Carrageenan Research Articles

Constructing a biodegradable carrageenan based food packaging film according to the synergistic strategies between peppermint essential oil and thymol

The research and development trend of food packaging is changing from synthetic polymers to eco-friendly materials such as polysaccharides and other hydrocolloids, aiming to solve the problem of pollution from plastic wastes. In this work, a biodegradable food packaging noted KC/PT film was constructed using konjac glucomannan (KGM)/carrageenan (CAR) composite as the matrix and peppermint essential oil (PO)/thymol (THY) with synergistic effect as the reinforcements. The KC/PT film showed great mechanical properties, UV-blocking activity, increased water contact angle and reduced water vapor permeability. Due to the synergistic effect between PO and THY, the KC/PT film showed excellent antioxidant performance and antibacterial behavior against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. The antibacterial mechanism was further illustrated. The prepared KC/PT film, as a unique packaging film, not only successfully extended the shelf life of strawberry to 16 days at 4 °C, but also well expressed its environmental friendliness that it could nearly degrade after 47 days in natural soil conditions. Most importantly, the film exhibited good stability in terms of mechanical properties, antioxidant activity and antibacterial performances after 4 months storage. Therefore, the film the KC/PT film has great potentials in the field of food packaging area.

Combination of carrageenan with sodium alginate, gum arabic, and locust bean gum: Effects on rheological properties and quiescent stabilities of partially crystalline emulsions

In the present study, carrageenan (CG) was combined with sodium alginate (SA), gum arabic (GA), and locust bean gum (LBG) to obtain four gum combinations (CG, CG + SA, CG + GA, and CG + LBG). The effects of different combinations on rheological properties and quiescent stabilities of PCEs were systematically investigated through characterization of fresh emulsion related parameters (rheological properties, forces between proteins, zeta potentials, surface tensions, interfacial adsorption properties, and multiple light scattering) and storage related parameters (visual appearance, creaming index, viscosities, particle sizes, and microscopic morphology). Rheological results indicated that CG PCEs had the highest apparent viscosities of 7.77–41.91 Pa·s at 0.01 s−1, followed by CG + SA PCEs (2.35–30.62 Pa·s), CG + GA PCEs (2.37–21.16 Pa·s), and CG + LBG PCEs (2.06–19.93 Pa·s). At low thickener concentration (0.02 %), CG PCE exhibited weak gel structure due to higher G′ than G″ at all frequencies, while CG + SA, CG + GA, and CG + LBG PCEs had entangled network due to intersection between G′ and G″. After three months of storage, CG + SA PCEs showed the lowest creaming index values (11.47–17.75 %), which were significantly lower than CG PCEs (15.35–20.85 %), CG + GA PCEs (15.97–24.42 %), and CG + LBG PCEs (17.13–21.71 %). Meanwhile, all the samples except for 0.02 % CG + SA PCE completely lost fluidity, and their viscosities were above 14,000 mPa·s. It was further found that CG stabilized emulsions showed severe droplet flocculation induced by hydrophobic interactions among adsorbed proteins. Combination of CG with SA, GA, and LBG, especially CG + SA, formed strong network structure and reduced contribution of hydrophobic interactions, which effectively inhibited flocculation of fat droplets, thereby improving rheological properties and storage stabilities of PCEs.

Seaweed polysaccharides on seed germination of Brassica napus L.

Seaweed polysaccharides, when compared to synthetic commercial fertilizers, have been proven to achieve excellent results in plant growth parameters. When applied to the soil directly or sprayed on the foliage, seaweed poly- and oligosaccharides can improve seed germination and plant vigor, increase the uptake of soil nutrients, and protect plants against several abiotic and biotic stresses, by stimulating a plant to produce secondary metabolites and manage its defense pathways. In this study, three different polysaccharides (alginate, agar and carrageenan) were extracted from one brown seaweed, Saccorhiza polyschides, and two red seaweeds, Gracilaria gracilis and Chondrus crispus, respectively, with aim to analyse their impact on Brassica napus L. seed germination. The polysaccharides' chemical structure, mineral profile and other physicochemical properties were assessed. Carrageenan exhibited the best results in seedling growth and germination percentage when compared to alginate and agar. The carrageenan extracted from the tetrasporophyte, non-fructified thalli and female gametophyte of Chondrus crispus exhibited 94.67, 92 and 98.67 % seed germination, respectively. Carrageenan's bioactivities appear to be related with their sulphation level, plus the pH and the conductivity of its solution. The optimum concentration for germination of each polysaccharides' solution was assigned to propose further experiments in turnip greens.

