Postoperative recurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a major clinical challenge, necessitating the development of localized and sustained-release therapeutic platforms. Herein, we report an injectable hydrogel nanocomposite system based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and 4-arm polyethylene glycol-benzaldehyde (4-arm-PEG-CHO), crosslinked via dynamic Schiff base bonds, for site-specific and prolonged therapeutic delivery. This carbohydrate polymer-based hydrogel encapsulates polyethylenimine-modified iron single-atom nanozymes (FeSAzymes), glucose oxidase (GOx), and liposome-encapsulated buthionine sulfoximine (LipBSO) to achieve synergistic chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and ferroptosis. GOx catalyzes endogenous glucose into hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), which is converted by FeSAzymes into cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH), amplifying oxidative stress. Simultaneously, LipBSO inhibits glutathione biosynthesis, depletes intracellular antioxidants, and downregulates GPX4 to induce ferroptosis. The CMCS-based hydrogel matrix ensures sustained release, tumor retention, and enhanced therapeutic efficacy with minimal systemic toxicity. In vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrated significant suppression of OSCC recurrence through dual-mode ROS-mediated cytotoxicity. This study highlights the potential of carbohydrate polymer-based injectable hydrogels as multifunctional delivery vehicles for localized and combinatorial cancer therapy.

Nowadays, the increasing demand for sustainable energy has brought piezoelectric materials to the forefront due to their capability to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. In response to increasing environmental concerns, cellulose has emerged as a promising piezoelectric material, owing to its availability, biocompatibility, sustainability, biodegradability and cost-effectiveness. Despite significant research on the use of various forms of cellulose for piezoelectric energy harvesting, a systematic review focusing on the factors that can affect the piezoelectric property in cellulose remains notably absent. The main goal of this review is to fill this gap by understanding the piezoelectric behaviour of cellulose at different hierarchical levels, from macro-scale natural materials to nano-scale structures. This review presents an overview of the general aspects of the piezoelectric effect, followed by a detailed examination of the piezoelectric properties of cellulose. It further explores the piezoelectric behaviour of cellulose-based natural materials. The review then addresses the piezoelectric characteristics of nanocellulose and regenerated cellulose in turn. Furthermore, the review examines cellulose-based hybrid materials and their piezoelectric properties. In conclusion, the review highlights the current challenges and outlines promising directions for future research in this emerging area.

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 22F is a significant concern in causing pneumococcal disease, and it is associated with increased rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) like septicaemia and meningitis. Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of S. pneumoniae is the main causative agent for virulence, hence it is considered for vaccine development. The development of effective vaccine requires a high-purity CPS. Current purification methods utilize organic solvents, which raises the vaccine efficacy and safety concerns. In current study, we have established a novel, multi-step purification process for serotype 22F CPS that is entirely free of organic solvents. It integrates the treatment of fermentation harvest culture to deoxycholate (DOC), nuclease digestion, pH precipitation, and hydrophobic-interaction chromatography (HIC) using Octyl Sepharose to effectively remove major impurities viz. nucleic acids, proteins, and cell wall common polysaccharides (C-Ps). This optimized process yielded high capsular polysaccharide recovery of approximately 65 % with molecular weight 840 kDa. The final CPS structural identity was confirmed by H NMR and it meets stringent purity criteria as defined by WHO, with protein levels at 0.4 %, nucleic acids below 0.1 %, and cell wall polysaccharide (C-Ps) at 2.29 mol%. This solvent-free method provides a safe and scalable platform for the industrial production of pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens.

Many drugs, marketed and developmental, are crystalline, hydrophobic, and hence have poor water solubility. Oral drug delivery by amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) enhances solubility by molecular dispersion of drug molecules in a polymeric matrix. Commercial ASD polymers may effectively increase drug bioavailability, but they sometimes fail, as none were designed specifically for ASD. Herein we design, synthesize, and initially evaluate in vitro novel ω-carboxy-thioalkyl cellulose ester derivatives as ASD polymers. We hypothesized that incorporating hydrophobic side chains and hydrophilic carboxylate groups by regioselective thiol displacement of bromide on 6-bromo-6-deoxy cellulose acetate would afford polymers meeting essential ASD physicochemical requirements. CA derivatives with different tether chain lengths and functionalities were synthesized through regioselective C6 bromination of CA, then displacement with functional thiols. ω-Carboxy-thioalkyl ASD performance was evaluated as similar to the best commercial ASD polymers using model drugs. For basic drugs, CA-based polymers appeared more sensitive to drug-polymer interactions that reduce ASD release, but synthesis of more hydrophilic derivatives rescued release. Drug-polymer complexation with acidic polymers was observed for basic drugs; however, polymer salt formation with a bulky counterion inhibited complexation and improved release. Generally, thioacid-based polymers released more slowly but appeared less sensitive to drug loading effects than commercial polymers.

