Abstract
Sporoderms, the outer layers of plant spores and pollen grains, are some of the most robust biomaterials in nature. In order to evaluate the potential of sporoderms in biomedical applications, we studied the biodegradation in simulated gastrointestinal fluid of sporoderm microcapsules (SDMCs) derived from four different plant species: lycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum L.), camellia (Camellia sinensis L.), cattail (Typha angustifolia L.), and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.). Dynamic image particle analysis (DIPA) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were used to investigate the morphological characteristics of the capsules, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to evaluate their chemical properties. We found that SDMCs undergo bulk degradation in a species-dependent manner, with camellia SDMCs undergoing the most extensive degradation, and dandelion and lycopodium SDMCs being the most robust.
Highlights
Sporoderms of pollens are some of the most durable and complex materials in nature owing to their distinct layered structures and chemical properties[1,2,3,4]
We investigated the degradation of sporoderm microcapsules (SDMCs) derived from four different plant species—lycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum L.) of the lycopodiophyte family, camellia (Camellia sinensis L.) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) of the dicots family, and cattail (Typha angustifolia L.) of the monocots family38—using simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) as a model for the conditions of the human digestive system
Most of the broken camellia and cattail SDMCs remained as single particles, whereas the dandelion and lycopodium SDMCs were observed to break into several pieces (Fig. 1B)
Summary
Sporoderms of pollens are some of the most durable and complex materials in nature owing to their distinct layered structures and chemical properties[1,2,3,4]. Atwe et al investigated the effects of orally administered ovalbumin-loaded lycopodium SDMCs in mice, reporting the resultant production of large amounts of anti-ovalbumin IgG in the serum[30] Their results evidenced the suitability of SDMCs as protein carriers that can effectively shield their payloads from the acidic environment of the gastrointestinal tract. Lycopodium SDMCs loaded with the drug 3,4-diaminopyridine and administered orally to botulism-intoxicated mice were shown to exhibit drug release via a diffusion pathway that is stimulated by intestinal pH conditions[33]. These findings have great significance for the potential use of SDMCs as drug carriers. Variations in the complex matrix of lipids, carbohydrates and other oxygenated species (e.g., ketones, esters, carboxyls and ethers)[2,34,35,36,37] that constitute sporopollenin can lead to differences in the degradation profiles of the resultant www.nature.com/scientificreports/
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