Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

New Advances in Biofibers and Biomaterials

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 10670

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. In Chul Um

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Biofibers and Biomaterials Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
Interests: silk; biopolymer; natural fiber; non-woven fabric; wet-spinning; electro-spinning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, various biofibers and biomaterials have attracted researchers’ attention because they have unique properties including good biocompatibility, biodegradability, excellent cytocompatibility, and high water retentions. Thanks to these useful properties, the biofibers and biomaterials have been studied to apply them to biomedical, cosmetic, and health care products.

In this special issue, researchers from both academia and industry are invited to submit their latest studies on the biofibers and biomaterials. The object of this special issue is to provide a platform for knowledge and experience exchange on the recent studies on the fabrication, structure, properties, and application of biofibers and biomaterials.

Dr. In Chul Um
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biofiber
biomaterial
biomedical products
cosmetics
health care products
biocompatibility
biodegradability
structural characteristics
properties

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

19 pages, 17154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structural Characteristics and Properties of Cocoon and Regenerated Silk Fibroin from Different Silkworm Strains

by Yeon Jin Kim, Seong Wan Kim, Kee Young Kim, Chang Seok Ki and In Chul Um

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4965; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054965 - 4 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2531

Abstract

Silk has attracted the attention of researchers as a biomedical and cosmetic material because of its good biocompatibility and cytocompatibility. Silk is produced from the cocoons of silkworms, which have various strains. In this study, silkworm cocoons and silk fibroins (SFs) were obtained from ten silkworm strains, and their structural characteristics and properties were examined. The morphological structure of the cocoons depended on the silkworm strains. The degumming ratio of silk ranged from 22.8% to 28% depending on the silkworm strains. The highest and lowest solution viscosities of SF were shown by 9671 and 9153, respectively, showing a 12-fold difference. The silkworm strains of 9671, KJ5, and I-NOVI showed a two-fold higher work of ruptures for the regenerated SF film than 181 and 2203, indicating that the silkworm strains considerably influence the mechanical properties of the regenerated SF film. Regardless of the silkworm strain, all silkworm cocoons showed good cell viability, making them suitable candidates for advanced functional biomaterials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Biofibers and Biomaterials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

SCOBY Cellulose Modified with Apple Powder—Biomaterial with Functional Characteristics

by Malgorzata Anita Bryszewska, Erfan Tabandeh, Jakub Jędrasik, Maja Czarnecka, Julia Dzierżanowska and Karolina Ludwicka

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1005; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021005 - 5 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2734

Abstract

The need for new non-animal and non-petroleum-based materials is strongly emphasized in the sustainable and green economy. Waste materials have proven a valuable resource in this regard. In fact, there have been quite a large number of goods obtained from wastes called “Vegan leather” that have gained the clothing market’s attention in recent years. In practice, they are mostly composites of waste materials like cactus, pineapples, or, eventually, apples with polymers like polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride. The article presents the results of work aimed at obtaining a material based entirely on natural, biodegradable raw materials. Bacterial cellulose produced as a byproduct of the fermentation carried out by SCOBY was modified with glycerol and then altered by the entrapment of apple powder. The effect of introducing apple powder into the SCOBY culture media on the mechanical properties of the obtained bacterial cellulose was also evaluated The resulting material acquired new mechanical characteristics that are advantageous in terms of strength. Microscopic observation of the apple powder layer showed that the coverage was uniform. Different amounts of apple powder were used to cover the cellulose surface from 10 to 60%, and it was found that the variant with 40% of this powder was the most favorable in terms of mechanical strength. Also, the application of the created material as a card folder showed that it is durable in use and retains its functional characteristics for at least 1 month. The mechanical properties of modified bacterial cellulose were favorably affected by the entrapment of apple powder on its surface, and as a result, a novel material with functional characteristics was obtained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Biofibers and Biomaterials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Properties of Protein Isolates from Marine Hydrobionts Obtained by Isoelectric Solubilisation/Precipitation: Influence of Temperature and Processing Time

by Svetlana R. Derkach, Yuliya A. Kuchina, Daria S. Kolotova, Ludmila A. Petrova, Vasily I. Volchenko, Andrei Yu. Glukharev and Vladimir A. Grokhovsky

