Physico- and bio-activities of nanoscale regenerated cellulose nonwoven immobilized with lysozyme

Authors: LIU, YUE - Tianjin University; Edwards, Judson - Vince; Prevost, Nicolette; HUANG, YUXIANG - Tianjin University; CHEN, JONATHAN - University Of Texas At Austin

Submitted to: Materials Science and Engineering: C
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/17/2018
Publication Date: 5/19/2018
Citation: Liu, Y., Edwards, J.V., Prevost, N.T., Huang, Y., Chen, J.Y. 2018. Physico- and bio-activities of nanoscale regenerated cellulose nonwoven immobilized with lysozyme. Materials Science and Engineering C. 91:389-394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2018.05.061.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2018.05.061

Interpretive Summary: The creation of new markets for value-added, protective cotton textiles is currently an agriculture issue. Work in Southern Regional Research Center’s Cotton Chemistry Utilization Unit is addressing the application of bio-active molecules to cotton textiles as a model to explore the creation of new value-added cotton products with highly selective properties and environmentally acceptable finishes. This work emphasizes a collaboration with scientists at University of Texas who have developed an approach to preparing electrospun nanofibers. As an example of a protein’s biological activity on cotton, enzyme conjugates of cellulose on cotton performance fabrics have been studied for their antimicrobial activity. In this paper we explore the attachment of lysozyme to cotton-based composites, which were prepared in part from recycled blue jeans, and made into nanofibers. The loading of enzyme on nano-sized matrices provides an ideal vehicle for presenting highly concentrated and stable enzyme activity. These types of immobilized enzyme formulations are being explored for applications in numerous areas including antimicrobial, bio-remediation, bio-fouling, tissue scaffolding, wound dressings, and bio-sensing.

Technical Abstract: Lysozyme-cellulose conjugates are of wide interest for food packaging, tissue scaffolding, wound healing, and antimicrobial applications. Here carboxylated carbon nanotubes in combination with a recycled cotton-based source of regenerated cellulose was configured as nonwoven nanofibrous mats through electrospinning and utilized to immobilize lysozyme. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectra, thermal-gravimetric analysis, tensile test, and antibacterial assessments were conducted to characterize and determine the properties of the nonwoven nanofibrous mats. The resulting lysozyme-cellulose conjugates were found to have robust activity with no indication of cell cytotoxicity. The study showed that the CNTs-COOH/RC nonwoven mats revealed a high antimicrobial activity after immobilization of lysozyme.