de la Rosa Orlando, Aguayo-Acosta Alberto, Valenzuela-Amaro Hiram Martín, Meléndez-Sánchez Edgar Ricardo, Sosa-Hernández Juan Eduardo, Parra-Saldívar Roberto
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Mexico.
Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey, 64849, Mexico.
Heliyon. 2024 Sep 2;10(17):e37014. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37014. eCollection 2024 Sep 15.
Nowadays, the need to track fast-spreading infectious diseases has raised due to the recent COVID-19 disease pandemic. As a response, Wastewater-based Surveillance (WBS) has emerged as an early detection and disease tracking method for large populations that enables a comprehensive overview of public health allowing for a faster response from public health sector to prevent large outbreaks. The process to achieve WBS requires a highly intensive sampling strategy with either expensive equipment or trained personnel to continuously sample. The sampling problem can be addressed by passive sampler development. Chitosan-based hydrogels are recognized for their capability to sample and remove various contaminants from wastewater, including metals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, among others. However, chitosan-based hydrogels unique characteristics, can be exploited to develop passive samplers of genetic material that can be a very valuable tool for WBS. This study aimed to develop a novel chitosan hydrogel formulation with enhanced characteristics suitable for use as a passive sampler of genetic material and its application to detect disease-causing pathogens present in wastewater. The study evaluates the effect of the concentration of different components on the formulation of a Chitosan composite hydrogel (Chitosan, Glutaraldehyde, Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and Polyethylene glycol (PEG)) on the hydrogel properties using a Box Hunter & Hunter experimental matrix. Hydrogels' weight, thickness, swelling ratio, microscopic morphology (SEM), FTIR assay, and zeta potential were characterized. The resulting hydrogel formulations were shown to be highly porous, positively charged (Zeta potential up to 35.80 ± 1.44 mV at pH 3) and with high water swelling capacity (up to 703.89 ± 15.00 %). Based on the results, a formulation from experimental design was selected and then evaluated its capacity to adsorb genetic material from a control spiked water with Influenza A virus synthetic vector. The adsorption capacity of the selected formulation was 4157.04 ± 64.74 Gene Copies/mL of Influenza A virus synthetic vector. The developed hydrogel showed potential to be used as passive sampler for pathogen detection in wastewater. However, deeper research can be conducted to improve adsorption, desorption and extraction techniques of genetic material from chitosan-hydrogel matrices.
如今，由于近期的新冠疫情，追踪快速传播的传染病的需求增加了。作为应对措施，基于废水的监测（WBS）已成为一种针对大量人群的早期检测和疾病追踪方法，它能够全面了解公共卫生状况，使公共卫生部门能够更快地做出反应以预防大规模疫情爆发。实现WBS的过程需要高度密集的采样策略，要么使用昂贵的设备，要么需要训练有素的人员进行连续采样。采样问题可以通过开发被动采样器来解决。基于壳聚糖的水凝胶因其能够从废水中采样和去除各种污染物（包括金属、染料、药物等）而受到认可。然而，基于壳聚糖的水凝胶的独特特性可被利用来开发遗传物质的被动采样器，这对于WBS来说可能是一种非常有价值的工具。本研究旨在开发一种具有增强特性的新型壳聚糖水凝胶配方，适合用作遗传物质的被动采样器，并将其应用于检测废水中存在的致病病原体。该研究使用Box Hunter & Hunter实验矩阵评估了不同成分（壳聚糖、戊二醛、微晶纤维素（MCC）和聚乙二醇（PEG））的浓度对壳聚糖复合水凝胶配方的水凝胶性质的影响。对水凝胶的重量、厚度、溶胀率、微观形态（扫描电子显微镜）、傅里叶变换红外光谱分析和zeta电位进行了表征。所得的水凝胶配方显示出高度多孔、带正电荷（在pH 3时zeta电位高达35.80±1.44 mV）以及具有高水溶胀能力（高达703.89±15.00%）。基于这些结果，从实验设计中选择了一种配方，然后评估其从含有甲型流感病毒合成载体的对照加标水中吸附遗传物质的能力。所选配方的吸附能力为4157.04±64.74个甲型流感病毒合成载体基因拷贝/毫升。所开发的水凝胶显示出有潜力用作废水中病原体检测的被动采样器。然而，可以进行更深入的研究以改进从壳聚糖 - 水凝胶基质中吸附、解吸和提取遗传物质的技术。
