International Journal of Biological Macromolecules最新文献

{"title":"The critical role of transcription factor GATA1 in erythrocyte proliferation and morphology in blood clam Anadara granosa","authors":"Jiacheng Wang ,&nbsp;Yuhang Zhang ,&nbsp;Yingbin Xu ,&nbsp;Hongyu Jin ,&nbsp;Can Yang ,&nbsp;Hongxing Liu ,&nbsp;Yongbo Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The blood clam (<em>Anadara granosa</em>) exhibits innovative red blood compared to other molluscs, with erythrocytes constituting 79 % to 89 % of the total hemocyte count. Previously, we identified that GATA-binding protein 1 (designated as <em>Ag</em>GATA1) was significantly up-regulated in the transcriptomes of blood clam populations with high hemocyte counts. However, the function of <em>Ag</em>GATA1 in erythropoiesis remains unknown. In this study, we conducted GATA1 knockdown experiments in <em>A. granosa</em>, which resulted in a significant reduction of both erythrocytes and other cells during the S phase, as well as significantly decreased proliferative activity in the gill tissue. The cell proliferation assay demonstrated that overexpression of <em>Ag</em>GATA1 increased the DNA replication activity of K562 cells. Additionally, o-dianisidine staining revealed defects in erythropoiesis within the gill tissue following <em>Ag</em>GATA1 knockdown, while protein analyses confirmed a significant reduction in <em>Ag</em>GATA1 expression. Furthermore, decreased cytoskeletal fluorescence and morphological changes in erythrocytes suggest that <em>Ag</em>GATA1 influenced cytoskeletal protein expression, leading to changes in erythrocyte morphology. This study provides new insights into the role of <em>Ag</em>GATA1 in hemocyte formation and highlights its significance in understanding erythropoiesis within invertebrate developmental tissues.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144691"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vitro and in vivo efficacy evaluation of new self-assembling curcumin loaded nanohyaluronan-glycerosomes on wound restoring in health and diabetic rats","authors":"Francisco José Gómez García ,&nbsp;Antonio Ramírez Andreo ,&nbsp;Maria Manconi ,&nbsp;María Letizia Manca ,&nbsp;Pietro Matricardi ,&nbsp;Chiara di Meo ,&nbsp;Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets ,&nbsp;Francisco Martínez Díaz ,&nbsp;Diego Salmerón ,&nbsp;Pía López Jornet","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study the wound healing efficacy of new self-assembling curcumin loaded nanohyaluronan-glycerosomes has been tested in healthy and diabetic rats. Curcumin was loaded in nanohyaluronan-liposomes and -glycerosomes, special vesicles obtained mixing curcumin, hyaluronan nanohydrogel and soy lecithin. Curcumin loaded liposomes and glycerosomes were also prepared, characterized and tested as references. The physico-chemical (size and size distribution, surface charge and morphology), and technological (entrapment efficiency, stability over time and skin delivery) characteristics and biological performances (safety, ability to protect in vitro cells from oxidative damage) of prepared formulations were measured. Finally, they were daily applied to skin wounds of healthy or diabetic rats. The animal skin was excided and analysed at days 3, 7 and 14. The macroscopic observation underlined the higher ability of curcumin loaded nanohyaluronan-glycerosomes to improve wound healing in diabetic rats, already on day 3 up to day 14 (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Histopathological analysis confirmed an accelerated re-epithelization in healthy rats, while increased angiogenesis in diabetic ones. The superior therapeutic efficacy of curcumin loaded nanohyaluronan-glycerosomes compared to other formulations can be related to their enhanced ability to deliver higher curcumin concentrations at the wound site due to a synergistic effect of glycerol, hyaluronan nanohydrogel and lecithin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144699"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research progress on extraction and purification, structural characteristics, pharmacological activities, structure-activity relationships, and applications of Chrysanthemum indicum L. polysaccharides: A review","authors":"Xing-yu Wang,&nbsp;Ai-qi Yu,&nbsp;Zhao-jiong Zhang,&nbsp;Jing-yuan Wang,&nbsp;Hai-zheng Bi,&nbsp;Meng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Chrysanthemum indicum</em> L<em>.