The development of potent adjuvants is crucial for enhancing influenza mRNA vaccine efficacy. Tremella aurantia polysaccharides possess bioactivities, but their structural complexity and adjuvant potential remain unclear. In this study, a high-molecular-weight (Mw: 1178.77 kDa) polysaccharide (TAP) was purified from T. aurantia fruit bodies and hydrolyzed by using an ultrasonic-assisted HO-Cu method, yielding three products (designated TAP1-TAP3). Structural analyses revealed that TAP1 (426.28 kDa) and TAP2 (16.96 kDa) retained the native monosaccharide composition (Man, GlcA, Xyl, Fuc), whereas TAP3 (21.97 kDa) lost its fucose residues. All polysaccharides shared a 1,3-α-D-mannose backbone with GlcA and Xyl side chains. TAP2, a novel low-Mw fucosylated glucuronoxylomannan, exhibited superior immunostimulatory activity in vitro with minimal cytotoxicity. When used as an adjuvant with a seasonal influenza HA mRNA vaccine in mice, TAP2 significantly enhanced hemagglutination inhibition titers, increased influenza-specific IgG levels, and improved survival rates against a lethal influenza virus challenge. Mechanistically, the immunoenhancing effect of TAP2 was attributed to its optimal molecular size and sulfated fucose branches, which potently promoted dendritic cell maturation primarily via activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. This study not only identified TAP2 as a promising adjuvant candidate for mRNA vaccines but also elucidated the structure-activity relationship of Tremella glucuronoxylomannans.

Starch, as the core component of starch-based foods, oil absorption capacity will directly affect the quality characteristics of foods. This review primarily introduced the factors influencing the oil absorption capacity of starch, the evaluating methods, and approaches to enhance or reduce oil absorption rate through directional modification. Meanwhile, the applications of starch with low or high oil absorption capacity in food products were discussed. In addition, the prospects and challenges in the research field of oil absorption of starch were analyzed. The oil absorption capacity of starch is influenced by changes in the surface microstructure, long-range crystalline structure, short-range ordered structure, lipophilic groups, particle size and composition of starch and oil polarity becoming key influencing factors. The rational use of physical, chemical, biological or compound modification methods can directionally increase or decrease the oil absorption rate of starch. Among them, starch with low oil absorption capacity has potential applications in deep-frying starch-based foods to reduce the oil absorption, while starch with high oil absorption capacity can serve as a fat substitute and a wall material for embedding active substances. Therefore, in-depth research in oil absorption capacity of starch promoted the development of modern food industry for health and functionality.

This study aimed to investigate the structural characteristics and bifidogenic effects of a low-molecular weight polysaccharide (PKP2-1) purified from a herb, Polygonatum kingianum Coll. et Hemsl (Huangjing) rhizome via SephadexG-200 and DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow column chromatography. The weight-average molecular weight of PKP2-1 was 7.422 kDa. The backbone of PKP2-1 mainly contained residue linkages of →1)-β-D-Fruf-(2→, →1,6)-β-D-Fruf-(2 → and →6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, where the O6 position of →1,6)-β-D-Fruf-(2 → was substituted by the side chain residues β-D-Fruf-(2→. There also existed a few terminal residues β-D-Galp-(1 → linked at the end of the sugar chains. In vitro tests showed PKP2-1 had relatively high resistance to gastrointestinal digestion without significant changes (p > 0.05) in reducing sugar content and molecular weight, and could reshape fecal microbial composition by remarkably increasing the abundance of Bifidobacterium from 5.38 % to 42.66 %. Bifidogenic effects of PKP2-1 were further confirmed by single strain culture of three bifidobacterial strains (B. adolescentis, B. longum and B. infantis). A model based on the genomic analysis of the three bifidobacterial strains and the structure of PKP2-1 was proposed to describe the hydrolysis and uptake of PKP2-1 by the bifidobacteria. The results suggested PKP2-1 had bifidogenic effects and could be potentially applied as an alternative prebiotic candidate.

