La creciente demanda de alternativas a los hidrogeles sintéticos y la inconveniente proliferación de la Eichhornia crassipes que causa afectaciones al medio ambiente, parecen ser dos problemáticas que se pueden solventar entre sí. Este estudio pretendía evaluar la viabilidad de esta planta invasora como fuente de celulosa para la fabricación de hidrogeles físicos de uso tópico. Para ello, se obtuvieron cuatro prototipos mediante variaciones de la metodología Organosolv, los cuales fueron caracterizados farmacotécnicamente y reológicamente. Los ensayos revelaron que cada prototipo obtenido se trataba de un hidrogel, con un contenido de agua superior al 92%, determinado por pérdida por secado, y un rendimiento del 31.1% ± 4.9%. La esparcibilidad señaló el prototipo B como semifluido, mientras que las pruebas reológicas determinaron que entre los prototipos no hay diferencias significativas y son pseudoplásticos garantizando el uso como hidrogeles tópicos. Además, todos los hidrogeles demostraron una baja citotoxicidad. Un análisis IR sugirió diferencias estructurales en cada uno de los hidrogeles, confirmando a su vez la prevalencia de celulosa. Se llevó a cabo un análisis de varianza (p < 0.05) para determinar cambios significativos. En conjunto, estos hallazgos sugieren que la Eichhornia crassipes es una fuente viable para la fabricación de hidrogeles. | Pregrado | Químico Farmacéutico | The increasing demand for alternatives to synthetic hydrogels and the issue of Eichhornia crassipes' proliferation, which causes environmental damage, seem to be two problems that can be addressed by each other. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing this invasive plant as a source of cellulose for the fabrication of topical-use physical hydrogels. Four prototypes were synthesized via variations of the Organosolv methodology and subsequently subjected to pharmaceutical characterization. The experimental assays demonstrated that each prototype constituted a hydrogel, characterized by a water content exceeding 92%, as determined through drying loss, with a yield of 31.1% ± 4.9%. Evaluation of spreadability indicated the suitability of prototype B, while rheological assessments determined that there were no significant differences among the prototypes and they were all pseudoplastic, enserió their use as topical hydrogels. Furthermore, all hydrogels exhibited low cytotoxicity. Infrared spectroscopy revealed distinctive structural variances among the hydrogel formulations, confirming the predominance of cellulose. Statistical analysis, conducted via analysis of variance (p < 0.05), underscored significant differences. Collectively, these findings display the potential of Eichhornia crassipes as a viable cellulose source for hydrogel production.

Se evaluó, a escala laboratorio, la desalinización por ósmosis directa de agua de mar sintética. Este sistema utilizó un agente osmótico comercial y un agente osmótico preparado, a partir de azúcar/glucosa anhídrida 50/50%p/p y nanopartículas magnéticas, modificadas con carboximetil celulosa (MNp-CMC). De acuerdo a mediciones de dispersión de luz dinámica, las nanopartículas exhibieron un tamaño hidrodinámico de 173±53nm. Un valor de flux de agua desalinizada de 1,3LMH fue determinado al adicionar 112,5mg/ mL de MNp-CMC al agente osmótico sintético, produciéndose un aumento del 9,2%, comparado al flux obtenido sin el uso del nanoaditivo. En adición, se evaluó la remoción de las nanopartículas magnéticas, aplicando un campo electromagnético externo. A pesar que se observó una disminución en la concentración de nanopartículas presentes en el efluente, luego de ocho ciclos de separación magnética, se detectó, por espectrofotometría de absorción atómica, una concentración de 227mg Fe/L en el agua desalinizada, lo cual, supera el valor máximo aceptable de hierro en aguas potables (0,3mg Fe/L), reflejando así la necesidad de mejorar el proceso de separación magnética, para el empleo de nanoaditivos magnéticos, en procesos de desalinización de agua, por osmosis directa. | At a laboratory scale by means of a direct osmosis process the desalination of a synthetic seawater was evaluated. This system employed a commercial osmotic and a synthetic osmotic agent prepared from sugar/anhydrous glucose 50/50%w/w and magnetic nanoparticles modified with carboxymethyl cellulose (MNp-CMC). According to measurements from dynamic light scattering, nanoparticles exhibited a hydrodynamic size of 173±53nm. A desalinated water flux of 1,3LMH was determined by the addition of 112,5mg/mL of MNp-CMC to the synthetic osmotic agent, showing an increase of 9.2% as compared to the one obtained without the use of the nanoadditives. Additionally, the magnetic decantation of the nanoparticles by applying an external electromagnetic field was evaluated. Although a concentration decrease of nanoparticles in the water effluent after eight cycles of magnetic separation was detected; by atomic absorption spectroscopy a concentration of 227mg Fe/L in the desalinized water was identified, which is higher than the maximum iron content allowed in drinking water (0.3mg Fe/L), showing that more work is required in order to improve the process of magnetic separation for the application of magnetic nanoadditives in the desalinization of water by direct osmosis systems.

