Nanocellulose has received increasing attention in science and industry in recent years as a nanoscale material for the reinforcement of polymer matrix composites due to its superior mechanical properties, renewability, and biodegradability. New nanocellulose sources, modifications, and treatments are under development to reduce the high energy required during production and to create a more suitable industrial‐scale production process. Thus, this paper reviews plant‐based nanocellulose composites and their properties, with a focus on their thermal‐related characteristics. The purpose of this review is to establish for readers the impact of the incorporation of nanocellulose on the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of nanocellulose composites. Understanding of the thermal properties is important for researchers to assess the suitability of the nanocomposites for a variety of applications in response to new and evolving societal requirements. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48544.

The key attributes of core–shell fibers are their ability to preserve bioactivity of incorporated-sensitive biomolecules (such as drug, protein, and growth factor) and subsequently control biomolecule release to the targeted microenvironments to achieve therapeutic effects. Such qualities are highly favorable for tissue engineering and drug delivery, and these features are not able to be offered by monolithic fibers. In this review, we begin with an overview on design requirement of core–shell fibers, followed by the summary of recent preparation methods of core–shell fibers, with focus on electrospinning-based techniques and other newly discovered fabrication approaches. We then highlight the importance and roles of core–shell fibers in tissue engineering and drug delivery, accompanied by thorough discussion on controllable release strategies of the incorporated bioactive molecules from the fibers. Ultimately, we touch on core–shell fibers-related challenges and offer perspectives on their future direction towards clinical applications.

This paper reports on the derivatisation, reduction efficiency, reduction mechanism and cytotoxicity of green tea polyphenol–reduced graphene oxide (GTP–RGO). The reduction of graphene oxide (GO) at 90 °C using a weight ratio (WR) of GTP/GO = 1 resulted in the production of a stable GTP–RGO dispersion in aqueous media, as indicated by the results of ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the measurement of zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility. In addition, the results from UV-Vis spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated the comparable reduction ability of GTP relative to the standard reducing agent, hydrazine (N₂H₄). The removal mechanism of epoxy groups from GO via reduction reaction with GTP was investigated by implementing the hybrid functional method of Becke-3-parameters-Lee–Yang–Parr (B3LYP) using Gaussian 09 software. The energy and frequency calculations showed that the GO reduction using GTP was more spontaneous and took place relatively faster than the reduction using N₂H₄, as evidenced by a higher entropy change (ΔS) (0.039 kcal mol⁻¹ K⁻¹) and lower Gibbs free energy (ΔG) barrier (58.880 kcal mol⁻¹). The cytotoxicities of the GO and GTP–RGO samples were evaluated against human colonic fibroblast cells (CCD-18Co). The GO sample was determined to be toxic even at low concentration (6.25 μg mL⁻¹), while the GTP–RGO sample possesses notably low toxicity at the same concentration. The cell culture experiments revealed that the incorporation of GTP led to a decrease in the toxicity of GTP–RGO samples.

Earthworm powder is a potential source of lysine, a first limiting amino acid which is essential in fish diet. The incorporation of other feed ingredients with acceptable composition of lysine can help to enhance lysine content in fish feeds. The focus of this study is to optimize lysine content in fish feeds with difference percentages of each selected feeds ingredients. The optimization study was conducted using central composite design (CCD) as statistical tool. The optimum lysine content was obtained at 25.00%, 20.88%, 10.00% and 20.00% of earthworm powder, soybean waste, leucaena leucocephala leaves and fish meal, respectively. The lysine content in formulated fish feeds was significantly affected by the composition of earthworm powder and fish meal in fish feed formulation. Earthworm powder and fish meal have contributed the largest portion of lysine in fish feed due to high lysine content which were 4.48% w/w and 3.60% w/w, respectively. The optimized fish feed shows high lysine content of 23.39% w/w which doubles the lysine content in commercial fish feed (11.21% w/w). The composition of fish feed obtained from this study can be used as guidelines for formulation of high lysine fish feeds for African catfish fingerlings