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Singapore scientists flip durian husks into bandages

  • October 22, 2021
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Singapore scientists turn durian husks into bandages
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A durian’s gentle, yellow flesh inside its thorny inexperienced husk seen at a store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mohd Rasfan | AFP | Getty Photos

Some like it, whereas others detest it.

Durians are banned on all public transportation in Singapore as a result of their scent — which some have likened to sewage or smelly socks. Some accommodations in Southeast Asia even cease their visitors from bringing the fruit into the rooms.

But some durian-lovers are prepared to pay high greenback for the “king of the fruit” — with somebody reportedly parting with a whopping $48,000 for one in 2019.

However there could also be a brand new purpose to understand the prickly fruit.

Scientists in Singapore are utilizing durian husks to create antibacterial bandages they are saying can heal post-surgery wounds.

Repurposed rinds

The know-how — developed by a staff of researchers at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological College (NTU) — makes use of an affordable course of to extract cellulose from the fruit’s thick, inexperienced husks. The cellulose is blended with glycerol to create a gentle, silicone-like gel, which could be lower to provide plasters, in accordance with the college.

So long as Singaporeans maintain consuming durians, we are able to maintain making these bandages.

William Chen

Researcher at Nanyang Technological College

Twitter erupted with questions, and lots of targeted on one factor: the fruit’s pungent scent.

Some questioned if the durian’s sturdy scent could be detected on the bandages, or if wearers shall be barred from public buses.

Chen insisted the bandages are odorless.

Others joked about it, with one saying — tongue-in-cheek — that it wasn’t stunning that durian plasters can kill micro organism.

Regardless of the reactions, researchers say the innovation may assist resolve a critical environmental downside: meals waste.

“It ties in with our drive in the direction of creating improvements to cut back meals waste as a complete,” stated William Chen, the director of NTU’s Meals Science and Know-how Program and lead scientist behind the innovation.

Professor William Chen and a member of his staff experiment on durian husks.

NTU Singapore

A minimum of one durian vendor is happy in regards to the prospects.

“That invention … is a implausible technique to recycle the husk,” James Wong, who sells durians in Singapore, advised CNBC. He stated durian peels are presently thrown away and he pays waste disposal corporations to clear them. “To have the ability to promote the husk to get cash is means higher.”

80% of the fruit’s weight

Meals in Singapore is comparatively low-cost because it’s extremely backed by the federal government, Chen advised CNBC.

“The draw back of this inexpensive and ample meals is that we do not actually worth the meals,” he stated.

Scientists at Nanyang Technological College developed a hydrogel bandage product of upcycled durian husks.

NTU Singapore

To mitigate the issue of meals waste, Chen determined to experiment with durian husks, a fabric that is usually thrown away after the gentle, yellow flesh of the fruit is consumed. The husk can account for about 80% of the fruit’s weight.

Durians have been the selection of fruit for a number of causes, the researcher stated.

Massive fruits like durians give scientists the required quantity to work with. Additionally they have excessive fiber content material, which makes them appropriate for the method.

The provision of durians additionally performed an element, Chen stated.

“Singapore consumes 12 million durians a yr,” he stated. “So long as Singaporeans maintain consuming durians, we are able to maintain making these bandages.”

Advantages and disadvantages

Based on Chen, bandages constituted of durian husks are each environmentally and medically helpful. Not like current plasters, the brand new bandages include hydrogels, which may shield wounds and maintain them moist.

Some medical consultants are onboard with the innovation too.

“The hydrogel bandages produced from durian husk carried out equivalently properly to these available in the market,” stated Affiliate Professor Andrew Tan, a metabolic problems professional at NTU’s medical college, who isn’t a part of the bandage mission.

The hydrogel gives moisture which helps take away contaminated tissue and encourages therapeutic, he stated, including that “hydrogels may cool the wound which is useful in assuaging ache.”

Individuals wait in line to purchase durians in Singapore on June 24, 2021.

Suhaimi Abdullah | NurPhoto | Getty Photos

“I’ve all the time believed that nature has the solutions to the whole lot,” stated Priyadarshani Kamat, a Singapore-based homeopath. “Previously, I’ve seen how bandages product of potato peels assist burn victims get well their pores and skin rapidly, and this [durian] hydrogel is just like that.”

Durian bandages aren’t primed to switch all bandages — not but anyway. Tan identified they don’t seem to be appropriate for heavy wounds, as they’re largely composed of water.

They don’t seem to be 100% biodegradable both. Whereas the staff has managed to switch the gentle, cushioned layer with the durian hydrogel, the outer adhesive half remains to be product of plastic, stated Chen.

Nonetheless, Chen and his staff hope to deliver the durian husk bandages to market inside the subsequent two years.

It makes me really feel barely higher about binging on durians as a result of I do know the husks can be utilized for trigger.

Xin Yi Lin

Singaporean scholar

“I need to flip analysis into one thing helpful to society,” Chen advised CNBC.

He added that such improvements shouldn’t exchange the necessity to generate much less waste. “We do not need these improvements to fire-fight with rising waste — the concept is to cut back it at its supply,” he stated.

After listening to about Chen’s analysis, one durian-lover felt higher about consuming the fruit.

“I do know the durian husks, particularly throughout durian season, contribute to lots of waste,” stated Singaporean scholar Xin Yi Lin, who’s a self-proclaimed durian-fanatic. “It makes me really feel barely higher about binging on durians as a result of I do know the husks can be utilized for trigger.”



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