Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.6
5.0
Journals
JFB
Special Issues
Natural Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications
share announcement

Natural Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials for Drug Delivery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 3888

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nayely Leyva-López

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Laboratory of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Carretera a Eldorado Km. 5.5, Col. Campo El Diez, Culiacan CP 80110, Mexico
2. Posdoc CONAHCYT-Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Carretera a Eldorado Km. 5.5, Col. Campo El Diez, Culiacan CP 80110, Mexico
Interests: bioactive natural compounds; phytotherapy; anti-inflammatory; antidiabetic; antioxidant
Prof. Dr. José Basilio Heredia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Carretera Eldorado km 5.5, Campo El Diez, Culiacán 80110, Mexico
Interests: phytochemistry; food chemistry; antioxidants; functional foods; food processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Laura Aracely Contreras-Angulo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Carretera a Eldorado Km. 5.5, Col. Campo El Diez, Culiacán CP 80110, México
Interests: bioactive compounds; non-communicable diseases; encapsulation
Dr. Mirian A. González-Ayón

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Graduados e Investigación en Química, Tecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico deTijuana, Apartado Postal 1166, Tijuana 22454, Mexico
Interests: controlled drug delivery; biocompatible materials; polymers; hydrogels

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will cover the most recent research on innovations concerning several bioactive natural materials and their applications in the field of biomedicine.

We invite researchers and academics to submit papers that focus on a wide range of issues and concerns regarding the use of bioactive natural products obtained from diverse sources in biomedical applications, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • The application of biopolymers from natural sources, such as chitosan or collagen, for therapeutic uses (for example, tissue regeneration or wound healing);
  • The design or use of biological drug carriers, innovative techniques of all pharmaceutical dosage forms, controlled release, bioavailability/bioaccessibility, and drug absorption;
  • Biomaterials derived from natural sources;
  • Coating materials and technologies used to encapsulate natural compounds.

Dr. Nayely Leyva-López
Prof. Dr. José Basilio Heredia
Dr. Laura Aracely Contreras-Angulo
Dr. Mirian A. González-Ayón
Guest Editors

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. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • natural polymers
  • biomaterials
  • pharmaceutics
  • natural drug carriers
  • encapsulation matrixes
  • tissue engineering and wound healing

