Exploring cellulose-derived esters/curcumin materials: Synthesis, characterization, and biological assay in zebrafish...

A crucial challenge for science is to transform agricultural production waste into high-value-added materials suitable for multiple applications, such as in the construction of electronic devices or the medical field, such as scaffolds for tissue engineering or controlled drug release. Thus, we used polymers derived from cellulose from corn husks, from local agricultural production. In this study, we evaluated the physical-chemical and biological properties of polymeric films of cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) and cellulose triacetate (CTA), and their blends with curcumin (CUR). The ester cellulose derivatives were synthesized using cellulose and its chemical synthesis was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The ester cellulose derivatives polymeric were processed by the casting technique in film forms and characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. CAP and CTA thermal analysis shows that they are less stable at higher temperatures than unmodified cellulose. The embryotoxicity, teratogenicity, and neurotoxicity of the prepared materials were evaluated in vivo using the Zebrafish assay, where curcumin showed that high concentrations of this molecule affect the survival rate of zebrafish embryos. However, the assays done with CTA and CAP did not present a significant effect on this parameter. The tests performed with CAP and its blends with curcumin (CTA/Cur and CAP/Cur) did not indicate neurotoxicity or cardiotoxicity. However, an increased heart rate was observed in zebrafish embryos exposed to pure CTA.