LANGMUIR
·
2019
·
IF 3.683
Yanxia Wei,Linli Hu,Jinrong Yao,Zhengzhong Shao,Xin Chen
The conformation and stability of zein in solution are closely associated with its solvation process and influence the mechanical properties of the related zein-based materials. In this work, a common solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used to dissolve zein, rather than solvents frequently used such as aqueous ethanol and acetic acid. It was found that DMSO could dissolve zein readily and the solution was stable for at least 2 weeks. Rheological analysis and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) were employed to characterize the zein DMSO solution. Results of rheological analysis suggested a Huggins coefficient of 0.24, indicating DMSO to be a good solvent for zein. SAXS results revealed that zein adopted an elongated conformation and had dimensions of 2.8 nm × 2.8 nm × 14.8 nm in DMSO solution. Moreover, robust zein films were fabricated from zein DMSO solutions. The content of residual DMSO in the films was determined to be approximately 15 wt % by thermogravimetric analysis, in consistence with the value obtained by other two methods. The film showed a large breaking strain of 320.6% with a considerable breaking stress of 1.9 MPa, yielding a breaking energy of 376.2 MJ/m3. Therefore, the ease of dissolution and good mechanical performance of the final zein-based material make DMSO a potential solvent for fabrication of zein materials, thereby improving the scope of practical applications of zein.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
·
2023
·
IF 10.7
Tingting Hong,Zhiwen Tan,Tian Yang,Dan Xu,Yamei Jin,Fengfeng Wu,Xueming Xu
The impact of adding zein on the gluten network during extruded noodle processing and the quality of the noodles by extrusion-cooking were investigated. These changes were studied by size exclusion-high performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC), free sulfhydryl (SH) measurement, non-covalent interactions, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), particle size analysis, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Zein reduced the protein aggregation, resulting in a higher free sulfhydryl content and increased hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions during noodle processing. Moreover, Zein reduced the relative content of β-sheets by 4.54% and 7.48% at the extrusion and cooking stages, respectively. Zein decreased the particle size during extrusion but increased it during cooking. Zein improved the compactness and strength of noodle microstructure during cooking, exhibited higher hardness and impeded water mobility compared to extruded noodles made only with wheat flour (WF). The extruded noodles containing zein showed a significant increase of 26.10% and 61.11% in tensile strength and distance, respectively. Zein did not cause significant changes in the cooking loss and water absorption in the extruded noodles. Research on the impact of zein on protein during the processing of extruded noodles could provide a dependable approach and valuable mechanistic insights for improving the quality of extruded noodles.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
分子生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 6.6
Qianfei Jia,Zijian Wu,Limin Wang,Wen Zhang,Yuan Li,Shufen Li,Yuxi Qin
This study aims to investigate the fabrication of composite films using coaxial electrospinning, and the interactions between zein and shellac was investigated through multi-spectroscopic methods. Spectroscopic analysis revealed that shellac quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of zein through both dynamic and static quenching mechanisms, with hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding serving as the primary forces driving this interaction. The zein/shellac composite films exhibited a smooth, bead-free morphology. The addition of shellac significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the composite films by integrating uniformly into the zein matrix, achieving a maximum tensile strength of 1.15 MPa in the Z-S6 film and an elongation at a break of 55.24%. Additionally, the thermal stability of the zein/shellac composite films improved while their barrier properties were slightly reduced. These findings suggest that incorporating shellac into the zein films enhances their physical properties for food packaging applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
食品科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2019
·
IF 4.784
Ben Niu,Li Zhan,Ping Shao,Ning Xiang,Peilong Sun,Hangjun Chen,Haiyan Gao
