Plant heteropolysaccharides and their bioadhesion to animal glycocalyx visualized at the nanoscale.
- Open access
Plant-derived pectin forms distinct nanoscale morphologies and tightly associates with animal tissue, demonstrating potential as a bioadhesive in lung surgery.
- Why it matters: Understanding how plant biopolymers interact with animal glycocalyx can improve bioadhesive materials for medical applications, addressing a gap in nanoscale visualization of these interactions.
- What they did: The study developed a preservation method for electron microscopy to visualize pectin ultrastructure, analyzing various pectic domains and applying lemon pectin to murine lung tissue.
- The result: Findings reveal that pectin's heteropolysaccharide chains form tight, filamentous networks that strongly adhere to tissue, enabling potential use as effective bioadhesives in surgical settings.