Biomimetics on the micro- and nanoscale – The 25th anniversary of the lotus effect

• Matthias Mail,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Thomas Speck,
• William M. Megill and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 850–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.69

• artificial leaves were used to investigate the influence of wax chemistry and surface wettability on the development of Blumeria graminis, the pathogenic wheat powdery mildew. In “Interaction between honeybee mandibles and propolis”, Saccardi et al. [12] report on the honeybee propolis, a substance used by

• bees to seal their hive and protect the colony against pathogens. Since propolis is quite a sticky substance, the authors analysed whether the mandibles of the bees show specific anti-adhesive properties, enabling them to manipulate the propolis. Adhesion experiments with propolis and bee mandibles

• were performed and the mandibles were analysed using (cryo-) scanning electron microscopy, indicating that a fluid substance covers the medial surface of the mandibles reducing propolis adhesion. Weiser et al. [13] take biomimetics into industrial production with their paper “Roll-to-roll fabrication

Interaction between honeybee mandibles and propolis

• Leonie Saccardi,
• Franz Brümmer,
• Jonas Schiebl,
• Oliver Schwarz,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 958–974, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.84

• hypothetically could have developed evolutionary anti-adhesive strategies. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) was identified as an analogue model since it collects and processes propolis, which largely consists of collected tree resin. Propolis is a sticky substance used by bees to seal their hive and protect the

• colony against pathogens. In spite of its stickiness, honeybees are able to handle and manipulate propolis with their mandibles. We wanted to know if beneficial anti-adhesive properties of bee mandibles reduce propolis adhesion. The anatomy of bee mandibles was studied in a (cryo-)scanning electron

• microscope. Adhesion experiments were performed with propolis on bee mandibles to find out if bee mandibles have anti-adhesive properties that enable bees to handle the sticky material. A scale-like pattern was found on the inside of the mandible. Fresh mandibles were covered with a seemingly fluid substance

Design and characterization of polymeric microneedles containing extracts of Brazilian green propolis

• Camila Felix Vecchi,
• Rafaela Said dos Santos,
• Jéssica Bassi da Silva and
• Marcos Luciano Bruschi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 503–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.42

• Abstract Microneedles (MNs) are a means to break the protective skin barrier in a minimally invasive way. By creating temporary micropores, they make biologically active agents available in the skin layers. Propolis (PRP) is a gum resin with a complex chemical composition, produced by bees Apis mellifera L

• : development; mechanical; microneedles; propolis extract; technology; Introduction In recent decades, microneedle devices have been widely used for non-invasive dermal delivery of various drugs [1][2][3]. Microneedles (MNs) are large enough to penetrate and open small holes only in the stratum corneum and the

• , microneedles have been developed to cross the stratum corneum and enable the use of the transdermal route in different therapies [6]. Propolis (PRP) has already been studied in wound healing when incorporated in many vehicles, such as ointments, emulsions, hydrogels, films, or as hydroalcoholic or glycolic