Cellulose Powder Research Articles

Elimination of mutagenic contaminants from water using cellulose bearing ferrous-phthalocyanine

BackgroundWe previously investigated methods for separating mutagenic contaminants from aqueous solutions using cellulose-bearing covalently bound trisulfo-Cu-phthalocyanine (blue cotton and blue rayon). Mutagenic contaminants with three or more fused aromatic rings in their structures were adsorbed onto blue cotton and rayon. Since Cu-phthalocyanine is considered an unsuitable absorption ligand for byproducts of water chlorination, such as 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (Mutagen X or MX), we investigated the development of a new material for the elimination of MX from aqueous solvents.ResultsWe selected green cellulose powder bearing ferrous phthalocyanine (FePh), hereafter referred to as green cellulose or GP, as the candidate material. GP is composed of cationized cellulose (white cellulose, WP) and FePh tetracarboxylic acid. The mutagenicity of MX dissolved in buffer or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution significantly decreased after treatment with GP. The effects of GP on the elimination of MX from the solvent were very close to being expired after 70 cycles of repeated adsorption of the same GP, and the capacity of GP for MX removal was estimated to be exhausted after 120 cycles of repeated adsorption based on the extrapolation of the obtained result; thus, the interacting ligands on GP may be saturated after complete MX adsorption. The mutagenicity of MX dissolved in aqueous buffer significantly decreased after treatment at pH7.4 but not at pH 4.0. Since MX is dissociated to be the anionic form at pH 6 or higher, the negative charge of MX in the buffer at pH 7.4 may interact with the positive charge of ferrous ions in GP to create a linkage between MX and GP. After GP adsorbed MX, mutagenicity was extracted with water or acetonitrile and recovered in the eluent. Thus, the reversible interaction between MX and FePh may have caused adsorption of MX onto GP.ConclusionGP could be used as a new eliminator and recovery agent for MX in chlorinated drinking water. Developing new materials for the removal and recovery of agents for the detection of mutagenic contaminant-related chlorination in water is beneficial for environmental health.

A Novel Paraffin Wax/Expanded Graphite/Bacterial Cellulose Powder Phase Change Materials for the Dependable Battery Safety Management

Although phase change materials (PCMs) exhibit effective performance in the thermal management of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), their development is limited by low thermal conductivity and susceptibility to leakage during the solid–liquid phase transition. To address these challenges and enhance thermal management capabilities, this study introduces a novel composite phase change material (CPCM) synthesized by physically mixing paraffin (PA), expanded graphite (EG), and bacterial cellulose (BC). The thermal performance of CPCMs with varying BC proportions is evaluated, and their impact on temperature control in battery thermal management systems (BTMS) is assessed. The results show that the addition of EG and BC significantly improves the thermal conductivity of the CPCM, reaching a value of 1.39 W·m−1·K−1. This also enhances the uniformity of temperature distribution within the battery module and reduces CPCM leakage. By comparing temperature variations within the battery module under different operating conditions, it was found that the intricate network structure of the CPCM promotes uniform temperature distribution, effectively mitigating temperature rise. Consequently, the maximum temperature and maximum temperature difference within the battery module were maintained below 47 °C and 4 °C, respectively. Compared to a system without phase change material at a 3C discharge rate, the maximum cell temperature, maximum module temperature, and maximum temperature difference were reduced by 32.38%, 26.92%, and 34.94%, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights for the design and optimization of BTMS.

Water interaction with MCC powder exposed to wetting–drying cycles: Comparison of capillary imbibition techniques

