Aims: Probiotics are claimed to confer many health effects upon consumption. However, the survivability of probiotic under the harsh conditions in the gastrointestinal tract has been a challenge. This study aimed to improve the survivability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG under gastrointestinal condition through co-extrusion microencapsulation and the addition of black bean extract. Methodology and results: Optimization was carried out on wall material formulation, types of pectin (low and high methoxyl pectin) and alginate: pectin ratio (2:1 and 3:1), and black bean extract concentration (0 to 1% w/v) to produce capsules with desired properties. The effect of L. rhamnosus GG microencapsulation with and without black bean extract on its survivability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions was also investigated. The optimal formulation that gives the highest microencapsulation efficiency (86.17%) was low methoxyl pectin, alginate: pectin ratio at 3:1, and 0.5% (w/v) of black bean extract. The inclusion of black bean extract into L. rhamnosus GG microencapsulation showed no significant effect (p >0.05) on the capsule diameter, with a mean diameter of 715.44 µm and a high microencapsulation efficiency of 97.4%. The viability of encapsulated L. rhamnosus GG increased with black bean extract after 6 h of sequential digestion with the final viable cell count of 12.47 log10 CFU/mL, which meet the minimum requirement of 10^6-10^7 log10 CFU/mL viable cells. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The high microencapsulation efficiency and survivability through sequential digestion showed that the optimized encapsulated L. rhamnosus GG with black bean extract has the potential to be a value-added ingredient in food application.
Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus ; Alginates ; Phaseolus

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effect of loss of interproximal papilla, creating an undercut, on the accuracy of impression materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two addition type silicone impression materials (Extrude(R) Wash, Imprint(TM) II Quick Step Light Body) and one alginate impression material (Cavex Impressional) were used to make impressions of a maxillary master model simulating clinical conditions with or without interproximal papilla. Stone was poured in the impressions and working casts were fabricated. A total of 6 groups with 6 working casts in each group were scanned using 3-dimensional optical scanner. The accuracy of the impressions was assessed by measuring the dimensional changes (DeltaI (%)) of 6 distances on working casts compared to a master model with a 3-dimensional digitizing and inspection software. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA (P<.05). RESULTS: Three of 6 distances showed statistically significant differences among the impression materials. Only 1 of 6 distances in alginate impression showed a statistically significant difference between casts with and without interproximal papilla (P=.047). CONCLUSION: The presence of undercut due to loss of interproximal papilla did not significantly influence the dimensional accuracy of addition type silicone and alginate impression materials.
Alginates ; Dental Impression Materials ; Silicone Elastomers

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to optimize the preparation of carboxymethyl chitosan/sodium alginate (CMCS/OSA) compound hydrogels. This study also aimed to investigate the applicability of the hydrogels in cartilage tissue engi-neering. METHODS: Three groups of CMCS/OSA composite hydrogels with amino-to-aldehyde ratios of 2∶1, 1∶1 and 1∶2 were prepared. The microstructure, physical properties, and cell biocompatibility of the three groups of CMCS/OSA com-posite hydrogels were evaluated. Samples were subjected to scanning electron microscopy, rheological test, adhesion tension test, swelling rate test, and cell experiments to identify the CMCS/OSA composite hydrogel with the cross-linking degree that can meet the requirements for scaffolds in cartilage tissue engineering. RESULTS: The experimental results showed that the CMCS/OSA hydrogel with a amine-to-aldhyde ratio of 1∶1 had good porosity, suitable gelling time, strong adhesive force, stable swelling rate, and good cellular biocompatibility. CONCLUSIONS The CMCS/OSA compound hydrogel prepared with a 1∶1 ratio of amino and aldehyde groups has potential applications in cartilage tissue engineering.
Alginates ; Cartilage ; Chitosan ; Hydrogels ; Tissue Engineering

