Biomass fiber aerogel and preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The application provides biomass fiber aerogel and a preparation method and application thereof, and specifically, the aerogel comprises nanoparticles and biomass fibers, the nanoparticles are arranged on surfaces of the biomass fibers; the nanoparticles comprise shellac; and the biomass fibers comprise chitin.The aerogel has micro-plastic removal and lipid metabolism regulation functions, can be adapted to oil-water mixed systems of different oil types and different oil concentrations, can maintain structural stability and high adsorption performance in a complex static / dynamic digestion environment, and can reduce fat accumulation in the body, reduce blood triglyceride content, promote excretion of lipid feces and regulate lipid metabolism.In addition, the aerogel has good biocompatibility, is biodegradable, has no risk of in-vivo accumulation and has good clinical safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of biomedicine, specifically to biomass fiber aerogels, their preparation methods and applications, and more specifically to aerogels, their preparation methods, uses, compositions, pharmaceutical applications, methods for removing microplastics, and methods for controlling lipids in vitro. Background Technology

[0002] Microplastic pollution has become a global environmental problem. The fundamental shift in modern dietary patterns further exacerbates the combined health risks of microplastics and metabolic abnormalities. The high-frequency consumption of semi-finished foods and takeout meals leads to excessive intake of high-fat foods, and the plastic packaging of these products can leak microplastics throughout the production, transportation, and consumption processes. These microplastics enter the human body through food and water, accumulating in the digestive tract along with dietary fats, creating a typical problem of combined exposure to pollutants in a mixed oil-water system. This combined exposure not only directly damages the intestinal barrier structure and disrupts the intestinal microecological balance, but also produces significant synergistic effects, exacerbating metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance, excessive fat accumulation, and dyslipidemia. This creates a vicious cycle where the accumulation of microplastics and dietary-induced metabolic imbalances mutually reinforce each other, seriously threatening human health.

[0003] To address the health problems caused by this combined exposure, existing technologies suffer from significant fragmentation and limitations: Currently, there are no mature materials specifically designed for the removal of microplastics and other contaminants in vivo. Existing microplastic removal materials are all developed for in vitro simulated environments with a single aqueous phase, and are not adapted to the oil-water mixture system in actual diets. Their efficacy in the complex static and dynamic digestive physiological environment in vivo is completely unknown, and there are also risks to biosafety. Furthermore, they cannot achieve integrated synergy between microplastic removal and metabolic regulation. Metabolic regulation primarily relies on chemical drug interventions. These methods not only have significant side effects and are prone to drug resistance with long-term use, but they can only symptomatically regulate metabolic indicators and cannot fundamentally address the metabolic disorders induced by the combined exposure to microplastics and high fat content, making it difficult to achieve a comprehensive cure.

[0004] Therefore, developing an oral biomass polymer material that can adapt to oil-water mixed systems, tolerate static / dynamic digestive environments in vivo, has both efficient in vivo microplastic removal and metabolic regulation functions, and is highly biosafe and easy to prepare is key to solving the health problems caused by combined exposure to microplastics and high oil content. It is also a core requirement for promoting the industrial application of biomass polymer materials in the biomedical field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Existing microplastic removal materials are only suitable for in vitro simulated environments with a single aqueous phase and are not adapted to dietary oil-water mixed systems. There are no mature materials that can simultaneously meet the requirements of high efficiency, tolerance to digestive environment and high biosafety in vivo microplastic removal. Furthermore, metabolic regulation methods are difficult to solve the technical problem of metabolic disorders induced by combined exposure to microplastics and high oil. Therefore, this invention provides a biomass fiber aerogel for in vivo pollutant removal and synergistic metabolic regulation, as well as its preparation method and application.

[0006] Therefore, in a first aspect, the present invention provides an aerogel. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aerogel comprises nanoparticles and biomass fibers, wherein the nanoparticles are disposed on the surface of the biomass fibers; the nanoparticles comprise shellac; and the biomass fibers comprise chitin. The aerogel proposed in this invention has a roughened surface of micro / nanoparticles, abundant exposed active functional groups, and excellent amphiphilic interfaces, making it adaptable to oil-water mixtures of different types and concentrations of oils. It maintains structural stability and high-efficiency adsorption performance in complex static / dynamic digestive environments. Furthermore, the aerogel exhibits good biocompatibility and biodegradability, poses no risk of in vivo accumulation, and possesses both efficient microplastic removal and metabolic regulation functions. It can accelerate the transport and excretion of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract, while simultaneously reducing body fat accumulation, lowering blood triglyceride levels, promoting lipid excretion in feces, regulating body energy metabolism, and reshaping the liver lipid profile.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of the nanoparticles to the biomass fiber is 1:(1~60).

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the nanoparticles is 20 nm to 250 nm.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water contact angle and oil contact angle of the aerogel are both <90°.

[0010] According to embodiments of the present invention, the nanoparticles further include at least one of the following: zein, wheat gliadin, soy gliadin, or gelatin.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the biomass fiber further includes at least one of the following: sodium alginate, cellulose, or starch fiber.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the degree of deacetylation of the chitin is 5% to 10%.

[0013] In a second aspect of the invention, the invention proposes the use of the aforementioned aerogel in at least one of the following: (1) microplastic adsorption; (2) regulation of lipid metabolism.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the microplastic comprises polystyrene.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aerogel has an adsorption capacity of 1~5 g / g for microplastics in an oil-water mixture.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the microplastic is 0.05 μm to 10 μm.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aerogel regulates lipid metabolism through at least one of the following pathways: (1) reducing fat content; (2) reducing serum triglyceride content; (3) regulating the expression of key lipid metabolism enzymes, wherein the key lipid metabolism enzymes include at least one of: triglyceride lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase or diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1.

[0018] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a composition. According to embodiments of the present invention, the composition comprises the aforementioned aerogel. The composition proposed in this invention possesses both efficient microplastic removal and metabolic regulation functions, reducing body fat accumulation, lowering blood triglyceride levels, promoting the excretion of lipids and microplastics in feces, and regulating the body's energy metabolism, effectively mitigating the synergistic health risks caused by combined exposure to microplastics and high lipid levels.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides for the use of the aforementioned aerogel or composition in the preparation of a medicament for treating metabolic diseases; said metabolic diseases include at least one of the following: diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or obesity.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a medicament. According to embodiments of the invention, the medicament comprises the aerogel or composition described above. The medicament is capable of adsorbing and removing microplastics while promoting the excretion of lipid microplastics and feces, reducing blood triglyceride levels, regulating lipid metabolism, and reducing body fat accumulation.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aerogel is administered at a rate of 60-300 μg / day.

[0022] In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing the aforementioned aerogel. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises: freeze-drying a mixture of nanoparticles and biomass fibers to obtain the aerogel. The method proposed in this invention features simple process steps, requires no special or expensive equipment, has mild reaction conditions, controllable process parameters, and is easy to scale up for industrial production, significantly reducing the cost of material preparation and application; furthermore, the method does not use crosslinking agents, thus enhancing clinical safety.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the nanoparticle and biomass fiber mixture is obtained by first stirring the nanoparticle solution and the biomass fiber dispersion.

[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, before performing the first stirring, the biomass fiber is pre-soaked in an acid solution for 1 h to 10 h.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes homogenizing and peeling the soaking product to obtain the biomass fiber dispersion.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the acid solution includes at least one of the following: formic acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid solution.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mass fraction of the acid solution is 0.05% to 5%.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the homogenization stripping process is performed at 5000 rpm to 30000 rpm.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the homogenization stripping process takes 5 min to 60 min.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, before performing the first stirring, the nanoparticles are added to an organic solution for dissolution treatment to obtain the nanoparticle solution, wherein the organic solution includes at least one of the following: methanol, ethanol, formic acid or acetic acid solution.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the volume fraction of the organic solution is 50% to 100%.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of the nanoparticle solution is 1 mg / mL to 40 mg / mL.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rate at which the nanoparticle solution is added to the biomass fiber dispersion is 0.05 mL / min to 0.5 mL / min.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, after the first stirring and before the freeze drying, the acid solution in the biomass fiber dispersion is removed.

[0035] According to embodiments of the present invention, the removal of the acid solution is achieved by at least one of the following methods: solvent evaporation, dialysis, or rotary evaporation.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the freeze-drying includes a first freeze-drying process, wherein the conditions of the first freeze-drying process are -20°C to -50°C, and / or the time of the first freeze-drying process is 5 h to 15 h.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the freeze-drying further includes a second freeze-drying process, wherein the conditions of the second freeze-drying process are -50℃ to -40℃, 0.01 Pa to 0.1 Pa, and / or the time of the second freeze-drying process is 24h to 48h.

[0038] In a seventh aspect, the present invention provides a method for removing microplastics. According to an embodiment of the invention, the method includes contacting the aforementioned aerogel, composition, or drug with the microplastics. The method for removing microplastics is adaptable to oil-water mixtures of different types and concentrations of oils, exhibiting an adsorption capacity for microplastics as high as 1-5 g / g, and maintaining structural stability and high adsorption efficiency in complex static / dynamic digestion environments.

[0039] In an eighth aspect, the present invention provides a method for controlling lipids in vitro. According to embodiments of the invention, the method includes contacting the aforementioned aerogel, composition, or drug with lipids. The method proposed in this invention is capable of efficiently degrading triglycerides.

[0040] The beneficial effects of this invention are at least as follows: The aerogel proposed in this invention has a roughened surface of micro- and nanoparticles, abundant exposed active functional groups, and an excellent amphiphilic interface. It can be adapted to oil-water mixtures with different types and concentrations of oils and can maintain structural stability and high-efficiency adsorption performance in complex static / dynamic digestion environments. Furthermore, the aerogel can reduce body fat accumulation, lower blood triglyceride levels, promote lipid excretion in feces, and regulate lipid metabolism. In addition, the aerogel has good biocompatibility, is biodegradable, has no risk of in vivo accumulation, and has good clinical safety. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 These are scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of aerogels from comparative and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, wherein... Figure 1 a) is a comparative scanning electron microscope image of aerogel; Figure 1 b is a scanning electron microscope image of the aerogel in Example 1; Figure 1 c is a scanning electron microscope image of the aerogel from Example 2; Figure 1 d is a scanning electron microscope image of the aerogel from Example 3; Figure 1 e is a scanning electron microscope image of the aerogel in Example 4; Figure 1 f is a scanning electron microscope image of the aerogel in Example 5.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a graph showing the test results of the oral biomass fiber aerogel properties. Figure 2 a is a test diagram of the aerogel water contact angle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 b is an optical photograph of a water-oil mixture.

