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

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

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

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of hydrogel loaded with exosomes from Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell (WJMSC) on wound healing. METHODS: Exosomes were extracted from WJMSC, and the morphology and size of WJMSC-derived exosomes (WEX) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle size analyzer, respectively. The surface markers CD9, CD81, and Calnexin of WEX were detected by Western blotting. Exosome-loaded alginate hydrogel (WEX-gel) was prepared; its morphology was studied by scanning electron microscope, and its rheological behavior was examined by a rheometer. The in vitro drug release performance of WEX-gel was investigated by BCA method. RAW264.7 cells were treated with alginate hydrogel, WEX and WEX-gel, respectively; and the expression of CD86 and CD206 in macrophages was detected by flow cytometry. A full-thickness skin wound model was established in mice; the model mice were randomly divided into blank control group, WEX control group and WEX-gel group, and PBS, WEX and WEX-gel were applied to the wound area of mice, respectively. On day 3, the skin tissue of mice was excised, and the antibacterial effect of WEX hydrogel was evaluated by plate counting. On day 15, the mice were euthanized and the percentage of residual wounds was calculated. The histological changes of the skin wound were observed after hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson stainings. The expression of CD86, CD206, CD31 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the skin wound tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Exosomes were successfully extracted from WJMSC. WEX-gel presented a regular three-dimensional network structure, good rheology and controlled drug release performance. WEX-gel promoted the polarization of RAW264.7 cells from the M1 phenotype to M2 phenotype in vitro. The residual wound percentage in blank control group, WEX control group and WEX-gel group were (27.5±3.4)%, (15.3±1.2)% and (7.6±1.1)%, respectively (P<0.05). The antibacterial property of WEX-gel is better than that of WEX (P<0.05). The dermis thickness, the number of new hair follicles, and the rate of collagen deposition in the WEX-gel group were significantly higher than those in the other two groups (all P<0.05). The expression of CD206, CD31 and VEGF in skin wound tissue was higher and the expression of CD86 was lower in WEX-gel group than those in other two groups (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS WEX-gel can significantly promote wound healing in mice by regulating the polarization of macrophages.
Mice ; Animals ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Wharton Jelly ; Exosomes ; Hydrogels ; Wound Healing/physiology* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Alginates

Objective: To explore the effect of P311 microspheres-loaded thermosensitive chitosan hydrogel on the wound healing of full-thickness skin defects in rats. Methods: The method of experimental study was adopted. The polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate microspheres (simple microspheres), P311 microspheres, and bovine serum albumin labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-BSA) microspheres were prepared by water-in-oil emulsification, and then their morphology was observed under a light microscope/inverted fluorescence microscope. Chitosan solution was prepared, chitosan solution and β-glycerol phosphate disodium hydrate were mixed to prepare simple thermosensitive hydrogels, and thermosensitive hydrogels loaded with simple microspheres or P311 microspheres were prepared by adding corresponding substances in simple thermosensitive hydrogels. The morphological changes of the prepared four liquids in the state of tilt was observed at 37 ℃. After being freeze-dried, the micromorphology of the prepared four liquids was observed under a scanning electron microscope. Eighteen 3-4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal group without any treatment, dressing group, chitosan group, hydrogel alone group, simple microspheres-loaded hydrogel group, and P311 microspheres-loaded hydrogel group, which were inflicted with one full-thickness skin defect wound on both sides of the back spine and were dealt correspondingly, with 3 rats in each group. Rats with full-thickness skin defects in the five groups were collected, the wound healing was observed on post injury day (PID) 0 (immediately), 5, 10, and 15, and the wound healing rates on PID 5, 10, and 15 were calculated. The wound and wound margin tissue of rats with full-thickness skin defects in the five groups on PID 15 and normal skin tissue in the same site of rats in normal group were collected, hematoxylin and eosin staining was conducted to observe the histological changes, immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the expressions of CD31 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and Western blotting was conducted to detect the protein expressions of CD31 and VEGF. The number of samples was all three. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, and Bonferroni correction. Results: Simple microspheres were spherical, with loose and porous surface. The surfaces of P311 microspheres and FITC-BSA microspheres were smooth without pores, and the FITC-BSA microspheres emitted uniform green fluorescence. The diameters of the three microspheres were basically consistent, being 33.1 to 37.7 μm. Compared with chitosan solution and simple thermosensitive hydrogel, the structures of the two microspheres-loaded hydrogels were more stable in the state of tilt at 37 ℃. The two microspheres-loaded hydrogels had denser network structures than those of chitosan solution and simple thermosensitive hydrogel, and in the cross section of which microspheres with a diameter of about 30 μm could be seen. Within PID 15, the wounds of rats in the five groups were healed to different degrees, and the wound healing of rats in P311 microspheres-loaded hydrogel group was the best. On PID 5, 10, and 15, the wound healing rates of rats in dressing group and chitosan group were (26.6±2.4)%, (38.5±3.1)%, (50.9±1.5)%, (47.6±2.0)%, (58.5±3.6)%, and (66.7±4.1)%, respectively, which were significantly lower than (59.3±4.8)%, (87.6±3.2)%, (97.2±1.0)% in P311 microspheres-loaded hydrogel group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The wound healing rates of rats in hydrogel alone group on PID 10 and 15, and in simple microspheres-loaded hydrogel group on PID 15 were (76.0±3.3)%, (84.5±3.6)%, and (88.0±2.6)%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in P311 microspheres-loaded hydrogel group (P<0.05). The epidermis, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands could be seen in the normal skin of rats in normal group, without positive expressions of CD31 or VEGF. The wounds of rats in P311 microspheres-loaded hydrogel group on PID 15 were almost completely epithelialized, with more blood vessels, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and positive expressions of CD31 and VEGF in the wounds than those of rats with full-thickness skin defects in the other four groups, and more protein expressions of CD31 and VEGF than those of rats in the other five groups. Conclusions: The P311 microspheres-loaded thermosensitive chitosan hydrogel can release the encapsulated drug slowly, prolong the drug action time, and promote wound healing in rats with full-thickness skin defects by promoting wound angiogenesis and re-epithelialization.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Hydrogels ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Chitosan/pharmacology* ; Serum Albumin, Bovine/pharmacology* ; Microspheres ; Polyvinyl Alcohol/pharmacology* ; Hematoxylin/pharmacology* ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS)/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Wound Healing ; Skin/injuries* ; Skin Abnormalities ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Water/pharmacology* ; Alginates/pharmacology*

