University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University or CU) is a collegiate public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.&nbsp;Within India it is recognized as a &quot;Five-Star University&quot; and accredited &quot;A&quot; Grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

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The University of Calcutta has secured the Fifth position among the Universities of India in the prestigious &quot;Indian University Ranking 2019&quot; list, released by the NIRF of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

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It was established on 24 January 1857, and was one of the first institutions in Asia to be established as a multidisciplinary and Western-style university. Its alumni and faculty include several heads of state, heads of government, social reformers, prominent artists, only academy award winner and Dirac medal winner in India, many Fellows of the Royal Society and five Nobel laureates as of 2019 which is highest in South Asia.

University Of Calcutta

The present work reports the synthesis of new generation semi-interpenetrating (s-IPN) hydrogels from carboxymethyl guar gum (CMGG) and gelatin with enhanced gel properties for suitable drug delivery applications. Hydrogels are three dimensional polymer networks which respond to water and ion interactions. Irreversible s-IPN hydrogels were prepared by CMGG interactions in gelatin and characterized in FT-IR, SEM and thermal studies. CMGG was synthesized by Hofmeister ion guided homogeneous phase reactions. The swelling kinetics of the newer s-IPN hydrogels followed Schott's pseudo second order model. Furthermore, the hydrogels were hemocompatible, non-cytotoxic and appropriate for applications in physiological environment. Model drug ciprofloxacin was loaded within the hydrogels and the drug release was found to be a combination of both diffusion and hydrogel degradation. New generation s-IPN biopolymer hydrogels of carboxymethyl guar gum and gelatin holds promise for its application as sustained drug delivery device or alternatively as hydrogel sorbents for bio-toxins and molecules of biomedical importance. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

GENERAL

Chemical Technology

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules

Semi-interpenetrating hydrogels from carboxymethyl guar gum and gelatin for ciprofloxacin sustained release

Materials Today: Proceedings

Synthesis of Guar gum Propionate Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Applications

This work relates to guar gum benzoate self assembly nanoparticles synthesis and nano composite films development with gelatin. Guar gum benzoate was synthesized in a Hofmeister cation guided homogeneous phase reaction. Self assembly polysaccharide nanoparticles were prepared in solvent displacement technique. Electron microscopy and DLS study confirmed uniform quasi spherical nanoparticles with ζ-potential − 28.7&nbsp;mV. Nanocomposite films were further developed in gelatin matrix. The film capacity augmenting due to nanoparticles incorporation was noteworthy. Superior barrier properties, reinforcing and thermal insulation effects were observed in films dispersed with 20% w/w nanoparticles. Detailed FTIR studies and thermal analysis confirmed nanoparticles interactions in the film matrix. The nanocomposite film water vapour permeability was at 0.75&nbsp;g&nbsp;mm −1 &nbsp;kPa −1 &nbsp;h −1 , thermal conductivity 0.39&nbsp;W&nbsp;m −1 &nbsp;K −1 and the tensile strength were recorded at 3.87&nbsp;MPa. The final film expressed excellent antimicrobial properties against water born gram negative and gram positive bacteria. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Carbohydrate Polymers

Guar gum benzoate nanoparticle reinforced gelatin films for enhanced thermal insulation, mechanical and antimicrobial properties

This work is meant to design newer nano-bio-composite films for food packaging applications. Polylactide nanoparticles non-covalent interaction in chitosan matrix was carefully studied and used further to develop uniform nano-bio-composite films. Environmentally benign materials and processes were applied throughout for an intended application in packaging of edibles. Nanoparticles array laden in polysaccharide films served as cargo loaders for active molecules. Quercetin, a bioflavonoid, ubiquitous in many plant species was used as model cargo molecule. Sustained quercetin release imparted a synchronized anti-microbial and antioxidant properties in finished packaging films. Microstructures when examined in FESEM and AFM, suggested nanoparticles homogenous dispersion throughout the film matrix. Film surface RMS roughness in tapping mode AFM experiment was recorded at 1.63 ± 0.23 nm which typically represented conditions for microbial deterrence. Control chitosan film radical scavenging capacity was 5.8% in DPPH assay while that was recorded at 23.5% in new active packaging films. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Food Packaging and Shelf Life