[0043] Figure 3 This is a statistical chart showing the test results of the adsorption performance of aerogels according to the comparative examples and embodiments of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a statistical graph showing the test results of the adsorption performance of the aerogel in different oil types and concentrations according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein... Figure 4 a is a statistical graph showing the effect of adsorption time on adsorption capacity; Figure 4 b is a statistical graph showing the effect of PS plastic concentration on adsorption capacity; Figure 4 ce is a statistical graph showing the effect of PS plastic size on adsorption capacity; Figure 4 f is a statistical graph showing the effect of modified microplastics on the adsorption properties of the material.

[0045] Figure 5 These are scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of PS plastic captured by aerogel according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein... Figure 5 a is the SEM image magnified 200 times; Figure 5 b is the SEM image magnified 1000 times; Figure 5 c shows the distribution of microplastics on the aerogel surface after cleaning the surface grease with ethanol.

[0046] Figure 6 These are scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope images of aerogels according to embodiments of the present invention in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, wherein... Figure 6 a is a scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope image taken after 24 hours of reaction in simulated gastric fluid; Figure 6 b is a scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope image taken after 24 hours of reaction in simulated intestinal fluid.

[0047] Figure 7 This is a statistical chart showing the performance results of the aerogel in gastrointestinal fluid according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein... Figure 7 a is a graph showing the change of free fatty acids in soybean oil hydrolyzed by aerogel over time in a static digestion simulation. Figure 7 b is a statistical graph showing the content of free fatty acids in soybean oil after hydrolysis by aerogel in a static digestion simulation. Figure 7 c is a graph showing the change of free fatty acids in coconut oil hydrolysate over time using aerogel in a static digestion simulation. Figure 7 d is a statistical graph showing the content of free fatty acids in coconut oil after hydrolysis by aerogel in a static digestion simulation; Figure 7 e is a graph showing the effect of aerogel on intestinal pH during simulated digestion of soybean oil in a dynamic artificial stomach. Figure 7 f is a graph showing the effect of aerogel on intestinal pH in a dynamic artificial stomach simulating the digestion of coconut oil; Figure 7 g is a statistical graph showing the effect of biomass fiber aerogel on the gastric retention rate of food in a dynamic artificial stomach simulation.

[0048] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the biosafety evaluation results of the aerogel according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, Figure 8 a is a statistical chart of ALT results, a liver function indicator; Figure 8 b is a statistical chart of the liver function indicator AST results; Figure 8 c is a statistical chart of the liver function indicator TP results; Figure 8 d is a statistical chart of ALP results, a liver function indicator; Figure 8 e is a statistical chart of BUN results, a renal function indicator; Figure 8 f is a statistical chart of the CREA (renal function index) results; Figure 8 g is a statistical chart of the results of the glucose tolerance index GTTAUC; Figure 8 h is a statistical graph of the results of the ITT AUC (Intracytoplasmic Saturation Tolerance) index.

[0049] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing the effect of aerogel on fat according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, Figure 9 Image a is a comparison of optical photographs of the white fat of the epididymis and the white fat of the groin; Figure 9 b is a comparison chart of the weight of white fat in the groin area; Figure 9 c is a comparison chart of the weight of white fat in the epididymis; Figure 9 d is a comparison chart of mouse weight.

[0050] Figure 10 This is a graph showing the test results of the aerogel's regulatory performance on lipid-related indicators according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein... Figure 10 a is a statistical chart of serum triglyceride levels; Figure 10 b is a statistical chart of serum total cholesterol levels; Figure 10 c is a statistical chart of high-density lipoprotein content; Figure 10 d is a statistical chart of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) content; Figure 10 e is a statistical chart of free fatty acid content; Figure 10 f is a statistical chart of fecal lipid content.

[0051] Figure 11This is a graph showing the test results of the aerogel's performance in regulating metabolic cage-related indicators according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein... Figure 11 A is a statistical chart of oxygen consumption; Figure 11 b is a statistical chart of carbon dioxide production; Figure 11 c is a statistical graph of respiratory exchange entropy; Figure 11 d is a statistical chart of total horizontal exercise volume; Figure 11 e is an energy consumption statistics chart.

[0052] Figure 12 This is a dynamic characterization result diagram of the microplastic removal effect of the aerogel in vivo according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, Figure 12 a is an in vivo fluorescence imaging image at different time points after gavage administration of SH+PS, SH+PS+SCT, CH+PS, or CH+PS+SCT. Figure 12 b is a statistical graph of fluorescence intensity of SH+PS and SH+PS+SCT. Figure 12 c is a statistical graph of the fluorescence intensity of CH+PS and CH+PS+SCT.

[0053] Figure 13 The aerogel according to an embodiment of the present invention, after being administered by gavage with SH+PS, SH+PS+SCT, CH+PS or CH+PS+SCT, shows fluorescence images of major organs in the body at different times.

[0054] Figure 14 These are immunofluorescence images and quantitative statistical analysis diagrams of key lipid metabolism enzymes in mouse epididymal adipose tissue according to embodiments of the present invention, wherein... Figure 14 ab is a graph showing the quantitative fluorescence and statistical analysis of triglyceride lipase (ATGL); Figure 14 cd is a graph showing the fluorescence quantitative and statistical analysis of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL); Figure 14 ef is a graph showing the quantitative fluorescence and statistical analysis of lipase (DGAT).

[0055] Figure 15 This is a diagram showing the results of an experiment on the regulation of mouse liver lipidomics by aerogel according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein... Figure 15 ab is principal component analysis and differential lipid volcano plot of liver lipidomics in mice subjected to combined exposure to soybean oil and microplastics before and after management of biomass aerogels; Figure 15 cd is principal component analysis and differential lipid volcano plot of liver lipidomics in mice subjected to combined exposure to coconut oil and microplastics before and after management of biomass aerogels.

[0056] Figure 16 This is a clustering heatmap of the main differential lipid molecules according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein, Figure 16 a is a clustering heatmap of major differentially expressed lipid molecules in the liver before and after management of biomass aerogels in mice subjected to combined exposure to soybean oil and microplastics; Figure 16 b is a clustering heatmap of major differentially expressed lipid molecules in the liver before and after management of biomass aerogels in mice subjected to combined exposure to coconut oil and microplastics. Detailed Implementation

[0057] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0058] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values ​​should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein.

[0059] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0060] To facilitate understanding of this invention, certain technical and scientific terms are specifically defined below. Unless explicitly defined elsewhere in this document, all other technical and scientific terms used herein have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. In the description of this invention, the terms used herein have been explained and described; these explanations and descriptions are merely for the purpose of facilitating understanding and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0061] In this article, the term "aerogel" refers to a solid material with a nanoporous structure, possessing physical properties such as extremely low density and high specific surface area.

[0062] In this article, the term "biomass fiber" refers to fiber materials made from natural biomass resources (such as wood, bamboo, crop straw, shells, seaweed, or animal protein) through physical or chemical processes. Unlike traditional fossil-based synthetic fibers (such as polyester and nylon, which are derived from petroleum), the core advantage of biomass fiber lies in its renewability and generally biodegradability.

[0063] In this article, the term "microplastics" generally refers to plastic particles with a diameter of less than 5 mm, including primary microplastics and secondary microplastics. Primary microplastics refer to plastic particles that are already small in size during manufacturing. Secondary microplastics are tiny fragments formed by the breakage of large plastic waste (such as plastic bottles, fishing nets, and mulch films) in the natural environment due to ultraviolet radiation, physical abrasion, and chemical degradation.

[0064] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below.

[0065] Aerogels and their uses In some embodiments of the present invention, an aerogel is proposed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the aerogel comprises nanoparticles and biomass fibers, with the nanoparticles disposed on the surface of the biomass fibers; the nanoparticles include shellac; and the biomass fibers include chitin. The aerogel proposed in this invention has a roughened surface of micro / nanoparticles, abundant exposed active functional groups, and excellent amphiphilic interfaces, making it adaptable to oil-water mixtures of different types and concentrations of oils. It maintains structural stability and high-efficiency adsorption performance in complex static / dynamic digestive environments, wherein the types of oils include unsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the aerogel exhibits good biocompatibility and biodegradability, poses no risk of accumulation in vivo, and possesses dual functions of efficient microplastic removal and metabolic regulation. It can accelerate the transport and excretion of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract, while simultaneously reducing body fat accumulation, lowering blood triglyceride levels, promoting lipid excretion in feces, and regulating the body's energy metabolism.

[0066] According to embodiments of the present invention, shellac is a natural bioresin with an amphiphilic structure consisting of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ends, and is non-toxic, harmless, and biodegradable. It is a commonly used food additive and is widely used in the food industry. Shellac can simultaneously address the issue of hydrophilic fragility while maintaining the ultra-low density and high porosity of the aerogel, and still fulfill its function. The biomass fiber is a multi-layered fiber sheet with a high specific surface area, and its surface contains active functional groups such as amino, carboxyl, and acetamino groups, which can serve as active sites for the in-situ growth of micro / nano particles, providing ample adsorption sites for the capture of microplastics in oil-water mixtures. Among them, chitin has clear and irreplaceable technical advantages over chitosan with a higher degree of deacetylation: (1) It has higher mechanical strength, better crystallinity and structural regularity, and the aerogel it produces is not easy to break and is resistant to swelling, and the three-dimensional porous structure is more stable; (2) It has stronger chemical inertness, higher acetyl content, and is insoluble in strong acid and weak alkali environments, and its structure is stable, so it can maintain its complete function in the whole digestive tract; (3) Its biocompatibility is more controllable, and it is not easy to have non-specific interactions with digestive enzymes, proteins, etc., so it is more suitable for oral application scenarios; (4) Its pore structure has better durability, and it is not easy to collapse and block in oil-water and gastrointestinal systems, and the adsorption sites are continuously exposed, so the adsorption performance is more stable and reliable.