We investigate how wetting-and-drying (WD) cycles change the properties of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powder (Avicel PH101), due to hornification, by performing the following experiments: (i) drop absorption in a slightly compressed powder bed, (ii) capillary imbibition in a packed powder column, and (iii) drop absorption into tablets obtained by direct compression. We use the MCC powder as received, as well as the powder obtained after one or more WD cycles. In each case, the powder is sieved and fractionated into two samples, with different particle size distribution. First, we perform drop absorption experiments using both water and silicone oil (Polydimethylsiloxane - PDMS) drops. We observe that WD cycles increase the absorption time for water, a particularly marked effect after the first cycle, for both particle size distributions. Comparing the absorption times of water and oil drops we obtain a parameter β that characterizes the water-MCC interaction in lieu of the contact angle, and accounts for both capillary and swelling phenomena. We observed that the main effect is produced after the first WD cycle exhibited by a large (more than 50%) reduction in the β value. Column imbibition experiments performed using water and PDMS show that, initially, water penetrates at a larger rate than PDMS. This initialing faster water uptake is more significant for larger particles and fewer WD cycles. A power law regime is obtained in each case with a ζ exponent. In particular, a Washburn-like imbibition regime with ζ=0.5 is recovered at long times for both liquids. In the last experimental technique, we study the absorption of water drops deposited on tablets obtained by direct compression of the full distribution of powder particle sizes. We observe that absorption time increases with increasing number of WD cycles of the MCC powder. This is quantified by the 30% reduction of the ζ exponent that models the penetration rate of the drop.In summary, we use three kinds of experiments that cover a wide range of characteristic time scales to quantify the effect of WD cycles on the interaction of water with a swelling powder like MCC. The importance of comparing responses under different timescales is that the swelling phenomenon modifies the properties of the material in time, while imbibition happens. It is shown by this study that in some cases, the phenomena can be decoupled (droplet absorption in porous media) while in other cases it cannot be (droplet on tablets and intermediate times in capillary rise). Finally, at long times in capillary rise, even when the swelling and imbibition effects are not decoupled, it is possible to estimate the permeability ratio, χ, and its dependence with the WD cycles when the results are used in combination with the ones from the droplet absorption on powder test. The permeability decreased about 8 times for no WD cycles, and it decreased much less (2 and 3 for small and large particles respectively) for one and two WD cycles. We were able to quantitative characterize the effects of water-MCC interaction and this is important in order to predict how some pharmaceutical processes, like wet granulation, will be affected.

Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Cellulose Powder from Sawdust Waste

Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Cellulose Powder from Sawdust Waste

Perioperative bleeding control in total hip arthroplasty: hemostatic powder vs. tranexamic acid-a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Perioperative bleeding in total hip arthroplasty (THA) can lead to various problems, so effective management of blood loss is needed. This prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the efficacy of topical administration of SURGICEL® (a hemostatic agent of oxidized regenerated cellulose) powder (SP) and tranexamic acid (TXA) in controlling perioperative bleeding during THA. In total, 114 patients undergoing THA for osteoarthritis were randomized to either group S (THA with SP) or group T (THA with TXA). Data including patient demographics, laboratory data (C-reactive protein [CRP], hemoglobin, and hematocrit), operative time, and intraoperative blood loss were analyzed. Clinical outcomes were assessed using WOMAC, JOA, FJS scores, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Primary outcomes were estimated total and postoperative blood loss, while secondary outcomes included hematological test results and various clinical scores. 57 patients were allocated to each group, with 55 in group S and 56 in group T were finally included in the analysis. There was no significant difference (p = 0.141) in estimated total blood loss between group S (788.2 ± 350.1ml) and group T (714.1 ± 318.4ml). Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels and WOMAC, and FJS scores were not significantly different between the two groups at any time point. CRP levels were significantly different on postoperative days 4 and 7, and JOA score was significantly different on preoperative and postoperative period. However, the differences in CRP and JOA score values themselves were relatively small and not clinically different. Topical administration of SP is as effective as TXA in reducing perioperative bleeding in patients undergoing THA. Additionally, no significant difference was observed in early postoperative clinical outcomes between SP and TXA. Therapeutic Level I. The University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) registration number UMIN000047607.