</em> (<em>C. indicum</em>) is a broadly dispersed natural medicinal plant belonging to the genus <em>Chrysanthemum</em> within the family Asteraceae. As an herb medicine and a novel food resource, it possesses multifaceted values such as ornamental, edible and even medicinal. The polysaccharides in <em>C. indicum</em> constitute a significant active component, exhibiting gratifying and remarkable pharmacological activities, including antiviral, alleviating liver damage, anti-glycation, antioxidant, and promoting wound healing effects. The article summarizes the research progress of the extraction and purification, structural characteristics, pharmacological activities, structural modifications, structure-activity relationships, and applications of <em>C. indicum</em> polysaccharides for the first time. Moreover, the current situation of related patent research is expounded, and the potential mechanism behind the pharmacological activities of <em>C. indicum</em> polysaccharides is elucidated. Meanwhile, the current limitations in the research on <em>C. indicum</em> polysaccharides have been analyzed, and future research directions have been proposed. Aiming to provide insights and perspectives for the in-depth exploration and study of <em>C. indicum</em> polysaccharides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144689"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A durable biocatalyst constructed by immobilization of recombinant laccase-like multicopper oxidase from Bacillus mojavensis onto hazelnut shell hydrochar: Its characterization and potential for use in the degradation of sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac","authors":"Serpil Könen Adıgüzel ,&nbsp;Sevde Üstün Odabaşı ,&nbsp;Erdal Yabalak ,&nbsp;Nisa Gül Kaya ,&nbsp;Birgül Mazmancı ,&nbsp;Ali Osman Adıgüzel","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study investigates the immobilization of recombinant LMCO from <em>Bacillus mojavensis</em> TH308 (BmLMCO) on hazelnut shell hydrochar (HSH) and the use of the thus constructed biocatalyst (HSH-BmLMCO) to degrade sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac. Immobilization of BmLMCO with 120 U/mg protein-specific activity was achieved with 77.3 ± 2.7 % yield and 39.4 ± 1.3 % activity loss under the optimal conditions (pH 6, 24 h, and 10 °C). FTIR analyses indicated that the hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups played a role in adsorption, while FESEM analyses showed that the enzyme clustered in the pores of FSH. Similar to the free enzyme, HSH-BmLMCO exhibited maximum activity at 80 °C and pH 8. However, immobilization enhanced the thermal stability. The half-life of HSH-BmLMCO at 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C was calculated to be about 648, 612, 496, 418, and 359 min, respectively. The addition of Cu²⁺ to the reaction mixture caused a 39.52 % enhancement in the activity of HSH-BmLMCO. Tween 20, Triton X-100, and SDS increased the laccase activity by 25.8 %, 26.4 %, and 7.0 %, respectively, while PMSF and β-mercaptoethanol decreased the oxidative activity of the biocatalyst by about 35 %. The Michaelis constant (<em>K</em>_<em>m</em>) values of the HSH-BmLMCO against 2,6-DMP, SGZ, and ABTS were 1.18, 0.52, and 0.21 mM, respectively. HSH-BmLMCO retained 53.4 ± 3.5 % and 91.6 ± 1.5 % of its activity when stored at 4 °C for 48 days. Its residual activity after 10 consecutive catalytic cycles was 91.6 ± 1.5 %. The biocatalyst degraded sulfamethoxazole and diclofenac pharmaceuticals by about 85 % and 80 % within 30 min, respectively. Furthermore, no toxic effects of the degradation products on the aquatic model organism <em>Daphnia magna</em> were observed. So, to sum up, the study provides an enormous biocatalyst for practical bioremediation applications. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the biocatalyst constructed with <em>B. mojavensis</em> LMCO and hazelnut shell hydrochars and demonstrating its potential remediation application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144640"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Yunnan Baiyao-enhanced cellulose nanofiber composite hydrogel wearable patch for transdermal drug delivery and anti-freezing applications","authors":"Xing Gao ,&nbsp;Hongchao Zhang ,&nbsp;Chufan Yan ,&nbsp;Jie Wu ,&nbsp;Yutong Wang ,&nbsp;Minghao Jiang ,&nbsp;Yanan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional kinesiology tape has limitations such as poor stretchability, skin irritation, and lack of drug-delivery action. Hydrogels, with their unique physicochemical performance, offer significant potential for developing drug-delivering wearable patches. Yunnan Baiyao (YNBY) and Borneol (BP) are traditional Chinese medicines known for their anti-inflammatory and detoxification effects. In this study, a novel traditional Chinese medicine-loaded composite hydrogel (PPCB-YBx) was prepared by incorporating YNBY and BP into cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) composite biopolymer network. The results showed that the PPCB-YB4 hydrogel exhibited excellent stretchability (~1876 % elongation at break), non-irritating skin adhesion, and sustained drug release behavior (88 % released over 72 h) through a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. Moreover, it showed good biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, gas permeability, and transdermal properties. The PPCB-YB4 hydrogel also exhibited unique anti-freezing (−27.7 °C) and anti-swelling characteristics (swelling ratio of ~4.5 %) and enhanced water retention, making it suitable for use in extreme environments. These results indicate that the PPCB-YBx hydrogel is a promising drug-releasing wearable patch with potential application prospects in healthcare and sports rehabilitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144684"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"m6A methylation modification of RNA plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer","authors":"Ke Zhou ,&nbsp;Huazhong Cai ,&nbsp;Zhengrong Zhou ,&nbsp;Dehao Yi ,&nbsp;Yuan Yao ,&nbsp;Zhesi Jin ,&nbsp;Pan Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144666","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144666","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignant tumor worldwide and ranks second in terms of mortality. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most prevalent internal covalent modification in eukaryotic mRNA and is involved in various stages of RNA processing, including splicing, degradation, and export, playing a crucial role in the onset and progression of many diseases. The m6A modification is co-regulated by methyltransferases, demethylases, and methyl-binding proteins, and it has become a hot topic in cancer research. Based on a systematic review of existing studies on the role of m6A modification in colorectal cancer, this article further expands the research horizon in this field and effectively overcomes the limitations of existing reviews that only focus on discussing a single or a class of methylation regulators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144666"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Constructing carboxylated cellulose nanofibers/chitosan aerogel loading with CdS/UiO-66-NH2 for wastewater treatment: Synergistic adsorption and visible light photocatalytic degradation","authors":"Ziyao Mi ,&nbsp;Xuzhen Liu ,&nbsp;Yue Zhang ,&nbsp;Bo Wang ,&nbsp;Hongyu Guo ,&nbsp;Yufeng Chen ,&nbsp;Yanyan Du ,&nbsp;Xinyu Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaojun Hu ,&nbsp;Jingxian Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The discharge of industrial effluents containing heavy metal ions and organic dyes has laid heavy burdens on ecosystem, meanwhile, drawing extensive scientific attention globally. In this work, CdS/UiO-66-NH₂ heterojunction was uniformly loading on the aerogel skeleton composed of cellulose (CNF), chitosan (CS) and montmorillonite (MMT). The fabricated composite aerogel noted as CUN-CCMA was equipped with light density, a large specific area and a robust three-dimensional interpenetrating network. The MMT not only reinforced the mechanical stability of the aerogel, but also regulated the distribution of the heterojunction. The CUN-CCMA could adsorb various organic dyes and heavy metal ions, and the maximum adsorption capacities for methylene blue (MB) and Cu²⁺ were 111.5 mg/g and 45.1 mg/g, respectively. The corresponding adsorption processes were in better consistence with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm. The hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, π-π stacking and chelating effect might be attributed to the adsorption mechanism. Most importantly, the removal efficiency of MB with a high concentration of 300 mg/L could reach 94 % when synergistic effect of adsorption and visible light photocatalytic degradation was exerted. The active species that played vital roles during the photodegradation process were recognized as ·OH and <span><math><mo>·</mo><msubsup><mi>O</mi><mn>2</mn><mo>−</mo></msubsup></math></span>. Furthermore, the CUN-CCMA demonstrated an excellent reusability. These outstanding characteristics of CUN-CCMA broadened its application prospects in complicated sewage treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144602"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation of hollow sodium chloride microspheres by spray drying: Effect of different polysaccharide carriers on salinity sensing performance","authors":"Wanbing Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Jiang ,&nbsp;Bolong Fang ,&nbsp;Haoze Li ,&nbsp;Chao Chang ,&nbsp;Jine Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144697","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144697","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate hollow sodium chloride microspheres with enhanced salinity perception as a strategy to reduce overall salt intake in foods. This experimental systematically evaluated the water content, hygroscopicity, particle size distribution, conductivity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electron tongue of hollow salt microspheres prepared from hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD), soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS), maltodextrin (MD), gum arabic (GA), and β-glucan (β-glucan). The results showed that there were significant differences in the characteristics of hollow sodium chloride microspheres prepared by different carriers. The salt microspheres prepared with HP-β-CD as the carrier exhibited low water content (1.89 %), anti-hygroscopicity (1.67 g/100 g), and fast solubility. The conductivity test results showed that the release rate of sodium ions in the salt microspheres prepared with HP-β-CD was nearly six times higher than that of ordinary sodium chloride, which could rapidly evoke the perception of saltiness. EDS analysis further confirmed that the salt microspheres