[0067] The combination of shellac and chitin has the following synergistic effects: (1) Structural synergy: While maintaining the ultra-low density, high porosity and three-dimensional interconnected channels of the aerogel, it significantly improves the water resistance and mechanical strength of the material, solving the common defects of pure chitin aerogel such as hydrophilic swelling, fragile structure and easy collapse in the gastrointestinal environment. (2) Interface synergy: Chitin provides polar sites such as hydroxyl, acetamino, and amino groups, while shellac provides hydrophobic segments and carboxyl sites. The two work together to construct a broad-spectrum amphiphilic adsorption interface, which greatly improves the adsorption capacity and selectivity for hydrophobic microplastics and oils, and the effect is significantly better than single chitin or shellac materials. (3) Environmental stability synergy: The composite aerogel is structurally stable in strong acid gastric juice, weak alkaline intestinal juice and digestive enzyme system, does not dissolve or collapse, and maintains food-grade safety and complete biodegradability, overcoming the problem of insufficient biosafety of traditional chemically modified materials. (4) Synergistic digestive regulation: It can moderately delay gastric emptying, prolong the time of food dispersion, and promote the enzymatic hydrolysis of fats, achieving bidirectional regulation of "gastric retention enhancement + efficient intestinal lipolysis", which is not available in single materials.

[0068] According to embodiments of the present invention, the mass ratio of the nanoparticles to the biomass fiber is 1:(1~60). Exemplarily, the mass ratio of the nanoparticles to the biomass fiber is 1:1, 1:2, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40 or 1:50, or any range between any two of the above values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the mass ratio of the nanoparticles to the biomass fiber is 1:(1~50), more preferably 1:(1~20).

[0069] According to embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the nanoparticles is 20 nm to 250 nm. Exemplarily, the diameter of the nanoparticles is 20 nm, 30 nm, 50 nm, 60 nm, 80 nm, 100 nm, 150 nm, 200 nm or 250 nm, or a range between any two of the above values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the nanoparticles is 30 nm to 200 nm; more preferably, it is 50 nm to 200 nm.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the water contact angle and oil contact angle of the aerogel are both <90°.

[0071] According to embodiments of the present invention, the nanoparticles further include at least one of the following: zein, wheat gliadin, soy gliadin, or gelatin.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the biomass fiber further includes at least one of the following: sodium alginate, cellulose, or starch fiber.

[0073] According to embodiments of the present invention, the degree of deacetylation of the chitin is 5% to 10%. Exemplarily, the degree of deacetylation of the chitin is 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, or 10%. Low-deacetylated chitin retains more acetylamino groups (-NHCOCH3), forming a stronger intermolecular hydrogen bond network that promotes the growth of polymer molecules into uniform micro / nano particles on the fiber surface, resulting in high mechanical strength, chemical stability, thermal stability, and structural integrity, while also being less expensive.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention proposes the use of the aforementioned aerogel in at least one of the following: (1) microplastic adsorption; (2) regulation of lipid metabolism.

[0075] According to embodiments of the present invention, the aerogel has a nano-roughened amphiphilic fiber surface with abundant exposed functional groups, exhibiting high interfacial accessibility. This allows for the efficient capture of microplastics in dietary-related oil-water mixtures and the complex static / dynamic digestive physiological environment within the body. The aerogel possesses dual functions of efficient microplastic removal and metabolic regulation, accelerating the transport and excretion of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract while reducing body fat accumulation, lowering blood triglyceride levels, promoting lipid excretion in feces, and regulating energy metabolism. This solves the problem of the inability to synergistically achieve these two functions in existing technologies, effectively mitigating the synergistic health risks caused by combined exposure to microplastics and high-fat diets, and providing a new approach to intervention in dietary-related microplastic contamination.

[0076] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the microplastic comprises polystyrene.

[0077] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aerogel has an adsorption capacity of 1 to 5 g / g for microplastics in an oil-water mixture. For example, the aerogel has an adsorption capacity of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 g / g for microplastics in an oil-water mixture.

[0078] According to embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the microplastic is 0.05 μm to 10 μm. Exemplarily, the diameter of the microplastic is 0.05 μm, 0.1 μm, 0.5 μm, 1 μm, 2 μm, 4 μm, 5 μm, 6 μm, 8 μm or 10 μm, or a range between any two of the above values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the microplastic is 0.1 μm to 5 μm.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aerogel regulates lipid metabolism through at least one of the following pathways: (1) reducing fat content; (2) reducing serum triglyceride content; (3) regulating the expression of key lipid metabolism enzymes, wherein the key lipid metabolism enzymes include at least one of triglyceride lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase or diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aerogel regulates lipid metabolism through at least one of the following pathways: (1) reducing fat content by 50%; (2) reducing serum triglyceride content by 20%; (3) significantly increasing the expression of lipases (ATG and HSL) and inhibiting the expression of lipase DGAT; (4) reshaping the liver lipid profile, wherein, compared with the control group that did not use aerogel, the number of differential lipid molecules exceeded 400. Among them, the main differential lipid molecules in the soybean oil high-fat diet model included phospholipid molecules such as PC, PG, PE, PC-O, PE-P, and PE-O, while the differential lipid molecules in the coconut oil high-fat model involved a wider range, also covering categories such as TG, DG, and FFA.

[0081] According to embodiments of the present invention, the aerogel exhibits synergistic regulatory effects at different stages of the digestive tract. The aerogel's regulation of lipid digestion is not a single-stage effect, but rather a synergistic regulation of the entire digestive tract through "enhanced gastric retention and promoted lipolysis in the small intestine." Specifically, by delaying gastric emptying, it achieves sufficient dispersion and initial enzymatic hydrolysis of chyme, addressing the problem of insufficient lipolysis in the small intestine due to excessively rapid gastric emptying of high-fat chyme; furthermore, it promotes lipolysis in the small intestine through its own interfacial properties, ultimately achieving an overall improvement in lipid digestion efficiency. These two aspects work synergistically and are indispensable, fully demonstrating the innovation and scientific basis of the aerogel's regulation of lipid digestion and metabolism in this invention.

[0082] Compositions, pharmaceuticals and their preparation and uses In some embodiments of the present invention, a composition is proposed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the composition comprises the aforementioned aerogel. The composition possesses both efficient microplastic removal and metabolic regulation functions, accelerating the transport and excretion of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract while reducing body fat accumulation, lowering blood triglyceride levels, promoting lipid excretion in feces, and regulating the body's energy metabolism.

[0083] According to embodiments of the present invention, the aerogel has a mass fraction of 50% to 90% in the composition. For example, the mass fraction of the aerogel in the composition is 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present invention, the use of the aforementioned aerogels or compositions in the preparation of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of metabolic diseases is proposed.

[0085] According to embodiments of the present invention, the metabolic disease includes at least one of the following: diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or obesity.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present invention, a medicament is proposed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the medicament comprises the aforementioned aerogel or composition. The medicament possesses dual functions of highly efficient microplastic removal and metabolic regulation, accelerating the transport and excretion of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract while reducing body fat accumulation, lowering blood triglyceride levels, promoting lipid excretion in feces, and regulating the body's energy metabolism. Furthermore, the medicament exhibits good biocompatibility, is biodegradable, poses no risk of in vivo accumulation, and is prepared without the use of toxic or harmful reagents. In vivo biosafety evaluations have verified that it has no hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity, meeting the stringent safety requirements for oral medical materials.

[0087] According to embodiments of the present invention, the aerogel is administered at a dosage of 60-300 μg / day. Exemplarily, the dosage is 60, 80, 85, 90, 100, 120, 140, 145, 150, 160, 180, 200, 250, or 300 μg / day, or a range between any two of the above values. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the dosage is 85-150 μg / day. The present invention uses a conversion between mouse and human dosages, and the drug, after this conversion, can effectively treat or / and prevent metabolic diseases. Those skilled in the art will understand that the dosage of the aerogel is not particularly limited. For example, the dosage can be set according to the characteristics of different target populations, such as the weight of the target population (e.g., 40 kg, 60 kg, 70 kg, 80 kg, 90 kg, or 100 kg), or it can be set according to the characteristics of the target population and the aerogel itself. For example, using the body surface area method, the dose conversion factor between mice and humans = human Km factor / animal Km factor. According to FDA guidelines, the human Km factor is 37, and the mouse Km factor is 3, resulting in a conversion factor of 12.3 for mouse and human dosages. Based on the mouse aerogel dosage of 60–300 μg / day, the human dosage = mouse dosage / 12.3, yielding a human compound aerogel dosage of 85–150 μg / day.

[0088] According to embodiments of the present invention, the medicament further comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, including any and all physiologically compatible solvents, dispersion media, coatings, antibacterial and antifungal agents, isotonic agents, and delayed absorption agents, etc. Specific examples may be one or more of water, saline, phosphate-buffered saline, glucose, glycerol, ethanol, mannitol, lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, etc., and combinations thereof. In many cases, the pharmaceutical composition includes isotonic agents, such as sugars, polyols (e.g., mannitol, sorbitol), or sodium chloride. Of course, a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier may also include trace amounts of excipients, such as wetting agents or emulsifiers, preservatives, or buffers, to prolong the shelf life or potency of the antibody.

[0089] According to embodiments of the present invention, the dosage form of the drug is at least one of an injectable formulation, an oral formulation, or an inhaled formulation. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dosage form of the drug is an oral formulation.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the injectable formulation is an injection solution or a lyophilized powder for injection.

[0091] According to embodiments of the present invention, the oral preparation is a tablet, capsule, granule, oral liquid / solution, or droplet.

[0092] According to embodiments of the present invention, the inhaled formulation is a solution, powder, or suspension thereof.

[0093] Preparation method In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for preparing the aforementioned aerogel is proposed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the method includes: freeze-drying a mixture of nanoparticles and biomass fibers to obtain the aerogel. The method is mild and controllable, does not use toxic or harmful reagents, produces no harmful byproducts, and has good clinical safety. Furthermore, the method is simple in its process steps, requires no special or expensive equipment, has mild reaction conditions, controllable process parameters, and is easy to scale up for industrial production, significantly reducing the cost of material preparation and application.