Novel thermally regenerated flexible cellulose-based films

AbstractIn this work, cellulose powder obtained by acid hydrolysis of industrial Eucalyptus kraft pulp was dissolved in NaOH/Urea/H2O system (7/12/81 wt%) in a concentration of 6% (w/v). Cellulose films were prepared by spreading the dissolved cellulose over glass plates, followed by thermal regeneration – a novel approach reported here for the first time. To obtain final flexible films, plasticization was carried out by immersion in aqueous glycerol solutions of various concentrations (10 to 70 wt%) and hot-pressing (at 0.1 MPa and 105 ºC) was used to dry and compress the cellulose films. The resulting films were characterized by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, contact angle measurements, transparency analysis, and gas permeabilities (oxygen and water vapor). Highly flexible films containing up to 50 wt% of glycerol were successfully obtained, exhibiting no glycerol release upon manual handling. Overall, the produced films demonstrated dense and compact structure, good transparency, flexibility and malleability, and very low oxygen permeability.

Preparation and Optimization of Polyaniline/ Titanium Dioxide/ Carboxymethyl Cellulose Powder for Effective Nickel Adsorption

Hexanoic acid-doped polyaniline (PAni) is a great potential candidate to replace conventional adsorbent towards the removal of heavy metal waste from electroplating industry, especially nickel (Ni). In this study, different weight % (wt %) of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are added to form PAni composites with enhanced Ni removal efficiency. All the synthesized samples were examined with FTIR, UV-Vis, conductivity measurement, XRD, TGA, and FESEM to confirm their chemical structures, oxidation states, electrical conductivity, crystallinity and incorporation of metal oxide, thermal stability, and surface morphology, respectively. Among the different samples, PAni / TiO2 20 % exhibited the highest Ni removal efficiency of 37.5 %. Upon further addition of CMC, PAni / TiO2 / CMC 5 % showed the highest Ni removal efficiency of 89.08 %. Optimization of the experimental parameters were conducted and a maximum Ni removal efficiency of 97.88 % was achieved at pH 10, 30 min contact time at a temperature of 30 °C, and with an adsorbent dosage of 0.01 g. This study shows that the composite of PAni / TiO2 / CMC 5 % shows good potential to be applied as adsorbent of the removal of Ni ions.

Anticoagulation activity of sulfated carboxymethyl cellulose/Azadirachta indica leaf powder-based bio-composite.

Polymeric bio-composites synthesized via a green approach using natural herbs have fascinating anticoagulant activity due to their eco-friendly and non-toxic behavior towards various physical and chemical actions. Herein, we introduce a simple and eco-friendly approach for the fabrication of a new hybrid type of bio-composite based on sulfated carboxymethyl cellulose (S-CMC) and Azadirachta indica leaf powder (S-CMC/NLP). First, a non-toxic sulfating agent called N(SO3Na)3 was used to modify carboxymethyl cellulose into S-CMC. With an ion exchange capacity of 0.25 meq. g-1, the level of sulfation (%) of S-CMC (modified polysaccharide) was measured to be 12.01%. Three types of S-CMC/NLP bio-composites were developed by varying the concentration of NLP. FE-SEM, EDX, and XRD were used to characterize the structural features of S-CMC/NLP bio-composites. FTIR spectroscopy indicated that the S-CMC/NLP bio-composite possesses COO-, -OH and SO3- groups, suggesting the structural similarity to heparin. In addition, the anticoagulant effect of the S-CMC/NLP bio-composite was investigated using PT and APTT assays. The APTT investigation confirmed that following the intrinsic pathway of the coagulation system, 2-NLP/S-CMC bio-composite dose-dependently (0.045-0.28 mg mL-1) prolonged the time of blood coagulation compared to control (pure plasma). The S-CMC/NLP bio-composite showed its potential as a new, safe, and effective candidate for anticoagulant activity.

