Chitosan-Polyphenol Conjugates for Human Health

Abstract

Human health deteriorates due to the generation and accumulation of free radicals that induce oxidative stress, damaging proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids; this has become the leading cause of many deadly diseases such as cardiovascular, cancer, neurodegenerative, diabetes, and inflammation. Naturally occurring polyphenols have tremendous therapeutic potential, but their short biological half-life and rapid metabolism limit their use. Recent advancements in polymer science have provided numerous varieties of natural and synthetic polymers. Chitosan is widely used due to its biomimetic properties which include biodegradability, biocompatibility, inherent antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant properties. However, due to low solubility in water and the non-availability of the H-atom donor, the practical use of chitosan as an antioxidant is limited. Therefore, chitosan has been conjugated with polyphenols to overcome the limitations of both chitosan and polyphenol, along with increasing the potential synergistic effects of their combination for therapeutic applications. Though many methods have been evolved to conjugate chitosan with polyphenol through activated ester-modification, enzyme-mediated, and free radical induced are the most widely used strategies. The therapeutic efficiency of chitosan-polyphenol conjugates has been investigated for various disease treatments caused by ROS that have shown favorable outcomes and tremendous results. Hence, the present review focuses on the recent advancement of different strategies of chitosan-polyphenol conjugate formation with their advantages and limitations. Furthermore, the therapeutic applicability of the combinatorial efficiency of chitosan-based conjugates formed using Gallic Acid, Curcumin, Catechin, and Quercetin in human health has been described in detail.

Designing of gradient scaffolds and their applications in tissue regeneration

“…The natural tissues are made up of complex structures with various physical, chemical, and cellular gradients which is an ideal platform for supporting biological activities such as cellular integration, migration, and differentiation [1]. In case of injury, accident, or any medical complication, the regeneration of these tissues sometimes becomes difficult which further deteriorates the quality of life [19]. To address these clinical challenges various conventional 3D scaffolds are being used from different companies like Amvisc®, ACUFEX™, HemoFoam®, Hemosponge®, Corning® Matrigel®, MaxGel™, Alvetex®, Celox™, SteriGraft®, OSSIX™, and SmartBone® etc by the clinicians [29].…”

“…Owing to the rapid utilization of implantable biomaterials, various scaffolds in combination with tissue engineering technology have been provided by several companies to address the existing clinical limitations [4,18,19]. This strategy is well accepted in the existing clinical setup, but several challenges restrict the use of these scaffolds in recapitulating the natural gradient present in cells or tissues of the human body.…”

In Vitro Anti-HIV-1 Activity of Chitosan Oligomers N-Conjugated with Asparagine and Glutamine

“…Chitosan derivatives were credited with possessing antiviral properties partly due to their ability to bind cell receptor molecules as a function of their protonated amino groups, different acetylation degrees, and the modification of polycationic moieties. Being open to modification at these positions allows chitosan and its oligosaccharides to show affinity towards different chemical compounds varying from fatty acids, other sugars, and peptides to phytochemicals such as flavonoids and tannins [ 19 , 20 ]. Additionally, the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan enable it remain at the host mucus surface and exhibit antiviral activities for longer periods.…”