR results. Our studies show that MSs materials combined the advantages of the ordered mesoporous material (high adsorptive capacity, large pore volume) and silicalite-1 zeolite (super-hydrophobic property, high hydrothermal stability), and the presence of micropores directly led to an increase in the dynamic adsorption capacity of benzene under dry and wet conditions.
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PMID:Synthesis and hydrophobic adsorption properties of microporous/mesoporous hybrid materials. 1893 29

ABSTRACT The influence exerted by the mycoparasite Pythium oligandrum in triggering plant defense reactions was investigated using an experimental system in which tomato plants were infected with the crown and root rot pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici. To assess the antagonistic potential of P. oligandrum against F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, the interaction between the two fungi was studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively). SEM investigations of the interaction region between the fungi demonstrated that collapse and loss of turgor of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici hyphae began soon after close contact was established with P. oligandrum. Ultrastructural observations confirmed that intimate contact between hyphae of P. oligandrum and cells of the pathogen resulted in a series of disturbances, including generalized disorganization of the host cytoplasm, retraction of the plasmalemma, and, finally, complete loss of the protoplasm. Cytochemical labeling of chitin with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)/ovomucoid-gold complex showed that, except in the area of hyphal penetration, the chitin component of the host cell walls was structurally preserved at a time when the host cytoplasm had undergone complete disorganization. Interestingly, the same antagonistic process was observed in planta. The specific labeling patterns obtained with the exoglucanase-gold and WGA-ovomucoid-gold complexes confirmed that P. oligandrum successfully penetrated invading cells of the pathogen without causing substantial cell wall alterations, shown by the intense labeling of chitin. Cytological investigations of samples from P. oligandrum-inoculated tomato roots revealed that the fungus was able to colonize root tissues without inducing extensive cell damage. However, there was a novel finding concerning the structural alteration of the invading hyphae, evidenced by the frequent occurrence of empty fungal shells in root tissues. Pythium ingress in root tissues was associated with host metabolic changes, culminating in the elaboration of structural barriers at sites of potential fungal penetration. Striking differences in the extent of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici colonization were observed between P. oligandrum-inoculated and control tomato plants. In control roots, the pathogen multiplied abundantly through much of the tissues, whereas in P. oligandrum-colonized roots pathogen growth was restricted to the outermost root tissues. This restricted pattern of pathogen colonization was accompanied by deposition of newly formed barriers beyond the infection sites. These host reactions appeared to be amplified compared to those seen in nonchallenged P. oligandrum-infected plants. Most hyphae of the pathogen that penetrated the epidermis exhibited considerable changes. Wall appositions contained large amounts of callose, in addition to be infiltrated with phenolic compounds. The labeling pattern obtained with gold-complexed laccase showed that phenolics were widely distributed in Fusarium-challenged P. oligandrum-inoculated tomato roots. Such compounds accumulated in the host cell walls and intercellular spaces. The wall-bound chitin component in Fusarium hyphae colonizing P. oligandrum-inoculated roots was preserved at a time when hyphae had undergone substantial degradation. These observations provide the first convincing evidence that P. oligandrum has the potential to induce plant defense reactions in addition to acting as a mycoparasite.
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PMID:Treatment with the Mycoparasite Pythium oligandrum Triggers Induction of Defense-Related Reactions in Tomato Roots When Challenged with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici. 1894 62

Temperature-responsive monodisperse spheres are useful for various in vivo and in vitro applications. Size, response temperature and biocompatibility are particularly important consideration with in vivo applications. In this work, we constructed fusion proteins of low antigenic elastin-like peptide (ELP) and a polyaspartic acid chain, and studied the particles that had a favorable size and temperature of formation of particle. From DLS analysis, we confirmed that some of them formed particles with less than 100nm in diameter around 37 degrees C, while the diameter of ELPs alone is larger than 1microm in diameter. The (PGVGV)(160)D(22), which is composed of a short aspartic acid chain and a long ELP region, had a tendency to form large particles. The temperature of formation and collapse of the protein particle were dependent on the length of the ELP and the polyaspartic acid chain, and the concentration of proteins. The direct observation with TEM indicated that the morphologies of the particles were spherical except when (PGVGV)(160)D(22) was used. The intensities of the environment-sensitive hydrophobic fluorescence increased at 37 degrees C more than 1.5 times as much as at 25 degrees C both in free form and modified at the ELP region. These results indicated that the polarity of the environment surround the fluorescence decreased or the movement of fluorescence was limited, and thus, implied that the ELP formed a more hydrophobic or rigid region and could hold hydrophobic drugs. These results suggest that a temperature-responsive protein particle with favorable size and temperature of formation can be constructed that is suitable for any in vitro or in vivo application.
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PMID:Construction of nanoscale protein particle using temperature-sensitive elastin-like peptide and polyaspartic acid chain. 1932 6