High potential lignocellulose-degrading microbial seed exploration from various biogas plants for methane production

Converting lignocellulosic materials into renewable energy through anaerobic digestion (AD) often has low degradation efficiency and thus needs improvement. Inoculum seeds from biogas plants fed with cow manure (CM), pig manure (PM), Napier grass (NG), and goat manure (GM) were explored for high-potential lignocellulose-degrading inocula based on the biochemical methane potential. Overall, CM, PM, and GM seeds could degrade lignocellulose. However, PM inoculum exhibited the highest CH4 production rate from cellulose powder, xylan, and Napier grass degradation by 46.32, 49.61, and 18.56 NmL/gVSadded·d, indicating the shortest lag phase but lagged behind GM and CM for alkali lignin. Microbial community analysis revealed lignocellulose-degrading microorganisms in the inocula. A high relative abundance of cellulose-degrading bacteria, such as Anaerolineaceae, Romboutsia, Bacteroidetes vadinHA17, and Clostridium sensu stricto 1, was detected. Anaerobic lignin-degrading bacteria were found in CM, PM, and GM inocula. Moreover, Bathyarchaeia from the archaeal group involved in lignocellulose degradation was found in CM and GM inocula. Keystone methanogens for methanogenesis were also detected in all inocula. PM inoculum possesses a promising inoculum seed for shortening the start-up period of the lignocellulose-degrading reactor with high AD performance and stability as it provides a short lag time and a high rate of methanogenesis.

Real-time release testing of in vitro dissolution and blend uniformity in a continuous powder blending process by NIR spectroscopy and machine vision

Continuous manufacturing is gaining increasing interest in the pharmaceutical industry, also requiring real-time and non-destructive quality monitoring. Multiple studies have already addressed the possibility of surrogate in vitro dissolution testing, but the utilization has rarely been demonstrated in real-time. Therefore, in this work, the in-line applicability of an artificial intelligence-based dissolution surrogate model is developed the first time. NIR spectroscopy-based partial least squares regression and artificial neural networks were developed and tested in-line and at-line to assess the blend uniformity and dissolution of encapsulated acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) – microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powder blends in a continuous blending process. The studied blend is related to a previously published end-to-end manufacturing line, where the varying size of the ASA crystals obtained from a continuous crystallization significantly affected the dissolution of the final product. The in-line monitoring was suitable for detecting the variations in the ASA content and dissolution caused by the feeding of ASA with different particle sizes, and the at-line predictions agreed well with the measured validation dissolution curves (f2 = 80.5). The results were further validated using machine vision-based particle size analysis. Consequently, this work could contribute to the advancement of RTRT in continuous end-to-end processes.

Synthesis and characterization of composite membranes based on bacterial cellulose and coral powder

Preparation of bacterial cellulose and coral powder composite membranes has been carried out. Composite membranes were made by mixing bacterial cellulose with coral powder at different mass ratios at temperatures of 25 ºC, 40 ºC, 60 ºC and At 80 ºC, the composite membrane was evaluated for Fourier Transformation of Infrared, X-Ray Diffraction, degree of swelling, proton conductivity and methanol permeability. From the FT-IR analysis it was found that in the absorption area around 1461.385 – 911cm-1 showing the Si-O-Si stretching functional group, and in the absorption area around 3000 - 3500 cm-1 showing the (O-H) group which shows the semicrystalline composite membrane for each mass variation, according to the results of X-Ray Diffraction. The maximum proton conductivity has been measured as 3.32 x 10-3 S.cm-1 at 60°C, produces a degree of swelling of 31.14% and methanol permeability of 3.72 × 10-9 mol/cm.s for a mass ratio of bacterial cellulose:coral powder composite membrane 4:1.

Comprehensive characterization of microcrystalline cellulose from lemon grass (Cymbopogan citratus) oil extraction agro-industrial waste for cementitious composites applications