Zein electrospun nanofibers have poor water resistance, which restricts its applications in food preservation. To improve the water resistance of nanofibers, zein/ethyl cellulose (EC) hybrid nanofibers were prepared at different ratios. Besides, we also encapsulated cinnamon essential oil (CEO) into electrospun fibers for Agaricus bisporus preservation. As the weight ratio of EC increased from 0% (ZE-10) to 100% (ZE-01), the viscosity of electrospinning solutions gradually increased from 80.33 ± 19.23 mPa·s to 756.78 ± 22.48 mPa·s, resulting in sufficient chain entanglement for the preparation of uniform fibers. The average diameters of ZE-01, ZE-12, ZE-11, ZE-21, and ZE-10 nanofibers were 326 ± 53 nm, 267 ± 31 nm, 237 ± 51 nm, 292 ± 45 nm, and 362 ± 70 nm, respectively. The hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups of ethyl cellulose and the amino groups of zein decreased the amount of free hydrophilic group, thus improving water resistance of nanofibers. Food packaging potential was evaluated using Agaricus bisporus . The zein/EC nanofibers loaded CEO significantly decreased weight loss and maintained the firmness of the Agaricus bisporus , and improved the quality of the Agaricus bisporus during storage.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
·
2024
·
IF 11
Hujun Xie,Hao Li,Lei Liu,Xinpei Cai,Tianrong Wang,Qingbo Jiao,Nan Lv,Min Huang,Ruibo Wu,Zexing Cao,Qunfang Lei,Wenjun Fang,Gerui Ren
Under the prevailing trend of transitioning from animal proteins to plant protein-based substitutes, the interaction between these two protein sources is of paramount importance. In this work, zein as a representative plant protein, the influence of animal protein ovalbumin on the conformation and physicochemical properties of zein was explored through experiments and theoretical calculations. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy showed that the formation of Zein-Ovalbumin complexes, and significant fluorescence quenching occurred between zein and ovalbumin. The results of UV indicated that the microenvironment surrounding the protein residues was influenced by the changes of protein conformation. The secondary structure of zein was regulated by ovalbumin according to the results of circular dichroism spectroscopy. The determination of surface hydrophobicity and zeta-potential indicated that protein-protein interactions affected the exposure of hydrophobic groups and the strength of surface charges. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dissociation experiments identified that the main driving forces to yield Zein-Ovalbumin complexes were hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. The results of molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the increased interaction strength between zein and ovalbumin led to a tighter complex structure with a binding free energy of −32.4 kcal/mol. This study proposed a method to regulate the structural and functional properties of plant proteins through protein-protein interactions.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
生物化学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Food & Function
·
2021
·Vol. 12
·期 22
·11656-11670
·
IF 5.396
Simin Feng,Minghui Sui,Dan Wang,Christos Ritzoulis,Mohamed A. Farag,Ping Shao
Due to the insolubility of phytosterols in both water and oil, their application in the medicine and health and food industries is limited. In this study, zein and pectin were selected as wall materials of phytosterol nanoparticles to enhance the solubility and bioactivity of phytosterols. The colitis-inhibitory effects of zein-based stigmasterol nanodispersions (ZNs) and zein/pectin-based stigmasterol nanodispersions (ZPNs) were investigated in the sodium dextran sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. The results showed that ZPNs’ therapeutic effect was better than that of ZNs. According to electron microscopy observation, pectin adsorbed on the surface of zein appeared to form an elastic network structure, which increased the stability of stigmasterol nanodispersions. ZPNs not only relieved the adverse physiological symptoms of colitis in mice, but additionally prevented colonic length shortening and reduced fecal hemoglobin content. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that ZPNs could alleviate colitis by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway involved in the expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, CSF-1 and coenzyme COX-2. This study suggests that supplement of nano-embedded stigmasterol based on zein and pectin has a positive therapeutic effect on alleviating colitis in mice. Such activities of nano-embedded stigmasterol in humans remain to be investigated.
