Sharif Digital Repository

Microbial cells are producers of natural polymers present in plant cells. Production of pullulan (an extracellular microbial polysaccharide) by Aureobasidium pullularia pullulans (P. pullulans) was studied under fermentation conditions, and kinetic parameters were determined. Pullulan formation obeyed a growth and non-growth associated term. PHB (polyhydroxybutyrates) an intracellular biopolymer production by Rastonia eutropha (Alcaligen eutrophus), R. eutropha was studied under different culture media, including synthetic and natural carbon sources. Molasses as a natural carbon source in the culture media presented high efficiency in cell and biopolymer accumulation  

Stimuli responsive hydrogels (SRHs) are attractive bioscaffolds for tissue engineering. The structural similarity of SRHs to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues offers great advantages for a minimally invasive tissue repair. Among various potential applications of SRHs, cartilage regeneration has attracted significant attention. The repair of cartilage damage is challenging in orthopedics owing to its low repair capacity. Recent advances include development of injectable hydrogels to minimize invasive surgery with nanostructured features and rapid stimuli-responsive characteristics. Nanostructured SRHs with more structural similarity to natural ECM up-regulate cell-material... 

Natural and biodegradable polymers are of particular interest as green sources with low-cost and environmentally friendly features, and have been widely used for polymer composite development. The term “Green Composites” refers to polymer/filler systems in which polymer, filler, or sometimes both components are green in view of sources from which they are yielded or their biodegradability. Natural fibers obtained from plants, animals, and/or geological processes are a big class of green sources widely applied in green composite development. There has also been continued research on recycling of green composite as well as developing hybrid systems for advanced applications. In view of their... 

In this work, a novel heterogeneous organocatalyst was synthesized by immobilization of hydroxide ions on the modified salep as a natural polymer. Because of the grafting of ionic polymer chains onto the salep backbone, catalyst has high loading level of hydroxide ions (3.01 mmol/g). The resulting catalyst shows excellent activity in the synthesis of 4H-benzo[b]pyrans in water at room temperature in short reaction times. The present catalyst and protocol represent a simple, ecologically safe and cost-effective route to synthesize 4H-benzo[b]pyrans with high product yield, as well as easy catalyst recycling  

This review covers the development of bioresorbable polymeric composites for applications in tissue engineering. Various commercially available bioresobable polymers are described, with emphasis on recent bioresorbable composites based on natural and synthetic polymers. Bioresorbable polymers contain hydrolyzable bonds, which are subjected to chemical degradation via either reactive hydrolysis or enzyme-catalyzed active hydrolysis. For synthetic polymers, chemical hydrolysis is the most important mode of degradation. The degradation rate can be controlled by varying the molecular weight and crystallinity. Examples of bioresorbable polymers are: polyurethane, poly(D,L)lactide,... 

This review covers the development of bioresorbable polymeric composites for applications in tissue engineering. Various commercially available bioresobable polymers are described, with emphasis on recent bioresorbable composites based on natural and synthetic polymers. Bioresorbable polymers contain hydrolyzable bonds, which are subjected to chemical degradation via either reactive hydrolysis or enzyme-catalyzed active hydrolysis. For synthetic polymers, chemical hydrolysis is the most important mode of degradation. The degradation rate can be controlled by varying the molecular weight and crystallinity. Examples of bioresorbable polymers are: polyurethane, poly(D,L)lactide,... 

Hydrogels made of natural polymers [chitosan (CS) and gelatin (G)] have been prepared having mechanical properties similar to those of muscle tissues. In this study, the effect of polymer concentration and scaffold stiffness on the behavior of seeded muscle-derived cells (MDCs) on the CS-G hydrogel sheets has been evaluated. Both variables were found to be important in cell viability. Viability was assessed by observation of the cell morphology after 1 day as well as a 14-day MTT assay. The CS-G hydrogels were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, which revealed evidences of strong intermolecular interactions between CS and G. Hydrogel samples with intermediate...