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

Ginsenoside Rb1, the effective constituent of ginseng, has been demonstrated to play favorable roles in improving the immunity system. However, there is little study on the osteogenesis and angiogenesis effect of Ginsenoside Rb1. Moreover, how to establish a delivery system of Ginsenoside Rb1 and its repairment ability in bone defect remains elusive. In this study, the role of Ginsenoside Rb1 in cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, osteogenic genes expression, ALP activity of rat BMSCs were evaluated firstly. Then, micro-nano HAp granules combined with silk were prepared to establish a delivery system of Ginsenoside Rb1, and the osteogenic and angiogenic effect of Ginsenoside Rb1 loaded on micro-nano HAp/silk in rat calvarial defect models were assessed by sequential fluorescence labeling, and histology analysis, respectively. It revealed that Ginsenoside Rb1 could maintain cell viability, significantly increased ALP activity, osteogenic and angiogenic genes expression. Meanwhile, micro-nano HAp granules combined with silk were fabricated smoothly and were a delivery carrier for Ginsenoside Rb1. Significantly, Ginsenoside Rb1 loaded on micro-nano HAp/silk could facilitate osteogenesis and angiogenesis. All the outcomes hint that Ginsenoside Rb1 could reinforce the osteogenesis differentiation and angiogenesis factor's expression of BMSCs. Moreover, micro-nano HAp combined with silk could act as a carrier for Ginsenoside Rb1 to repair bone defect.
Alginates/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Bone Regeneration ; Cell Differentiation ; Durapatite/pharmacology* ; Ginsenosides ; Osteogenesis ; Rats ; Silk/pharmacology* ; Tissue Scaffolds

OBJECTIVE: To compare a new thermosensitive recombinant human amelogenin (rhAm) carrier and traditional propylene glycol alginate (PGA) carrier for their characteristics, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility with human periodontal membrane fibroblasts. METHODS: PGA-rhAm was prepared by mixing 3.3% PGA and rhAm, and CS-βGP-rhAm was prepared by mixing 2% chitosan (CS) with rhAm and then with 60% β-sodium glycerophosphate solution (βGP) as the crosslinking agent. The biophysical properties of the prepared carriers were characterized, and their antibacterial activity was assessed by observing Staphylococcus aureus growth. The biocompatibility of the carriers was evaluated in human periodontal membrane fibroblasts (hPDLFs) using CCK8 assay and scratch test, and mRNA and protein expressions of osteogenic genes of the cells incubated with the carriers were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting; osteogenic differentiation of the cells was detected using alkaline phosphatase staining. RESULTS: PGA-rhAm had a viscosity value of 3.262±0.055 Pa.s. CS-βGP-rhAm had a solidification capacity of 6 min at 37 ℃ with a pH value close to that of the oral cavity and a swelling rate of about 90%. CS-β GP-rhAm maintained sustained release of rhAm for over 2 weeks with a self-degradation time over 3 weeks. CS-βGPrhAm more effectively inhibited the growth of S. aureus than rhAm-loaded PGA. While PGA did not obviously affect the proliferation of hPDLFs, both CS-βGP and CS-βGP-rhAm significantly promoted the cell proliferation(P < 0.001). Scratch test showed that after rhAm loading, both CS-βGP and PGA promoted cell migration (P < 0.01). CS-βGP-rhAm significantly enhanced the mRNA expressions of RUNX2 and OCN mRNA level and the protein expressions of Ki67, RUNX2, collagen I, and β-catenin (P < 0.05); PGA-rhAm only enhanced RUNX2 (P < 0.05) and OCN (P < 0.01) mRNA expressions without significant effects on the protein expressions. Alkaline phosphatase staining results showed that CS-βGP, but not PGA, promoted osteogenic differentiation of hPDLFs. CONCLUSION CS-βGP carrier is capable of sustained release of rhAm, inhibiting the growth of S. aureus, and improving the biological activity of hPDLFs without affecting the bioactivity of rhAm after drug loading.
Alginates ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amelogenin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Chitosan/pharmacology* ; Collagen ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Glycerophosphates ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; Osteogenesis ; Periodontal Ligament ; RNA, Messenger ; Staphylococcus aureus ; beta Catenin

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

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