Approaches in biotechnological applications of natural polymers

Natural polymers, such as gums and mucilage, are biocompatible, cheap, easily available and non-toxic materials of native origin. These polymers are increasingly preferred over synthetic materials for industrial applications due to their intrinsic properties, as well as they are considered alternative sources of raw materials since they present characteristics of sustainability, biodegradability and biosafety. As definition, gums and mucilages are polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates consisting of one or more monosaccharides or their derivatives linked in bewildering variety of linkages and structures. Natural gums are considered polysaccharides naturally occurring in varieties of plant seeds and exudates, tree or shrub exudates, seaweed extracts, fungi, bacteria, and animal sources. Water-soluble gums, also known as hydrocolloids, are considered exudates and are pathological products; therefore, they do not form a part of cell wall. On the other hand, mucilages are part of cell and physiological products. It is important to highlight that gums represent the largest amounts of polymer materials derived from plants. Gums have enormously large and broad applications in both food and non-food industries, being commonly used as thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspending, stabilizing agents and matrices for drug release in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In the food industry, their gelling properties and the ability to mold edible films and coatings are extensively studied. The use of gums depends on the intrinsic properties that they provide, often at costs below those of synthetic polymers. For upgrading the value of gums, they are being processed into various forms, including the most recent nanomaterials, for various biotechnological applications. Thus, the main natural polymers including galactomannans, cellulose, chitin, agar, carrageenan, alginate, cashew gum, pectin and starch, in addition to the current researches about them are reviewed in this article.. }To the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientfíico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for fellowships (LCBBC and MGCC) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nvíel Superior (CAPES) (PBSA). This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, the Project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462) and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) (JAT)

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Effect of a New Method to Simulate Pulpal Pressure on Bond Strength and Nano leakage of Dental Adhesives to Dentin

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Purpose: To evaluate a new method of simulated pulpal pressure in vitro in comparison with the conventional one. Materials and Methods: Four adhesives were analyzed: a three-step etch-and-rinse (Scotchbond Multi-Purpose [SBMP]), a two-step etch-and-rinse (Single Bond 2 [SB]), a two-step self-etching (Clearfil SE Bond [SE]) and a one-step self-etching (Clearfil S3 [S3]) system. Restorations were built up in flat, deep dentin from extracted molars. After two methods of simulated pulpal pressure or no pulpal pressure (control groups), the samples were cut into sticks and submitted to microtensile bond strength (mu TBS) testing and nanoleakage evaluation. Results were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (p<0.05). Results: In general, statistical analysis of mu TBS showed SBMP>SB=SE>S3. For both methods of simulated pulpal pressure, the mu TBS of SB and S3 was lower than in control groups. For SBMP and SE, the mu TBS remained stable with simulated pulpal pressure. Conventional and experimental methods of simulating pulpal pressure resulted in similar mu TBS (p = 1.00) and nanoleakage patterns. Silver impregnation was higher with SB and S3, especially after simulated pulpal pressure with both methods. Conclusion: The experimental simulated pulpal-pressure method tested here was similar to the conventional method and can be an alternative to it. The simplified adhesives show reduction in bond strength after simulated pulpal pressure. The multistep adhesives have stable bond strengths under simulated pulpal pressure. Therefore, the separate application of hydrophobic resin can achieve resistance to bonding deterioration after hydrostatic pressure.146517524Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Chemical interaction of 10-MDP (methacryloyloxi-decyl-dihydrogen-phosphate) in zinc-doped self-etch adhesives

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Objectives: Zinc-doped dentine adhesives have been recently advocated to interfere with metallo-proteinases-mediated collagen degradation. Nevertheless, there is a little information about the effects of zinc ions on the chemical interaction of self-etch functional monomers to dentine. The aim of this study was to assess if the inclusion of zinc into the primers of self-etch adhesives containing MDP (10-methacryloyloxi-decyl-dihydrogen-phosphate) may interfere with their chemical interaction to calcium/dentine. Methods: Caries-free human molars were bonded using two commercial self-etching adhesives [Clearfil SE bond (CSE) and S3 bond (S3)] doped with zinc nitrate and submitted to microtensile bond strength (mu TBS) and interface nanoleakage evaluation. Moreover, MDP was synthesised to evaluate the chemical interaction with calcium/dentine through atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and SEM-EDX in the presence or absence of zinc ions. Results: AAS showed increasing formation of MDP-zinc rather than MDP-calcium salts (p = 0.002) in the presence of zinc. SEM-EDX confirmed the formation of zinc-rich phosphate deposits that were probably responsible for the significant reduction in mu TBS and increased interfacial nanoleakage attained with zinc-doped CSE and S3. Conclusion: These outcomes demonstrated that the excessive presence of zinc ions may jeopardise the bonding performance of MDP-containing self-etch adhesives. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.423359365Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)CAPES [6850-12-0

Hydrolytic degradation of the resin-dentine interface induced by the simulated pulpal pressure, direct and indirect water ageing

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the hydrolytic effects induced by simulated pulpal pressure, direct or indirect water exposure within the resin-dentine interfaces created with three "simplified'' resin bonding systems (RBSs). Methods: A two-step/self-etching (CSE: Clearfil SE Bond), one-step/self-etching (S3: Clearfil S3) and etch-and-rinse/self-priming (SB: Single-bond 2) adhesives were applied onto dentine and submitted to three different prolonged (6 or 12 months) ageing strategies: (i) Simulated Pulpal Pressure (SPP); (ii) Indirect Water Exposure (IWE: intact bonded-teeth); (iii) Direct Water Exposure (DWE: resin-dentine sticks). Control and aged specimens were submitted to microtensile bond strength (mu TBS) and nanoleakage evaluation. Water sorption (WS) survey was also performed on resin disks. Results were analysed with two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (p 0.05) and no evident change in nanoleakage. Conversely, SPP induced a clear formation of "water-trees'' in CS3 and SB. WS outcomes were CS3 > SB = CSE. Conclusion: The hydrolytic degradation of resin-dentine interfaces depend upon the type of the in vitro ageing strategy employed in the experimental design. Direct water exposure remains the quickest method to age the resin-dentine bonds. However, the use of SPP may better simulate the in vivo scenario. However, the application of a separate hydrophobic solvent-free adhesive layer may reduce the hydrolytic degradation and increase the longevity of resin-dentine interfaces created with simplified adhesives. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.401211341143Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)National Institute for Health Research under the Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's & St. Thomas' TrustCentre of Excellence in Medical EngineeringWellcome TrustCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES