Foreign media: Durian shell "transformed" antibacterial bandage helps to accelerate wound healing

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore are processing food scraps that turn discarded durian shells into antibacterial gel bandages, Reuters Reported in London on September 20.

The report said that this process requires the durian shell to be sliced and freeze-dried after extracting the cellulose powder from the durian shell and then mixing it with glycerol. This mixture becomes a hydrogel and is then cut into bandage strips.

Professor William Tan, head of the Food Science and Technology Programme at Nanyang Technological University, said: "In Singapore, we consume about 12 million durians a year, and we cannot do anything about the hulls and seeds other than the pulp, which creates environmental waste. "Durian shells, which make up more than half of durians, are usually discarded and incinerated.

Professor Chen also said the technology could also turn soybeans and other food wastes such as wheat lees into hydrogels, helping to reduce food waste in the country.

Compared with traditional bandages, this organic hydrogel bandage also keeps the wound area cooler and moister, which helps to accelerate wound healing.

The researchers say that the production of antibacterial bandages from scrap and yeast is more cost-effective than the production of traditional bandages, because the antibacterial properties of traditional bandages come from more expensive metal compounds such as silver or copper ions.

Durian wholesaler Chen Enchuan said that during the durian season, he handles at least 30 cases of durian a day — up to 1,800 kilograms. Being able to take advantage of durian's usually discarded parts is an innovation that will make enjoying the fruit "more sustainable," he said.

Source: Reference News Network