[0094] According to embodiments of the present invention, the method proposes that a polymer solution be added to a fibrous sheet substrate system. A mild antisolvent induces phase separation of the polymer, while the fibrous sheets, with their hierarchical structure and abundant active sites, uniformly anchor the polymer molecules. These polymers are then further assembled with subsequently added polymers through a hydrophobic and hydrogen bond network to form micro / nanoparticles. The resulting oral biomass fiber aerogel possesses a nano-roughened amphiphilic fiber surface, while simultaneously exposing abundant functional groups and exhibiting high interfacial accessibility.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the nanoparticle and biomass fiber mixture is obtained by first stirring a nanoparticle solution and a biomass fiber dispersion. The nanoparticles are then in-situ mixed and anchored to the surface of the biomass fibers. This in-situ anchoring method utilizes the abundant active functional groups on the surface of the biomass fiber sheets as growth and binding sites for the nanoparticles, ensuring that the nanoparticles are uniformly and firmly loaded onto the fiber sheet surface, preventing agglomeration and detachment, while maximizing the preservation of the multi-level porous structure of the biomass fiber substrate and the inherent properties of the nanoparticles. Compared to physical mixing methods, this in-situ anchoring process achieves hydrophobic interactions and synergistic hydrogen bond networks between the nanoparticles and biomass fibers, significantly improving the structural stability and interfacial bonding of the composite system, and endowing it with... The aerogel's nano-roughened amphiphilic surface and high interfacial accessibility enhance its adsorption efficiency for microplastics in oil-water mixtures, while also improving its structural tolerance in the gastrointestinal digestive environment. Furthermore, this in-situ anchoring process is carried out in a mild liquid environment, without the need for harsh reaction conditions such as high temperature and high pressure, and does not produce harmful byproducts, ensuring the biocompatibility of the aerogel. The process is also simple to operate and the parameters are easy to control, making it suitable for large-scale preparation. This lays a stable structural foundation for the subsequent realization of the dual functions of microplastic removal and lipid metabolism regulation in aerogels.

[0096] Furthermore, conventional techniques for preparing biomass fiber aerogels typically involve introducing cross-linking agents. While this significantly improves material properties, the introduction of cross-linking agents fills some pore spaces, leading to a decrease in porosity and specific surface area. Simultaneously, most cross-linking agents (such as pentanediol) are toxic, and residual unreacted cross-linking agents require complex removal processes; otherwise, there is a potential toxicity risk. The use of toxic cross-linking agents limits the biocompatibility and safety of the material. In contrast, the method proposed in this invention does not introduce cross-linking agents and achieves a stable multilayered fibrous network structure with good clinical safety through physical cross-linking methods (such as hydrogen bonding).

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present invention, before performing the first stirring, the biomass fiber is pre-immersed in an acid solution for 1 h to 10 h. Exemplarily, the biomass fiber is immersed in the acid solution for 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5 h, 6 h, 7 h, 8 h, 9 h, or 10 h, or a range between the above two values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the biomass fiber is immersed in the acid solution for 1 h to 6 h, more preferably 2 h to 5 h.

[0098] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes homogenizing and peeling the soaking product to obtain the biomass fiber dispersion. The biomass fiber dispersion comprises a multi-layered fiber sheet dispersion.

[0099] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the acid solution includes at least one of the following: formic acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid solution; to allow the biomass fibers to fully absorb water and swell.

[0100] According to embodiments of the present invention, the mass fraction of the acid solution is 0.05% to 5%. Exemplarily, the mass fraction of the acid solution is 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, or 5%, or a range between the above two values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the mass fraction of the acid solution is 0.05% to 2%. Wherein, the mass fraction of the acid solution refers to the initial mass fraction of the acid solution.

[0101] According to embodiments of the present invention, the homogenization stripping process is performed at 5000 rpm to 30000 rpm. Exemplarily, the homogenization stripping process is performed at 5000 rpm, 8000 rpm, 10000 rpm, 15000 rpm, 20000 rpm, 25000 rpm, or 30000 rpm, or a range between the two values ​​mentioned above. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the homogenization stripping process is performed at 10000 rpm to 20000 rpm.

[0102] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the homogenization stripping time is 5 min to 60 min. For example, the homogenization stripping time is 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 40 min, 50 min or 60 min, or a range between the above two values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the homogenization stripping time is 10 min to 30 min.

[0103] According to an embodiment of the present invention, before performing the first stirring, the nanoparticles are added to an organic solution for dissolution treatment to obtain the nanoparticle solution, wherein the organic solution includes at least one of the following: methanol, ethanol, formic acid or acetic acid solution.

[0104] According to embodiments of the present invention, the volume fraction of the organic solution is 50% to 100%. Exemplarily, the volume fraction of the organic solution is 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%, or a range between the above two values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the volume fraction of the organic solution is 60% to 100%.

[0105] According to embodiments of the present invention, the concentration of the nanoparticle solution is 1 mg / mL to 40 mg / mL. Exemplarily, the concentration of the nanoparticle solution is 1 mg / mL, 2 mg / mL, 5 mg / mL, 8 mg / mL, 10 mg / mL, 15 mg / mL, 20 mg / mL, 25 mg / mL, 30 mg / mL, 35 mg / mL, or 40 mg / mL, or a range between the above two values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the concentration of the nanoparticle solution is 2 mg / mL to 20 mg / mL.

[0106] According to an embodiment of the present invention, during the first stirring, the rate at which the nanoparticle solution is added to the biomass fiber dispersion is 0.05 mL / min to 0.5 mL / min. Exemplarily, the rate at which the nanoparticle solution is added to the biomass fiber dispersion is 0.05 mL / min, 0.1 mL / min, 0.2 mL / min, 0.3 mL / min, 0.4 mL / min, or 0.5 mL / min, or a range between the above two values. The stirring rate is 400-1000 rpm. Exemplarily, the stirring rate is 400 rpm, 500 rpm, 600 rpm, 700 rpm, 800 rpm, 900 rpm, or 1000 rpm, or a range between the above two values. Controlling the addition rate of the nanoparticles enables the nanoparticles to be uniformly distributed on the surface of the biomass fibers.

[0107] According to an embodiment of the present invention, after the first stirring and before the freeze drying, the acid solution in the biomass fiber dispersion is removed.

[0108] According to embodiments of the present invention, the removal of the acid solution is achieved by at least one of the following methods: solvent evaporation, dialysis, or rotary evaporation.

[0109] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the freeze-drying includes a first freeze-drying process, wherein the conditions of the first freeze-drying process are -20°C to -50°C. Exemplarily, the conditions of the first freeze-drying process are -20°C, -25°C, -30°C, -35°C, -40°C, -45°C, or -50°C, or a range between the above two values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the conditions of the first freeze-drying process are -20°C to -40°C.

[0110] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the time for the first freeze-drying process is 5 h to 15 h. Exemplarily, the time for the first freeze-drying process is 5 h, 8 h, 10 h, 12 h, 14 h or 15 h, or a range between the above two values. According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the time for the first freeze-drying process is 8 h to 12 h.

[0111] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the freeze-drying further includes a second freeze-drying process, wherein the temperature of the second freeze-drying process is -50°C to -40°C. Exemplarily, the temperature of the second freeze-drying process is -50°C, -45°C, or -40°C.

[0112] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure of the second freeze-drying process is 0.01 Pa to 0.1 Pa. For example, the pressure of the second freeze-drying process is 0.01 Pa, 0.02 Pa, 0.04 Pa, 0.05 Pa, 0.06 Pa, 0.08 Pa or 0.1 Pa.

[0113] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the time for the second freeze-drying process is 24 h to 48 h. For example, the time for the second freeze-drying process is 24 h, 28 h, 30 h, 32 h, 34 h, 36 h, 38 h, 40 h, 42 h, 44 h, 46 h or 48 h.

[0114] Methods for removing microplastics and controlling lipids In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for removing microplastics is proposed. According to embodiments of the present invention, the method includes contacting the aforementioned aerogel, composition, or drug with the microplastics. This method for removing microplastics is adaptable to oil-water mixtures of different types and concentrations of oils, exhibiting an adsorption capacity for microplastics as high as 1-5 g / g, and maintaining structural stability and high adsorption efficiency in complex static / dynamic digestion environments. It should be noted that the method for removing microplastics described in this invention can be performed in vivo and / or in vitro.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for controlling lipids in vitro is proposed. According to embodiments of the present invention, this includes contacting the aforementioned aerogel, composition, or drug with lipids. The method proposed in this invention can efficiently degrade triglycerides.

[0116] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0117] Example 1: Preparation of shellac:chitin = 1:20 shellac nanoparticle-supported chitin fiber aerogel 1) Pretreatment of chitin fiber substrate: Weigh 0.5g of chitin powder (purchased from Zhejiang Jinke Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), add it to 100mL of 0.1vt% acetic acid solution, and impregnate with magnetic stirring at room temperature for 4h to allow the fiber to fully absorb water; 2) Chitosan fiber peeling: Using a high-speed homogenizer (purchased from Aika (Guangzhou) Instrument Equipment Co., Ltd.), the chitosan fiber sheets were fully peeled and swollen at 15,000 rpm for 15 minutes to form a transparent gel-like solution. 3) Preparation of shellac solution: Weigh 0.05g of shellac granules (shellac: chitin = 1:20, shellac purchased from Shanghai Leyan Biological Reagent Co., Ltd.), add to 25mL of anhydrous ethanol, and stir magnetically at room temperature for 2h until completely dissolved to obtain a shellac solution of 1mg / mL. 4) In-situ mixing and anchoring: The shellac ethanol solution is loaded into a syringe and fixed to the push pump. It is pumped into the chitin fiber swelling solution at a constant rate of 20 mL / h, while continuously stirring mechanically at 600 rpm. After the addition is completed, stirring is continued for 1 hour to allow the shellac to be completely transformed into nanoparticles and attached to the chitin fiber sheets. 5) Organic solvent removal: Transfer the above mixture to an evaporating dish and place it on a 50°C water bath with a stirrer. Slowly evaporate the anhydrous ethanol by solvent evaporation to dryness. Finally, add 0.1 wt% solution to bring the total solid content in the system to 0.5 wt%. 6) Freeze-drying molding: The composite slurry after removing organic solvents was packaged into a 96-well plate and pre-frozen in a -40℃ freezer to allow the slurry to fully gel and form an ice crystal template; then it was transferred to a freeze dryer and freeze-dried at -45℃ and 0.05Pa for 48h. The ice crystal template was removed to obtain shellac nanoparticle-loaded chitin fiber aerogel, denoted as SCT1 / 20.

[0118] Example 2: Preparation of shellac:chitin = 1:10 shellac nanoparticle-supported chitin fiber aerogel The only difference from Example 1 is the preparation of the shellac solution: 0.10 g of shellac particles (shellac: chitosan = 1:10) were weighed and added to 25 mL of anhydrous ethanol. The mixture was magnetically stirred at room temperature for 6 h until completely dissolved, yielding a 2 mg / mL shellac solution. The remaining steps were the same as in Example 1, resulting in shellac nanoparticle-loaded chitosan fiber aerogel SCT1 / 10.