Postprandial hyperglycemia is a key driver in the development of type 2 diabetes, and dietary starch is a major modulator of glycemic response. The crystalline structure of starch is a principal determinant of its digestibility and postprandial glycemic response. This review synthesizes evidence establishing that the molecular packing density and stability of A-, B-, and V-type crystals often outweigh the influence of crystallinity or crystalline type alone in governing digestion resistance. We demonstrate how advanced processing techniques can precisely engineer these structural features to reduce starch digestibility. While in vitro models provide valuable mechanistic insights and animal studies elucidate underlying metabolic pathways, human trials consistently show significant individual variability in glycemic responses to crystalline transformations. This discrepancy underscores the limitation of a one-size-fits-all approach and highlights the necessity of integrating human data for meaningful predictions. Finally, we discuss the promising convergence of artificial intelligence and food structure engineering, such as 3D printing, as a transformative strategy for designing personalized low-glycemic-index foods based on tailored starch crystalline architectures. This work provides a timely synthesis to guide future research and practical applications in functional foods and diabetes management.

In this study, the mechanism by which fatty acids (lauric acid: LA and stearic acid: SA) and their monoglycerides (glycerol monolaurate: GML and glycerol monostearate: GMS) affect the functional properties of starch-based straws was investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that LA and its monoglyceride (GML) preferentially inserted into amylose helical cavities via hydrophobic interaction, forming structurally ordered V-type crystalline complexes. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurement revealed that the 1047/1022 cm and 995/1022 cm ratio values of starch-based straws with lipids were lower than that of control group. When GML was added at 2 % concentration, the water contact angle increased by 34.76 %, and the bending modulus after 21 days of storage was maintained at 2.456 N/cm, which was significantly lower than the control (31.724 N/cm). Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the GML2% sample exhibited a smoother surface with few protrusions. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the lipid-containing samples (313.94 °C-317.24 °C) had a higher decomposition temperature than that of control (313.84 °C). In addition, Avrami kinetic modeling demonstrated that the incorporation of lipids reduced in the retrogradation rate constant (k). The anti-aging ability of the analyzed straws was in the following order: GML > LA > GMS > SA > control.

Injectable in situ gelling physically crosslinked chitosan (CH) hydrogels allowing cell encapsulation are appealing for biomedical applications. However, the variability of the CH source is one of the major difficulties in ensuring their reproducibility. We investigated here the effect of the CH degree and pattern of acetylation (DA and PA) on its final physicochemical properties. Hydrogels made from re-acetylated CH presenting statistical repartition of repeat units along the chains, with DA of 35, 10 and 1 %, were compared to a commercial CH with DA of 10 % differing by their PA. WAXS analysis showed different crystalline signatures depending on the PA of CH samples. Rheometry revealed faster gelation kinetics, but lower final modulus for hydrogels made of commercial versus statistical CH of same DA. Both also differed in terms of porosity and stability in solution. Hydrogel stiffness from 60 to 0.3 kPa were obtained by varying DA and PA. Hydrogels with the lowest DA were the most stable in solutions. Encapsulated L929 fibroblasts presented similar increasing metabolic activity over 7 days of culture within all hydrogels. This work demonstrates the relevance of controlling chitosan DA and PA for the generation of reproducible hydrogels with tunable final mechanical properties for targeted bio-applications. STATEMENT HYPOTHESIS: Not only the degree of acetylation (DA, i.e., the molar fraction of N-acetyl D-glucosamine units), but also the pattern of acetylation (PA; the repartition of the acetylated/deacetylated residue sequences along the chain), can influence the mechanical properties, the porosity, and the stability of physical in situ gelling CH hydrogels, therefore the behavior of encapsulated cells. Indeed, when the gel is formed using weak bases (here a combination of β-glycerophosphate and sodium hydrogen carbonate), the physical crosslinking density between CH chains can be influenced by the DA and the PA due to the resulting variation of NH moieties repartition. We expect that for CH presenting a higher DA, weak gels will be generated due to reduced physical interactions established between protonated NH3+ groups and the weak base. Also, we expect to generate more stable constructs with CH presenting lower DA. Furthermore, for the same DA, the chemical process used for obtaining CH (i.e., from the reacetylation of low DA CH or deacetylation of chitin under heterogeneous or homogenous conditions) yields CHs with different PA, which we presume to significantly affect final structural and mechanical properties of the obtained hydrogels. Understanding the impact of the CH macromolecular structure on its injectable in situ gelling hydrogel form is fundamental for the generation of suitable and reproducible CH-based hydrogel materials in biomedical applications.

As key components in human-machine interaction and health monitoring, flexible pressure sensors are facing growing demands for environmental sustainability. Conventional polymer-based sensors predominantly rely on non-degradable, petroleum-derived materials, exacerbating the problem of electronic waste pollution. In contrast, paper-based flexible pressure sensors, benefiting from the renewability, biodegradability, and low cost of cellulose, demonstrate strong potential as green substrates for electronic devices. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in cellulose paper-based flexible pressure sensors. The main content includes introducing the signal transduction mechanisms of different types of cellulose paper-based pressure sensors, discussing key technologies for preparing highly conductive cellulose paper materials via pen writing, printing, coating, and chemical modification; elucidating structural optimization strategies including multilayer stacking, microstructured texturing, and origami/kirigami-inspired topological designs as pathways to enhance device performance such as sensitivity and detection range; demonstrating the application effectiveness of hydrophobic encapsulation, flame-retardant treatment, and mechanical reinforcement in improving the durability of cellulose paper-based sensors under humid, high-temperature, and extreme mechanical conditions. Finally, the unresolved issues and main challenges that currently restrict the practical application of cellulose paper-based flexible pressure sensors were discussed.

Prior to consumption, most starchy foods require storage for a designated period following processing. During this period, the structure of starch in starchy food undergoes changes, which in turn affect the edible quality of starchy foods. Understanding these alterations can clarify how storage affects starch structure, thereby facilitating regulation of the edible quality of starchy foods. Therefore, this review discusses how storage affects the fine structure of starch in starchy foods and their edible quality. During storage, the structure of starch in starchy foods undergoes several changes, including granule damage, crystal structure alternation, and degradation and recombination of molecules. Additionally, interactions between starch and lipids can further form starch-lipid complexes. These structural changes in starch also depend on the storage condition (time and temperature), moisture content of starchy foods, and the starch source used for production. Changes in starch structure during storage and its interaction with other components can affect the edible quality of starchy foods. However, additional studies are needed on the structure-property relationships and mechanisms underlying the structural changes of starch in starchy foods during storage. Overall, this review provides insights into for the development of storage strategies toward the quality control of starchy foods.

Starch-polyphenol complexes are recoganized as a new type of resistant starch, while their promotion of polyphenol bioavailability in vivo and potential amelioration impact on metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) remains unclear. In this study, maize starch-epigallocatechin gallate (MaS-EGCG) complexes with an A + V crystalline polymorph were synthesized. In vivo imaging showed that the MaS-EGCG complex exhibited prolonged gastrointestinal retention, with a significantly enriched amount reaching the colon. Notably, the hepatic EGCG content was enhanced by 61.8 % after 8-h ingestion of MaS-EGCG complex compared to ingested EGCG alone (p < 0.05). In a high-fat diet-induced MAFLD model, the MaS-EGCG complex exhibited strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, reducing lipid accumulation via activated AMPK pathway. It further enriched beneficial gut microbiota (Akkermansia, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides) and short-chain fatty acids, and enhanced intestinal barrier integrity through upregulating occludin and ZO-1 expression. Metabolomics identified that the MaS-EGCG complex had higher levels of EGCG and its microbial metabolites (glucuronidated, methylated, sulphated forms) in the colon compared to ingested EGCG alone. Collectively, these findings confirm the MaS-EGCG complex enhances EGCG bioavailability via microbiota-polyphenol synergistic interaction and its amelioration impact on MAFLD via the gut-liver axis, highlighting the potential of starch-polyphenol complexes as functional foods to enhance human health.

Glycogen and starch are the main energy-storage polysaccharides in living organisms, and their structural characteristics directly affect metabolic and mobilization capabilities. This study compared the molecular structural parameters of plant amylopectin, fungal glycogen and animal glycogen (the three "kingdoms" of living organisms), using structural parameterization through biosynthesis-based models. Analysis of the branch density and of the chain-length distribution showed that plant amylopectin branches are sparse, which is optimal for long-term (slow) energy storage. The average degrees of polymerization of fungal glycogen are intermediate between those of plants and animals, and the proportion of short chains is high, which is conducive to rapid energy release. Animal glycogen has high branch density and a high proportion of short chains, supporting rapid and continuous energy supply, consistent with the need for mobility. This analysis shows that the structures of the glucose-storage polymers reflect the organisms' ecological adaptation. This explains the evolutionary optimization relationship between the structural parameters of polysaccharides and energy-storage requirements, and provides a systematic perspective for understanding the synthesis, metabolism and functions of glucose polysaccharides in different living systems. Hypothesis: The molecular structural parameters of plant amylopectin, animal glycogen and fungal glycogen reflect their fitness for purpose.

In recent years, the yeast cell wall has gained considerable attention due to its role in stress tolerance, pathogenicity, and its high content of functional polysaccharides relevant to food and feed applications. This study introduces an improved analytical method for simultaneously quantifying β-glucan, mannoprotein, glycogen, and trehalose in both crude yeast cells and yeast β-glucan isolates. It combines acid hydrolysis of cell wall polysaccharides into monosaccharides with chromatographic sugar analysis, and includes an enzymatic hydrolysis step for glycogen and trehalose determination. Results obtained using this approach are compared with those from three established analytical methods, revealing differences in the β-glucan content of up to 37 %, depending on the analytical method used. The new analytical protocol proves to be more robust and more accurate than the existing methods for β-glucan quantification, in addition to providing valuable information on the presence of multiple cell wall polysaccharides and reserve carbohydrates.

Aerogels have emerged as a research hotspot in solar seawater desalination due to their superior steam generation efficiency. However, the complexity of traditional preparation methods such as supercritical-drying or freezing-drying has become a major obstacle limiting the development of aerogels. Here, cellulose/graphite 3D skeleton were successfully constructed through atmospheric-pressure drying with the assistance of the cell template strategy. Cu generated in situ between the cell template interstitials completes the binding to the cellulose/graphite backbone structure, which becomes critical in assisting atmospheric pressure drying. The 3D skeleton exhibited a series of integrated properties, such as highly efficient photothermal conversion, exceptional energy confinement and rapid water delivery properties. These properties endow the 3D skeleton with a high-speed solar steam generation rate (3.52 kg m h) and evaporation efficiency (97.8 %). This work provides an atmospheric pressure drying construction strategy for the convenient preparation of 3D skeleton and reveals its promising application in solar desalination.

Chitosan, a marine-derived polysaccharide with immense industrial potential, serves as the precursor for chitooligosaccharides (COS). COS exhibit structure-dependent bioactivities critical for biomedical and nutraceutical applications, yet precise control of their degree of polymerization (DP) remains challenging. This study investigated GH46 family chitosanases to elucidate mechanisms governing product specificity. Phylogenetic analysis identified the chitosanase Csn-BJ, which contains a characteristic loop structure. Biochemical characterization revealed Csn-BJ as an endo-acting enzyme with optimal activity at 40 °C and pH 7.0, hydrolyzing chitosan to glucosamine (GlcN) and chitobiose, with chitotriose as the minimum hydrolyzable substrate. Site-directed mutagenesis of residues Q97 (subsite -1) and A134 (subsite +1) modulated product oligomerization profiles, shifting from exclusive DP1-DP2 generation in wild-type to DP1-DP3 mixtures in mutants. Molecular docking localized these residues within the substrate-binding cleft. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations revealed that the Q97K mutation strengthened electrostatic and van der Waals interactions, optimizing the catalytic microenvironment, while the A134C mutation induced structural fluctuations that displaced the substrate. We propose a novel "steric-hydration dual-target regulatory model", providing an enzymatic engineering strategy for the tailored production of COS with specific DP.

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) arises from dysregulated wound healing during chronic liver injury, progressing to liver dysfunction and carcinogenesis. Polysaccharides have emerged as promising candidates for HF treatment. In this study, a homogeneous galactomannan (45.0 kDa) was isolated from the seeds of Astragalus complanatus R. Br. Structural analysis revealed that it was composed of T-galactose (Gal), 1,4-mannose (Man), and 1,4,6-Man in a molar ratio of 1.47:1.00:1.42, featuring a β-1,4-Manp backbone with terminal α-Galp branches at O-6 of Manp. Additionally, ACSP-I's triple-helical structure was confirmed by Congo red assay and circular dichroism spectrum, while scanning electron microscopy revealed a lamellar morphology with pores on a slightly rough surface. ACSP-I exerted potent anti-fibrotic effects, suppressing hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation in vitro and attenuating CCl-induced liver injury in vivo. Mechanistically, ACSP-I suppressed HSCs activation through inhibition of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2)-mediated glycolysis, which suppressed the expression of proliferation-related genes (MYC and CCND1), and inhibited histone lactylation to downregulate fibrotic genes (ACTA2 and COL1A1). These results identify ACSP-I as a PKM2 inhibitor for HF treatment and reveal new mechanisms of polysaccharide-mediated hepatoprotection.