研究领域:
食品科学
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医学
·
生物化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2025
·
IF 8.5
Lida Wu,Yitong Jiang,Chong Chen,Weibo Zhang,Jiayue Guo,Siyuan Liu,Pengjie Wang,Fazheng Ren,Baocai Xu,Yao Hu
The inherent propensity for aggregation necessitates the use of high concentrations of protein-polysaccharide nanoparticles to achieve stable Pickering emulsions. This study employed xanthan gum (XG) to mitigate the pronounced aggregation of zein nanoparticles by structure construction, thereby enhancing the emulsifying efficiency of zein/XG (Z/XG) nanoparticles. The Z/XG nanoparticles displayed significantly enhanced dispersity, with the absolute ζ-potential increasing from 6.25 mV to approximately 55 mV as the zein/XG ratio was optimized from 1:0 to 1:0.2. The Z/XG nanoparticles exhibited core–shell structure with zein as the core and XG as the shell, facilitated by electrostatic interactions. This structural transformation enables Z/XG nanoparticles to more readily adsorb at the oil-water interface. The addition of excess XG can further augment the stability of Z/XG emulsions due to the formation of XG networks in the continuous phase preventing the coalescence of oil droplets. It was demonstrated that a low concentration of 0.4 % Z/XG nanoparticles is sufficient to maintain emulsion stability under typical conditions of heating, pH, and ionic treatments. Overall, this study has developed a highly effective strategy to overcome the application challenges associated with protein-polysaccharide Pickering emulsions, broadening their potential applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
材料科学
·
生物化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2024
·
IF 7.7
Shuning Zhang,Jiajin Zhou,Yuqing Zhang,Yanlan Bi,Jun Li
Zein and ethyl cellulose (EC) were used as raw materials to prepare a composite coating applied in aqueous systems with mechanical properties, water stability, water solubility (including room-temperature (RT)/high-temperature and neutral/acidic conditions), and oil resistance as evaluation index. Results showed the most suitable conditions were mass ratio of zein/EC at 1:9, 93 % ( v /v) aqueous ethanol, oleic acid as the plasticizer with the amount of 0.3 g/g, and curing temperature at 70 °C. Under these conditions, the tensile strength of composite coating was 4.61 MPa and elongation at break was 21.60 % after 4 weeks of soaking in water. Oil seepage was not observed within 1 week. The water solubility of coating in neutral water was 5.13 % at RT for 24 h, and 3.79 % at 80 °C for 2 min; in acidic water (pH = 4) was 4.54 % at RT for 24 h, and 5.44 % at 80 °C for 2 min. SEM results showed swelling occurred in zein coating after soaking, presenting micropores in soaked zein coating; zein microparticles in composite coating partially broke down and fell off after soaking. Water contact angle results revealed surface hydrophobicity by the following order: EC coating > composite coating > zein coating. FTIR results showed composite coating was physically compounding by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2021
·
IF 6.953
Hong Zhang,Haozhan Feng,Junhong Ling,Xiao-kun Ouyang,Xiaoyong Song
In this study, zein and fucoidan-based composite nanoparticles were prepared by the antisolvent precipitation method. The effects of different calcium ion (Ca 2+ , 0–3.0 mM) concentrations on the stability of the composite nanosystems loaded with quercetin were studied under different conditions (pH, temperature, salt concentration, and ultraviolet light irradiation), and the composite nanoparticles were characterized. Electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions are the main forces underlying the formation of composite nanoparticles. The addition of Ca 2+ led to improved release of the active substances from the composite nanoparticles in simulated digestive solutions (especially when the Ca 2+ concentration was 1.5 mM). The composite nanosystems based on alcohol-soluble proteins and anionic polysaccharides with added Ca 2+ can be potentially applied for the delivery of active substances.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
纳米技术
·
药物递送
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
·
2021
·
IF 9.147
Yan Zou,Yi Qian,Xiaoyun Rong,Kaixin Cao,David Julian McClements,Kun Hu