[0119] Example 3: Preparation of shellac:chitin = 1:2 shellac nanoparticle-supported chitin fiber aerogel The only difference from Example 1 is the preparation of the shellac solution: 0.25 g of shellac particles (shellac: chitin = 1:2) were weighed and added to 25 mL of anhydrous ethanol, and magnetically stirred at room temperature for 120 min until completely dissolved, yielding a shellac solution of 10 mg / mL. The remaining steps were the same as in Example 1, resulting in shellac nanoparticle-loaded chitin fiber aerogel SCT1 / 2.

[0120] Example 4: Preparation of zein-modified chitin fiber aerogel (1:8 ratio) 1) Pretreatment of chitin fiber substrate: Weigh 0.2g of chitin powder, add it to 40mL of 0.05vt% acetic acid solution, and impregnate with magnetic stirring at room temperature for 4h to allow the fiber to fully absorb water; 2) Chitosan fiber peeling: Using a high-speed homogenizer, the chitosan fiber sheets were fully peeled and swollen at 10,000 rpm for 10 minutes to form a transparent gel-like solution, resulting in a 0.5 wt% chitosan acetate swelling solution. 3) Preparation of zein solution: Weigh 0.025g of zein powder (zein: chitin = 1:8, zein powder purchased from Shanghai Bied Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.), add it to 5mL of 80vt% ethanol solution, and stir magnetically at room temperature for 120min until completely dissolved to obtain a 5mg / mL zein solution. 4) In-situ mixing and anchoring: The zein solution was loaded into a syringe and fixed to the push pump. It was pumped into the chitin fiber swelling solution at a constant rate of 0.2 mL / min, while the mechanical stirring was continuously maintained at 800 rpm. After the addition was completed, stirring was continued for 1 hour to allow the zein to be transformed into nanoparticles and attached to the chitin fiber sheets. 5) Organic solvent removal: Transfer the above mixture into a dialysis bag (with a flow rate of 14000 Da) and dialyze continuously for 48 hours to remove ethanol and acetic acid from the mixture; 6) Freeze-drying molding: The composite slurry after removing organic solvents was packaged into a 96-well plate and pre-frozen in a -40℃ freezer to allow the slurry to fully gel and form an ice crystal template; then it was transferred to a freeze dryer and freeze-dried at -45℃ and 0.05Pa for 48h. The ice crystal template was removed to obtain chitin fiber aerogel ZCT1 / 8 loaded with zein particles.

[0121] Example 5: Preparation of zein-modified chitin fiber aerogel (1:2 ratio) The only difference from Example 4 is the preparation of the zein solution: 0.1 g of zein powder (zein: chitin = 1:2) was weighed and added to 5 mL of 80 vt% ethanol solution. The solution was magnetically stirred at room temperature for 120 min until completely dissolved to obtain a 20 mg / mL zein solution. The remaining steps were the same as in Example 4 to obtain zein particle-loaded chitin fiber aerogel ZCT1 / 2.

[0122] Preparation of comparative chitin fiber aerogels 1) Pretreatment of chitin fiber substrate: Weigh 0.5g of chitin powder, add it to 100mL of 0.1vt% acetic acid solution, and impregnate with magnetic stirring at room temperature for 4h to allow the fiber to fully absorb water; 2) Chitosan fiber peeling: Using a high-speed homogenizer, homogenize at 15,000 rpm for 15 minutes to fully peel and swell the chitosan fiber sheets, forming a transparent gel-like solution. 3) Freeze-drying molding: The composite slurry after removing organic solvents is packaged into a 96-well plate and pre-frozen in a -40℃ freezer to allow the slurry to fully gel and form an ice crystal template; then it is transferred to a freeze dryer and freeze-dried at -45℃ and 0.05Pa for 48h to remove the ice crystal template and obtain pure chitin fiber aerogel.

[0123] Example 6 Aerogel performance test The aerogels prepared in Examples 1-5 and the comparative examples were subjected to electron microscopy scanning, water capillary angle testing, and optical state in an oil-water mixed solution. The oil-water mixed solution in this example is a soybean oil-water mixed solution.

[0124] Characterization by field emission scanning electron microscopy (Zeiss GeminiSEM 500, Carl Zeiss, UK): The obtained aerogels (Examples 1-5 and comparative examples) were cut into thin slices of about 1 mm using a blade. These slices were then attached to the center of the SEM sample stage using conductive adhesive. The sample stage with the attached samples was placed in an ion sputtering instrument with the following coating parameters: current 10 mA, time 90 s, and vacuum degree 0.01 Pa. The sample surface was then sputtered with gold to enhance its conductivity. The gold-sputtered sample stage was then placed in the field emission scanning electron microscope with the following test parameters: accelerating voltage 5 kV, working distance 6 mm. The sample surface and interface were scanned at magnifications of 200x, 1000x, and 5000x to acquire microscopic morphology images. The porous structure, fiber sheet state, and nanoparticle anchoring / loading of each sample were recorded.

[0125] The water contact angle of the sample was tested using an optical contact angle / interfacial tension meter (MODEL SL200KS, authorized by Kono Industries, Inc., USA, and manufactured by Shanghai Solon Information Technology Co., Ltd.) (taking Example 2 as an example): The aerogel was pressed into a dense thin sheet using a hot press to characterize its intrinsic hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. The sheet was then dried in a vacuum drying oven at 40°C for 1 hour to remove adsorbed moisture and impurities from the sample surface. The sheet was then laid flat on a glass slide, and the sample edges were gently pressed to ensure that the sample was flat and wrinkle-free. The glass slide was fixed on the sample stage of the contact angle meter, and the sample stage was adjusted to a horizontal position. Ultrapure water / liquid paraffin was drawn up using a 10μL microsyringe, and ultrapure water was slowly added to the sample surface (single drop volume 0.5μL) to avoid impact during the droplet process that could cause droplet deformation. After the droplet was added, the contact angle meter was immediately started, and the contact angle image between the droplet and the sample surface was acquired using the stop-drop method. The instrument automatically fitted and calculated the contact angle value using the Yang-Laplace equation.

[0126] Optical photographs: Soybean oil and ultrapure water were stained with Sudan III and methylene blue for differentiation and observation. 1.5 mL of the stained water / oil was transferred with a pipette to prepare a mixed solution. Aerogel was added to the water layer and the oil layer respectively. After standing for 2 hours, the dispersion of the sample in the oil-water mixture was observed with a camera, as well as the binding of the sample with the oil / water phase after the sample was removed from the glass bottle and placed in a petri dish.

[0127] Microplastic adsorption capacity determination: Accurately weigh 1 mg of the aerogel from the comparative examples and Examples 1-5, place it in a 5 mL glass sample bottle, and add 3 mL of a 1 mg / mL polystyrene microplastic oil-water suspension. Place the sample in a constant temperature shaker and incubate at 37°C and 150 rpm to achieve adsorption under dynamic conditions. The fluorescence intensity of the mixture before and after adsorption was measured using an Edinburgh FS5 fluorescence spectrophotometer, and the concentration of polystyrene microplastics was calculated according to the standard calibration curve. The adsorption capacity Qe (unit: mg / g) was calculated according to the following formula:

[0128] In the formula: C0 and C are the concentrations of polystyrene microplastics before and after adsorption, respectively, in mg / mL; V is the volume of the mixed solution, in mL; and m is the mass of the SCT composite aerogel, in g.

[0129] The experimental results are attached. Figure 1 and attached Figure 2As shown, compared to the comparative example of pure chitin aerogel, the aerogels shown in Examples 1-5 exhibit higher porosity and a multi-level structure. SEM images reveal that Comparative Example a (pure chitin aerogel) displays a three-dimensional interconnected porous structure with pore sizes of approximately 20–100 μm at low magnification. The pore walls are smooth, continuous chitin fiber membranes. At high magnification, the surface is flat and free of nanoparticles, consisting only of naturally stacked fiber sheets, resulting in a loose structure and thinner pore walls. Examples b–f (aerogels loaded with nanoparticles) all retain a three-dimensional porous network. At low magnification, the pore size distribution is more uniform (approximately 30–150 μm; in groups e and f, the pore size is approximately 50–200 μm), and the pore walls are thicker and denser. At medium magnification, obvious wrinkles and protrusions are visible on the pore wall surface due to nanoparticle anchoring, avoiding the problem of easily damaged pore walls in pure chitin aerogel and significantly improving structural stability. Under high magnification, shellac particles with a diameter of 50–200 nm are uniformly distributed on the surface of groups b–d (shellac nanoparticle loading), while groups e–f (zein modified) are covered with dense protein nanoparticles of 30–150 nm. The particles are firmly anchored on the fiber sheets without aggregation or detachment, forming a nano-roughened amphiphilic interface. The water contact angle and oil contact angle of the aerogel are both <90°.

[0130] This structure allows the aerogel to retain the hydrophilic properties of chitin while introducing hydrophobic groups from nanoparticles, providing abundant adsorption sites for microplastics and lipids. At the same time, the nanoparticles act as "structural reinforcement points," enhancing the mechanical properties of the pore walls and enabling the aerogel to withstand the gastrointestinal digestive environment for 24 hours while maintaining structural integrity. This lays the structural foundation for achieving efficient microplastic capture and lipid metabolism regulation.

[0131] The adsorption capacity results are attached. Figure 3 As shown, the adsorption capacity of Examples (1, 2, 4 and 5) is better than that of the comparative examples. Among them, Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) has the best adsorption capacity for microplastics, with an adsorption capacity 1.6 times that of the comparative examples.

[0132] Example 7: Microplastic Adsorption Performance Test in Oil-Water Mixture Using Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) as the core sample, the adsorption performance of a mixed oil-water system of soybean oil (purchased from Jiusan Grain and Oil Industry Group Co., Ltd.) and coconut oil (purchased from Xiri Impression JD.com flagship store) was tested. The effects of three factors—adsorption time, PS microplastic concentration, and PS microplastic size—on the adsorption capacity were investigated. All experiments were performed in triplicate, and the results were averaged. The core test steps and results are as follows: 1) Test system configuration: Soybean oil and coconut oil were selected, and oil-water mixtures with oil contents of 4vt% and 13vt% were prepared respectively (to simulate the oil content in standard diet and high-fat diet). Fluorescent polystyrene microspheres (purchased from Dae Goose (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd.) were added as model microplastics to prepare reaction solutions (PS microplastics). 2) Effect of adsorption time on adsorption capacity: 1 μm PS microplastics (concentration 1000 mg / L) were added to two oil systems, and aerogel was added at 0.33 g / L. The mixture was shaken at 37℃ and 150 rpm. Samples were taken at different time points, and the adsorption capacity was measured using a fluorescence spectrophotometer.