Edible nano-bio-composite film cargo device for food packaging applications

World University root node

Erratum: Cationic guar gum orchestrated environmental synthesis for silver nano-bio-composite films (Carbohydrate Polymers (2015) 134 (30-37))

Herein, we report the synthesis of a guar gum propionate ester and the self-assembly formation of nanoparticles following a facile solvent shifting technique. Hofmeister-ion-guided homogeneous phase reactions were applied in guar galactomannan chemistry. A high degree of substitution (DS) was achieved due to an enhanced access to surface hydroxyl groups in the presence of chaotropic Hofmeister ions. The resulting biopolymer was fully characterized using FT-IR, 13 C NMR, XRD, and thermal analysis. SEM and TEM studies confirmed the formation of quasi-spherical self-assembly nanoparticles in water. The nanoparticles expressed widespread antifungal activities due to the particles' dynamics and the presence of surface propionate moieties. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) in Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans were recorded at 500 μg mL −1 . The development of guar gum propionate self-assembly nanoparticles has great potential in biomedical device applications. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

RSC Advances

Antifungal ouzo nanoparticles from guar gum propionate

Guar gum (GG) is a galactomannan obtained from the seeds of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba. GG polysaccharide is used in a range of technology arenas and its properties inwater environment elicited a lot of interest. We report a simple acid hydrolysis technique to derive water dispersible spherical nanoparticles from GG for the first time without any stabilizing surfactant. The particles demonstrated colloidal stability and were observed to carry negative surface charges in aqueous environment. The TEM study of guar gum nanoparticles (GGn) indicated a size range of 30-80 nm with a mean at 48.8 nm. Mineral acid at apposite concentration have apparently solubilized the amorphous regions of the polymer chain leaving the crystalline parts. GGn were further covalently functionalized in aqueous environment with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) using a hydroxy-propyl amine spacer group. Nanoparticle fluorescence intensity can be modulated with pH changes and a significant augmentation in the intensity was noticed at the physiologically relevant range of 6-8. New fluorescently labeled nanoparticles have potential for applications in bioimaging, biomolecular interaction studies and as a pH sensing probe in sub cellular environment. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Materials Science and Engineering C

Fabrication and fluorescent labeling of guar gum nanoparticles in a surfactant free aqueous environment

This work is meant for environmentally friendly synthesis and functional evaluation of silver nanoparticles in a newer cationic guar biopolymer (GGAA). Assembly of molecules in lower size range (∼10 nm) was attained in a biopolymer entrapped bottom-up synthesis. Guar gum is a filming biopolymer. Nanoparticles encaged in cationic guar (GGAgnC) were preserved as films for months without any significant effect on particle size, distribution or plasmonic intensity. The new nano-bio-composite and films were characterized fully in FTIR, XRD, SEM and TEM studies. Silver nanoparticles induced surface water repellency remarkably and lowered moisture permeability. GGAgnC film water contact angle was recorded as 115° while, that in case of GGAA was 59°. GGAgnC expressed intense antimicrobial activity when tested against a range of microorganisms. Immobilized silver nanoparticles in GGAA can feasibly be used as filming microbicidals suitable for textiles, packaging and biomedical device applications. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Cationic guar gum orchestrated environmental synthesis for silver nano-bio-composite films

Wound healing is an innate physiological response that helps restore cellular and anatomic continuity of a tissue. Selective biodegradable and biocompatible polymer materials have provided useful scaffolds for wound healing and assisted cellular messaging. In the present study, guar gum, a polymeric galactomannan, was intrinsically modified to a new cationic biopolymer guar gum alkylamine (GGAA) for wound healing applications. Biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (Agnp) were further impregnated in GGAA for extended evaluations in punch wound models in rodents. SEM studies showed silver nanoparticles well dispersed in the new guar matrix with a particle size of 18 nm. In wound healing experiments, faster healing and improved cosmetic appearance were observed in the new nanobiomaterial treated group compared to commercially available silver alginate cream. The total protein, DNA, and hydroxyproline contents of the wound tissues were also significantly higher in the treated group as compared with the silver alginate cream (P&lt;0.05). Silver nanoparticles exerted positive effects because of their antimicrobial properties. The nanobiomaterial was observed to promote wound closure by inducing proliferation and migration of the keratinocytes at the wound site. The derivatized guar gum matrix additionally provided a hydrated surface necessary for cell proliferation. © 2013 Runa Ghosh Auddy et al.