Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an acidic mucopolysaccharide of animal origin composed of repeating disaccharide units of N-acetylglucosamine and glucuronic acid. Due to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and selective affinity for CD44 receptors on cell surfaces, HA is widely employed as a drug carrier. In our study, we aimed to target subcellular bacteria by grafting cystamine onto HA scaffolds through an amide reaction, producing a linker responsive to H₂S and pH changes. Subsequently, hydrophobic dodecylamine was attached to HA, forming amphiphilic molecules. These amphiphilic entities can self-assemble into nanomicelles in an aqueous solution, thereby encapsulating the antibacterial agent triclosan (TCS). The resulting HA-based system (HASS-TCS) can be internalized via CD44-mediated endocytosis, releasing substantial amounts of streptomycin and TCS in H₂S-rich and acidic environments. Additionally, HASS-TCS has demonstrated effectiveness in eradicating biofilms and addressing intracellular infections caused by Salmonella. This study underscores a novel pH-sensitive hyaluronic acid-based drug delivery system with significant potential for the effective treatment of intracellular infections.

Bioinformatics studies of fruit responses to postharvest mechanical damage provide crucial insights for cultivar improvement, logistics optimization, and q

The prevalence of obesity and related disorders has vastly increased throughout the world and prevention of such circumstances thus represents a major challenge. Here, we show that protein-bound β-glucan (PBG), one representative of Coriolus versicolor polysaccharopeptides which are broadly used as immune boosters and clinically implicated in treatment of cancers and chronic hepatitis, could be a potent anti-obesity agent. PBG could reduce obesity and metabolic inflammation in mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD). Gut microbiota analysis revealed that PBG markedly increased the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila although it didn’t rescue HFD-induced change in the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio. It appeared that PBG altered host physiology and created an intestinal microenvironment favorable for A. muciniphila colonization. Fecal transplants from PBG-treated animals in part reduced obesity in recipient HFD-fed mice. Further, PBG was shown to promote lipid metabolism in microbiota-depleted mice. Thus, our data highlights that PBG might exert its anti-obesity effects through a mirobiota-dependent (richness of specific microbiota) and -independent (modulation of lipid metabolism) manner. The fact that Coriolus versicolor polysaccharopeptides are approved oral immune boosters in cancers and chronic hepatitis with well-established safety profiles may accelerate the development of PBG as a novel drug for obesity treatment.

Background: Suaeda glauca , an edible halophyte, is rich in bioactive polysaccharides, yet its prebiotic properties remain unclear. Results: In this study, using Suaeda glauca as the raw material, a water-soluble polysaccharide fraction J40 with a weight-average molecular weight of 11.55 kDa was obtained through hot water extraction followed by graded ethanol precipitation. J40 is a hybrid pectin composed of HG and RG-I structural regions, supplemented by complex arabinan side chains. In vitro simulated digestion and fermentation experiments, combined with 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, revealed that during the fermentation of J40, it can reduce the abundance of harmful bacteria. By specifically enriching minor bacterial genera such as Lactobacillales , Paraprevotella , and Lachnoclostridium , J40 exerts a beneficial regulatory effect on the structure of the intestinal microbiota. Conclusions: This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of Suaeda glauca polysaccharides as intestinal microecological modulators in the fields of functional foods and pharmaceuticals.

Excess phosphate in aquatic environments can trigger eutrophication and pose risks to ecosystem integrity and public health, even though phosphate is indispensable for plant growth. Herein, we report the fabrication of Zr-LDHs-PS hydrogel microspheres by in situ cross-linking zirconium–magnesium–iron layered double hydroxides (ZrMgFe-LDHs) with Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA). The resulting bead-type adsorbent was designed to enable efficient phosphate capture from water while facilitating subsequent, controlled phosphate release. Benefiting from the cross-linking granulation strategy, the microspheres mitigate typical limitations of powdered adsorbents, including compaction, aggregation, and poor separability. General characterization (SEM, FT-IR, XPS, XRD, BET, TG, and zeta potential) elucidated the microstructure and surface chemical composition. The Zr-LDHs-PS microspheres exhibited a maximum experimental adsorption capacity of 51.313 mg/g. Kinetics data were best fitted by the pseudo-second-order model, and adsorption isotherms were subjected to the Freundlich model, pointing to heterogeneous, multilayer adsorption. Importantly, high phosphate selectivity was preserved despite the coexistence of competing anions (Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, and CO₃²⁻). After adsorption, the spent beads released phosphate gradually in water, highlighting their potential for dual functionality. Collectively, these results demonstrate that Zr-LDHs-PS hydrogel microspheres are promising candidates for extraction-based phosphate removal and resource recovery, with prospects for repurposing slow-release phosphate fertilizers to support sustainable plant nutrition.