Over time, we’ve seen quite a few examples of 3D printing used to make scaffolds for bone regeneration, however that is the primary time I’ve heard of one of these materials getting used for it: lotus root. The perennial, aquatic lotus plant primarily grows in Asia and Australia, and its subterranean stem, or root, is usually used as an ingredient in lots of Asian dishes, together with soups and salads. However for the final ten years, researchers at Wuhan Polytechnic College’s Faculty of Meals Science and Engineering have been extracting fibers from lotus roots for a really totally different cause.
One of many fundamental researchers engaged on the undertaking, Professor Jiang Xueyu, says that lotus roots are very wealthy in fiber, which is without doubt one of the the reason why they’ve chosen to make use of this distinctive materials. In keeping with a information outlet in Hubei, China, the crew is utilizing the lotus root fibers to make 3D printed, personalized bone scaffolds for supporting cell regeneration in bones. If their work is ready to be tailored for medical use, the know-how may majorly enhance affected person restoration, in addition to considerably decrease therapy prices.
Lotus root. Picture by Heather Teoh by way of the Meals Literacy Middle
Bone implants are medical units which might be surgically inserted into the physique to reinforce, and even exchange, bone tissue. Metal implants are usually not all the time appropriate, and bigger surgical incisions are sometimes wanted to insert them, which might enhance a affected person’s restoration time. Whereas bone itself can have self-healing skills, grafts are mandatory to revive the tissue, which include their very own problems. That’s why there’s been loads of analysis on substitute bone supplies, like 3D printed ceramics, coral, and now lotus root.
The 3D printed lotus fiber scaffolds are tailor-made to particular bone defects, and the researchers say they combine naturally with the physique (versus conventional metal implants), encouraging bone cell progress alongside the construction. This may majorly velocity up the affected person’s therapeutic course of. Moreover, a second surgical procedure is probably going not wanted to take away these implants as a result of they’re mentioned to degrade at a price that matches the formation of recent bone. The analysis crew’s work is at present present process animal trials.
3D printed supplies from lotus root fibers.
Nevertheless, in keeping with Professor Yi Yang, who’s main this analysis crew, “their improvements prolong past medical functions.” Yang claims that their work has really modified how lotus root is processed as a meals ingredient. Usually, lotus root starch manufacturing strategies produce a number of pointless wastewater, and do away with some necessary vitamins. So Professor Yang’s crew developed “entire lotus root powder,” which not solely improves the flavour and flexibility of the plant, but additionally preserves all of its vitamins.
The crew additionally discovered that if you happen to gelatinize lotus root powder, it has some distinctive gelling and rheological properties. This makes it nice for 3D printing meals, and their lotus root breakthrough has really impressed quite a lot of new edible merchandise, equivalent to lotus root-infused fish truffles, immediate drinks, and even probiotic-enhanced snacks.
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