Burns can cause tremendous economic problems associated with irreparable harm to patients and their families. To characterize marine collagen peptides (MCPs) from the skin of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), molecular weight distribution and amino acid composition of MCPs were determined, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the chemical structure. Meanwhile, to evaluate the wound healing activity, in vitro and in vivo experiments were carried out. The results showed that MCPs prepared from the skin of Nile tilapia by composite enzymatic hydrolysis were composed of polypeptides with different molecular weights and the contents of polypeptides with molecular weights of less than 5 kDa accounted for 99.14%. From the amino acid composition, the majority of residues, accounting for over 58% of the total residues in MCPs, were hydrophilic. FTIR indicated that the main molecular conformations inside MCPs were random coil. In vitro scratch assay showed that there were significant effects on the scratch closure by the treatment of MCPs with the concentration of 50.0 μg/mL. In the experiments of deep partial-thickness scald wound in rabbits, MCPs could enhance the process of wound healing. Therefore, MCPs from the skin of Nile tilapia (O. niloticus) have promising applications in wound care.

Objective To evaluate the relation between intake of ultra-processed food and risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting 21 low, middle, and high income countries across seven geographical regions (Europe and North America, South America, Africa, Middle East, south Asia, South East Asia, and China). Participants 116 087 adults aged 35-70 years with at least one cycle of follow-up and complete baseline food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data (country specific validated FFQs were used to document baseline dietary intake). Participants were followed prospectively at least every three years. Main outcome measures The main outcome was development of IBD, including Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Associations between ultra-processed food intake and risk of IBD were assessed using Cox proportional hazard multivariable models. Results are presented as hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results Participants were enrolled in the study between 2003 and 2016. During the median follow-up of 9.7 years (interquartile range 8.9-11.2 years), 467 participants developed incident IBD (90 with Crohn’s disease and 377 with ulcerative colitis). After adjustment for potential confounding factors, higher intake of ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of incident IBD (hazard ratio 1.82, 95% confidence interval 1.22 to 2.72 for ≥5 servings/day and 1.67, 1.18 to 2.37 for 1-4 servings/day compared with <1 serving/day, P=0.006 for trend). Different subgroups of ultra-processed food, including soft drinks, refined sweetened foods, salty snacks, and processed meat, each were associated with higher hazard ratios for IBD. Results were consistent for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis with low heterogeneity. Intakes of white meat, red meat, dairy, starch, and fruit, vegetables, and legumes were not associated with incident IBD. Conclusions Higher intake of ultra-processed food was positively associated with risk of IBD. Further studies are needed to identify the contributory factors within ultra-processed foods. Study registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03225586 .

Effective hemostasis is vital to reduce the pain and mortality of patients, and the research and development of hemostatic materials are prerequisite for effective hemostasis. Chitosan (CS), with good biodegradability, biocompatibility and non-toxicity, has been widely applied in bio-medicine, the chemical industry, the food industry and cosmetics. The excellent hemostatic properties of CS have been extensively studied. As a result, chitosan-based composite hemostatic materials have been emerging. In this review, the hemostatic mechanism of chitosan is briefly discussed, and then the progress of research on chitosan-based composite hemostatic materials with multiple forms such as films, sponges, hydrogels, particles and fibers are introduced. Finally, future perspectives of chitosan-based composite hemostatic materials are given. The objective of this review is to provide a reference for further research and development of effective hemostatic materials.

A novel natural rubber/silica (NR/SiO 2 ) nanocomposite is developed by combining self-assembly and latex-compounding techniques. The results show that the SiO 2 nanoparticles are homogenously distributed throughout NR matrix as nano-clusters with an average size ranged from 60 to 150 nm when the SiO 2 loading is less than 6.5 wt%. At low SiO 2 contents (64.0 wt%), the NR latex (NRL) and SiO 2 particles are assembled as a core-shell structure by employing poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as an inter-medium, and only primary aggregations of SiO 2 are observed. When more SiO 2 is loaded, secondary aggregations of SiO 2 nanoparticles are gradually generated, and the size of SiO 2 cluster dramatically increases. The thermal/thermooxidative resistance and mechanical properties of NR/SiO 2 nanocomposites are compared to the NR host. The nanocomposites, particularly when the SiO 2 nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed, possess significantly enhanced thermal resistance and mechanical properties, which are strongly depended on the morphology of nanocomposites. The NR/SiO 2 has great potential to manufacture medical protective products with high performances.

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