Graphene oxide@Fe3O4-decorated iota-carrageenan composite for ultra-fast and highly efficient adsorption of lead (II) from water

The aggravated problem of lead pollution, especially in aquatic environments, necessitates the development of eminent adsorbents that could radically solve this environmental problem. Hence, a new composite was constructed based on iota carrageenan (i.Carr), graphene oxide (GO) and magnetite (Fe3O4) for removing noxious Pb2+ ions. The GO@Fe3O4-i.Carr composite was characterized by VSM, SEM, XPS, XRD, FTIR and Zeta potential. The removal of Pb2+ ions attained a quick equilibrium of almost 30 min with a removal efficiency reaching 93.68 %. The removal of Pb2+ was boosted significantly, in the order of GO@Fe3O4-i.Carr(1:1) > GO@Fe3O4-i.Carr(1:3) > GO@Fe3O4-i.Carr(3:1). Moreover, acquired experimental data fitted the pseudo 2nd order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model with a maximal monolayer adsorption capacity reached 440.05 mg/g. Notably, after five adsorption runs, the composite maintained its removal efficiency exceeding 74 %. The assumed adsorption mechanisms of Pb2+ onto GO@Fe3O4-i.Carr were complexation, precipitation, Lewis acid-base, and electrostatic attraction forces. Overall, the GO@Fe3O4-i.Carr composite elucidated the auspicious adsorbent criteria, comprising fast adsorption with high performance, ease-separation and tolerable recyclability, advising its feasible use to decontaminate water bodies from hazardous heavy metals.

Carrageenan impact on digestive proteolysis of meat proteins in meatballs or soluble hydrolyzed collagen

In a health-conscious age, vivid discussion has been made on the healthfulness of processed foods and food additives. This study focuses on carrageenan (CGN), an approved but debated family of sulphated galactans from algae used as gelling, thickening and stabilizing agents but with indications of possible adverse effects, including as an inhibitor of digestive proteolysis. To challenge this inhibitory hypothesis, food-grade kappa-, iota and lambda-CGN preparations were used to produce beef meatballs whose proteolysis was studied using an in vitro digestion model coupled to various proteomic analyses. Results show that CGN anti-nutritional effects are abolished in beef meatballs. Specifically, proteomic analysis of gastric digesta of myosin light chain 1 (MYL1), alpha skeletal muscle (ACTA1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (ALDOA) reveal no appreciable differences in the profiles of bioaccessible peptides. Separate digestions of a soluble collagen hydrolysate show CGN does inhibit proteolysis of soluble collagen, therefore supporting the notion that the meat matrix confers a shielding effect that eliminates CGN ability to interfere with digestive proteolysis. Thus, this work shows that CGN ability to hinder digestive proteolysis may not apply to all foods and contributes evidence important to the discussions on CGN uses, indications and regulatory status.

An iota-carrageenan isolated from marine alga Agardhiella ramosissima negatively modulates the inflammatory response in arthritis conditions