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 8336 KiB  
Article
Metformin-Enhanced Secretome from Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells Promotes Functional Recovery in an Inflamed Periodontal Model: In Vitro Study
by Han Na Suh, Ju Young Ji and Jung Sun Heo
J. Funct. Biomater. 2025, 16(5), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb16050177 - 13 May 2025
Viewed by 347
Abstract
Objective: Secretory factors, termed the secretome, in the conditioned medium (CM) from dental mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and tissue regenerative potential. This cell-free product could be further developed by preconditioning cells with various biochemical agents, which lead to a [...] Read more.
Objective: Secretory factors, termed the secretome, in the conditioned medium (CM) from dental mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and tissue regenerative potential. This cell-free product could be further developed by preconditioning cells with various biochemical agents, which lead to a change in secretome and CM profiles. Among the favorable candidates for CM production, metformin as an anti-diabetic medication is currently considered a potential agent for dental hard tissue and periodontal regeneration. Here, we aimed to assess the composition of CM from periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) grown in metformin-preconditioned media (Met-CM) compared to normal PDLSC-CM and assess the ability of Met-CM to recover the function of inflamed PDLSCs. Methods: Met-CM and normal CM were collected from PDLSCs grown with or without 50 µM metformin, respectively, under healthy culture conditions. Mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) were performed to comparatively evaluate the proteomic profiles in PDLSC-CM versus Met-CM. We then treated the PDLSC cultures with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Porphyromonas gingivalis to induce inflammation and evaluated the osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation in the presence of Met-CM or normal PDLSC-CM by assessing alkaline phosphatase activity, intracellular calcium levels, and mRNA expression of osteogenic and cementogenic factors, including RUNX2, OCN, OSX, and CEMP-1. Subsequently, we performed RNA sequencing to identify transcriptomic changes in the treated cells. Results: We identified 202 differentially expressed proteins, 175 of which were significant, in Met-CM versus normal PDLSC-CM. Among the analyzed groups, the top three protein classes were protein-binding activity modulator, cytoskeletal protein, and extracellular matrix (ECM) protein. Treatment of PDLSCs with LPS significantly attenuated ALP activity, [Ca2+]i, and the mRNA expression levels of RUNX2, OCN, OSX, and CEMP-1, whereas treatment with Met-CM alone markedly enhanced PDLSC differentiation activity compared with the control. Moreover, osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of the LPS-treated PDLSCs was recovered through incubation in Met-CM. Transcriptomic analysis identified 511 and 3591 differentially expressed genes in the control versus Met-CM and LPS versus LPS + Met-CM groups, respectively. The enrichment of biological processes includes positive regulation of DNA-templated transcription and skeletal system morphogenesis in the control versus Met-CM comparison, as well as positive regulation of transcription from the RNA polymerase II promoter and negative regulation of the apoptotic process in the LPS versus LPS + Met-CM comparison. Molecular function analysis demonstrated the enrichment of protein-binding terms among the DEGs from each comparison. Conclusions: Metformin preconditioning enhanced the recovery effect of PDLSC-CM on LPS-induced inflamed PDLSCs. These findings suggest that metformin preconditioning could represent a practical formula for PDLSC-secretome, which may contribute to the development of future cell-free periodontal regenerative strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5638 KiB  
Article
Anti-Aging Effects and Mechanisms of Cod Collagen Peptides (CCPs) in Caenorhabditis elegans
by Jiale Wei, Junjie Zhang, Nan Ding, Yu Liu, Yuzhen Wu and Rui Duan
J. Funct. Biomater. 2025, 16(5), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb16050150 - 23 Apr 2025
Viewed by 396
Abstract
Given the growing interest in natural compounds for promoting healthy aging, this study aimed to investigate the potential of cod collagen peptides (CCPs), a readily available marine resource, to extend lifespan and improve health. Lifespan assays were performed on C. elegans treated with [...] Read more.
Given the growing interest in natural compounds for promoting healthy aging, this study aimed to investigate the potential of cod collagen peptides (CCPs), a readily available marine resource, to extend lifespan and improve health. Lifespan assays were performed on C. elegans treated with different concentrations of CCPs. Furthermore, various stress resistance assays, including those evaluating oxidative and thermal stress, were conducted. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, gene expression analysis of key aging-related genes was performed. The results demonstrated that treatment with 25 mg/mL of CCPs extended the lifespan of C. elegans by 13.2%, increased body length and width by 14.8% and 20.6%, respectively, and enhanced head-swing and body-bending frequencies by 66.9% and 80.4%. Lipofuscin content and apoptosis were reduced by 45.9% and 34.1%, respectively. C. elegans treated with 25 mg/mL of CCPs also showed improved stress resistance, a 90.7% increase in glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, and a 147.4% increase in glutathione (GSH) content. Transcriptomic analysis showed that CCPs enhanced anti-aging activity by activating the MAPK pathway and inhibiting the IIS pathway, which was associated with protein aggregation. It also reduced lipid synthesis and regulated lipid metabolism through the fat-6 pathway. The results indicated that CCPs could be employed as a valuable ingredient in the food and pharmaceutical fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 6470 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Properties of Acellular Matrix from the Skins of Cod (Gadus morhua) and Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)
by Yu Liu, Zeyu Wei, Rui Duan, Ke Wang, Tianyue Xu, Binxian Mao and Junjie Zhang
J. Funct. Biomater. 2025, 16(3), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb16030081 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 776
Abstract
Acellular tissue matrices of fish skin origin are highly promising materials for tissue engineering due to their low biological risks and few religious restrictions. The main component of acellular fish skin matrices (AFSMs) is collagen, but collagen properties significantly differ between marine and [...] Read more.
Acellular tissue matrices of fish skin origin are highly promising materials for tissue engineering due to their low biological risks and few religious restrictions. The main component of acellular fish skin matrices (AFSMs) is collagen, but collagen properties significantly differ between marine and freshwater fish. Although the characteristics of acellular matrices may vary, relevant reports about them are few. In this study, we used cod and tilapia fish skin as raw materials to prepare acellular matrices with low DNA content (≤50 ng/mg) and low endotoxin. They were denoted as C-AFSM (cod) and T-AFSM (tilapia) and had endotoxin removal rates of 92.47% and 96.73%, respectively. Their physicochemical properties, cytotoxicity, and wound healing effects were evaluated and compared. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that C-AFSM and T-AFSM had collagenous meshwork and high porosity. They also did not induce skin irritations. Their proliferation rates on mouse fibroblasts at 36 h were 192.21% ± 33.25% and 162.89% ± 36.47%, respectively. The wound healing effect of C-AFSM was faster than that of T-AFSM group (7 and 14 days: 45.3% ± 5.99% and 93.77% ± 1.58% for C-AFSM and 39.7% ± 2.84% and 93.35% ± 1.1% for T-AFSM, respectively). Therefore, the two acellular fish skin matrices can be used as tissue-engineering materials for wound repair, with C-AFSM being more effective than T-AFSM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 3657 KiB  
Article
Laser-Induced Photothermal Hydrogels Promote the Proliferation of MC3T3-E1 Preosteoblasts for Enhanced Bone Healing
by Audrey L. Wu, Abigail F. Wu, Chieh-Ying Chen, Ruaina Lily Hope Moreno, Jia-Lin Wu and Pei-Chun Wong
J. Funct. Biomater. 2025, 16(2), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfb16020063 - 12 Feb 2025
Viewed by 832
Abstract
The nonunion and delayed union of bones are common challenges in orthopedic surgery, even when bone alignment is correct and sufficient mechanical stability is provided. To address this, artificial bone grafts are often applied to fracture gaps or defect sites to promote osteogenesis [...] Read more.
The nonunion and delayed union of bones are common challenges in orthopedic surgery, even when bone alignment is correct and sufficient mechanical stability is provided. To address this, artificial bone grafts are often applied to fracture gaps or defect sites to promote osteogenesis and enhance bone healing. In this study, we developed an alginate-based hydrogel incorporating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to enhance cell proliferation and facilitate bone healing through a photothermal effect induced by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. The temperature was controlled by adjusting the AuNP content. The hydrogel’s properties were characterized and cell viability was assessed. Our results indicate that while the incorporation of AuNPs slightly disrupted the hydrogel’s cross-linking network at low concentrations, cell viability remained unaffected across both low and high AuNP contents. These findings suggest that this photothermal hydrogel holds great promise for orthopedic applications to improve bone healing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop