Bacterial cellulose (BC)-chitosan (BCC) films made via bio-co-polymerization by Acetobacter xylinum were developed and characterized for physical and biological properties. With the incorporation of chitosan MW 3 x 10(4) and 8 x 10(4) into bacterial cellulose, the modified films (BCC-MW 30,000 and BCC-MW 80,000, respectively) became denser, with a smaller average pore size of 13.1-15.3 nm in dry form. The BCC films have no toxicity against L929 mouse fibroblast cells. Tissue compatibility was then evaluated by growth and spreading of human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts. The results revealed that the growth of human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts on the BCC films was comparable to that on the BC film; however, improvement of cell adhesion and spreading on the BCC films was observed in human skin keratinocytes. The results of the biological response experiments showed no significant difference between BCC-MW 30,000 and BCC-MW 80,000.
A novel formulation consisting of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores mixed with sterilized organic fertilizer (AMF-F) encapsulated by an insoluble calcium alginate film was developed to enhance AMF efficacy and stability. The hardness of the pellets increased from 7-8 N to approximately 80 N by increasing the alginate concentration of the coating film from 1 to 3%. The AMF spore germination rate for the AMF and AMF-F pellets coated with calcium alginate films depended on the alginate concentration. A 2% sodium alginate formulation for the coating films resulted in optimal AMF spore germination rates and mechanical properties for handling, transport, and stability. The inclusion of a sterilized organic fertilizer in the encapsulated AMF-F pellets considerably induced AMF mycelial growth and helped prolong the shelf life of the pellets. In soil, the AMF-F pellets encapsulated with alginate (cAMF-F) initially degraded faster than the alginate-encapsulated AMF pellets (cAMF). However, both types of pellets were fully degraded within 30 days. It was demonstrated that cAMF and cAMF-F could promote colonization and provided resistance to drought stress in maize potted plants.
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