The present study involves the structural characterization of an iota-carrageenan from Agardhiella ramosissima (IC-Ar) and its ability to suppress the inflammatory response in experimental arthritis. The IC-Ar was structurally characterized by Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques. Experimentally, the mice were treated with IC-Ar (3, 10, or 30 mg/kg) e submitted to arthritis with zymosan and Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA). IC-Ar has a molecular mass of 730 KDa and contains 3,6 anhydro-α-d-galactose-2 sulfate (DA2S), β-d-galactose-4 sulfate (G4S) and glucose, structural characteristic typical of an iota carrageenan. IC-Ar treatment reduced zymosan-induced hypernociception, in a dose-dependent manner, accompanied by reduced edema, vascular permeability, and histopathological scores. Likewise, IC-Ar also significantly decreases MPO activity, leukocytes, neutrophils, IL-1β, and nitrite levels in the synovial fluid. Therapeutically, IC-Ar inhibited the hypernociception, edema, and arthritic index in both acute, sub-chronic, and chronic phases of CFA-induced arthritis. In summary, we demonstrated the protective efficacy of an iota-carrageenan extracted from A. ramosissima in arthritis models by negatively modulating the inflammatory response and by reducing polymorphonuclear cell migration, IL-1β, and nitrite levels, culminating in the inhibition of hypernociception and edema. Thus, IC-Ar could be a promising molecule to treat arthritis conditions.

Fabrication and Characterization of Complex Coacervation: The Integration of Sesame Protein Isolate-Polysaccharides.

The exceptional biocompatibility of emulsion systems that rely on stabilizing protein-polysaccharide particles presents extensive possibilities for the transportation of bioactive carriers, making them highly promising for various biological applications. The current work aimed to explore the phenomenon of complex coacervation between sesame protein isolate (SPI) and four distinct polysaccharides, namely, Arabic gum (GA), carrageenan (CAR), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and sodium alginate (SA). The study objective was achieved by fabricating emulsions through the blending of these polymers with oil at their maximum turbidity level (φ = 0.6), followed by the measurement of their rheological properties. The turbidity, ζ-potential, and particle size were among the techno-parameters analyzed to assess the emulsion stability. The microstructural characterization of the emulsions was conducted using both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the functional properties were examined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SPI incorporated with SA, CMC, and CAR reached the maximum turbidity (0.2% w/v) at a ratio of 4:1, corresponding to the pH values of 4.5, 3, or 3.5, respectively. The SPI-GA mixture exhibited the maximum turbidity at a ratio of 10:1 and pH 4.5. Results from the FTIR and XRD analyses provided evidence of complex formation between SPI and the four polysaccharides, with the electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions facilitating the binding of SPI to these polysaccharides. SPI was bound to the four polysaccharides through electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions. The SPI-CMC and SPI-SA emulsions were more stable after two weeks of storage.

The influence of ultrasound homogenization on recrystallization during the storage of vegan ice cream

AbstractThis article investigated the influence of ultrasound homogenization and stabilizers (iota carrageenan and its hydrolysates) in the production of vegan ice cream. The cryoscopic temperature, osmotic pressure, overrun, melting time, and microstructure analysis were investigated. Vegan ice cream were stored at −18°C and the recrystallization process was analyzed based on images taken after 24 h, 1 month, and 3 months. According to the results, it was noted that ultrasound homogenization contributed to obtaining smaller ice crystals in ice cream, in comparison to the samples after traditional homogenization. The average diameter of ice crystals in the sample US pretreated, after 3 months of storage was less than 21 μm. The overrun value ranged from 9.22% to 32.36% and the melting time for samples did not exceed 34 min. The analysis of the cryoscopic temperature and osmotic pressure showed that ultrasound contributed to increasing the cryoscopic temperature and lowering the osmotic pressure.Practical ApplicationsThe presented study shows an alternative to dairy products for the vegan ice cream market. Changing mechanical homogenization to ultrasound homogenization in vegan ice cream production might be an effective step for ice cream producers. Owing to the fact that the use of ultrasound during production may reduce the impact of using stabilizers on the recipe of vegan ice cream. Finally, such changes will not result in additional steps in ice cream production which may not generate additional costs.

