Since immeasurable times, Knowledge about the medicinal effects of plants has been an essential part of many cultures. In Spain, Malva has used traditional infusions to treat mild respiratory diseases, intestinal infections and infections. However, A Marshmallow in China produces a dry fruit that is known as Pangdahaiwhose application has taken an innovative turn in medicine thanks to science.
Researchers from the Pritzker Engineering School of the University of Chicago have discovered that this Malva notes, usually thrown away after infusion, can be converted into a natural hydrogel with medical applications of a great potential. Loose Study results They are published in the scientific journal Matter.
In many areas of Spain the mauve It has been used for centuries to Use food and also doctorsIn the form of infusion: As an antihemorrhoidal, intestinal anti -inflammatory, to cure infections And especially for Mild respiratory diseases, such as a cold.
The subspecies of China Malva give as fruit, nuts. Is Malva Nutsknown as Pangdahaiare used to prepare you A kind of tea, That is highly recommended To treat sore throat.
Malva -nut is usually thrown awayBut a group of researchers from the Pritzker Engineering School of the University of ChicagoHe discovered that Processing these already soaked nuts in the laboratory You can make a new natural hydrogel With different applications: Disinfection of wounds, fighting infections, as a system to release medicines that are controlled in the body or in biomedical implants, such as pacemaker.
The key would be linked to the enormous absorption capacity of this dry fruitThat immersed in hot water can even multiply its size 20 times its original shape About 1 cm.
The most interesting thing about research is The possibility to obtain a new position And one Appreciation of that component.
Hydrogels?
Loose Hydrogels son A kind of polymerFrom viscose -texture water -based and have certain characteristics, such as hydrophy. But why are they useful in health applications?
It is due to the predominantly hydrophilic behavior, since then They can absorb a lot of water in their structure, without losing that integrity… and that water, It can be replaced by any liquid That could, for example, contain this medicines or some cells that can help with wound treatment.
It is by re -hydrating these dry structures when they become Hydrogel. First the nuts They are crushed in a blender and then go through a centrifugatorTo extract as much as possible from the soft and expanding polysaccharide -hydrocoloid, at the same time eliminating the hard structural lignines that give nuts their skin. Than The hydrocoloid solution is Gelothofilized and all the water is eliminated to create A dry structure of pure marshmallow polysaccharide.
The authors of the study argue Keep exploring medicinal agents of natural origin, Because they can assume a source of Effective, more sustainable and cheaper medical means to produce. “Hills interesting What seems to me of this research is the ability to do that get out of the waste […] A new function, a valorization of that component. And that is also seen in nature, in fibers such as silk, Nature offers us many sources that we can take to give them a different function