[0133] 3) Effect of PS microplastic concentration on adsorption capacity: 1 μm PS microplastics (concentrations of 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 2000 mg / L) were added to two oil systems, and aerogel was added at 0.33 g / L. After constant temperature shaking at 37℃ and 150 rpm for 24 h, the remaining concentration was tested using a fluorescence spectrophotometer and the adsorption capacity was calculated.

[0134] 4) Effect of PS microplastic size on adsorption capacity: PS microplastics of different sizes (100nm, 500nm, 1μm, 5μm, concentration 1000mg / L) were added to two oil systems respectively, and aerogel was added at 0.33g / L. The systems were kept at 37℃ and 150rpm for 24h and the adsorption capacity was measured.

[0135] 5) Effect of PS microplastic functionalization on adsorption capacity: Carboxyl-functionalized PS microspheres were added to two different systems, and aerogel was added at 0.33 g / L. The systems were kept at 37 °C and 150 rpm for 24 h, and the adsorption capacity was measured.

[0136] Electron microscopy was performed on PS plastics captured by aerogels and on surfaces cleaned with ethanol after 24 hours of adsorption in two oil systems with a concentration of 1000 mg / L and a particle size of 1 μm. The materials were then removed and cleaned with anhydrous ethanol to remove PS particles and oils that were not completely fixed on the surface. The washing was repeated three times. After freeze-drying, the materials were cut into thin slices and the adsorption of PS on the material surface was observed using a field emission scanning electron microscope at 5 kV and 10 mA.

[0137] Specific experimental results are as follows: Figure 4 and attached Figure 5As shown, the aerogel can effectively absorb and capture microplastics. Specifically, the adsorption capacity in both systems increases rapidly with time, reaching 1440. At the adsorption equilibrium reached, the equilibrium adsorption capacities of the soybean oil (4%), soybean oil (13%), coconut oil (4%), and coconut oil (13%) systems were 2.46 g / g, 1.82 g / g, 2.60 g / g, and 2.62 g / g, respectively. The adsorption capacity increased with increasing microplastic concentration. At a concentration of 2000 mg / L, the adsorption capacities of the soybean oil system were 2.66 and 3.91 g / g, respectively, and the saturated adsorption capacities of the coconut oil system were 3.76 and 4.55 g / g, respectively. The adsorption capacity increased with increasing microplastic size. The adsorption capacities of 1 μm microplastics in soybean oil (4%), soybean oil (13%), coconut oil (4%), and coconut oil (13%) were 1.75 g / g, 2.77 g / g, 2.65 g / g, and 2.53 g / g, respectively. The adsorption capacity decreased after carboxyl functionalization.

[0138] Example 8: Validation of the gastrointestinal stability of shellac nanoparticle-supported chitin fiber aerogel Using Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) as the core sample, the long-term structural stability of the material in artificial gastric and intestinal fluids was verified. The specific experimental steps are as follows: Gastric fluid stability test: Weigh 1 mg of aerogel sample and add it to artificial gastric fluid (purchased from Feijing Biotechnology Co., Ltd.). Shake continuously at 37℃ and 150 rpm for 24 h, maintaining the pH of the system at 1.2 throughout the process. After 24 h, take out the sample, wash it repeatedly with deionized water, and freeze-dry it for characterization.

[0139] Intestinal fluid stability test: Weigh the aerogel sample and add it to artificial intestinal fluid (purchased from Feijing Biotechnology Co., Ltd.). Vibrate continuously at 37℃ and 150rpm for 24h, maintaining the pH of the system at 7.4 throughout the process. After 24h, take out the sample, wash and freeze-dry it in the same way as above, and use it for characterization.

[0140] Characterization using field emission scanning electron microscopy (Zeiss GeminiSEM 500, Carl Zeiss, UK): The obtained aerogel was cut into thin slices of approximately 1 mm using a blade. These slices were then adhered to the center of the SEM sample stage using conductive adhesive. The sample stage with the adhered sample was placed in an ion sputtering instrument with the following coating parameters: current 10 mA, time 90 s, vacuum degree 0.01 Pa. Gold sputtering was performed on the sample surface to enhance its conductivity. The gold-sputtered sample stage was then placed in the field emission scanning electron microscope with the following test parameters: accelerating voltage 5 kV, working distance 6 mm. The sample surface and interface were scanned at magnifications of 200x, 1000x, and 5000x to acquire microscopic morphology images. The porous structure, fiber sheet state, and nanoparticle anchoring / loading status of each sample were recorded. Atomic Force Microscope (SPM-9700HT, Tsushima, Japan): The dried aerogel sample is placed in a hot press and pressed into a flat, thin sheet under mild conditions of 40℃ and 1MPa. This ensures the sample surface is free of obvious protrusions and wrinkles, preventing probe damage during testing. The hot-pressed aerogel sheet is then smoothly adhered to the atomic force microscope's sample stage, using double-sided conductive adhesive to secure the sample edges, ensuring a tight fit between the sample and the stage without loosening or shifting, preventing sample displacement during probe scanning. Tapping mode is selected, and the silicon probe is installed. Under no-load conditions, probe tip calibration, laser focusing, and amplitude adjustment are performed to ensure probe sensitivity and scanning accuracy meet testing requirements. The sample stage with the fixed sample is placed in the instrument's test chamber. The stage position is adjusted so that the probe tip is close to the sample surface, completing probe-sample contact positioning. Scanning parameters are set: scanning range 5μm×5μm, scanning rate 1.0Hz, resolution 512×512 pixels. Surface morphology, height map, and roughness data for each region are recorded.

[0141] Specific experimental results are attached. Figure 6 As shown, the shellac nanoparticle-loaded chitin fiber aerogel prepared by this invention has excellent structural stability in the gastrointestinal environment. After continuous vibration with gastric and intestinal fluids for 24 hours, the hierarchical porous structure remains intact without collapse, swelling, dissociation, or breakage. The shellac nanoparticles do not detach or aggregate. This aerogel can withstand the physiological acid-base environment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and mechanical peristalsis vibration of the human stomach and small intestine, providing a stable structural basis for the continuous action of the material in the gastrointestinal tract.

[0142] Example 9: Static three-stage digestion simulation experiment based on INGOSET2 to verify the digestibility of small intestinal lipids. Using Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) as the core sample, the INGOSET2 international standard static in vitro digestion model was employed to simulate the three-stage continuous digestion process of the human mouth-stomach-small intestine. The combined effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS) and the aerogel (SCT) on the gastrointestinal digestion of dietary lipids and the regulatory effect of the aerogel were investigated. Soybean oil and coconut oil were used (consistent with subsequent animal modeling). Four experimental systems were set up and repeated three times, and the results were averaged. Specific experimental results are as follows: 1. Experimental grouping: Two oil systems, soybean oil and coconut oil, were set up. Each oil system was divided into 4 experimental groups with 2 parallel samples. The specific groups were: (1) blank oil-water mixture group (SH / CH group); (2) polystyrene microplastic-oil-water mixture group (SH / CH+PS group); (3) aerogel-oil-water mixture group (SH / CH+SCT group); (4) polystyrene microplastic-aerogel-oil-water mixture group (SH / CH+PS+SCT group). The weight ratio of oil added was 13%, and the content of aerogel added was 1g / L.

[0143] 2. Oral digestion stage: Add the corresponding proportion of raw materials and an equal volume of artificial saliva (containing mucin and physiologically balanced salts, purchased from Feijing Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) to each experimental group system, shake at 37℃ and 150rpm for 5 minutes to simulate oral chewing and preliminary digestion, and then directly transfer to the gastric stage.

[0144] 3. Stomach stage digestion: Add an equal volume of artificial gastric juice (containing pepsin) to the digestion products from the oral cavity stage, and incubate at 37°C for 2 hours to simulate the digestion process in the stomach. After completion, directly transfer to the small intestine stage.

[0145] 4. Small intestine digestion: Add an equal volume of artificial intestinal fluid (containing bile salts, pancreatic enzymes, and pancreatic lipase) to the chyme in the stomach. Adjust the pH of the system to 7.0 with hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solution to simulate the intestinal environment. Incubate the system in a 37°C water bath for 2 hours. Throughout the incubation, the pH is maintained at 7.0 by continuously adding sodium hydroxide solution, and the amount of sodium hydroxide consumed is recorded in real time.

[0146] 5. Determination of free fatty acid content and lipid digestibility: (1) Calculate the free fatty acid (FFA) release rate based on the sodium hydroxide consumption to evaluate the lipid digestion level. The calculation formula is as follows: Free fatty acid release rate (%) = (C(NaOH)×V(NaOH)×M(Lipid)) / (2×m(Lipid))×100% In the formula: C(NaOH) is the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution (mol / L), V(NaOH) is the amount of sodium hydroxide consumed during fat hydrolysis (L), M(Lipid) is the molecular weight of the fat used (g / mol), and m(Lipid) is the mass of the fat added in the experiment (g).

[0147] (2) Referring to the national standard GB5009.168 and with slight modifications, the composition of free fatty acids in the digestion liquid after lipolysis was analyzed: Total lipids were extracted from the digestion products using a mixture of diethyl ether and petroleum ether, and the free fatty acids were separated from undigested glycerides by solid-phase extraction using a commercial silica gel column (purchased from Agilent Technologies). The purified free fatty acids were esterified into fatty acid methyl esters by methanol esterification with sulfuric acid-methanol solution, and the fatty acid methyl esters were analyzed by high performance gas chromatography, and quantitative detection was completed based on the peak area in combination with the external standard curve.

[0148] Specific experimental results are attached. Figure 7 As shown in a-7d, the time-dependent lipid digestion results indicated that the release of free fatty acids (FFA) gradually increased with time. After 2 hours of digestion, the FFA release amounts in the SH, SH+PS, SH+SCT, and SH+PS+SCT groups were 22.17%, 24.34%, 25.55%, and 29.55%, respectively; while the FFA release amounts in the CH, CH+PS, CH+SCT, and CH+PS+SCT groups were 55.90%, 57.79%, 57.13%, and 60.26%, respectively. PS alone had no significant effect on lipid hydrolysis, while SCT alone only increased the degree of lipolysis in soybean oil (p < 0.05). The coexistence of PS and SCT simultaneously promoted the lipolysis of both soybean oil and coconut oil. The higher FFA release in the coconut oil model compared to the soybean oil model is due to the fundamental differences in the composition of the two oils; the fatty acid chains in coconut oil are shorter, making them more susceptible to lipid hydrolysis.