prepared with HP-β-CD carrier had a higher sodium chloride content on the surface (26.25 %), thus contributing to enhancing salty taste perception. In addition, the salt microspheres prepared with soybean-soluble polysaccharide as the carrier showed a perfectly spherical hollow structure, and the caking property was lower than that of the other salt microspheres. The results of the electronic tongue analysis showed that the salt microsphere solution prepared using soybean-soluble polysaccharide had a stronger salty taste perception ability. In summary, the hollow salt microspheres prepared using HP-β-CD and SSPS showed outstanding advantages in salt taste perception properties. In the later stage, the compound ratio between the carriers will be studied, which provides a new technical reference for the salt reduction strategy of the food industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144697"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activation of methoxy group of hardwood kraft lignin via cross-coupling and crosslinking for lignin-based wood adhesives","authors":"Ega Cyntia Watumlawar,&nbsp;Byung-Dae Park","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144670","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144670","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The methoxy (–OCH₃) group of hardwood kraft lignin (HKL) exhibits poor reactivity and limits its valorization due to its steric hindrance. Herein, we report an efficient activation of the –OCH₃ group in a cross-coupling reaction, enabling its crosslinking for lignin-based wood adhesives. Specifically, the –OCH₃ groups are replaced with an activated nucleophile, CH₂–SiMe₃, which is then successfully used for the subsequent crosslinking with either epichlorohydrin (ECH) or glyoxal (GLY) as crosslinkers. The new peaks in the FT-IR, ¹³C NMR, and 2D HSQC NMR spectra, and a decrease in methoxy group confirm the activation. Furthermore, the activated HKL exhibits a decrease in molecular weight and glass transition temperature. The successful crosslinking with ECH or GLY is demonstrated by an exothermic reaction by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and ether and acetal linkages formation by solid-state ¹³C NMR, respectively. Both unactivated and activated HKL-based adhesives are cured at hot-pressing temperatures for plywood. The activated HKL-based adhesives significantly improve adhesion strength, reaching a maximum value (2.61 MPa) compared to the unactivated HKL (2.18 MPa), exceeding the Korean standard requirement (0.60 MPa). These results suggest that methoxy group activation via cross-coupling effectively promotes HKL crosslinking for lignin-based wood adhesives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144670"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pectin-microfibrillated cellulose composite modified by calcium diffusion: Analysis of calcic microstructures, connectivity, mechanical properties, and behavior during thermal treatment","authors":"Josué Barragán-Iglesias ,&nbsp;Juan Rodríguez-Ramírez ,&nbsp;Lilia L. Méndez-Lagunas","doi":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.144631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pectin and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) form a composite with a modifiable microstructure during calcium (Ca²⁺) diffusion. This study aimed to analyze the microstructural changes, chemical composition, and structural connectivity in the pectin-microfibrillated cellulose (PMFC) composite caused by Ca²⁺ diffusion. It also examined how the modified structure influences thermal treatment and compression forces. PMFC was formulated with MFC suspension and pectin to simulate plant cell wall components, pretreated with a calcium hydroxide solution, and exposed to thermal treatment. SEM analysis revealed that pectin and MFC formed large, fibrillated, amorphous structures. When calcium pretreatment was applied to PMFC, it changed into a uniform firm structure with modified three-dimensional networks consisting of shorter microstructures with more skeletons and branches (Ca²⁺-branched arrangement) compared to calcium-free structures. EDX analysis showed calcium peaks at different PMFC thicknesses, with calcium content increasing in the PMFC until equilibrium, reaching a calcium diffusion coefficient of 3.25 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s. The Ca²⁺-branched structures remained stable during thermal treatment, preventing deformation and collapse, and a moisture diffusion coefficient of 2.80 × 10⁻⁹ m²/s. Furthermore, the Ca²⁺-branched structures provided hardness, elasticity, and resistance to stress-deformation during compression. Ca²⁺ modifies three-dimensional networks even after the physicochemical interaction between pectin and MFC has occurred.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":333,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Biological Macromolecules","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 144631"},"PeriodicalIF":7.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144137897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}