Presently, the construction industry demands components that are exceptionally strong and long-lasting. The initial important construction material is concrete, which contains between 1 % and 2 % of air voids. The structural damage caused by water that enters through the air spaces are improved with filler material. Chemical filler materials are environmentally harmful; therefore, eco-friendly materials are selected for this study. The environmentally benign character of agro-waste byproduct usage is a driving factor in the field of research. Numerous uses can be found for waste materials, especially after they have been repurposed. We used a byproduct of an essential oil extraction company, an extract made from the leaves of lemon grass (Cymbopogan citrus), in our research. Alkalization, slow pyrolysis, acid hydrolysis, and bleaching are only some of the chemical treatments that could be used to easily extract microcrystalline cellulose from the discarded waste material. In our study the chemicals used are mild harmful to the environment and a surface reactant (linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid) is utilised to bleach and purify the microcrystalline cellulose. Thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform spectroscopy were all used to learn more about the cellulose that had been extracted. The extracted cellulose powder comprises a high crystallinity index (68.14 %) and low crystallite size (5.13 nm) found using X-ray diffraction analysis. The smooth and porous surface is observable in scanning electron microscope analysis. The Differential scanning calorimeter curve shows the highest degradation temperature at 218.16 °C. The micro sized particles mostly range between 100 and 120 μm and are found using ImageJ. The surface roughness and permissible skewness of cellulose particles were examined using atomic force microscopy. The density of extracted cellulose is 1.092 g/cm3. The microcrystalline cellulose yield % was notably maximum (40.45 %). This cellulose was introduced in a M30 grade cement concrete as fillers up to 5 % by the weight of cement. The fresh and mechanical properties of the concrete was found to get improved with the addition of cellulose up to 3 %. As a result, the characteristics of cellulose boost its utility within the construction sector.

Bio-chemical Preparation of Microcrystalline Cellulose Powder from Cotton Linters for Utilization as Tablet Excipients

Aims: The present work is aimed to prepare microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powder from cotton linters by an eco-friendly bio-chemical process and to evaluate the prepared MCC as tablet excipients. Study Design: Randomized Complete Block Design. Place and Duration of Study: Ginning Training Center, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India during June to December, 2019. Methodology: The MCC was prepared from cotton linters by enzymatic and chemical methods and compared with commercial grade MCC (Avicel® PH101). The crude enzyme extract of Aspergillus sp. VM-1 was obtained by solid-state fermentation and used for hydrolysis of cotton linters at 60℃ for 60 min. In the chemical process, 10% alkali was used for hydrolysis at boiling temperature for 60 min. In both the processes, the hydrolyzed cotton linters were bleached with hydrogen peroxide. The MCC powders were characterized for physico-chemical and tableting properties based on Indian Pharmacopeia (IP) and Untied States Pharmacopeia (USP) specifications. Results: The α-cellulose content (%) in the synthesized MCC by enzymatic process was 98.1 while the commercial grade MCC, Avicel® PH101 had 98.5. The physico-chemical properties of synthesized MCC by enzymatic process were comparable with Avicel PH101 and meet the IP standards. The degree of polymerization (DP) of prepared MCC and Avicel PH101 were 215 and 157, respectively. The FT-IR spectrum of synthesized MCC had similarity to that of Avicel® PH101. The tableting properties of prepared MCC met USP standards. The MCC prepared from cotton linters by enzymatic was found to be superior to chemical process with respect to cellulose yield, degree of polymerization and tablet dissolution property. Conclusion: The results showed MCC synthesized from cotton linters through enzymatic route is a promising candidate for direct compressible excipient of tablet. The present study highlights that the enzymatic process significantly reduces the alkali usage and heating temperature and thus saves the chemicals and energy in the process.

An innovative approach to develop plant-derived and CO2-based active biocomposite films towards antioxidant activity

In this study, novel biocomposites composed of CO2-derived poly(propylene) carbonate and plant-based cellulose were developed employing solvent casting technique. An innovative and rapid strategy was employed, whereby pre-dissolving cellulose improves dramatically the compatibility of poly(propylene) carbonate with cellulose whilst pristine cellulose powder displays inhomogeneous distributions of cellulose within the biocomposite. Resulting biocomposites produce flat homogeneous surfaces with low cellulose content, whilst rougher surfaces and thicker cross sections were observed in films with higher cellulose content. Developed biocomposites outperformed biocomposites produced from pristine cellulose powder in terms of homogeneity, thermal stability, antioxidant activity and biocompatibility. Higher cellulose content samples show the formation of a new hydrogen bonding network between PPC and cellulose polymer chains and this contributes to improved thermal stability. TGA results reveal improved thermal stability for high cellulose content films and show enhanced water vapor permeability. A cell viability study shows that the developed materials are biocompatible. Curcumin, a natural antioxidant, was incorporated into optimized biocomposites to produce active biocomposites with antioxidant features to accelerate wound healing. Curcumin is shown to display a sustained release profile over a time period of 3 days, and this is ideal for would healing. The curcumin-functionalized biocomposites also contributed to enhanced thermal stability and water vapor permeability. Thus, these biocomposite films show promise as active biocomposites which can be used for biomedical applications such as wound healing.

