Abstract
Plant sporoderm are among the most robust biomaterials in nature. We investigate the erosion of Lycopodium sporoderm microcapsules (SDMCs) triggered by human blood plasma. Dynamic image particle analysis (DIPA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy demonstrate the degradation events, suggesting bulk erosion as the dominant mechanism for SDMCs fragmentation in human blood. These results should prove valuable in discerning the behaviour of SDMCs in potential biological applications.
Highlights
There has been considerable interest in developing robust biocompatible materials for a range of biomedical and industrial applications[1,2,3,4,5,6]
We investigate the degradation of sporoderm microcapsules (SDMCs) in human blood plasma
While Dynamic image particle analysis (DIPA) showed an increase in broken particles, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) demonstrated the erosion of lipid components of SDMCs
Summary
There has been considerable interest in developing robust biocompatible materials for a range of biomedical and industrial applications[1,2,3,4,5,6]. Most spore/pollen cell cytoplasm, which is rich in nutrients and active substances including proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and pigments, can be extracted[8,12,14] These SDMCs are naturally produced by plants and are abundant in large quantities[15,16,17]. They are mainly composed of sporopollenin, an extremely robust mix of biopolymers that are resilient to harsh chemical (e.g., a variety of strong acids and alkalis) and physical conditions (e.g., high pressure or mechanical stress)[12].
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