We investigated the growth kinetics and morphological changes in acid-stressed Salmonella Typhimurium as well as the antimicrobial effects of epsilon-polylysine (SAVE-ORY GL610) and combined potassium lactate (PL) and sodium diacetate (SDA) (PURASAL Opti.Form PD Plus) on acid-stressed S. Typhimurium. Exposure to 0.5% acetic or lactic acid injured over 90% of the S. Typhimurium population. Although the lag time of the injured S. Typhimurium was extended, the injured cells were recovered at 10 degrees C and 24 degrees C, indicating a risk of using 10 degrees C as a storage temperature. Additionally, 4.5% PL/SDA mixture or 2% epsilon-polylysine completely inhibited the growth of acid-stressed S. Typhimurium in broth at 10, 24, or 35 degrees C. Although 3% PL/SDA mixture inhibited the growth of lactic acid-stressed S. Typhimurium at 10 degrees C, it did not inhibit the growth of unstressed S. Typhimurium at the same temperature. This finding indicates a different antimicrobial effect due to the physiological status of the pathogen. Furthermore, acid-stressed S. Typhimurium was not resistant to epsilon-polylysine or the PL/SDA mixture, although the antimicrobial effect of these compounds was enhanced at a lower storage temperature. TEM analysis revealed that most of the stressed cells lost their cellular integrity and membranes partially. Both dead and doubling cells were observed after recovery at 30 degrees C for 12 h. The addition of 2% epsilon-polylysine or 4.5% PL/SDA mixture resulted in the collapse of the structure of S. Typhimurium cells and cytoplasmic materials being released. These results provide valuable information regarding the morphological and physiological responses of acid-stressed S. Typhimurium cells in broth and chicken patties followed by antimicrobial stress with epsilon-polylysine or PL/SDA mixture.
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PMID:Responses of acid-stressed Salmonella Typhimurium in broth and chicken patties to subsequent antimicrobial stress with epsilon-polylysine and combined potassium lactate and sodium diacetate. 1946 42

This paper uses the measure of hemolysis to evaluate the toxicity of nonporous and porous silica nanoparticles with varied sizes and investigates the effects of porous structure and integrity on the nanoparticle-cell interaction. The results show that both nonporous and porous silica cause red blood cell membrane damage in a concentration- and size-dependent manner. In the case of mesoporous silica nanoparticles, the size-dependent hemolysis effect is only present when the nanoparticles have long-range ordered porous structure, revealing that pore structure is critical in cell-nanoparticle interactions. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles show lower hemolytic activity than their nonporous counterparts of similar size, likely due to fewer silanol groups on the cell-contactable surface of the porous silica nanoparticles. The extent of hemolysis by mesoporous silica nanoparticles increases as the pore structure is compromised by mild aging in phosphate-buffered solutions, initiating mesopore collapse. The pore integrity of mesoporous silica nanoparticles is examined by TEM, XRD, N(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms, and quantification of dissolved silica. In these nanoparticles, pore stability is clearly an important factor in determining the hemolytic activity; further work demonstrates that nanoparticle-induced hemolysis can be eliminated by modifying the silanol surface with a poly(ethylene glycol) coating.
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PMID:Impacts of mesoporous silica nanoparticle size, pore ordering, and pore integrity on hemolytic activity. 2023 32

