A. Romero

University of Seville | US · Chemical Engineering

Rice protein concentrate (RPC) has been evaluated as a potential candidate for the development of bio-based plastic materials processed by injection molding. Around 30% of glycerol (GL) as plasticizer and other additives (sodium bisulfite as a reducing agent as well as glyoxal and L-cysteine as cross-linking agents) were required to obtain good pro...

The formation of nanofibrous membranes via electrospinning is typically restricted to high molecular weight polymers in an appropriate solvent, correlated with the necessary formation of polymer chain entanglements that are needed to achieve successful production of electrospun fibers. The present work extends the electrospinning of low molecular w...

The current treatments to restore the skeletal muscle defects present several injuries. The creation of scaffolds and implant that allow the regeneration of this tissue is a solution that is reaching the researchers interest. To achieve so, electrospinning is a useful technique to manufacture scaffolds with nanofibres with different orientation. In...

Sustainable synthesis of ZnO and Fe x O y nanoparticles and their nanocomposite ZnFe 2 O 4 : Comprehensive characterization and applications in antioxidant activity and antibiotics degradation efficiency, Bioorganic Chemistry (2024), doi: https://doi. Abstract This study focuses on developing and evaluating eco-friendly nanoparticles, specifically...

Proteins are sources of peptides and amino acids which are able to stimulate plant growth through mechanisms such as enhancement of root growth and increased availability of micronutrients. Protein-based matrices are a novel source of these raw materials since they allow their availability in small, prolonged doses, which could be of interest in in...

Plastics play a vital role in modern society but their non-biodegradable nature has led to environmental concerns. Biomass-derived biodegradable bioplastics offer an eco-friendly alternative and protein and starch-based bio-plastics, sourced from agro-food residues, are gaining prominence due to their renewability. However, many bio-based materials...

Conventional plastics pose environmental threats due to their non-biodegradable nature and their reliability on fossil resources, leading to the exploration of sustainable alternatives. In this sense, biodegradable bioplastics derived from renewable resources offer a promising solution to mitigate ecological impacts. This study focuses on the combi...

In today’s market, the pursuit of product optimization is not just a trend but a necessity while facing the challenges of supplying a wider range of products, sustainability pressures, and the requirement for continuous innovation [...]

Gelatin-based hydrogels have garnered significant attention in the fields of drug delivery systems and tissue engineering owing to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, elasticity, flexibility and nontoxic nature. However, there is a lack of information regarding type-A-gelatin-based hydrogels. In this sense, the main aim of this work was the e...

Hydrogels are materials made of crosslinked 3D networks of hydrophilic polymer chains that can absorb and retain significant amounts of water due to their hydrophilic structure without being dissolved. In relation to alternative biomaterials, hydrogels offer increased biocompatibility and biodegradability, giving them distinct advantages. Thus, hyd...

Antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis caused by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Accordingly, bacteria have developed mechanisms to resist antibiotics. This crisis endangers public health systems and medical procedures, underscoring the urgent need for novel antimicro-bial agents. This study focuses on the green synthesis of ZnO nan...

The high production rate of fossil-based plastics, coupled with their accumulation and low degradability, is causing severe environmental problems. As a result, there is a growing interest in the use of renewable and natural sources in the polymer industry. Specifically, rice bran is a highly abundant by-product of the agro-food industry, with vari...

This study presents the synthesis of agro-waste banana peel extract-based magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (BPEx-MIONPs), emphasizing antioxidant capacity and food preservation. Using iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3 · 6 H2O) as a precursor and a reducing agent from agro-waste peel extract, a precisely controlled process yielded BPEx-MIONPs....

Controlled-release systems are gaining interest in the horticultural industry to supply fertilizers to crops. However , their manufacturing process increases their cost, making its industrialization difficult. In this context, compaction of powders could be a low-cost and easily industrializable alternative. Thus, the main objective of this work wa...

Bone-tissue replacement surgeries usually need medication to mitigate implant rejections or21 prevent local infections. In this study, a modulated and targeted tetracycline (TC) loaded gelatine type A22 hydrogel is release from Ti foams as a proof of concept for an innovative and intelligent drug release system.23 The drugs are released in a locali...

The quest for sustainable synthesis methods has led to the exploration of lychee peel extract (LCPEx) as an eco-friendly alternative in the field of nanomaterials. This groundbreaking study introduces the synthesis of lychee peel extract-based magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (LCPEx-MIONPs) and delves into their diverse applications. The meticulou...

Phycocyanin (PC), a protein derived from algae, is non-toxic and biocompatible. Due to its environmental and sustainable properties, it has been studied as an alternative stabilizer for food emulsions. In this sense, the main objective of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of PC and its use in combination with diutan gum (DG), a biological...