Fast, accessible and reliable method for elemental analysis of metals in solution by ED-XRF spectroscopy

The measurement of metals in solution is usually performed using inductive coupled plasma hyphenated techniques or atomic absorption. Although very sensitive and accurate, these analytical techniques are quite expensive and do not allow field measurements. The present work takes advantage of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) ease-of-use features to determine the concentration of rare earth elements (Y, Pr, Nd, Eu) and others (S, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn) in aqueous solutions, after appropriate sample treatment. The approach turned out to be a reliable and very convenient procedure for field analysis. The simplicity, speed and reliability of the methodology used combined with the possibility of simultaneous analysis and low cost of the method can be advantageous in industrial context. The approach relies on the suspension of the target solutions in a cellulose matrix that is further converted into a pellet for direct analysis. Calibration curves obtained by regression analysis at 5% significance are shown for a variety of elements (S, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Pr, Nd, Eu) with correlation coefficients between 0.9555 and 0.9980. Higher coefficients of variance were obtained for the calibration of S and Pr due to low sensitivity and the overlapping with the L lines of Nd, respectively. The performed calibrations were not affected by the presence of other analytes in the matrix. Results obtained showed that it is possible to use the proposed methodology to accurately quantify d and f block metals in aqueous solutions by ED-XRF after sequestering the chemical content into a cellulose powder matrix and further processing into a pellet.Graphical

Short communication: Metabolic synthesis of vitamin D2 by the gut microbiome

The origin of vitamin D2 in herbivorous animals was investigated in vivo in sheep and in bovine as well as mouse gastrointestinal tracts. A high concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 in blood plasma of sheep both in summer and winter appeared to be incompatible with the undetectable level of vitamin D2 in the pasture on which the sheep were grazing. Studies with bovine rumen contents from a cow grazing the same pasture as the sheep, demonstrated an increased concentration of vitamin D2 on anaerobic incubation in a ‘Rusitec’ artificial rumen, which was further enhanced when cellulose powder was added as a fermentation substrate. The colon contents of mice that were fed from weaning on a vitamin D-free diet were found to contain vitamin D2. The results of these comparative studies in 3 animal species indicated that vitamin D2 was being generated by microbial anaerobic metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dissolution of cellulose in imidazolium-based double salt ionic liquids

The dissolution of cellulose in double salt ionic liquids (DSILs) was studied in detail and compared with the dissolution in individual constituent ionic liquids (ILs). The DSILs, [C4mim](CH3CO2)xCl1-x (x is the mole fraction of the single component ILs), were synthesized using acetate and chloride salts of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium. These DSILs were then used for the investigation of the solubility of cellulose in the whole mole fraction range. Commercial cellulose (CC) powder, kraft pulp (KP), and prehydrolysis kraft pulp (PHKP) of jute were chosen as cellulose sources. The solubility of cellulose increased with an increasing temperature for [C4mim](CH3CO2)0.6Cl0.4 and with increasing amount of [C4mim]Cl in DSILs. The maximum solubility of CC powder was 32.8 wt% in [C4mim](CH3CO2)0.6Cl0.4 at 100 °C, while for KP and PHKP, solubilities were 30.1 and 30.5 wt%, respectively under the identical condition. Cellulose could be regenerated from the DSILs using water as an antisolvent. Structure, morphology, and thermal stability of the regenerated cellulosic materials were analyzed. DSILs could be recycled >99 % without a discernible change in structure. This work demonstrates that DSILs display enhanced solubility over ILs system and have potential as a chemical processing methodology.

