The Taste of Waste: The Edge of Eggshell Over Calcium Carbonate in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber

Rubber technology experiences a new age by the use of biowaste or natural fillers. In this regard, taking properties of reinforcing agents from biowaste fillers remains as the challenging matter. Chicken eggshell (ES) biowaste has recently been introduced to substitute calcium carbonate (CaCO3) duo to its superior properties and low price. In this work, composites based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) reinforced with ES and CaCO3 microfillers at various loading levels were prepared and characterized. To improve the interactions between fillers and the NBR matrix, ES and CaCO3 were surface-functionalized using a terpolymer, namely poly(vinyl 2-pyrrolidone-co-maleic acid-co-acrylic acid). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the modified fillers. The incorporation of the functionalized fillers resulted in a significant rise in the maximum torque according to the rheometric measurements. The Young’s modulus of the ES-based and CaCO3-based compounds showed a mild improvement over a wide range of filler contents. The elongation at break of the NBR composites, however, was dependent on the filler content. This work provides exciting opportunities for the design of novel and innovative coupling agents to be used in rubber applications. © 2019, The Author(s)

Biomaterials in Valvular Heart Diseases

Valvular heart disease (VHD) occurs as the result of valvular malfunction, which can greatly reduce patient\u27s quality of life and if left untreated may lead to death. Different treatment regiments are available for management of this defect, which can be helpful in reducing the symptoms. The global commitment to reduce VHD-related mortality rates has enhanced the need for new therapeutic approaches. During the past decade, development of innovative pharmacological and surgical approaches have dramatically improved the quality of life for VHD patients, yet the search for low cost, more effective, and less invasive approaches is ongoing. The gold standard approach for VHD management is to replace or repair the injured valvular tissue with natural or synthetic biomaterials. Application of these biomaterials for cardiac valve regeneration and repair holds a great promise for treatment of this type of heart disease. The focus of the present review is the current use of different types of biomaterials in treatment of valvular heart diseases

Editorial: Bioengineered Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy

International audienc

A Green Composite Based on Gelatin/Agarose/Zeolite as a Potential Scaffold for Tissue Engineering Applications

Designing a novel platform capable of providing a proper tissue regeneration environment is a key factor in tissue engineering. Herein, a green composite based on gelatin/agarose/zeolite with pomegranate peel extract was fabricated as an innovative platform for tissue engineering. Gelatin/agarose was loaded with pomegranate peel extract-loaded zeolite to evaluate its swelling behavior, porosity, release rate, and cell viability performance. The composite characteristics were evaluated using XRD and DSC. The hydrogel performance can be adjusted for the desired aim by zeolite content manipulation, such as controlled release. It was shown that the green nanocomposite exhibited proper cellular activity along with a controlled release rate. Moreover, the hydrogel composite’s swelling ratio was decreased by adding zeolite. This study suggested a fully natural composite as a potential biomaterial for tissue engineering, which opens new ways to design versatile hydrogels for the regeneration of damaged tissues. The hydrogel performance can be adjusted specifically by zeolite content manipulation for controlled release

Electroactive poly (p-phenylene sulfide)/r-Graphene Oxide/Chitosan as a novel potential candidate for tissue engineering

International audienc

Polyaniline/metal oxides nanocomposites

International audienc