This research involved synthesizing zinc salt-dependent zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZS-ZnO-NPs) using different zinc salts (ZnCl2, ZnSO4·H2O, Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O, and Zn(NO3)2·6H2O) and plant extracts of Phoenix dactylifera L. The synthesis efficiency was evaluated, and to carry out further investigations, zeta potential measurements, as well as SEM and...

This study synthesizes magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles from agro-waste sweet pepper extract, exploring their potential as antioxidant additives and in food preservation. Iron (III) chloride hexahydrate is the precursor, with sweet pepper extract as both a reducing and capping agent at pH 7.5. Characterization techniques, including microscopy and...

New advances in materials science and medicine have enabled the development of new and increasingly sophisticated biomaterials. One of the most widely used biopolymers is polycaprolactone (PCL) because it has properties suitable for biomedical applications, tissue engineering scaffolds, or drug delivery systems. However, PCL scaffolds do not have a...

Protein-based bioplastics have been highly investigated in order to substitute conventional plastics. This is due to their biodegradability and natural origin, which reduce the well-known plastic pollution. Nevertheless, their low mechanical properties and high environmental sensitivity have slowed their advance to the market. One solution to this...

This study presents the synthesis of agrowaste banana peel extract-based magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (BPEx-MIONPs), emphasizing antioxidant capacity and food preservation. Using iron (III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl 3 · 6 H 2 O) as a precursor and a reducing agent from agrowaste peel extract, a precisely controlled process yielded BPEx-MIONPs...

This study details the synthesis of tomato extract-magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (TEx-MIONPs), focusing on the antioxidant capacity and food preservation applications. Utilizing key reagents, including 98% iron (III) chloride hexahydrate, a controlled process yielded TEx-MIONPs. The characterization involved X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmissio...

Una gran cantidad de los cultivos en la región de MANORPA, norte de El Paraíso (Honduras), se están desechando afectados por los eventos climáticos. El objetivo de este trabajo es generar alternativas de utilización de desechos agroindustriales, mediante el fortalecimiento de la innovación y desarrollo de productos sostenibles. Por tanto, se contri...

Cancer is a disease that continues to greatly impact our society. Developing new and more personalized treatment options is crucial to decreasing the cancer burden. In this study, we combined magnetic polysaccharide microparticles with a Pluronic thermoresponsive hydrogel to develop a multifunctional, injectable drug delivery system (DDS) for magne...

Chitosan (CH) is a very well-known biopolymer that has been widely used for the development of biomaterials with a wide range of applications in the biomedical field, such as the preparation of hydrogels, owing to its outstanding anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability, although they present...

This study comprehensively analyzed green nanomagnetic iron oxide particles (GNMI-OPs) synthesized using a green method, investigating their size, shape, crystallinity, aggregation, phase portions, stability, and magnetism. The influence of pH and washing solvents on the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles and their incorporation into PCL memb...

This study investigated the impact of adding zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) to electrospun membranes and cast films made of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). The physicochemical, mechanical, and morphological properties of the samples were analyzed. Physicochemical parameters included water contact angle (WCA), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), p...

Citation: Abdullah, J.A.A.; Díaz-García, Á.; Law, J.Y.; Romero, A.; Franco, V.; Guerrero, A. Quantifying the Structure and Properties of Nanomagnetic Iron Oxide Particles for Enhanced Functionality through Chemical Synthesis. Nanomaterials 2023, 13, 2242. https://doi. Abstract: This comprehensive study investigates the properties of chemical nanoma...

Barley is one of the most consumed cereals, with many different cultivars available worldwide. Like other crops, its yield has been affected by climate change and soil degradation. This work proposes controlled-release protein-based matrices with incorporated zinc to improve barley seed germination and zinc content in the plant. Thus, the main obje...

The cover image by Johar Amin Ahmed Abdullah visually showcases the nanofiber morphologies of PCL with GMIONPs (5% w/w), highlighting their distributions. It demonstrates a uniform distribution of nanoparticles with some agglomeration, influenced by interactions between phenolic compound charges on GMIONPs surfaces and polymer chains within the fib...

Replacing conventional plastics with other products obtained from biobased and biodegradable raw materials is an increasingly studied solution. In this line, the development of protein-based bioplastics is a promising alternative. However, for some applications, such as packaging it would be necessary to improve their properties by including an add...

This study investigates the effects of incorporating green and chemical magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (GMIONPs and CMIONPs, respectively) into poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibrous membranes on their physicochemical, mechanical, morphological, and functional properties. The study evaluates the physicochemical and optical properties of the nano...