Background: Neonates and infants experience gastroesophageal reflux as manifested through vomiting, reflux, and coughing. The complaint from many caregivers begins around the 2nd or 3rd month of life and subside around the 6th month of infancy. The standard of care has not been established and treatment options are limited owing to the pharmacological interventions that are deemed safe and effective. Alginate-based formulations, a widely used product in adults such as Gaviscon™, have been explored as another option to treat gastroesophageal reflux. Objectives: To determine the safety and efficacy of alginate-based formulations in reducing symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux in neonates and infants. Methods: An electronic search was conducted for randomized control trials in MEDLINE via PubMed, Herdin Plus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SCOPUS, and Clinical Trials Registry. The search terms were “gastroesophageal reflux,” “acid reflux,” “neonates,” “newborn,” “infants,” “baby,” “babies,”, and “alginate.” Two review authors independently assessed the available full text articles and a third author intervened to settle the discussion. Results: Two studies were identified and included in this study. Due to the difference in the period of measurement of the trials, a meta-analysis was not pursued. However, a systematic review was still conducted. The two studies suggest a significant improvement of symptoms with alginate-based liquid formulations as intervention. No significant adverse events have been noted making this treatment option generally safe for use in infants. Conclusion There is insufficient evidence to conclude that alginate-based formulations ultimately help decrease gastroesophageal reflux in neonates and infants, but initial trials show promising results. There is also insufficient data to conclude the safety profile of this treatment option given the small sample.
Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Alginates

BACKGROUND: Several injectable hydrogels have been developed extensively for a broad range of biomedical applications. Injectable hydrogels forming in situ through the change in external stimuli have the distinct properties of easy management and minimal invasiveness, and thus provide the advantage of bypassing surgical procedures for administration resulting in better patient compliance. METHODS: The injectable in situ-forming hydrogels can be formed irreversibly or reversibly under physiological stimuli. Among several external stimuli that induce formation of hydrogels in situ, in this review, we focused on the electrostatic interactions as the most simple and interesting stimulus. RESULTS: Currently, numerous polyelectrolytes have been reported as potential electrostatically interactive in situ-forming hydrogels. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the rapidly developing electrostatically interactive in situ-forming hydrogels, which are produced by various anionic and cationic polyelectrolytes such as chitosan, celluloses, and alginates, has been outlined and summarized. Further, their biomedical applications have also been discussed. CONCLUSION: The review concludes with perspectives on the future of electrostatically interactive in situ-forming hydrogels.
Alginates ; Chitosan ; Hydrogel* ; Hydrogels* ; Patient Compliance ; Regenerative Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To study the safety of alginate based gastric mucosal protective adhesive and its feasibility as a submucosal injection. METHODS: The feasibility of using alginate-based gastric mucosal protective gel as submucosal injection was evaluated by RESULTS: After injection of different concentrations of alginate base mucosal protective adhesive solution, the uplift height was significantly higher than that of normal saline ( CONCLUSIONS Gastric mucosa protector is a promising new medical device product with feasibility and good biocompatibility as submucosal uplift injection agent.
Adhesives ; Alginates ; Animals ; Feasibility Studies ; Gastric Mucosa ; Injections ; Rats ; Swine

Biorefinery of chemicals from straw is an effective approach to alleviate the environmental pollution caused by straw burning. In this paper, we prepared gellan gum immobilized Lactobacillus bulgaricus T15 gel beads (LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads), characterized their properties, and established a continuous cell recycle fermentation process for D-lactate (D-LA) production using the LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads. The fracture stress of LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads was (91.68±0.11) kPa, which was 125.12% higher than that of the calcium alginate immobilized T15 gel beads (calcium alginate-T15 gel beads). This indicated that the strength of LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads was stronger, and the strain was less likely to leak out. The average D-LA production was (72.90±2.79) g/L after fermentation for ten recycles (720 h) using LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads as the starting strain and glucose as the substrate, which was 33.85% higher than that of calcium alginate-T15 gel beads and 37.70% higher than that of free T15. Subsequently, glucose was replaced by enzymatically hydrolyzed corn straw and fermented for ten recycles (240 h) using LA-GAGR-T15 gel beads. The yield of D-LA reached (1.74±0.79) g/(L·h), which was much higher than that of using free bacteria. The wear rate of gel beads was less than 5% after ten recycles, which indicated that LA-GAGR is a good carrier for cell immobilization and can be widely used in industrial fermentation. This study provides basic data for the industrial production of D-LA using cell-recycled fermentation, and provides a new way for the biorefinery of D-LA from corn straw.
Fermentation ; Lactobacillus delbrueckii ; Zea mays ; Lactic Acid ; Alginates/chemistry* ; Glucose

