The repair capacity of skeletal muscle is severely diminished in massive skeletal muscle injuries accompanied by inflammation, resulting in muscle function loss and scar tissue formation. In the current work, we developed a tannic acid (TA)- and silicate ion-functionalized tissue adhesive poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–starch composite hydrogel, referred to as PSTS (PVA–starch–TA–SiO₃ ²⁻). It was formed based on the hydrogen bonding of TA to organic polymers, as well as silicate–TA ligand interaction. PSTS could be gelatinized in minutes at room temperature with crosslinked network formation, making it applicable for injection. Further investigations revealed that PSTS had skeletal muscle-comparable conductivity and modulus to act as a temporary platform for muscle repairing. Moreover, PSTS could release TA and silicate ions in situ to inhibit bacterial growth, induce vascularization, and reduce oxidation, paving the way to the possibility of creating a favorable microenvironment for skeletal muscle regeneration and tissue fibrosis control. The in vivo model confirmed that PSTS could enhance muscle fiber regeneration and myotube formation, as well as reduce infection and inflammation risk. These findings thereby implied the great potential of PSTS in the treatment of formidable skeletal muscle injuries.

Considering the shortcomings of known medical hemostatic materials such as bone wax for bleeding bone management, it is essential to develop alternative bone materials capable of efficient hemostasis and bone regeneration and adaptable to clinical surgical needs. Thus, in the current work, a calcium sulfate hemihydrate and starch-based composite paste was developed and optimized. Firstly, it was found that the use of hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HDP) coupled with pregelatinization could generate an injectable, malleable and self-hardening paste with impressive anti-collapse ability in a dynamic aqueous environment, suggesting its potential applicability in both open and minimally invasive clinical practice. The as-hardened matrix exhibited a compressive strength of up to 61.68 ± 5.13 MPa compared to calcium sulfate cement with a compressive strength of 15.16 ± 2.42 MPa, making it a promising candidate for the temporary mechanical stabilization of bone defects. Secondly, the as-prepared paste revealed superior hemostasis and bone regenerative capabilities compared to calcium sulfate cement and bone wax, with greatly enhanced bleeding management and bone healing outcomes when subjected to testing in in vitro and in vivo models. In summary, our results confirmed that calcium sulfate bone cement reinforced with the selected starch can act as a reliable platform for bleeding bone treatment, overcoming the limitations of traditional bone hemostatic agents.

Effects of octenylsuccinate (OS) starch on body composition and intestinal environment in high-fat diet-fed mice were investigated. C57BL/6J mice were treated with a regular-fat (RF) diet, a high-fat (HF) diet, or a high-fat diet supplemented with OS starch (HFOSS). Fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were quantified using gas chromatography, and the fecal microbiota profile was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. One-way ANOVA and metastats analysis were performed for statistical analysis. After 22 weeks of feeding, mice in the HFOSS group had significantly lower body weight, body fat, liver weight, and cumulative food intake than those in the HF group but higher than that of the RF group. Fecal total SCFA, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid concentrations were significantly higher in the HFOSS group than that in the HF and RF groups. OS starch intervention increased the relative abundance of Parabacteroides, Alistipes, and Ruminiclostridium_5 and decreased that of Tyzzerella, Oscillibacter, Desulfovibrio, and Anaerotruncus compared with the RF and HF groups. The relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006 in the HFOSS group was lower than that in the HF group but higher than that in the RF group. In conclusion, OS starch prevents fat accumulation in high-fat diet-fed mice and might provide potential health benefits due to its fermentability in the gut and its ability to regulate gut microbial community structure.

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) has potentials in orthopaedics and orthodontics but it has significant limitations such as low mechanical strength, low injectability and instability in body. Starches from five botanical sources were used as cohesion additives to prepare calcium phosphate bone cement (CPB) and the starch source showed significant impact on physicochemical properties of the CPBs. CPB modified by pregelatinised waxy maize starch (CPB-W) had the highest mechanical strength, longest setting time, and most compact structure compared with other CPBs. As the amylose content increased, the viscosity of starch modified cement paste increased, and the cured cement had lower density and mechanical strength. It appears that starch with a low amylose content significantly improves the surgical performance and mechanical strength of CPC. CPB-W also exhibited good cytocompatibility to MC3T3-E1 cells. Starch modified CPBs are considered as promising injectable bone cements for minimally invasive surgery applications like vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

Correction for ‘Development of a tannic acid- and silicate ion-functionalized PVA–starch composite hydrogel for in situ skeletal muscle repairing’ by Longkang Li et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 3917–3926, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3TB03006G.