Chitin is the second most common polysaccharide occurring in nature (Tsujibo et al., 1998; Brurberg et al., 2000) and is one of the main structural components of the outer skeleton of insects and crustaceans (Huang et al., 1996; Schlegel, 1996) being at the same time the exoskeleton of coelenterates, platyhelminthes, protozoans, mollusks and in the cell wall of many fungi (Suzuki et al., 1998)....

This study evaluated the effects of oral administration of surface-deacetylated chitin nanofibers (SDACNFs) on hypercholesterolemia using an experimental model. All rats were fed a high cholesterol diet with 1% w/w cholesterol and 0.5% w/w cholic acid for 28 days. Rats were divided equally into four groups: the control group was administered 0.05% acetic acid dissolved in tap water, and the SDA...

Thailand is one of the major producers and exporters of shrimp and other marine products worldwide. Over 600,000 metric tons of marine products containing chitinous materials, shrimp, crab and squid, are produced yearly, which resulted in abundant amount of raw materials for the production of chitin-chitosan. Chitin-chitosan industry in Thailand has grown considerably in the past decade. Howeve...

Chitinolytic microorganisms secrete a range of chitin modifying enzymes, which can be exploited for production of chitin derived products or as fungal or pest control agents. Here, we explored the potential of 11 marine bacteria (Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Vibrionaceae) for chitin degradation using in silico and phenotypic assays. Of 10 chitinolytic strains, three strains, Photobacterium galatheae...

Precise control of particle positioning is desirable in many optical propulsion and sorting applications. Here, we develop an integrated platform for particle manipulation consisting of a combined optical nanofiber and optical tweezers system. We show that consistent and reversible transmission modulations arise when individual silica microspheres are introduced to the nanofiber surface using t...

The integration of surface plasmon with waveguide is a strategy for lab-on-a-chip compatible optical trapping. Here, we report a method for trapping of nanoparticles using a silver nanowire (AgNW) embedded poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofiber with the assistance of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). The nanoparticles (polystyrene, 700 nm diameter) are transported along the nanofiber and u...

The ability to prepare solid surfaces with well-controlled superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties is of paramount importance to water-oil separation technology. Herein, we successfully prepared superhydrophobic-superoleophilic membranes by single-step deposition of polystyrene (PS) nanofibers onto a stainless steel mesh via electrospinning. The contact angles of diesel and water on the...

fungal biomass of a. niger, the byproduct of citric acid fermentation, proved to be a worth biomaterial which can be so beneficial and practical. in environmental case, it can be a useful biosorbent for decolorization and detoxitation of wastewater samples. it can also be used as a cheap and suitable source for commercial production of some expensive and useful biopolymers such as chitin, chito...

Composite nanofibers composed of an organic polymer and inorganic nanomaterials have huge potential to be used in different industrial applications. However, the main concern on the use of composite nanofibers is the distribution properties of nanomaterials in the polymeric matrix. The effect of the capillary tip charge on the additive distribution in the electrospun nanofiber has been prev...