This article analyzes the conceptual framework in specialized literature on the manufacture of fruit-based hydrogel through which the environmental impact is reduced; In addition, due to its three-dimensional structure and flexibility, it can be manufactured through physical or chemical crosslinking. Their rubberiness is an advantage that allows them to resemble the tissues of living beings; and due to its easy adaptation to these and to cellulose, which is a natural polymer and abundant in nature, its use is constantly increasing in industry and in optometry; It is also produced in plants and bacteria by means of chemical dissolution. It is also stated that the industry, due to its dyes, pollutes surface water reserves and groundwater; and the use of hydrogels have contributed to reducing said contamination thanks to their absorption; and they are also used, successfully, for the cleaning of dyes in waste water. The methodology used consisted of the review of around eight bibliographic sources in which more than forty researchers participated; Next, the method of extracting cellulose and elaborating hydrogels is briefly described, based on which the conclusions are reached that cellulose-based hydrogels have the property of absorbing and retaining a large amount of water that provides them with various physicochemical properties that make hydrogels have a wide range of applications of interest for industry, as well as for science, in general, and in biomedicine for the manufacture of contact lenses and the removal of dyes from water | En este artículo se analiza el marco conceptual en literatura especializada sobre la fabricación de hidrogel en base de frutas mediante el cual se reduce el impacto ambiental; además por su estructura tridimensional y flexibilidad se puede fabricar a partir de reticulación física o química. Su gomosidad es una ventaja que les permite asemejarse a los tejidos de los seres vivos; y por su fácil adaptación a éstos y a la celulosa que es un polímero natural y abundante en la naturaleza, su uso se incrementa permanentemente en la industria y en la optometría; además se produce en las plantas y en las bacterias por medio de disolución química. También se afirma que la industria, por sus colorantes, contamina las reservas de aguas superficiales y las subterráneas; y la utilización de los hidrogeles han contribuido a disminuir dicha contaminación gracias a su absorción; y asimismo se los utiliza, con éxito, para la limpieza de tintes en agua residual. La metodología utilizada consistió en la revisión de alrededor de ocho fuentes bibliográficas en las cuales participan más de cuarenta investigadores; a continuación, se describe en breve el método de extracción de celulosa y elaboración de los hidrogeles, en base de lo cual se llega a las conclusiones que los hidrogeles basados en celulosa tienen la propiedad de absorber y retener una gran cantidad de agua que les provee varias propiedades fisicoquímicas que hacen que los hidrogeles tengan una amplia gama de aplicaciones de interés para la industria,nbsp; igualmentenbsp; para la ciencia, en general, y en la biomedicina para la elaboración de lentes de contacto y la remoción de tientes del agua.

This study was conducted to produce water-soluble polysaccharide extracts (WSP) from perilla seed meal (PSM), a by-product of perilla seed oil extraction, using enzymatic hydrolysis. The aim was to confirm the potential of this method to obtain functional materials from PSM. The cellulose and hemicellulose fractions from PSM were hydrolyzed using Celluclast 1.5 L and Viscozyme L, respectively. The yield of WSP from both fractions increased with an increase in hydrolysis time. Physical properties of WSP, including solubility, oil-holding capacity, and emulsification properties, were increased by enzymatic hydrolysis. WSP produced by hydrolysis had greater antioxidant activity than WSP obtained without hydrolysis; the highest activity was observed after a hydrolysis reaction of 24 h. WSP retarded glucose and bile acid absorption. The data indicate that WSP from PSM have potentially valuable functional and biological activities.

Bacterial cellulose films synthesized by Komagataeibacter xylinus were combined with glycerol and chitosan to obtain composite films with improved UV-barrier. In part 2, the interaction among the compounds was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis and FT-IR spectra, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. The water permeability, water solubility and water retention capacity were analyzed by response surface methodology. The optical properties indicated that glycerol and chitosan improved the UV-barrier properties, obtaining average transmittance values in the UV regions below 5.15%. This fact opens multiple possibilities for applications in foods and products sensitive to sunlight radiation. Hence, these properties would facilitate the application of BC–glycerol–chitosan films on fresh food, with high moisture content and susceptible to oxidation by the sunlight radiation. In addition, the thermal properties of the films showed that they could be applied in heat-treated foods at temperatures until 135°C.