Antibacterial activity of active peptide from marine macroalgae Chondrus crispus protein hydrolysate against Staphylococcus aureus

Macroalgae is a protein source with the potential to yield antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that exhibit a wide range of biological activities. This study aimed to find bioactive peptide-based antibacterial compounds from marine macroalgae Chondrus crispus protein hydrolysate. The peptides were isolated by solid phase extraction with a strong cation exchanger from trypsin-digested and α-chymotrypsin-digested hydrolysates. Certain fractions of the hydrolyzed protein displayed a good inhibition zone, with the α-chymotrypsin-digested fraction eluted at pH 9 exhibiting the highest inhibition against Gram-negative bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Several peptides were characterized as cationic helical peptides with hydrophobicity percentages of 16.67–77.78%. The potential antibacterial peptide P01 KKNVTTLAPLVF was identified as an α-helical cationic antibacterial peptide with 0.525 GRAVY value, amphipathic structure, and +2 total charge. Moreover, strong interaction was observed between P07 SAGSGNEGLSGW and P20 RTASSR peptide with DNA gyrase and DHFR receptors from S. aureus with binding energy -8.0 and -7.3 kcal/mol, respectively.

Integrated approach applying ultrasound-assisted extraction to recover bioactive material from Chondrus crispus

Rhodophyta represents the largest seaweed phylum including a wide variety of species, such as Chondrus crispus Stackhouse, with benefits for consumers health due to their nutritional value and bioactive compounds. This work aimed to optimize the extraction of compounds from C. crispus using a three-step optimization process. The first step consisted in pigment extraction using ultrasound-assisted extraction; the performance of an ultrasonic probe (20 kHz, 750 W) and a bath (40 kHz, 120 W) for 20 or 40 min was compared. The second step corresponded to protein extraction and the third step was the carrageenan formation. Step 1 extracts contained two carotenoids (fucoxanthin and lutein), 5 chlorophyll-a derivatives and pheophythin-a, phenolic compounds and revealed moderate antiradical activity against DPPH•, ABTS•+ and O2•-, but no activity against •NO and cholinesterases. Proteins and carrageenan's yields were between 3.6 and 41 g/100 g and 29.7–36.1 g/100 g, respectively. Considering all the performed analyses, the use of ultrasonic bath (40 kHz, 120 W) for 40 min is efficient to extract valuable compounds from C. crispus, which is advantageous from an economic point of view and therefore more attractive for industrial purposes. The obtained extracts may find possible future application in human diet or as additives for pharmaceutic and cosmetic industry.

Polysaccharides from red seaweeds: Effect of extraction methods on physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities

Seaweed polysaccharides are reported to possess biological and medicinal properties. Specifically, the antioxidant activity of seaweed extracts is the subject of intensive research due to ever-increasing demands from the food and pharmaceutical industries. The structure and composition of polysaccharides (carrageenan, xylan) extracted from four red seaweed species: Chondrus crispus (CC), Ahnfeltiopsis devoniensis (AD), Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii (SG) and Palmaria palmata (PP) were compared and correlated with their antioxidant activity. Crude polysaccharide extracts were characterized by NMR (1H and 13C), HPLC-SEC, and FTIR spectroscopy. Total phenolic content (TPC), total sugars, sulfate and protein content were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The antioxidant capacity of each fractionated polysaccharide sample was evaluated by the following methods: DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical), ABTS (2,2-azino-bis-[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid]), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ferric-reducing power in FRAP (Ferric-reducing Antioxidant Power) assays, and the hydroxyl radical (OH) scavenging capacity assay. The highest antioxidant activity was found in extracts from A. devoniensis (ι/κ hybrid carrageenan), while the lowest was in P. palmata (xylans). Moreover, Chondrus crispus extracts did not possess SOD inhibition activity. Polysaccharides evaluated in this study offer high potential for applications in the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

S3421 A Rare Case of Drug-Induced Liver Injury Due to Sea Moss Consumption

S3421 A Rare Case of Drug-Induced Liver Injury Due to Sea Moss Consumption

Investigating the effectiveness of coacervates produced from conjugated and unconjugated Spirulina protein in delivering unstable oil to the intestinal phase of digestion