Due to the increase in horticultural production intensive techniques are needed. These techniques generate soil degradation, since the natural recovery time between crops is insufficient. The usual way to solve this problem is the use of fertilizers, as they are effective in the short time available. Conventional fertilizers are highly soluble salt...

Citation: Castro-Criado, D.; Rivera-Flores, O.; Abdullah, J.A.A.; Castro-Osorto, E.; Alonso-González, M.; Ramos-Casco, L.; Perez-Puyana, V.M.; Sánchez-Barahona, M.; Sánchez-Cid, P.; Jiménez-Rosado, M.; et al. Valorization of Honduran Agro-Food Waste to Produce Bioplastics. Polymers 2023, 15, 2625. (J.A.A.A.); maralonso@us.es (M.A.-G.); vperez11@us....

Chitosan (CTS) is a polysaccharide with a wide variety of applications in the biomedical field, owing to its outstanding disinfectant properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability, but with limited mechanical properties. The proposed strategy to improve CTS-based hydrogel properties in this study is the formation of a semi-interpenetrating poly...

Beer bagasse is a residue produced in large quantities, though it is undervalued in the industry. Its high protein and polysaccharide content make it attractive for use in sectors such as the manufacture of bioplastics. However, its high water content makes it necessary to stabilize it before being considered as a raw material. The main objective o...

Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis has evolved into a green nanotechnology field, requiring more eco-synthesis of nanoparticles due to the high costs of other chemical-physical methods. Among the most commonly used...

Cover Story: This article explores the importance of antioxidants and antibacterial agents in biosystems and the potential use of iron oxide nanoparticles as agents to minimize free radical reactions and pathogen growth. The study focuses on the effects of the calcination process on the properties of iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized using green...

Nowadays, antioxidants and antibacterial activity play an increasingly vital role in biosystems due to the biochemical and biological reactions that involve free radicals and pathogen growth, which occur in many systems. For this purpose, continuous efforts are being made to minimize these reactions, including the use of nanomaterials as antioxidan...

Climate Change, the large accumulation of waste, the generation of microplastics and the recent scarcity of raw materials are some of the problems that have led to a radical change in the conception of economy from a linear system to a circular system. Thus, different policies, such as the European Green Deal or Horizon Europe, have been created on...

The production of biologically active molecules or the addition of new bioactive ingredients in foods, thereby producing functional foods, has been improved with nanoemulsion technology. In this sense, the aim of this work was to develop nanoemulsified beverages as potential candidates for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds, whose integrity a...

A gelatin-based hydrogel was infiltrated and degraded-released in two different titanium foams with porosities of 30 and 60 vol.% (Ti30 and Ti60 foams) and fabricated by the space holder technique to evaluate its potential to act as an innovative, alternative, and localised method to introduce both active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as antibio...

It has become more widely available to use biopolymer-based films as alternatives to conventional plastic-based films due to their non-toxic properties, flexibility, and affordability. However, they are limited in application due to deficiencies in their properties. The marine collagen was the specimen for the present study. Thus, the main objectiv...

Rice bran is an underutilized by-product of rice production, containing proteins, lipids and carbohydrates (mainly starches). Proteins and starches have been previously used to produce rice bran-based bioplastics, providing a high-added-value by-product, while contributing to the development of biobased, biodegradable bioplastics. However, rice bra...

Society demands that new strategies for learning processes put a greater focus on the students. Thus, new methods must be implemented in higher education studies, leaving guided learning, which is evaluated at the end of the course. The high percentage of abandonment of university studies calls for the implementation of teaching systems in which st...

Nowadays, biopolymer-based films are being developed as an alternative to conventional plastic-based films, mainly because they are non-toxic, flexible, inexpensive, and widely available. However, they are restricted in their applications due to several deficiencies in their properties. Accordingly, the reinforcement of these materials with nanopar...

Nowadays, natural polymer-based films are considered potentially environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastic films, due to many advantageous properties, including their easy processability, high flexibility, non-toxicity, low cost, high availability, and environmental safety. However, they are limited in their application by a num...

Fertilization is an increasingly common practice in horticulture. Nevertheless, the conventionally used fertilization method is ineffective, and it generates contamination problems due to excess nutrients. Therefore, new technologies, such as nanofertilization or controlled-release systems of fertilizers, are currently being tested. Thus, the main...

Conventional plastics can be substituted for protein-based bioplastics due to their natural origin and their biodegradability. Nevertheless, their properties are inferior to those obtained for synthetic plastics. The chemical crosslinking of these bioplastics with aldehydes could improve their properties to compete in the actual market. Thus, the m...

The great versatility and price of protein-based bioplastics have led them to be considered the best option to substitute conventional plastics. Among their characteristics, the ability to have antimicrobial activity has aroused great interest in sectors such as food industry, pharmacy, medicine or agriculture. All this has meant that research in t...