African Breadfruit Seed Oil as Lipid Phase of Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System for Improved Gastrointestinal Fluid Solubility of Ibuprofen: Design and Evaluation

Introduction: Rain forest vegetations all over the world produce large quantity of economically important seed oils which, in most developing countries are utilized only as food condiments but hardly employed in pharmaceutical formulations.
 Objectives: The purpose of this work was to formulate ibuprofen-loaded self-emulsifying drug delivery system for the enhancement of the gastrointestinal fluid solubility of this poorly water soluble drug.
 Methods: The breadfruit seed oil was extracted by the soxhlet extraction technique and characterized for various physicochemical properties including acid, iodine, peroxide, saponification values and organoleptic properties. The super saturation solubility process, water titration studies and pseudo ternary phase diagrams were used to select and quantify the components of the emulsion systems. The liquid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems were converted to solid forms by adsorption onto a blend of miceocrystalline cellulose and Aerosil-200 powders. The resulting wet mass was dried and processed for encapsulation.
 Results: The percentage yield of the oil from the extraction process was 20.68 % while the acid, iodine, and saponification values were, 4.12 ± 1.24, 21.91 ± 0.88, and 302.45 ± 1.22 respectively. The ibuprofen exhibited higher solubility in the hydrolysed oil than in the crude form. Fourier transform infrared analysis did not reveal existence of component incompatibility. The optimized liquid and solid emulsions exhibited standard characteristics that were compatible to previous literature reports. The formulations also exhibited superior drug release properties over two control samples.
 Conclusion: It was concluded that Breadfruit seed oil has the potential to function as the lipid component of ibuprofen-loaded self-emulsifying drug delivery system formulated to enhance the aqueous solubility of the drug.

Development of cellulose based food-ink from cellulose powder

Three-dimensional or 3D printing studies utilizing biopolymer, a digital manufacturing technology acting as additive manufacturing, have gained global attention, particularly in the food industries. However, the utilization of cellulose powder to create food ink for 3D printing is relatively recent. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare cellulose-based food ink, analysed using carboxymethyl cellulose powder (CMC) through rheology and thermal analysis. The formulated cellulose-based food ink from carboxymethyl cellulose powder underwent examination through rheology, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier -transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed shear-thinning behaviour for rheology properties and the presence of the hydroxyl group (–OH stretching), C–H stretching vibration and ether groups (–O– stretching), which was excellent for 3D printing. The amount of CMC powder used in the food ink formulation was increased due to the higher thermal stability of the food ink as determined by the TGA. This discovery is applicable to 3D printing in the food industry since CMC powder exhibits shear thinning behaviour at low concentrations and has stable thermal characteristics comparable to printable and edible materials.

Birefringence Behaviors of Cellulose Nanocrystals under Varied Concentrations, Ultrasonication Treatments, and Different Solvents

Self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystal (NCC) in suspension has unique characteristics under polarize observation which is called as birefringence behaviors. However, the study about these phenomena is lacking especially when the NCC is prepared in dried powder form. Here, we reported the behaviors of commercial NCC obtained from CelluForce NCC, NCV100-NASD90 dispersed in different concentrations (0.1% to 8% weight/weight); ultrasonic times (0 to 45 minutes); solvents (Benzene, N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMA), Ethanol, Dimethylformamide, Acetone, Acetic acid 1%, and Water) for their birefringence manners. In addition, nanocellulose obtained from TEMPO mediated oxidation and organic acid hydrolysis were also reported. Dried powder NCC showed shear thickening behavior at high concentration and well-dispersed at acetic acid and water solvent indicated the redispersable NCC. While, cellulose NCC, NCV100-NASD90 considerably low dispersion in non-polar solvents. Birefringence appears only when the suspension was in anisotropic state due to stirring. As sonication times increased, the birefringence clearly visible which suggested the defibrillation of aggregated cellulose crystal. The results of this study authenticated that redispersable NCC could be obtained from dried powder cellulose and provided birefringence behavior by managing concentration levels, sonication times and perfect solvents to dilute.