This study investigated the potential of complex coacervates produced using Spirulina protein concentrate (SPC) conjugated with maltodextrin (MD) and carrageenan (CG) for encapsulating and delivering sensitive oils. A wet-heating Maillard reaction was employed to conjugate SPC with MD, followed by coacervation with CG to form the conjugate-based coacervates. Additionally, a mixture of unconjugated SPC and MD was coacervated with CG to produce mixture-based coacervates. Both types of coacervates were utilised as wall materials for encapsulating canola oil. The in-vitro digestion of the resulting microcapsules was assessed in oral, gastric, and intestinal phases, focusing on physicochemical parameters such as droplet size, zeta-potential, microstructure, proteolysis, oil release and lipolysis. The findings revealed that microcapsules prepared using both (SPC-MD mixture)-CG and (SPC-MD conjugate)-CG coacervates were remarkably stable against gastric digestion, as evidenced by the minimal production of free amino acids (15 mM). Most of the encapsulated oil (62–67%) was released during the intestinal phase due to the breakdown of the coacervates. Notably, the microcapsules produced with (SPC-MD conjugate)-CG coacervates demonstrated a lower degree of lipolysis (41.77% free fatty acid content) compared to those prepared with (SPC-MD mixture)-CG coacervates (53.35% free fatty acid content). These results highlight the potential of complex coacervates produced using conjugated SPC as promising materials for the encapsulation and delivery of sensitive oils.

Rheological investigation of the network structure in mixed gels of Kappa and Iota Carrageenan

Carrageenans comprise linear sulfated high molecular weight polysaccharides obtained from seaweeds and are routinely used in food and home/personal care industries. Various kinds of carrageenans differ from others based on the ester sulphate group location on the polysaccharide chains. Pure and mixed systems of Kappa Carrageenan and Iota Carrageenan undergo a three-dimensional gel network structure formation or dissociation with a change in temperature. During the sol-gel and gel-sol transitions, the Carrageenan systems pass through a unique critical gel state, where dynamic moduli are scale-invariant owing to the self-similar structure of the three-dimensional network. In this work, we obtain the critical gel state associated with pure and mixed systems of Kappa and Iota Carrageenan during cooling and heating by exploring the material behavior for a range of frequencies. Interestingly, on the one hand, the mixed gels show a higher critical sol-gel transition temperature compared to the pure systems at equal individual concentrations. On the other hand, the low temperature moduli of mixed gels are closer to that of Kappa Carrageenan when the concentration of the same is more than half in the mixture. The rheological measurements demonstrate that the Kappa Carrageenan strongly affects the nature of aggregation of double helices of Iota Carrageenan, but Iota Carrageenan does not have a significant influence on that of Kappa Carrageenan. These results suggest an associative, interactive network formation between Kappa and Iota Carrageenan in the mixture, such that the gel behavior is predominantly influenced by Kappa Carrageenan.

Design of cationic surfactant reinforced carrageenan waterproof composite films and applied as water induced electricity generator

Carrageenan (CR) is a renewable polysaccharide material for packaging application due to its good film-forming property, but its use can be limited by the water solubility. In this research, CR hydrogels were modified by quaternary ammonium surfactants with different length of hydrocarbon tails (n, 8≦n≦16) by adsorption method and waterproof films were obtained after drying. The composition and charge interaction of composite films was confirmed by FTIR. Both thermogravimetric analysis and energy dispersive spectrometer indicated that the surfactant ions replaced K+ to form complexes with CR. The X-ray diffraction revealed the decreased amorphous nature of composite films compared to neat CR film. Water-related physical properties, such as water content, weight percentage change after contact with water, water vapor transmission, and water contact angle were intimately related to n. When 8≦n≦14, the waterproof properties were enhanced with the increase of n. Meanwhile, the waterproof property of composite film was ascertained by the no leakage result in the boiling water packaging experiment. When n = 16, sandwich structure was found in the sectional micromorphology images, and water bag structure formed after immersed into water. By comparing the mechanical properties of the composite films in different condition, we found that quaternary ammonium surfactants improved significantly the tensile strength in water and increased elongation at break in dry state. The composite films can be used as water induced voltage generator for their polyelectrolyte nature. Benefiting from the high stability of the composite films in water, their water-induced voltage generation process had good recyclability. Due to the antimicrobial activity of the quaternary ammonium salts and the waterproof property, composite films were more stable and degraded more slowly than neat CR film in nature environment.

