Ruo-Jun Mu

Effects of konjac glucomannan on the structure, properties, and drug release characteristics of agarose hydrogels

Pure agarose (AG) hydrogels have strong rigidity and brittleness, which greatly limit their applications. Therefore, in this study, konjac glucomannan (KGM) was used to improve the properties of AG hydrogels. The effect of KGM on the structure and properties of AG hydrogels was investigated by rotational rheometry, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results showed that the flexibility of the composite hydrogels increases with KGM concentration, which may be attributed to a synergistic interaction between KGM and AG resulting in a compact network structure. In vitro drug release behavior of composite hydrogels was investigated under different environments using model drug ciprofloxacin. The results showed that the encapsulation, drug loading efficiencies, and sustained release capacity of AG hydrogels were enhanced by the incorporation of KGM. These results suggested that KGM has the potential to enhance the properties and drug release characteristics of AG hydrogels.

Structure and properties of konjac glucomannan/galactoglucomannan nanofiber membrane

Konjac glucomannan (KGM)/galactoglucomannan (GGM) nanofiber membranes were obtained through electrospinning technology. Rheological properties of KGM/GGM solutions were observed by using a rotary rheometer. The apparent morphological, characteristic group and thermal stability of nanofiber membranes were studied through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectoscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) respectively. The physical and mechanical properties were also evaluated. Results revealed that the addition of GGM did not significantly affect the rheological properties of electrospinning solution. Increase in the amount of GGM in the nanofiber membrane resulted in gradual smoothening, uniformity and decrease in the number of nodes. KGM interacts with GGM through hydrogen-bond. Addition of GGM markedly enhanced the thermal stability, physical and mechanical properties of the nanofiber membrane. The study showed that the KGM/GGM nanofiber membrane have good potential for use in developing membrane based materials.

Robust microfluidic construction of hybrid microfibers based on konjac glucomannan and their drug release performance

The exploration of methods to produce a novel wound dressing with sustained drug release properties in ultrasmall scales is of great scientific and technological interest. Herein, we propose konjac glucomannan/polyvinylidene fluoride (KGM/PVDF) hybrid microfibers having hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments based on microfluidic-oriented core–sheath composite microfibers, where the KGM/PVDF hybrid microfibers are wrapped in situ in CH3OH. The morphology of KGM/PVDF microfibers is uniform, smooth, and crack-free. Enrofloxacin (Enro) is loaded onto the microfibers as a representative cargo to test their release performance. The KGM/PVDF/Enro microfibers show sustained drug release performance (13 days), excellent heat resistance, antibacterial activity and promotion of wound healing. This study is an avenue toward the microfluidic design of hydrophilic/hydrophobic hybrid microfibers as wound dressings, and it will guide the development of next-generation wound dressing.

Novel nanofiber membrane fabrication from konjac glucomannan and polydopamine via electrospinning method

In this study, we synthesized a konjac glucomannan (KGM)/poly dopamine (PDA)/Oxaliplatin nanofiber membrane with efficient and controlled drug release properties by using electrospinning technology. The structure of the polymer network nanofiber membrane was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). KGM/PDA nanofiber membrane showed uniform sizes with an average diameter of 100–120 nm. The results revealed that the association of KGM and PDA to synthesize nanofiber membrane could be attributed to hydrogen bonds. Compared with KGM, the KGM/PDA nanofiber membrane exhibited higher moisture adsorption and drug release ability. Based on superior drug release ability, the KGM/PDA nanofibers provided a potential oxaliplatin carriers in application of drug release. This work contributed to a facile pathway on the construction of biomaterial nanofiber membrane by using polysaccharides.Graphical abstractScheme 1. Schematic presentation of the preparation of KGM/PDA nanofiber membrane and the use for drug release.

A Review on Konjac Glucomannan Gels: Microstructure and Application

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) has attracted extensive attention because of its biodegradable, non-toxic, harmless, and biocompatible features. Its gelation performance is one of its most significant characteristics and enables wide applications of KGM gels in food, chemical, pharmaceutical, materials, and other fields. Herein, different preparation methods of KGM gels and their microstructures were reviewed. In addition, KGM applications have been theoretically modeled for future uses.

Mussel-inspired fabrication of konjac glucomannan/microcrystalline cellulose intelligent hydrogel with pH-responsive sustained release behavior

Intelligent hydrogels are attractive biomaterials for various applications, however, fabricating a hydrogel with both adequate self-healing ability and mechanical properties remains a challenge. Herein, a series of novel intelligent konjac glucomannan (KGM)/microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) hydrogels were prepared vis the mussel-inspired chemistry. MCC was firstly functionalized by the oxidative polymerization of dopamine, and the intelligent hydrogels were obtained by mixing aqueous solutions of KGM and functionalized MCC (PDMCC). By introducing PDMCC, a more compact interconnected porous structure formed for the resulting hydrogels. The self-healing ability and mechanical properties of intelligent hydrogels were dependence on the PDMCC content. Compared with KGM hydrogels, KGM/PDMCC hydrogels exhibited a more distinct pH sensitivity and a lower initial burst release, which was attributed to the compact structure and strong intermolecular hydrogen bond interaction between PDMCC and KGM. These results suggest that the KGM/PDMCC intelligent hydrogels may be promising carriers for controlled drug delivery.

Mussel-Inspired Fabrication of Konjac Glucomannan/Poly (Lactic Acid) Cryogels with Enhanced Thermal and Mechanical Properties

Three-dimensional nanofibers cryogels (NFCs) with both thermally-tolerant and mechanically-robust properties have potential for wide application in biomedical or food areas; however, creating such NFCs has proven to be extremely challenging. In this study, konjac glucomannan (KGM)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-based novel NFCs were prepared by the incorporation of the mussel-inspired protein polydopamine (PDA) via a facile and environmentally-friendly electrospinning and freeze-shaping technique. The obtained KGM/PLA/PDA (KPP) NFCs were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and compressive and tensile test. The results showed that the hierarchical cellular structure and physicochemical properties of KPP NFCs were dependent on the incorporation of PDA content. Moreover, the strong intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions among KGM, PLA and PDA also gave KPP NFCs high thermostability and mechanically-robust properties. Thus, this study developed a simple approach to fabricate multifunctional NFCs with significant potential for biomedical or food application.