OBJECTIVES: This work aimed to synthesize a novel injectable alginate impression material and evaluate its accuracy. METHODS: Certain proportions of sodium alginate, trisodium phosphate dodecahydrate, potassium fluorotitanate, diatomaceous earth, and other ingredients were dissolved in water and mixed evenly with a planetary centrifugal mixer to obtain a certain viscosity base paste. Certain proportions of calcium sulfate hemihydrate, magnesium oxide, glycerin, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 were mixed evenly with a planetary centrifugal mixer to obtain the reactor paste with the same viscosity as the base paste. The base and reactor pastes were poured into a two-cylinder cartridge at a 2∶1 volume ratio. A gun device was used to accomplish mixing by compressing materials into a mixing tip. The samples were divided into three groups: injectable alginate impression materials (IA group) as the experimental group, and Jeltrate alginate impression materials (JA group) and Silagum-putty/light addition silicone rubber impression materials (SI group) as the two control groups. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the injectable alginate impression materials had a denser structure and fewer bubbles than the commercial alginate impression material. The accuracy of the three kinds of impression materials was evaluated by 3D image superposition. The deviations between the three test group models and the standard model (trueness) were 49.58 μm±1.453 μm (IA group), 54.75 μm±7.264 μm (JA group), and 30.92 μm±1.013 μm (SI group). The deviations of the models within each test group (precision) were 85.79 μm±8.191 μm (IA group), 97.65 μm±11.060 μm (JA group), and 56.51 μm±4.995 μm (SI group). Significant differences in trueness and precision were found among the three kinds of impression materials (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The accuracy of the new injectable alginate impression material was better than that of the traditional powder-type alginate impression material but worse than that of the addition silicone rubber impression materials. The novel injec-table alginate impression material demonstrated good operation performance and impression accuracy, showing broad application prospect.
Alginates/chemistry* ; Silicone Elastomers/chemistry* ; Dental Impression Materials/chemistry* ; Powders

Alginate is a group of polyuronic saccharides that are widely used in pharmaceutical and food industry due to its unique physicochemical properties and beneficial health effects. However, the low water solubility and high viscosity of alginate hampered its application. Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) is a decomposition product of alginate and has received increasing attention due to its low molecular weight, high water solubility, safety, and non-toxicity. The wide-ranging biological functions of AOS are closely related to its structural diversity. AOS with distinct structures and biological functions can be obtained by different methods of preparation. This review summarized the biological functions of AOS reported to date, including anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, prebiotic, and anti-diabetes. The preparation of AOS, as well as the relationship between the structure and biological functions of AOS were discussed, with the aim to provide a reference for further development and application of AOS.
Alginates ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Antioxidants ; Molecular Weight ; Oligosaccharides

Sodium alginate (SA) is a kind of natural polymer material extracted from kelp, which has excellent biocompatibility, non-toxicity, biodegradability and abundant storage capacity. The formation condition of sodium alginate gel is mild, effectively avoiding the inactivation of active substances. After a variety of preparation methods, sodium alginate microspheres are widely used in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering. This paper reviewed the common methods of preparing alginate microspheres, including extrusion, emulsification, electrostatic spraying, spray drying and coaxial airflow, and discussed their applications in biomedical fields such as bone repair, hemostasis and drug delivery.
Alginates ; Biocompatible Materials ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Microspheres ; Plastic Surgery Procedures