We present a systematic investigation of the extent of compartmentalization in micelles formed by a series of bis-hydrophilic block terpolymers with two outer water-soluble segments. The corona blocks are constructed from poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide) (PNiPAAm). The fraction of PNiPAAm is varied to establish its influence on the supramicellar aggregation and corona phase behavior. We demonstrate that--when the collapse of PNiPAAm is triggered--a clustering of micelles into superstructures only occurs when the contour length of the thermoresponsive block is longer than that of the PEO chains. The volume fractions play a minor role. The extent of superstructure formation increases with the amount of heating cycles, pointing to a rearrangement of micelles with a mixed corona into a phase-segregated corona. The collapse of PNiPAAm is exploited to artificially raise the incompatibility and drive phase segregation. A uniform population of biphasic Janus micelles cannot be obtained. After repeated heating cycles, the mixture consists of a range of multicompartment architectures, whose patch distribution can be derived from aggregate structures found in cryo-TEM obtained at high temperature. In the last section, we relate our results to previously studied systems and attempt to derive some generalities. First, we try to answer the question of how likely it is in terms of thermodynamics to obtain truly self-assembled Janus micelles. Furthermore, our results can provide an estimation for the volume ratio or/and block lengths required in micelles composed out of two corona blocks to induce supramicellar aggregation when a hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic phase transition is triggered in one of the blocks.
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PMID:Mixed, multicompartment, or Janus micelles? A systematic study of thermoresponsive bis-hydrophilic block terpolymers. 2046 37

High temperature annealing of gas phase synthesized Mg nanoparticles surrounded by an MgO shell leads to formation of hollow MgO nanoshells due to the evaporation assisted Kirkendall effect. Under electron beam exposure in TEM, the (220) MgO facets reduce their high surface energy by forming cube facets, which is followed by nanoshell size reduction and collapse within a few minutes. However, in ambient conditions the nanoshells remain stable for significant periods of time and further degrade by becoming filled with carbon while lossing any MgO identity. Finally, in moderate low vacuum they remained stable for months indicating promise for applications.
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PMID:Formation and stability of hollow MgO nanoshells. 2112 28

Nanocrystalline CaCu3Ti4O12 powders with particle sizes of 39.28 8.12 nm were synthesized by a simple modify sol-gel using PVP (Poly-vinyl-pyrrolidone). The synthesized precursor was characterized by TG-DTA to determine the thermal decomposition and crystallization temperature which was found to be at above 500 degrees C. The precursor was calcined at 800 degrees C in air for 8 h to obtain nanocrystalline powders of CaCu3Ti4O12. The calcined CaCu3Ti4O12 powders were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and TEM. Sintering of the powders was conducted in air at 1100 degrees C for 16 h. The XRD results indicated that all sintered samples have a typical perovskite CaCu3Ti4O12 structure and a small amount of CaTiO3. SEM micrographs showed the average grain sizes of 1.86 +/- 0.69 /m for the sintered CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramic prepared using the CaCu3Ti4O12 powders calcined at 800 degrees C. The sintered samples exhibit a giant dielectric constant, epsilon' of approximately 10(3)-10(4). The large low-frequency dielectric permittivity at low temperature is closely related to sub-grain boundary distribution, including conductivity effect. Furthermore, the ceramic shows three semicircles in the complex impedance plane. However, at low frequency, semicircles of sub-grain boundary and grain boundary are considered to represent collapse different electrical mechanisms. The another is ascribed to the contribution of grain. The dielectric behavior at several frequencies and temperatures of these samples can be attributed to electronic inhomogeneities present in material and can be explained based on a microstructural model.
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PMID:CaCu3Ti4O12 nanoparticles using polyvinyl pyrrolidone: synthesis and dielectric properties. 2240 Feb 41

The impact of surface capping on cytotoxicity of NiO nanoparticle was investigated with Escherichia coil (E.coli) in this work. The NiO nanoparticle and NiO nanoparticle capped by borate (denoted as NiO-borate) were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The average size of both nanoparticles is about 4.0 nm. The plate experiments demonstrated that NiO-borate nanoparticles show lower cytotoxicity than NiO nanopaticles. Further spectrophotometric analysis revealed that the concentration of both extracellular and intercellular Ni2+ in NiO-borate system were lower than that of uncapped one. Intracellular ICP-AES analysis also showed the concentration of Ni element was higher than Ni2+, suggesting the NiO nanoparticles might penetrate into the cellular interior. Comprehensive AFM, SEM and TEM observation illustrated both NiO-borate and NiO nanoparticles lead to the collapse of cellular body, the convex on the cell wall and the damage of cell wall ultimately. In summary, the surface capping with borate on NiO nanopaticles will suppress the release of the Ni2+ ions and impede the contact between the NiO nanoparticle and cell wall, which ultimately decreased the cytotoxicity of NiO nanoparticles.
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PMID:The cytotoxicity of NiO nanoparticle with borate capping. 2241 57


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