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14221; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214221 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1802

Abstract

Protein isolates were obtained from marine hydrobionts by the method of isoelectric precipitation with a preliminary stage of protein alkaline solubilisation. Northern blue whiting was chosen as the raw material. Various technological modes of the solubilisation stage were used: the temperature of the reaction mixture was 4 or 20 °C, and the duration was 4 or 16 h. The yield of the product was 44–45% with a high content of the main component (protein) equal to about 95%. It has been shown that a decrease in the temperature and duration of the alkaline solubilisation stage provides the production of protein isolates with good technological properties, a low solubility, high swelling and high emulsifying ability, necessary for its use in the production of functional food products, including therapeutic and prophylactic effects. These technological properties are explained by a change in the composition and structure of the protein, the change being an increase in the content of essential amino acids and the proportion of α-helices in the polypeptide chain. The main patterns obtained will be used to obtain protein isolates from marine molluscs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Biofibers and Biomaterials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selective Impact of MTMS-Based Xerogel Morphology on Boosted Proliferation and Enhanced Naphthoquinone Production in Cultures of Rindera graeca Transgenic Roots

by Kamil Wierzchowski, Bartosz Nowak, Mateusz Kawka, Patryk Więckowicz, Katarzyna Dąbkowska-Susfał, Agnieszka Pietrosiuk, Katarzyna Sykłowska-Baranek and Maciej Pilarek

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 13669; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232213669 - 8 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1231

Abstract

In situ extraction is a method for separating plant secondary metabolites from in vitro systems of plant biomass cultures. The study aimed to investigate the MTMS-based xerogels morphology effect on the growth kinetics and deoxyshikonin productivity in xerogel-supported in vitro culture systems of Rindera graeca hairy root. Cultures were supplemented with three types of xerogel, i.e., mesoporous gel, microporous gel, and agglomerated precipitate, in the disintegrated or monolithic form. Structure, oil sorption capacity, and SEM analyses for xerogel-based additives were performed. Application of monolithic macroporous xerogel resulted in the highest biomass proliferation, i.e., 5.11-fold fresh biomass increase after four weeks of the screening culture. The highest deoxyshikonin production (i.e., 105.03 µg) was noted when hairy roots were maintained with particles of disintegrated mesoporous xerogel. The detailed kinetics investigations (6-week culture) revealed the highest growth of hairy root biomass and secondary metabolite production, equaling 9.46-fold fresh weight biomass and 204.08 µg deoxyshikonin, respectively. MTMS-based xerogels have been recognized as selective biocompatible scaffolds for boosting the proliferation of transgenic roots or for productivity enhancement of naphthoquinones without detrimental effects on biomass growth, and their successful applicability in in situ removal of secondary plant metabolites has been experimentally confirmed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Biofibers and Biomaterials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 5940 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Highly Crystalline Silk Nanofibrils and Their Use in the Improvement of the Mechanical Properties of Silk Films

by Ji Hye Lee, Bo Kyung Park and In Chul Um

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11344; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911344 - 26 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1623

Abstract

Due to their commendable biocompatibility, regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) films have attracted considerable research interest. However, the poor mechanical properties of RSF films have limited their use in various biomedical applications. In this study, a novel, highly crystalline silk fibril was successfully extracted from silk by combining degumming with ultrasonication. Ultrasonication accelerated the development of silk nanofibrils measuring 130–200 nm on the surface of the over-degummed silk fibers, which was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the crystallinity index of silk fibril was found to be significantly higher (~68%) than that of conventionally degummed silk (~54%), as confirmed by the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results. Furthermore, the breaking strength and elongation of the RSF film were increased 1.6 fold and 3.4 fold, respectively, following the addition of 15% silk nanofibrils. Thus, the mechanical properties of the RSF film were remarkably improved by the addition of the silk nanofibrils, implying that it can be used as an excellent reinforcing material for RSF films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Biofibers and Biomaterials)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

New Advances in Biofibers and Biomaterials

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (5 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI