Medicine has gone nuts (literally)

New research from the University of Chicago outlines a hydrogel created from tree nuts can be used to treat wounds and assist ECG readings.

The research was led by an engineering PhD student named Changxu Sun who reached the discovery by studying how malva nuts swell in water.

‘It is a remarkable study from a remarkable student,’ Sun’s principal investigator Professor Bozhi Tian said. ‘Changxu looked at herbal tea and saw a world of sustainable biomedical applications ready to be built.’

In China, malva nuts – otherwise known as Pangdahai – are already used as a form of medicine. Somebody with a sore throat will use them in tea, similar to adding ginger or lemon. However, Sun looked beyond this and became interested in the waste they leave behind once they are dropped in hot water. 

‘Originally, it’s an oval shape one centimetre in width. Once you soak it in water, it will expand about eight times in volume and 20 times by weight, turning into a gelatinous mass, like jelly,’ Sun said. ‘After you drink the beverage, you’re left with the jelly as a waste. People usually throw that out.’

However, it’s a good job Sun didn’t. Instead he created it into a hydrogel (a gooey water-based substance that’s used in healthcare) and began testing it in a variety of medical uses including ECG tests – a method used to measure a persons heart rate.

‘We found it demonstrated superior performance and qualities compared to commercial ECG patches,’ Sun continued. ‘And then we also applied to the tissue surface in vivo, demonstrating great recording of biosignals.

‘We wanted to show people should shift their attention into the unexplored properties and unexplored resources of natural plants.’

Going forward, Sun has claimed he hopes his research will be used in less developed countries. He said: ‘They’re low-income countries. Their healthcare systems are always limited by this lack of resources.

‘Here we have a local, native material that can be used to create valuable healthcare solutions while providing these impoverished areas some economic stability.’

This research was published in the online journal Matter and can be accessed in full here. 

Photo by Pixabay 

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