[0149] Example 10: Dynamic digestion simulation experiment based on a human dynamic stomach device to verify the relationship between intestinal pH changes and gastric retention rate. Using Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) as the core sample, a human dynamic in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (DIVHS) system was employed to simulate the dynamic digestive process of the human gastrointestinal tract under a high-fat diet. The combined regulatory effect of polystyrene microplastics (PS) and the aerogel (SCT) on the digestive process was investigated. Soybean oil and coconut oil were used (consistent with the static digestion experiment and subsequent animal modeling). Four systems were set up and repeated three times, and the results were averaged. The specific experimental steps are as follows: 1. Preparation of high-fat food model: A high-fat food model (HFFM) was prepared according to the existing formula. Sodium caseinate (purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, USA) was used as the protein source, sucrose as the carbohydrate source, corn starch as the starch source, pectin (purchased from Shanghai Maclean Biochemical Technology Co., Ltd.) as the dietary fiber source, and sodium chloride as the mineral source. Soybean oil and coconut oil were added as high-fat components to construct a food system that simulates a high-fat diet, as shown in Table 1.

[0150] Table 1

[0151] 2. Experimental grouping: Four experimental groups were set up, consistent with the static digestion experiment, with three parallel samples in each group. The specific groups were as follows: (1) Blank control group (high-fat food model only); (2) Polystyrene microplastic group (high-fat food model + PS); (3) Aerogel group (high-fat food model + SCT aerogel); (4) Polystyrene microplastic-aerogel composite group (high-fat food model + PS + SCT aerogel); The amount of polystyrene plastic and aerogel added was 60mg / 150g HFFM.

[0152] 3. Pre-treatment before the experiment: The human dynamic gastric digestive system and all artificial simulated digestive fluids were preheated to 37°C to ensure that the digestive environment was consistent with the physiological temperature of the human body.

[0153] 4. Initiation and execution of dynamic digestion process: Weigh 40g of high-fat food model and mix it with 110g of water and homogenize it. As described in the experimental group, add aerogel and PS respectively. Add the mixture to the oral cavity of the dynamic digestion system to start the human gastrointestinal dynamic digestion program. The total digestion time is set to 120min.

[0154] 5. Sample collection and index detection: (1) pH measurement: every 20 minutes, chyme samples were collected from the gastric and intestinal chambers of the system, and the pH value of the chyme samples at each time point was immediately measured. The dynamic pH changes of gastric chyme and intestinal chyme were recorded.

[0155] (2) Calculation of gastric retention rate: Gastric emptying behavior is evaluated by the gastric retention rate. The formula for calculating the gastric retention rate is: Gastric retention rate (%) = m1 / (m0 + m2) × 100% Where: m0 is the initial mass of food added (g), m1 is the mass of contents in the gastric cavity at a certain time point (g), and m2 is the cumulative mass of artificial gastric fluid injected into the gastric cavity up to that time point (g). Detailed operating parameters of the human dynamic gastric digestive system are set as shown in Table 2.

[0156] Table 2

[0157] The experimental results are attached. Figure 7As shown in e-7g, the pH of gastric juice in different groups showed a consistent trend over time, rising in the first 20 minutes and then gradually decreasing due to gastric emptying and continuous gastric juice secretion. Upon entering the small intestine model, the intestinal pH gradually decreased as lipids were continuously hydrolyzed into free fatty acids by pancreatic enzymes. Neither PS nor SCT had a significant effect on the final intestinal pH in any of the different models. However, the final intestinal pH in the soybean oil high-fat diet model was significantly lower than that in the coconut oil high-fat diet model. Adding PS or SCT alone had no significant effect on the gastric retention rate, but the combined use of both (PS+SCT) significantly increased the gastric retention rate, providing more sufficient reaction time for initial digestive enzymes in the stomach. This allowed for more thorough dispersion and initial hydrolysis of chyme before entering the small intestine, laying the foundation for efficient lipolysis in the subsequent small intestine stage.

[0158] Example 11 In vivo biosafety assessment of aerogels Using the shellac nanoparticle-loaded chitin fiber aerogel (SCT1 / 10) prepared in Example 2 as the core sample, 6-week-old male C57BL / 6 mice (purchased from Hubei Beinte Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) were selected. A comprehensive in vivo biocompatibility assessment was conducted by comparing normal diet feeding with diet supplemented with aerogel, focusing on five dimensions: biochemical indicators, glucose tolerance, blood lipid indicators, metabolic cage-related parameters, and adipose tissue morphology and weight, to verify the biocompatibility of the material after oral ingestion. The specific experimental steps are as follows: 1. Grouping of experimental animals: Healthy C57BL / 6 male rats were selected and randomly divided into a blank control group and an experimental group, with 5 rats in each group. After acclimatization for 1 week, the experiment was carried out.

[0159] 2. Feeding method: The blank control group was fed a basic normal diet (purchased from Shulaibao (Wuhan) Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) for 60 days. The experimental group mice were fed a basic normal diet for 30 days. Then, the aerogel was ground into a fine powder. 180mg of aerogel was added to 500g of feed, mixed evenly, pressed into shape using a mold, sterilized and disinfected, and fed for another 30 days. Both groups of mice had free access to food and water, and the feeding environment was the same.

[0160] 3. Sample collection and indicator detection: After 28 days of feeding, both groups of mice underwent standardized testing. The specific steps are as follows: (1) Biochemical index detection: Whole blood was collected from mice by cardiac puncture, serum was separated by centrifugation, and core biochemical indicators related to liver and kidney function (liver function indicators ALT, AST, TP and ALP; kidney function indicators BUN and CREA) were measured. (2) Glucose tolerance test: Mice were subjected to glucose tolerance test, and blood glucose indicators (GTTAUC and ITTAUC) were measured at different time points to assess blood glucose regulation ability; (3) Blood lipid index detection: Serum samples were used to measure blood lipid-related indicators such as total cholesterol and triglycerides; (4) Detection of metabolic cage parameters: Mice were placed in metabolic cages (Oxymax / CLAMS system) and monitored continuously for 24 hours. Metabolic parameters such as oxygen consumption, heat production, food intake, water intake, feces and urine output were recorded. (5) Adipose tissue detection: After the mice were sacrificed, the adipose tissue in the epididymis, perirenal region, groin and other parts was separated, and optical photographs of the adipose tissue were taken. The weight of the fat in each part was weighed and the total weight of the fat was calculated.

[0161] 4. Statistical analysis of data: Compare the differences in various test indicators between the two groups of mice to verify the effect of adding aerogel to the feed on the normal physiological state of mice.

[0162] Specific experimental results are attached. Figure 8 As shown, the core indicators related to liver and kidney function and the area under the blood glucose curve in the experimental group mice were not significantly different from those in the blank control group, indicating that oral ingestion of aerogel does not cause damage to the liver and kidneys of mice and does not interfere with the blood glucose metabolism process in mice; as shown in the attached figure. Figure 9 and attached Figure 10 As shown, the weight of epididymal and inguinal white fat, and serum triglyceride levels were significantly lower in the epididymal and inguinal white fat groups than in the control group, while fecal oil excretion was significantly higher in the epididymal and inguinal white fat groups than in the control group; Figure 11 As shown, oxygen consumption, heat production, respiratory entropy, total horizontal exercise volume, and energy consumption were all higher than those of the control group; indicating that the oral biomass fiber aerogel prepared in this invention has excellent in vivo biosafety and can regulate the metabolic process in mice, providing important biosafety and functional guarantees for subsequent in vivo intervention experiments of the material.

[0163] Example 12 Dynamic characterization of microplastic removal effect of aerogel in vivo over 24 hours based on in vivo fluorescence imaging Using Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) as the core sample, in vivo and in vitro fluorescence imaging experiments were conducted in mice using a small animal in vivo optical imaging system to dynamically track the biodistribution characteristics of polystyrene microplastics (PS) in mice over 24 hours. The study investigated the regulatory effect of aerogel (SCT) on the in vivo metabolism of microplastics in two high-fat systems: soybean oil and coconut oil. Four experimental groups were set up, with three mice in each group, and the results were averaged. The specific experimental steps are as follows: 1. Experimental Animals and Pretreatment: Six-week-old male C57BL / 6J nude mice (purchased from Hubei Beinte Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) were selected. Before the experiment, the mice were fasted overnight and then randomly divided into four groups (PS-soybean oil group, PS-coconut oil group, PS-soybean oil-SCT group, PS-coconut oil-SCT group), with three mice in each group. In vivo and in vitro fluorescence imaging detection was carried out using the IVIS Lumina LT Series III imaging system (purchased from PerkinElmer, USA).

[0164] 2. Sample preparation and gavage: Four experimental suspensions were prepared, each containing 2 mg of fluorescent polystyrene microplastics, namely PS-soybean oil suspension, PS-coconut oil suspension, PS-soybean oil-SCT composite suspension, and PS-coconut oil-SCT composite suspension. 200 μL of the corresponding suspension was administered to each of the four groups of mice by gavage. The time of completion of gavage was taken as the 0h start point, and 24h dynamic fluorescence imaging monitoring was initiated.

[0165] 3. In vivo fluorescence imaging detection: Mice in each group were anesthetized with isoflurane at seven time points: 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h after gavage. Whole-body in vivo fluorescence imaging was then performed to track the biodistribution of polystyrene microplastics in the mice. The fluorescence signal was quantitatively analyzed using LivingImage 4.5 software.

[0166] 4. In vitro fluorescence imaging detection: At each of the above time points, the experimental group mice were euthanized, and the main tissues and organs such as liver, kidney, stomach, intestine, and epididymal white adipose tissue were immediately removed. The tissues and organs were rinsed with pre-cooled phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) to remove residual impurities on the surface. Fluorescence imaging of the isolated tissues and organs was performed using the LagoX small animal in vivo optical imaging system (purchased from Spectral Instruments Imaging, USA) to observe and quantify the spatial distribution characteristics of polystyrene microplastics in each organ.

