Electrospining Machine: Structural analysis of oriented liquid crystal microfibers prepared by electrospinning of polysaccharides extracted from extracellular gel of cyanobacteria and polyvinyl alcohol-assisted electrospinning

Background

Water-soluble polysaccharides are commonly used to obtain a large amount of gel matrix from seaweed. The gelatinous biomaterial of the freshwater unicellular cyanobacterium Sacrum is traditionally produced in large quantities in a local river in Japan, which contains a rich gelatinous extracellular matrix (ECM), a gel with a high water content (97.5%). The ECM has good viscoelasticity, which can reduce the damage to the cell body caused by mechanical impact in the river and keep the algae size above the centimeter level. We speculate that this ECM must mainly contain fibrous substances such as polysaccharides to strengthen itself.

The main point of this paper

Characteristics of Sacran:

Sacran is a polysaccharide extracted from the ECM of sacrum, with a structure similar to cotton foam, composed of sugar chains, and a molecular weight of up to 16 Mg/mol

Extraction and purification:

In the dried sacral biomaterial, the extraction rate of sacral polysaccharide was 70% to 80%, indicating that sacral polysaccharide is the main component of ECM

Structure and function:

Sacran has super strong water absorption capacity, with a water holding rate of up to 6100 times its own weight, which is much higher than hyaluronic acid and other polymer absorbers

Biological activity:

Sacran has anti-inflammatory effects, can improve the symptoms of atopic dermatitis, and relieve skin inflammation by inhibiting Th2 immune response

Electrospinning application:

Sacran and polyvinyl alcohol polymer composite microfibers were prepared by electrospinning technology to form oriented liquid crystal microfibers

Superhelical self-assembled superfibers:

The superhelical self-assembled superfibers formed by Sacran can be used for humidity-sensitive actuators, showing unique structural characteristics and application potential

Anti-allergic potential:

Sacran has a unique glycosaminoglycan structure that can inhibit IgE and eosinophil infiltration in mice, indicating its potential in the treatment of allergic dermatitis and anti-inflammatory pathways

Study on the Liquid Crystalline Properties of Sacran Polysaccharide and Preparation of Oriented Microfibers by Electrospinning

Structural analysis:

The short-term exposure of sea buckthorn stems to concentrated acid was studied by heterogeneous acid hydrolysis, and oligomers soluble in water and methanol were isolated.

The main sugar ratio of the oligomers was α-Glc:β-Glc:α-Xyl:β-Xyl:α-Rha, and its glycosyl glucan structure was speculated to include rhamnosyl glucan and xyloglucan.

Solubility test:

In order to prepare oriented ultrafine fibers, the solubility test of polysaccharides was carried out to find suitable polyhydroxy alcohols as solvents.

Oriented film preparation:

Calcium compound particles were deposited in sacran aqueous solution to prepare oriented films different from polyhydroxy alcohol solutions.

Electrospinning method:

Although sacran itself cannot form microfibers, sacran and polyvinyl alcohol polymer composite microfibers were prepared by electrospinning.

Molecular orientation analysis:

Cross-polarized light microscopy was used to show the molecular orientation of microfibers, confirming the oriented structure of the fibers.

Summarize

Here, we attempted to prepare oriented microfibers of the above-mentioned stimuli-responsive polysaccharide sacran by electrospinning and performed structural analysis of sacran. The preparation of sacran composite microfibers can realize the physicalization of cyanobacterial polysaccharides not only in the fields of LC devices and biomedical materials, but also in the fields of plant structural biopharmaceuticals and photosynthetic science, because cyanobacterial species are considered to be excellent plant models.