New bioactive, in situ forming sericin-based hybrid hydrogels for wound healing of diabetic ulcers

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The progress of essential oils as potential therapeutic agents: a review

Publication . Baptista-Silva, Sara; Borges, Sandra; Ramos, Oscar. L.; Pintado, Manuela; Sarmento, Bruno

Essential oils are products obtained from plants, by steam distillation, mechanical processes of citrus fruit epicarp, or dry distillation after separation of the aqueous phase by physical processes. They are usually composed of secondary metabolites of aromatic plants with oxygenated structures such as alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and esters, presenting therapeutic properties such as antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activities. Essential oils are used in the pharmaceutical, food, and fragrance industries. The increasing use of plants by the pharmaceutical industry makes the study of essential oils crucial to design new bioactive delivery systems. This paper presents aliterature review that summarizes the best advanced data regarding the use of essential oils and their volatile constituents for biomedical applications with focuses on innovative pharmaceutical formulations. Nonetheless, it seems clear that more clinical evaluations are required until essential oils can be considered as possible applications in pharmacy or as adjuvants to current medications.

2020Journal article

Open access

Research, develoment and future trends for medical textile products

Publication . Baptista-Silva, Sara; Borges, Sandra; Brassesco, María Emilia; Coscueta, Ezequiel R.; Oliveira, Ana L.; Pintado, Maria

Medical textiles are functional textiles resulting from production technologies, materials, and medicines which make them technically sophisticated products for different biomedical applications concerning their potential. Medical textiles can be classified as non-implantable (i.e., dressings and gauze), implantable (i.e., artificial arteries, sutures, vascular grafts), intelligent textiles (i.e., for thermoregulating, shape), extracorporeal devices (i.e., artificial organs) and health/hygiene products. Recurrent fibres in functional medical textiles must be non-toxic, non-allergenic or carcinogenic. Parameters such as strength, flexibility, absorption, or biodegradability may be desired for products with specific functionalities. This chapter focuses on the progress of medical textiles from natural resources, their functional modifications, and their added-value potential applications. A description is provided on the technologies, from bio-based medical textiles to the development of medical textiles with high absorption, antimicrobial, drug release, protection, and other highly valuable functions in biomedical materials or tissue regeneration.

2022-06-01Book part

Open access

In situ enabling approaches for tissue regeneration: current challenges and new developments

Publication . Dias, Juliana R.; Ribeiro, Nilza; Baptista-Silva, Sara; Costa-Pinto, Ana Rita; Alves, Nuno; Oliveira, Ana. L.

In situ tissue regeneration can be defined as the implantation of tissue-specific biomaterials (by itself or in combination with cells and/or biomolecules) at the tissue defect, taking advantage of the surrounding microenvironment as a natural bioreactor. Up to now, the structures used were based on particles or gels. However, with the technological progress, the materials’ manipulation and processing has become possible, mimicking the damaged tissue directly at the defect site. This paper presents a comprehensive review of current and advanced in situ strategies for tissue regeneration. Recent advances to put in practice the in situ regeneration concept have been mainly focused on bioinks and bioprinting techniques rather than the combination of different technologies to make the real in situ regeneration. The limitation of conventional approaches (e.g., stem cell recruitment) and their poor ability to mimic native tissue are discussed. Moreover, the way of advanced strategies such as 3D/4D bioprinting and hybrid approaches may contribute to overcome the limitations of conventional strategies are highlighted. Finally, the future trends and main research challenges of in situ enabling approaches are discussed considering in vitro and in vivo evidence.

2020Journal article

Open access