[0167] The experimental results are attached. Figure 12 As shown, both qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed that the fluorescence signal gradually decayed over time. The signal decay rate in the experimental group containing SCT was significantly faster than that in the group without SCT. This was further demonstrated by in vitro fluorescence imaging of major organs (liver, kidney, stomach, intestine, and epididymal white adipose tissue). Figure 13 The results showed that PS was transported very rapidly through the gastrointestinal tract. Twenty-four hours after administration, PS was almost completely cleared from the gastrointestinal tract of the SCT-treated group, while PS residues were still detectable in the gastrointestinal tract of mice that did not receive SCT. These results directly provide in vivo evidence that SCT enhances the gastrointestinal clearance of PS.

[0168] Example 13: Analysis of the expression of key lipases in mice exposed to high-fat diets and PS by aerogel intervention Using Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) as the core sample, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS / MS) was employed to detect lipid profiles in mouse liver tissue. The regulatory effect of aerogel (SCT) on lipid metabolism in the liver of mice exposed to high-fat diets and PS was analyzed. All experimental samples were performed in triplicate, and the results were averaged. The specific experimental steps are as follows: 1. Animal Experiments and Pretreatment: Four groups were set up for the experiment, using mice as described in Example 12: SH+PS group, CH+PS group, SH+PS+SCT group, and CH+PS+SCT group, with 3 mice in each group. The total experimental period was 90 days, with the first 60 days being the modeling period (without the addition of aerogel SCT). From day 61 to 90, aerogel SCT (180 mg SCT / 500g feed) was added only to the SH+PS+SCT group and the CH+PS+SCT group. After the experimental period, the epididymal white adipose tissue of the mice was collected, washed with pre-cooled phosphate buffer, rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -80°C.

[0169] 2. Antigen retrieval: The dewaxed epididymal white adipose tissue sections were placed in citrate antigen retrieval solution (pH 6.0) and subjected to high temperature and high pressure retrieval method, with constant temperature retrieval at 121℃ for 15 min. After naturally cooling to room temperature, the sections were rinsed 3 times with PBS buffer (pH 7.4) for 5 min each time to remove excess retrieval solution.

[0170] 3. Blocking treatment: Add 5% bovine serum albumin (BSA) blocking solution to the surface of the slide and block at room temperature in the dark for 60 minutes to block non-specific protein binding sites and avoid subsequent non-specific adsorption of primary antibody.

[0171] 4. Primary antibody incubation: Remove the blocking solution and add diluted ATGL primary antibody, HSL primary antibody, and DGAT primary antibody (all diluted with 1% BSA-PBS according to the antibody instructions and purchased from Wuhan Saiwei Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) to the slides respectively. Place the slides in a humidified chamber and incubate overnight at 4°C in the dark to allow the primary antibodies to bind specifically to the target protein. After incubation, wash the slides three times with PBS buffer for 5 minutes each time to remove any unbound primary antibodies.

[0172] 5. Secondary antibody incubation: According to the species of the primary antibody, add the corresponding fluorescent secondary antibody (FITC / Cy3 labeled, diluted with 1% BSA-PBS) to the slide and incubate at room temperature in the dark for 90 min. After incubation, rinse 3 times with PBS buffer in the dark for 5 min each time to remove unbound secondary antibody. The entire process should be carried out in the dark to prevent fluorescence quenching.

[0173] 6. DAPI nuclear staining: Add DAPI staining solution (concentration 1 μg / mL) to the surface of the rinsed slides and stain at room temperature in the dark for 10 min to achieve specific staining of cell nuclei; after staining, rinse twice with PBS buffer in the dark for 3 min each time to remove excess DAPI staining solution.

[0174] 7. Mounting and Microscopic Examination: Apply anti-fluorescence quenching mounting medium to the surface of the slide, cover with a coverslip (avoiding air bubbles), and observe and photograph under a laser confocal microscope after the mounting medium has solidified. Collect fluorescence signals of ATGL / DAPI, HSL / DAPI, and DGAT / DAPI respectively for target protein localization and fluorescence quantitative analysis.

[0175] Specific experimental results are attached. Figure 14 As shown, the aerogel treatment significantly upregulated the expression of triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), while significantly reducing the expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), indicating that the aerogel can not only promote fat breakdown but also inhibit lipid synthesis.

[0176] Example 14: Lipid profile analysis of liver tissue from mice subjected to combined high-fat + PS exposure via aerogel intervention Using Example 2 (SCT1 / 10) as the core sample, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS / MS) was employed to detect lipid profiles in mouse liver tissue. The regulatory effect of aerogel (SCT) on lipid metabolism in the liver of mice exposed to high-fat diets and PS was analyzed. All experimental samples were performed in triplicate, and the results were averaged. The specific experimental steps are as follows: 1. Animal Experiments and Pretreatment: To investigate the potential alleviating effect of aerogel (SCT) on this phenomenon. Animal experiments and pretreatment were as described in Example 13. After the experimental period, liver, kidney, and epididymal white adipose tissue of mice were collected. The tissues were washed with pre-cooled phosphate buffer, rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -80°C.

[0177] 2. Pretreatment of liver tissue samples: Weigh 20mg of mouse liver tissue and grind it for 20s at a frequency of 30Hz using a tissue homogenizer (purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, USA). After grinding, centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 30s at 4℃ and collect the precipitate for later use.

[0178] 3. Liver lipid extraction: The above precipitate was thoroughly mixed with 1 mL of lipid extraction solution containing lipid internal standard (the volume ratio of methyl tert-butyl ether to methanol was 3:1, both purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.), vortexed for 15 minutes, and then 200 μL of deionized water was added. The mixture was then centrifuged again at 4℃ and 12000 rpm for 10 minutes.

[0179] 4. Concentration and reconstitution of lipid samples: Take 200 μL of the upper organic phase after centrifugation and dry it completely under a gentle nitrogen gas flow. Add 200 μL of lipid resuspension (acetonitrile and isopropanol in a volume ratio of 1:1, both purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd.) to the dried residue, vortex to mix, and centrifuge at 4℃ and 12000 rpm for 3 minutes. Collect the supernatant as the liver lipid detection sample.

[0180] 5. Lipid profile LC-MS / MS detection: The prepared liver lipid supernatant sample was loaded and detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to complete the full-spectrum analysis and quantitative detection of lipid profile in mouse liver tissue.

[0181] Specific experimental results are attached. Figure 15 and attached Figure 16 As shown, principal component analysis (PCA) results revealed significant separation between the SH+PS and SH+PS+SCT groups in the soybean oil system along the PC2 axis, identifying 112 significantly differentially expressed lipid molecules, of which 67 were upregulated and 45 were downregulated. The main differentially expressed lipid molecules included phospholipids such as PC, PG, PE, PC-O, PE-P, and PE-O. In the coconut oil system, significant separation was achieved between the CH+PS and CH+PS+SCT groups along both the PC1 and PC2 axes, with the number of differentially expressed lipid molecules increasing dramatically to 408, including 241 upregulated molecules and 167 downregulated molecules. This indicates that aerogels can significantly reshape the liver lipid metabolism profile of mice exposed to high-fat + PS diets, and have a more significant lipid regulatory effect on the coconut oil high-fat system, with broader regulatory dimensions and involving more lipid molecules, including TG, DG, and FFA.

[0182] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0183] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aerogel, characterized in that, It is composed of nanoparticles and biomass fibers, with the nanoparticles placed on the surface of the biomass fibers; The nanoparticles are shellac, and the biomass fiber is chitin, wherein the mass ratio of the nanoparticles to the biomass fiber is 1:(10~20); or The nanoparticles are zein, and the biomass fiber is chitin, wherein the mass ratio of the nanoparticles to the biomass fiber is 1:

8.

2. The aerogel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nanoparticles have a diameter of 20 nm to 250 nm; and / or The degree of deacetylation of the chitin is 5% to 10%.

3. Use of the aerogel according to any one of claims 1 to 2 in the preparation of a drug, wherein the drug is used to adsorb microplastics, the microplastics being polystyrene.

4. The use according to claim 3, characterized in that, The aerogel exhibits an adsorption capacity of 1-5 g / g for microplastics in an oil-water mixture; and / or The diameter of the microplastic is 0.05 μm to 10 μm.

5. A composition, characterized in that, Includes the aerogel according to any one of claims 1 to 2.

6. Use of the aerogel according to any one of claims 1 to 2 or the composition according to claim 5 in the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of metabolic diseases; The metabolic disease includes at least one of the following: hyperlipidemia or obesity.

7. A drug, characterized in that, Includes the aerogel according to any one of claims 1 to 2 or the composition according to claim 5; In the aforementioned drug, the aerogel is applied at a rate of 60-300 μg / day.

8. A method for preparing the aerogel according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that, include: The aerogel is obtained by freeze-drying a mixture of nanoparticles and biomass fibers.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The nanoparticle and biomass fiber mixture is obtained by first stirring the nanoparticle solution and the biomass fiber dispersion; and / or Before performing the first stirring, the biomass fiber is pre-soaked in an acid solution for 1 h to 10 h; and / or The method includes homogenizing and exfoliating the soaking product to obtain the biomass fiber dispersion; and / or The acid solution includes at least one of the following: formic acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid solution; and / or The homogenization stripping process is performed at 5000 rpm to 30000 rpm; and / or The homogenization stripping process takes 5 to 60 minutes.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Prior to the first stirring, the nanoparticles are dissolved in an organic solution to obtain the nanoparticle solution, wherein the organic solution comprises at least one of the following: methanol, ethanol, formic acid, or acetic acid solution; and / or The concentration of the nanoparticle solution is 1 mg / mL to 40 mg / mL; and / or During the first stirring, the nanoparticle solution is added to the biomass fiber dispersion at a rate of 0.05 mL / min to 0.5 mL / min; and / or After the first stirring and before the freeze-drying, the acid solution in the biomass fiber dispersion is removed; and / or The removal of the acid solution is achieved by at least one of the following methods: solvent evaporation, dialysis, or rotary evaporation; and / or The freeze-drying includes a first freeze-drying treatment, wherein the conditions for the first freeze-drying treatment are -20℃ to -50℃, and / or the time for the first freeze-drying treatment is 5 h to 15 h; and / or The freeze-drying process further includes a second freeze-drying treatment, wherein the conditions for the second freeze-drying treatment are -50℃ to -40℃, 0.01 Pa to 0.1 Pa, and / or the time for the second freeze-drying treatment is 24 h to 48 h.

11. A method for the in vitro removal of microplastics for non-therapeutic purposes, characterized in that, include: Contact the aerogel of any one of claims 1 to 2, the composition of claim 5, or the drug of claim 7 with the microplastic; The microplastic is polystyrene.

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