Browsing by Author "Zhu, Li-Fang"

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    Elastic Anti-Bacterial Membranes Comprising Particulate Laden Fibers for Wound Healing Applications
    (Elsevier, 2018-10-04) Lia, Yudong; Zhang, Chunchen; Zhu, Li-Fang; Ahmad, Z.; Li, Jing-Song; Chang, Ming-Wei
    Medicated skin care products are available in various forms; ranging from lotions and creams to bandages and membranes. In this study, anti-bacterial particulate laden fibrous membranes were prepared via electrospraying of tetracycline hydrochloride (TE-HCL) loaded poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) particles alongside electrospinning of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibers, through which both mechanical and biological aspects of a complete membrane system can be achieved. Random (R) and ordered (P and V) patterns of TPU fibrous membranes (FMs) were afforded using a rotating collector. Water contact angle and bacterial inhibition zone tests were performed to assess suitability of the system specifically for wound care. Stress-strain and in-vitro drug release tests were performed to assess suitability of newly developed systems specifically for hybrid membranes (HMs). The highest tensile strength (32.1 ± 4.9 MPa) with elasticity (104.2 ± 6.0 %) and the most sustained release rate indicate HMs (P) are potentially suitable materials for wound care applications.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Synthesis and Evaluation of Herbal Chitosan from Ganoderma Lucidum Spore Powder for Biomedical Applications
    (Springer, 2018) Zhu, Li-Fang; Yao, Zhi-Cheng; Ahmad, Z.; Li, Jing-Song; Chang, Ming-Wei
    Chitosan is an extremely valuable biopolymer and is usually obtained as a byproduct from the shells of crustaceans. In the current work, chitosan is obtained from an herbal source (Ganoderma lucidum spore powder (GLSP)) for the first time. To show this, both standard (thermochemical deacetylation, (TCD)) and emerging (ultrasound-assisted deacetylation (USAD)) methods of chitosan preparation were used. The obtained chitosan was characterized by elemental analysis, XRD (X-ray diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and thermogravimetric measurements. The process resulted in chitosan possessing comparable values of DD, [η] and ¯Mv to the commercial product. Chitosan obtained via both processes (TCD and USAD) displayed excellent biocompatibility; although the USAD prepared biopolymer exhibited significantly improved fibroblast (L929 cell) viability and enhanced antibacterial zones for both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The findings of new herbal chitosan mark key developments of natural biomaterials; marking a potential shift from conventional sea-based organisms.