Feasibility of aquaculture cultivation of elkhorn sea moss (Kappaphycus alvarezii) in a horizontal long line in the Tropical Eastern Pacific

Seaweed aquaculture has become a profitable and an attractive alternative of cultivation thanks to its quick biomass production for food, feed, and other non-food applications. In addition, the ecosystem services generated by seaweed cultivation towards carbon fixation represents a more sustainable solution to the ocean’s acidification. The growth of elkhorn sea moss (Kappaphycus alvarezii) was evaluated in three plots with 200 propagules during a period of 70 days in a floating raft system covered by a fishing net underneath. Initial weight of propagules was 159.3 ± 12.74 g in wet biomass and 15.3 ± 1.43 g in dry biomass and were sampled up to 19 days (in the lag growth phase; period I), up to 33 days (in the exponential growth phase; period II) and up to 70 days (in the stationarity growth phase; period III). The variations of sea surface water temperature, salinity, turbidity (Secchi depth), total ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphate were determined. The growth increase was more evident in the exponential phase II when a dry biomass of 28.0 ± 2.48 (1153.3 ± 6.25 g in wet mass) was reached, more than 7 times the biomass of propagules with an average daily growth rate of 15.2% g.day–1. The carrying capacity of the zone was estimated at 86.2% in the area where 53 cultivation units would be projected. The economic analysis presented a financial feasibility with a net profit of 19% over the projected income and an IRR of 16.5%, recovering the investment in an estimated period of 4.3 years. We recommend to continue with larger-scale studies to optimize the cultivation of K. alvarezii in the study area.

Development of Composite Sponge Scaffolds Based on Carrageenan (CRG) and Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) for Hemostatic Applications.

In this study, a novel absorbable hemostatic agent was developed using carrageenan (CRG) as a natural polymer and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs). CRG-CeO2-0.5 and CRG-CeO2-1 composites were prepared by compositing CeO2 to CRG + CeO2 at a weight ratio of 0.5:100 and 1:100, respectively. The physicochemical and structural properties of these compounds were studied and compared with pristine CRG. Upon incorporation of CeO2 nanoparticles into the CRG matrix, significant reductions in hydrogel degradation were observed. In addition, it was noted that CRG-CeO2 exhibited better antibacterial and hemostatic properties than CRG hydrogel without CeO2 NPs. The biocompatibility of the materials was tested using the NIH 3T3 cell line, and all samples were found to be nontoxic. Particularly, CRG-CeO2-1 demonstrated superior hemostatic effects, biocompatibility, and a lower degradation rate since more CeO2 NPs were present in the CRG matrix. Therefore, CRG-CeO2-1 has the potential to be used as a hemostatic agent and wound dressing.

Electrically controlled transdermal drug release of ionic and non-ionic drug from kappa-iota carrageenan cryogel

The goals of this study were to fabricate and characterize the kappa (K) and iota (I) carrageenan (CAR) cryogel matrix for electrically controlled transdermal ionic namely diclofenac (DCNa) and non-ionic namely theophylline (Theo) delivery. The CAR cryogels were prepared by freeze-drying method based on the effects of CAR types which were different sulfate ester group content in the structure, K-CAR concentrations, and blending K and I-CAR. According to the results, the increasing K-CAR concentrations affected to reduce the swelling behavior and pore size of cryogels. However, the swelling behavior was increased and pore size was decreased with blending K/I-CAR. The release mechanism of DCNa and Theo was a non-fickian and fickian diffusion depending on drug types, cryogels composition, and applied electric potentials. The amount of drug release was decreased with increasing K-CAR concentrations and decreased with a blending K/I-CAR. However, the amount of drug release was increased with increasing electric potential, especially an anionic drug. The amount of DCNa was higher than that of Theo with and without applied electric potential. The maximum amount of drug release was 78.06 and 58.78% for DCNa and Theo, respectively. Thus, the CAR cryogel is suitable for controlled release of ionic and non-ionic drug with and without applied electric field.

