Development of Bioactive Cellulose Films from Drynaria quercifolia Rhizome: A Sustainable Approach to Advanced Natural Materials

Development of Bioactive Cellulose Films from Drynaria quercifolia Rhizome: A Sustainable Approach to Advanced Natural Materials | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Development of Bioactive Cellulose Films from Drynaria quercifolia Rhizome: A Sustainable Approach to Advanced Natural Materials Zeno Vimalan Amaldoss, Soumya R. S., Arun K. B. This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7434052/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Investigating underutilized botanical resources for developing cellulose-based polymers has gained momentum due to the need for sustainable biomaterials. With the added potential of phytochemical infusion, Drynaria quercifolia , a traditionally prized medicinal fern, provides an unexplored source for cellulose isolation. This study explores the green isolation of cellulose from the rhizome part of D. quercifolia using the alkaline peroxide method, which produced a yield of 27.41 ± 4.65% (%w/w) cellulose. The resultant biopolymer was fabricated into glycerol plasticized films with 70% ethanolic extract. After functional property evaluation and physicochemical characterization, the isolated cellulose proved suitable for hydration-based applications by exhibiting high water retention capacity and settling volume compared to commercial cellulose. While Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed promising thermal stability, powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) verified the crystalline cellulose I structure. A porous fibrous surface that promotes film formation was depicted via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging. Cytocompatibility was verified by in vitro tests using RAW 264.7 macrophages, which proved > 80% cell viability and no morphological anomalies. Qualitative scratch assay results confirmed cell migration, although the quantitative wound closure could not be obtained due to the optical interference from the film. Alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, and carbohydrates were detected through phytochemical analysis and UV-Vis spectroscopy, which verified the phytochemical release into PBS at pH 7.4 over 24 h. The value of D. quercifolia rhizome, which has long been utilized in medicine but is rarely investigated in biomaterial science, as a dual-purpose source of cellulose and bioactive compounds, makes this study novel. Drynaria quercifolia Cellulose isolation Biopolymer film Phytochemical infusion Characterization In vitro analysis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryTables.docx OnlineReferenceFigure1.jpg OnlineReferenceFigure2.jpg Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7434052","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":518346761,"identity":"2d8c6209-d78c-400e-bd53-23bcb57fd828","order_by":0,"name":"Zeno Vimalan Amaldoss","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"CHRIST (Deemed to be University)","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zeno","middleName":"Vimalan","lastName":"Amaldoss","suffix":""},{"id":518346763,"identity":"e9b6ab97-88d0-47f4-ab61-abe3c298879e","order_by":1,"name":"Soumya R. 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With the added potential of phytochemical infusion, \u003cem\u003eDrynaria quercifolia\u003c/em\u003e, a traditionally prized medicinal fern, provides an unexplored source for cellulose isolation. This study explores the green isolation of cellulose from the rhizome part of \u003cem\u003eD. quercifolia\u003c/em\u003e using the alkaline peroxide method, which produced a yield of 27.41\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.65% (%w/w) cellulose. The resultant biopolymer was fabricated into glycerol plasticized films with 70% ethanolic extract. After functional property evaluation and physicochemical characterization, the isolated cellulose proved suitable for hydration-based applications by exhibiting high water retention capacity and settling volume compared to commercial cellulose. While Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed promising thermal stability, powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) verified the crystalline cellulose I structure. 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