Full-fat roasted date seeds are considered an excellent source of antioxidants which can treat many diseases. The specific objectives were to investigate the effect of roasting temperature and time on the hardness of whole seeds, moisture content of the roasted date seeds powder, DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolic contents, extraction yield, pH, browning index and sensory properties of the brew prepared from the full-fat roasted date seeds and to construct descriptive models that could describe this effect. Date seeds were roasted at three temperatures (160, 180 and 200 °C) for different period of times (10, 20 and 30 min) using a natural conventional oven; then grinded and next brewed. Hardness of whole seeds, moisture content of the seeds powder, DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic contents, extraction yield, pH and browning index and sensory properties of the brew were significantly affected by the roasting conditions. The statistical results indicated that the proposed model could adequately describe the measured properties. Strong correlations have been found among the properties of the brew as well. The producers of the date seeds brew can utilize these results for controlling the roasting process.

The development of new materials that mimic cartilage and its function is an unmet need that will allow replacing the damaged parts of the joints, instead of the whole joint. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels have raised special interest for this application due to their biocompatibility, high swelling capacity and chemical stability. In this work, the effect of post-processing treatments (annealing, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and gamma-radiation) on the performance of PVA gels obtained by cast-drying was investigated and, their ability to be used as delivery vehicles of the anti-inflammatories diclofenac or ketorolac was evaluated. HHP damaged the hydrogels, breaking some bonds in the polymeric matrix, and therefore led to poor mechanical and tribological properties. The remaining treatments, in general, improved the performance of the materials, increasing their crystallinity. Annealing at 150 °C generated the best mechanical and tribological results: higher resistance to compressive and tensile loads, lower friction coefficients and ability to support higher loads in sliding movement. This material was loaded with the anti-inflammatories, both without and with vitamin E (Vit.E) or Vit.E + cetalkonium chloride (CKC). Vit.E + CKC helped to control the release of the drugs which occurred in 24 h. The material did not induce irritability or cytotoxicity and, therefore, shows high potential to be used in cartilage replacement with a therapeutic effect in the immediate postoperative period.

The biomaterials polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and hydroxyapatite (HA) were selected to fabricate composite filaments for 3D printing fused filament fabrication (FFF), which was used to fabricate a composite biomaterial for an interlocking nail for canine diaphyseal fractures instead of metal bioinert materials. Bioactive materials were used to increase biological activities and provide a high possibility for bone regeneration to eliminate the limitations of interlocking nails. HA was added to PLA and PCL granules in three ratios according to the percentage of HA: 0%, 5%, and 15% (PLA/PCL, PLA/PCL/5HA, and PLA/PCL/15HA, respectively), before the filaments were extruded. The test specimens were 3D-printed from the extruded composite filaments using an FFF printer. Then, a group of test specimens was coated by silk fibroin (SF) using the lyophilization technique to increase their biological properties. Mechanical, biological, and chemical characterizations were performed to investigate the properties of the composite biomaterials. The glass transition and melting temperatures of the copolymer were not influenced by the presence of HA in the PLA/PCL filaments. Meanwhile, the presence of HA in the PLA/PCL/15HA group resulted in the highest compressive strength (82.72 ± 1.76 MPa) and the lowest tensile strength (52.05 ± 2.44 MPa). HA provided higher bone cell proliferation, and higher values were observed in the SF coating group. Therefore, FFF 3D-printed filaments using composite materials with bioactive materials have a high potential for use in fabricating an interlocking nail for canine diaphyseal fractures.

Within this study, monolithic three-dimensional silica aerogel (SA) composite parts with super insulating properties are presented. A generic part based on fiber-reinforced (FR) silica aerogel for thermal insulation of the exhaust tubing system—to keep the exhaust gases as hot as possible to improve the efficiency of the catalyst system—was produced via a sol-gel-based molding process in combination with a supercritical drying using scCO2. A thermal conductivity of 16 mW m−1 K−1 was measured via a heat flow meter technique. In this manuscript, we present a full cycle of the material compound design, starting with fundamental material evaluation including aerogel optimization, opacifier influence, and casting process. The obtained generic part in shape of a half-shell for pipe insulation is characterized under real conditions.