Macromolecular crowding in equine bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell cultures using single and double hyaluronic acid macromolecules

Macromolecular crowding (MMC) enhances and accelerates extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in eukaryotic cell culture. Single hyaluronic acid (HA) molecules have not induced a notable increase in the amount and rate of deposited ECM. Thus, herein we assessed the physicochemical properties and biological consequences in equine bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell cultures of single and mixed HA molecules and correlated them to the most widely used MMC agents, the FicollⓇ cocktail (FC) and carrageenan (CR). Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed that all HA cocktails had significantly higher hydrodynamic radius than the FC and CR; the FC and the 0.5 mg/ml 100 kDa and 500 kDa single HA molecules had the highest charge; and, in general, all molecules had high polydispersity index. Biological analyses revealed that none of the MMC agents affected cell morphology and basic cell functions; in general, CR outperformed all other macromolecules in collagen type I and V deposition; FC, the individual HA molecules and the HA cocktails outperformed CR in collagen type III deposition; FC outperformed CR and the individual HA molecules and the HA cocktails outperformed their constituent HA molecules in collagen type IV deposition; FC and certain HA cocktails outperformed CR and constituent HA molecules in collagen type VI deposition; and all individual HA molecules outperformed FC and CR and the HA cocktails outperformed their constituent HA molecules in laminin deposition. With respect to tri-lineage analysis, CR and HA enhanced chondrogenesis and osteogenesis, whilst FC enhanced adipogenesis. This work opens new avenues in mixed MMC in eukaryotic cell culture. Statement of significanceMixed macromolecular crowding (MMC) in eukaryotic cell culture is still under-investigated. Herein, single and double hyaluronic acid (HA) macromolecules, along with the traditional MMC agents FicollⓇ cocktail (FC) and carrageenan (CR), were used as MMC agents in equine mesenchymal stromal cell cultures. Biological analysis showed that none of the MMC agents affected cell morphology and basic cell functions. Protein deposition analysis made apparent that CR outperformed all other macromolecules in collagen type I and collagen type V deposition, whilst FC, the individual HA macromolecules and the HA cocktails outperformed CR in collagen type III deposition. Tri-lineage analysis revealed that CR and HA enhanced chondrogenesis and osteogenesis, whilst FC enhanced adipogenesis. These data illustrate that MMC agents are not inert macromolecules.

Baseline Assessment of Marine Resources Caught by Fishermen in Selected Coastal Barangays of Cawayan, Masbate, Philippines

Marine resources have been essential for human consumption and livelihood activities, particularly for small-scale fishermen in the fishing industry. This study employed a descriptive research design, utilizing interviews and structured survey questionnaires for data collection. The findings revealed the presence of 28 fish species caught by the fishermen in Cawayan, including Asian seabass, bisugo, dolphin fish, giant trevally, gold band goatfish, grouper, lattice monocle bream, mackerel tuna, mullet, needlefish, narrow barred, octopus, oxeye scad, pink shrimp, pin spotted spinefoot, pony fish, sardines, sailfish, shark, short mackerel, slip mouth fish, squid, stingray, threadfin emperor, whiting, and yellow stripe scad. The study also identified five shellfish species, namely baler shell, fierce shell, mother-of-pearl shell, scallop, and ark shell. Seaweed species, including sea moss and sea grapes, as well as the presence of blue crab, contributed to the diverse marine ecosystem. Age emerged as a significant factor in fishing, as older fishermen exhibited extensive knowledge and expertise in identifying the caught fish species. Younger individuals, on the other hand, demonstrated physical strength and minimized the risk of work-related injuries. Notably, a significant portion of fishermen (32%) operated boats they did not own, with motorboats being the preferred choice for the majority (93%). Additionally, 72% of respondents indicated that their fishing income covered only their daily expenses, while 57% lacked alternative sources of income during unfavorable weather conditions. The researchers recommend educating and equipping fishermen with the latest fishing knowledge and skills, facilitated by collaborative efforts among the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), local government units (LGUs), community extensionists, and extension workers. Sharing sustainable and advanced fishing practices will contribute to the well-being and long-term prosperity of fishing communities.