Low-cost clay-based membranes with an excellent flexural strength were successfully prepared by a simple pressing route using low cost starting materials, such as kaolin, bentonite, talc, sodium borate, and carbon black, and subsequent sintering at 1000°C. Carbon black was added as a template. The effect of carbon black content on porosity, flexural strength, pore size distribution, pure water permeability, oil rejection rate, and flux of low-cost clay-based membranes was investigated. It was found that the porosity and pore size of membranes increased with increasing carbon black content, whereas the flexural strength decreased with an increase in carbon black content. The pure water permeability increased with an increase in porosity. The oil rejection rate decreased with increasing applied pressure and carbon black content. Typical porosity, flexural strength, oil rejection rate, and flux of clay-based membranes sintered at 1000°C were 34%, 58 MPa, 96.7%, and 6.3 © 10 ¹5 m 3 /m 2 s at an applied pressure of 101 kPa, respectively.

Ultraviolet (UV) B exposure induces DNA damage and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which causes skin photoaging through signaling pathways of inflammation and modulation of extracellular matrix remodeling proteins, collagens, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). As low molecular-weight fucoidan (LMF) has potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, we examined the protective effects of LMF against UVB-induced photoaging. A UVB-irradiated mouse model was topically treated with myricetin or LMF at 2.0, 1.0 and 0.2 mg/cm2 (LMF2.0, LMF1.0 and LMF0.2, respectively) once a day for 15 weeks. Wrinkle formation, inflammation, oxidative stress, MMP expression, and apoptosis in the treated regions were compared with those in a distilled water-treated photoaging model (UVB control). LMF treatments, particularly LMF2.0 and LMF1.0, significantly inhibited the wrinkle formation, skin edema, and neutrophil recruitment into the photo-damaged lesions, compared with those in the UVB control. While LMF decreased interleukin (IL)-1β release, it increased IL-10. The LMF treatment inhibited the oxidative stresses (malondialdehyde and superoxide anion) and enhanced endogenous antioxidants (glutathione). Additionally, LMF reduced the mRNA expression of MMP-1, 9, and 13. The histopathological analyses revealed the anti-photoaging effects of LMF exerted via its antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and MMP-9-inhibiting effects. These suggest that LMF can be used as a skin-protective remedy for photoaging.

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