Chitosan News and Research

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Chitosan is a naturally occuring polymer isolated from crab and shrimp shells. Chitosan has shown promise as a carrier of anticancer drugs, antitumor genes, and other novel therapeutics.

Bioactive packaging can keep strawberries fresh for up to 12 days

Québec produces more strawberries than any other Canadian province. Strawberries are delicate and difficult to keep fresh. In response to this challenge, Monique Lacroix, a professor at at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, and her team have developed a packaging film that can keep strawberries fresh for up to 12 days.

16 Jun 2021

How can nanomaterials help in the fight against COVID-19?

Researchers have reviewed different types of nanomaterials and how they can be used for the detection, prevention, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

3 Jun 2021

Complementary medicines for weight loss cannot be justified based on current evidence, review suggests

The first global review of complementary medicines (herbal and dietary supplements) for weight loss in 16 years--combining 121 randomized placebo-controlled trials including nearly 10,000 adults--suggests that their use cannot be justified based on the current evidence.

8 May 2021

Applications of nanoparticles in combating COVID-19

Researchers review the various properties and use of nanoparticles in targeting SARS-CoV-2 and how they could be used to develop new therapeutics and diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2.

30 Apr 2021

Fixing traumatic injuries to the skin and bones using bioprinting during surgery

Fixing traumatic injuries to the skin and bones of the face and skull is difficult because of the many layers of different types of tissues involved, but now, researchers have repaired such defects in a rat model using bioprinting during surgery, and their work may lead to faster and better methods of healing skin and bones.

26 Apr 2021

Researchers explore nanotechnology’s potential to deliver synergistic therapeutics for COVID-19

A team of scientists reviewed the nanoencapsulation approaches of synergistic compounds (Lectins, Caffeine, Cocoa, Flavonoids, Quercetin) and the role of nanotechnology in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

19 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine tested in animal model

A team of experts has tested the immune responses elicited by mucosal homologous plasmid and a heterologous immunization strategy using a plasmid vaccine and a Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) antigens.

21 Feb 2021

Insulin nanoparticles may become an alternative to insulin injections for diabetic patients

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed insulin nanoparticles that may one day become the basis for an oral medicine, and an alternative to insulin injections for diabetic patients.

12 Jan 2021

Artificial olfactory system mimics the mammalian nose to assess meat freshness

A team of scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore has invented an artificial olfactory system that mimics the mammalian nose to assess the freshness of meat accurately.

10 Nov 2020

Suramin shows promise as COVID-19 treatment

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv reports the elucidation of the mechanism of inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 by a non-nucleotide inhibitor called suramin. This is the first such compound to be shown to have such activity and shows promise for use as a repurposed drug against COVID-19.

12 Oct 2020

Researchers use silk nanofibers to enhance 3D cell printing

How do you test, in early-stage research, whether a potential pharmaceutical effectively targets a human tumor, organ, or some other part of the body? How do you grow a new hand or some other body part?

8 Oct 2020

Synthetic peptide can make multidrug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a synthetic peptide that can make multidrug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics again when used together with traditional antibiotics, offering hope for the prospect of a combination treatment strategy to tackle certain antibiotic-tolerant infections.

6 Aug 2020

Edible coating made with green tea extract kills norovirus, bacteria

Infusing prepared foods with an edible coating that contains green tea extract may lower consumers' chances of catching the highly contagious norovirus by eating contaminated food, new research suggests.

21 Jul 2020

Researchers find new strategy for developing tissue regeneration scaffolds

In Japan, an increase in the aging population has exacerbated the demand for regenerative medicine to address increasingly common diseases, such as knee osteoarthritis.

31 Mar 2020

Bandages sense infections, change color, treat infection

In what reads like science fiction, a new study published in the journal ACS Central Science reports the development of bandages that detect the presence of bacteria in wounds and change color, depending on whether they are drug-sensitive or drug-resistant. This is an important step in helping patients recover better.

29 Jan 2020

Vitamin D in pregnancy reduces risk of enamel defects in offspring

An important randomized trial shows that when vitamin D is supplemented at high doses in the last three months of pregnancy, there is a fall in the occurrence of enamel defects in the deciduous (milk) and permanent teeth of the offspring by half, over the next 6 years, compared to a low dose supplementation. However, the incidence of caries was not affected.

27 Jan 2020

Study uncovers how rice blast fungus uses its own cell wall to launch an attack

In response to environmental changes and nutrient starvation, cells are known to undergo extreme alterations. This includes switching from one type to another (“differentiation”) and changes in metabolic pathways (“metabolic switching”).

14 Jan 2020

Extremely low concentrations of acetic acid could alter cellular processes in rice blast fungus

All living organisms respond and adapt to changes in their environment. These responses are sometimes so significant that they cause alterations in the internal metabolic cycles of the organism--a process called "metabolic switching." For example, rice blast fungus--a pathogenic fungal species that causes the "rice blast" infection in rice crops--switches to the "glyoxylate cycle" when the nutrient source starts to deplete.

8 Jan 2020

University of Florida scientists aim to develop new antimicrobials for cows, humans

University of Florida scientists believe they can develop new antimicrobials that will benefit dairy cattle and, eventually, humans by treating bacteria that normally resist antibiotics.

21 Aug 2019

Encapsulated Indian medicinal herb can reduce blood glucose levels in diabetic mice

Extracts of the herb Withania coagulans, or Paneer dodi, are used in traditional Indian medicine. Although some healers claim that W. coagulans can help treat diabetes, the bitter-tasting plant hasn't been studied extensively by scientists.

31 Jul 2019