Developing lignin-nanocellulose-based solar evaporators is crucial for sustainable seawater desalination, yet challenges remain, including limited photothermal efficiency, weak water transport, and lignin leaching that compromises structural integrity. Herein, a 3D-printed solar evaporator was fabricated by covalently crosslinking alkali lignin (AL) and TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCN) via hydroxyl-yne click chemistry using dipropiolate-terminated polyethylene glycol (DA-PEG) as a green crosslinker. The resulting lignin-DA-PEG-nanocellulose (LPNC) inks showed excellent shear-thinning behavior suitable for Direct Ink Writing (DIW), enabling precise fabrication of highly porous, interconnected foams that promoted directional water transport. The optimized LPNC-3 porous foam retained 190.50 ± 31.25 mg AL per 1000 mg TOCN, showing efficient lignin immobilization and structural stability. It exhibited a high water absorption rate (1147.2 ± 65.7 %), strong alkali resistance with minimal lignin leaching (2.2 ± 0.3 %), and enhanced photothermal efficiency with reduced water evaporation enthalpy (1781 ± 50 J·g). Under 1 sun (1 kW·m) illumination, the evaporator achieved a high evaporation rate of 1.64 kg·m·h and 88.09 % solar-to-vapor efficiency. It maintained stable performance over 10 cycles and effectively desalinated artificial seawater to meet WHO standards. This study offers a green and efficient strategy to enhance the durability and performance of lignocellulose-based solar evaporators for practical water purification applications.

Euryale ferox Salisb is a homology of medicine and food in China for more than 2000 years. However, detailed studies on the polysaccharide from seeds of E. ferox Salisb (EFSP) and sulfated EFSP for anti-inflammatory activities have not been done. In our study, a comprehensive characterization and sulfated modification of EFSP was conducted. As a result, EFSP was a low Mw polysaccharide (3.68 KDa). Monosaccharide composition and methylation analysis revealed that EFSP was composed of glucose. NMR revealed that chemical structure of EFSP was 1,4-α-D-glucan with branchpoints introduced by 1,4,6-α-glucan and 1,3,4-α-glucan. The EFSP was chemically modified by CSA-Pyr method to incorporate the sulfate groups. The DS of the S-EFSPs was determined by elemental analysis to be 0.3, 0.59 and 1.07, respectively. High DS of EFSP contributed to a fragmented morphology and high Mw. The sulfate positions were at O-6 and/or O-2/O-3 of S-EFSP. Native EFSP and sulfated EFSP could inhibited IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α expression in RAW 264.7 cells and promoted the polarization of macrophages to M2 type. Further investigations found that EFSP obviously affected the extracellular trap formation pathway; however, sulfated EFSP (DS 1.07) significantly affected the negative regulation of protein binding. These results indicated that EFSP and its sulfated modification are potential suppressor of inflammatory cytokines and other mediators.

Cultured meat presents a sustainable solution to global food demands, yet its large-scale production is limited by current microcarrier technologies. To address challenges in mechanical stability and edibility, we developed a novel, entirely edible flocculant microcarrier. This microcarrier consisting of bacterial cellulose, mushroom-derived chitosan, and quinoa protein, achieves crosslinking through simple high-temperature steam sterilization without chemical additives. In this structure, bacterial cellulose provides mechanical strength, while chitosan and quinoa protein offer abundant cell-adhesion sites, with the protein component further enhancing the material's friability for easier fragmentation. The microcarrier demonstrated excellent water stability and biocompatibility, achieving initial cell adhesion rate exceeding 95 %. In 7-day dynamic suspension culture optimized for rotational speed and carrier concentration, chicken embryonic fibroblasts achieved a 60-fold expansion. Furthermore, the migration and colonization of C2C12 myoblasts between adjacent microcarriers was observed, which is a crucial step for tissue development, and this process benefited from the positive charges of chitosan and quinoa protein that facilitated inter-microcarrier cell adhesion and bridging. By combining this system with enzymatic crosslinking, cohesive cultured meat product was successfully produced. This innovative microcarrier system simplifies processing and reduces costs by overcoming traditional scaffold limitations, offering a robust and scalable platform for industrial cultured meat production.