Composite nanoparticles were fabricated by forming a caseinate/kappa-carrageenan coating around zein nanoparticles. Quercetin-loaded composite nanoparticles ( d < 150 nm) were successfully prepared at a particle yield of 95.2%, nutraceutical loading capacity of 5.6%, and nutraceutical loading efficiency of 75.7%. The quercetin was present in an amorphous state inside the composite nanoparticles as determined using X-ray diffraction. The quercetin-loaded nanoparticle dispersion was resistant to aggregation when subjected to pH changes (pH 2.0 to 8.0), heating (90 °C for 120 min), CaCl 2 addition (10 mM), and NaCl addition (2.0 M). The quercetin was mainly released from the composite nanoparticles in the intestinal stage of a simulated human gut. Quercetin bioaccessibility was enhanced after being encapsulated within the composite nanoparticles, which resulted in higher in vitro antioxidant activities ( p < 0.05) and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) ( p < 0.01). Overall, the results of this study indicate that composite nanoparticles are effective at encapsulating, retaining, and delivering quercetin, and might therefore be utilized in dietary supplements, functional foods, and pharmaceutical products.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
药物递送
·
营养学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 4.9
Wenpeng Song,Wei Wei,Biao Zhou,Ning Lv,Heng Qin,Fei Huan,Xiaoling Zhang
Astaxanthin (AST), a potent antioxidant, holds great promise for skin health and cosmetic applications but is limited by poor water solubility and stability. This study presents the development of zein nanoparticles modified with gum arabic (GA) for the encapsulation of AST, serving as a topical nanocarrier for AST to enhance its dermal bioavailability and topical delivery. The optimized zein-GA-AST nanoparticles (Z-GA-AST) exhibited a spherical nanostructure with a mean particle size of 199.03 ± 4.63 nm (PDI <0.2) and achieved a high encapsulation efficiency of 90.34 ± 1.74 %. FT-IR spectroscopy analysis confirmed the successful encapsulation of AST within the nanoparticles. The AST-loaded nanoparticles exhibited significantly superior antioxidant activity compared to free AST. At an equivalent astaxanthin concentration of 10 μg/mL, the ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging efficiencies of the nanoparticles were at least 153 % and 128 % higher than those of free AST, respectively. The incorporation of GA enhanced the physicochemical stability and astaxanthin retention of the nanoparticles under various conditions, including different salt ion concentrations, temperatures, and storage durations, by facilitating the formation of a more compact nanostructure. The skin permeation behavior of the nanoparticles was evaluated using Franz diffusion cells and porcine skin. The results demonstrated that Z-GA2-AST1 exhibited significantly higher skin retention (48.37 %) and lower astaxanthin permeation (10.20 %) compared to free astaxanthin. This study provides valuable insights into the preparation and characterization of biocompatible nanoparticles for AST encapsulation, could become a potential formulation for topical delivery applications in cosmetics and topical drug delivery systems.
研究领域:
药剂学
·
化妆品科学
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
·
2021
·
IF 4.539
Qunna Xu,Zhongxue Bai,Jianzhong Ma,Mengchen Huang,Ruijie Qiu,Jinbiao Wu
In order to further enhance the application field of zein-based microcapsule. Zein-based amorphous TiO 2 composite microcapsules (ZTCMs) were innovatively prepared from zein , tetra butyl ortho titanate (TBOT) and PEO 106 PPO 70 PEO 106 (F127) via interface template synthesis . The Effects of TBOT amount on ZTCMs structures and photo-catalytic performances were mainly investigated. Chemical structure and microstructure of the obtained composite microcapsules were characterized mainly by fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS). The results show ZTCMs exhibited evident hollow structure with titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) wrapped in the outer layer. The average size of ZTCMs 300 was approximately 4 µm, which increased as the increase of TBOT dosage. Significantly, ZTCMs showed excellent photo-catalytic ability on dyes, red wine and coffee alike. The degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RB) was more than 80% after irradiation for 5 h under sunlight. This study provides a facile method to fabricate natural-based photo-catalytic material, which will be a good candidate in many fields such as medicine, food packaging, leather and textile.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
环境科学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）