In the last few decades, nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis has evolved into a green nanotechnology field, requiring more eco-synthesis of nanoparticles due to the high costs of other chemical-physical methods. Among the most commonly used nanomaterials, ZnO-NPs are highly valuable due to their specific, thermal, optical, and electronic features. Thus,...

Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis has evolved into a green nanotechnology field, requiring more eco-synthesis of nanoparticles due to the high costs of other chemical-physical methods. Among the most commonly used nanomaterials, ZnO-NPs are highly valuable due to their specific, thermal, optical, and electronic features. Thus, the main object...

Nowadays, there are still numerous challenges for well-known biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering (TE), wound healing and controlled drug delivery, which must be faced and solved. Hydrogels have been proposed as excellent candidates for these applications, as they have promising properties for the mentioned applications, including bi...

Iron oxide nanoparticles (FexOy-NPs) are currently being applied in numerous high-tech sectors, such as in chemical sectors for catalysis and in the medical sector for drug delivery systems and antimicrobial purposes, due to their specific, unique and magnetic properties. Nevertheless, their synthesis is under continuous investigation, as physicoch...

Climate change and the enhancement of ecology have generated the need to create packaging that is biodegradable and, at the same time, allows food to be preserved efficiently in order to avoid the accumulation of plastic and minimize food waste. In this sense, protein-based bioplastics are a promising alternative, but due to their limited propertie...

The manufacture of eco-friendly bioplastic materials from renewable resources to replace petroleum-based plastics has attracted increasing attention. For many years, proteins, lipids and polysaccharides have been proposed as natural biopolymers sources to obtain biodegradable plastic materials. As by-product from the rice industry, rice bran, is an...

The nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis poses an environmental problem: the formation of other toxic substances. An eco-friendlier alternative method based on the use of polyphenolic extracts is gaining interest due to their potential to reduce metal salts for the formation of NPs without toxic products. Thus, the main objective of this work was to obtai...

Agri-food waste and by-products are being increasingly revalued, exploiting their potential. One of the attractive alternatives is their use as raw materials for the production of bioplastics due to their high protein content, generating eco-friendly bioplastics, since they come from renewable sources and are biodegradable. However, their industria...

Currently, gelatin-based films are regarded as promising alternatives to non-environmentally friendly plastic films for food packaging. Nevertheless, although they have great biodegradability, their weak mechanical properties and high solubility limit their applications. In this way, the use of nanoparticles, such as FexOy-NPs, could improve the pr...

In the last few years, electrospinning has proved to be one of the best methods for obtaining membranes of a micro and nanometric fiber size. This method mainly consists in the spinning of a polymeric or biopolymeric solution in solvents, promoted by the difference in the electric field between the needle and collector, which is finally deposited a...

Hydrogels are considered good biomaterials for soft tissue regeneration. In this sense, collagen is the most used raw material to develop hydrogels, due to its high biocompatibility. However, its low mechanical resistance, thermal stability and pH instability have generated the need to look for alternatives to its use. In this sense, the combinatio...

Porous materials manufactured by freeze-casting are demonstrating potential application as oxygen carriers for the production and purification of hydrogen, or anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, to obtain the required pore morphology and sufficient mechanical strength, the suspension processing parameters must be controlled. Fe2O3 na...

Food nanoemulsions or double emulsions can be used as delivery systems for bioactive ingredients, either hydrophilic (e.g. peptides, protein hydrolysates) or lipophilic (e.g. essential fatty acids), resulting in health-promoting food products highly demanded by consumers. A critical factor in developing kinetically stable emulsions and adequate del...

Virtual tools are frequently used in education. Among them, the use of virtual laboratories could be an interesting alternative to strengthen the practical concepts of the students, especially in the current paradigm in which the presence of students is often not possible. For this reason, the aim of this study was to analyse the use of different d...

Los residuos agroalimentarios se están convirtiendo en una problemática cada vez más presente en la vida actual, debido a la nueva filosofía de economía circular. De esta forma, todas las empresas están buscando alternativas sostenibles para estos residuos, pudiendo así mejorar su paradigma de contaminación medioambiental, mientras que optimiza su...

New methodologies improve the motivation and participation of students, which helps them to achieve a more complete and better teaching-learning process. In these methodologies, the students become active subjects who actively think, ask, suggest, decide and express their ideas, whereas teachers act as a driving force for the process. This study an...

The agro-food industry produces huge amounts of wastes and by-products with high levels of carbohydrates and proteins, basic food groups that, properly treated, can be employed for the development of bioplastics. These high added-value products represent an alternative to traditional polymers. In this research work, rice bran was mixed with glycero...