Selenium (Se) is regarded as an antioxidant in animals and plants, even though considered as nonessential element in plants. To test its ability to counteract senescence related oxidative stress in soybean a pot culture experiment was conducted. The soybean plant was sprayed with sodium selenate (50 ppm) at 78 days after sowing (DAS). Soybean leaves were harvested at 80 and 90 DAS for analysis of oxidant production and antioxidative enzymes activity. Se positively promoted growth and acted as antioxidant by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and per cent injury of cell membrane. The antioxidative effect was associated with an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzymes activity. Significant increase in antioxidant enzyme activity was positively related to Se content. The decrease in antioxidative enzymes at 90 DAS was much faster in control plants than Se-sprayed plants. The reduction in SOD and GSH-Px may be associated with senescence-induced oxidative burst.

Development of highly vascular dermal tissue-engineered skin substitutes with appropriate mechanical properties and cellular cues is in need for significant advancement in the field of dermal reconstruction. Limitations have been imposed on natural biomaterials despite their superb biocompatibility hence, studies in biomaterial blending have been ongoing. Herein, we investigated blends of silk fibroin and human hair-derived keratin as wound-healing substrates that promote enhanced fibroblast cell adhesion and proliferation. Three-dimensional (3D) blended scaffolds were fabricated by freeze-drying, and their physico-chemical, mechanical and degradable properties were extensively characterized. Cytocompatibility tests observing cell adhesion and cell proliferation have shown significant enhancements in blended scaffolds. Also, its structural composition with high porosity (>85%) and interconnected pores in the range of 100-120 microns further confirms the superiority of the complex compared to its counterparts. FTIR studies identified the enhanced stability within its structure and were followed-up with sequential experiments to demonstrate improved thermal, degradation, and mechanical properties. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining revealed greater expression of collagen type I in the cultured cells, indicating functional fibroblast proliferation and, hence, the exciting potential of this construct for dermal applications. Taken together, this study demonstrates the promising attributes from blended biomaterials and specifically present silk fibroin and human hair keratin blended scaffolds as a promising dermal substitute for skin tissue engineering.

A three-dimensional porous scaffolds based on muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis was fabricated and well characterized for cartilage tissue engineering, which may present as noteworthy targets for the further development in chondrocytes based cartilage repair.