INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2024
·
IF 7.7
Kun Wang,Wei Li,Linhuanyi Wu,Yongshi Li,Hui Li
In this study, zein-loaded cinnamaldehyde (Cin@ZN) nanoparticles were incorporated into Chitosan (CS)/dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) matrix to fabricate the active food packaging materials possessing outstanding antioxidant and antibacterial properties . The research investigated how varying levels of Cin@ZN nanoparticles affected the morphology, microstructure, physicochemical properties of CS/DCMC composite films. The inclusion of Cin@ZN could significantly improve the mechanical strength, reduce the water vapor and oxygen permeability of CS/DCMC composite films and endow films with UV-light blocking properties. It's worth noting that the antibacterial and antioxidant capacities of CS/DCMC films had an astonishing enhancement with Cin@ZN blending, in which ABTS scavenging ratio of the composite films (100 mg) with different Cin@ZN contents reached >90 %. Furthermore, CS/DCMC/Cin@ZN 35 % composite film has the ability to efficiently protect strawberries from microbial damage and decelerate the spoilage rate of strawberries under ambient condition. Consequently, the CS/DCMC/Cin@ZN composite film can be applied as packaging material to extend the lifespan of fruits.
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高影响因子
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
·
2025
·
IF 12.4
Long Deng,Junqiu Liao,Weiqi Liu,Shiyuan Liu,Xiaoxiao Liang,Rujin Zhou,Yanbin Jiang
Overcoming gastrointestinal tract barriers to enhance bioavailability is a major challenge for oral delivery. The innovative design of multi-compartment functional Pickering emulsions would provide an ideal option for targeted co-delivery of bioactive components. In this study, pH-responsive water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) Pickering double emulsions co-loaded with curcumin and fluorouracil were fabricated by zein/anthocyanin (ACN)/Zn 2+ nanoparticles (ZAZn NPs) via a one-step emulsification process. The unique emulsifier was designed by depositing ACN-Zn 2+ complexes on zein nanoparticles (zein NPs). The binding of ACN to the nanoparticle surface through hydrogen bonding interaction enhanced the hydrophilization and stimuli-response of zein NPs. Furthermore, the co-ordination of Zn 2+ and ACN facilitated the formation of nanoparticles with near-neutral wettability, which served as the dominant driving force for the one-step generation of W/O/W Pickering emulsions. The droplet size, distribution and internal structure of Pickering double emulsions were influenced by nanoparticle concentration and oil fraction. Due to Zn 2+ complexation with curcumin at the oil/water interface, the W/O/W Pickering emulsions obtained exhibited high curcumin encapsulation efficiency (91.2%) and free fatty acid release degree (65.9%), resulting in increased bio-accessibility (71.0%). The simulated gastrointestinal release demonstrated that curcumin and fluorouracil achieved controlled intestinal release, which was driven by a pH-mediated competitive adsorption-desorption mechanism. Moreover, in vitro cell experiments showed that co-encapsulated Pickering double emulsions exhibited 2.5 times greater bio-activity than those containing fluorouracil only. This facile strategy for preparing Pickering double emulsions is promising for the co-delivery of different physico-chemical bio-active compounds, which would improve oral bio-accessibility and bio-activity.
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高影响因子
Foods
·
2025
·Vol. 14
·期 13
·2345
·
IF 5.1
Yifei Guo,Xinyu Yu,Rongrong He,Jianfei Pei,Haiming Chen,Weijun Chen
Ferulic acid (FA) exhibits beneficial properties in ulcerative colitis (UC) pathogenesis, while sensitivity to the environment and enzymes limits its use in UC therapy. Therefore, this study aims to develop a colon-targeted nanocomplex delivery system using FA and investigate its protective effects and underlying regulatory mechanisms in UC mice. A novel Zein/FA–pectin (PEC)/chitosan (CS) nanocomplex was successfully fabricated in this study. Through systematic adjustment of the PEC/CS-to-Zein/FA ratio, optimal encapsulation efficiency (60.1%) and loading capacity (26.2%) were achieved. The characterized data indicated that hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic forces were the main driving forces maintaining the formation of the nanocomplexes, accompanied by alterations in the secondary structure of Zein. The Zein/FA–PEC/CS nanocomplexes demonstrated excellent thermal/storage particle size stability and exhibited both protective and sustained-release effects of FA during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the nanocomplexes potentially alleviate UC by regulating inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota. Compared to unencapsulated FA, the nanocomplexes have a better effect on alleviating UC symptoms. In summary, Zein/FA–PEC/CS nanocomplexes have promising prospects in alleviating colitis in UC mice.
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高影响因子
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
·
2024
·
IF 5.6
Mengdi Qin,Guangshuai Zhang,Peixu Zhao,Genyang Ye,Mo Li,Xiwei Jiang,Xiaohong Liu,Qiang Fu,Zhonggui He
Thiol-modified hyaluronic acid (HASH) improves zein nanoparticles (ZNPs) stability by disulfide bonding with zein. However, the effect of the degree of thiol substitution in HASH on the stability of the ZNPs remains unclear. In this study, HASH with 1%, 3%, and 5% degrees of thiol substitution was synthesized and used as stabilizers to prepare three composite NPs. The pH and salt ion stability of the composite NPs increased with increasing degree of thiol substitution, which improved the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of the composite NPs. Interestingly, when the degree of thiol substitution exceeded 3%, the physical stability of composite NPs did not improve further. Our results revealed the relationship between the degree of thiol substitution in HASH and the stability of ZNPs, and provided the optimal degree of thiol substitution. These findings provided important information for improving the physical stability of ZNPs and contributed to the development of a delivery system for natural actives.
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Surfaces and Interfaces
·
2025
·
IF 6.3
Shengye Chen,Kunquan Li,Yongxian Zhou,Xinyao Xie,Zeyuan Lu,Xiaojing Su,Xiaojuan Ao,Wenjian Wu
The development of super-wetting membranes has become a promising treatment material for the emulsions separation and heavy metals absorption. However, it is often limited by the slow separation flux and the non-degradable material in practical applications. Based on this, this paper proposed a superhydrophobic biodegradable zein/chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol @ carnauba wax modified titanium dioxide (ZCP@CW/TiO 2 -s) composite membrane for emulsion separation and heavy metal adsorption. The prepared ZCP@CW/TiO 2 -s membrane demonstrated outstanding superhydrophobicity, featuring a WCA of 154 o and a rolling angle as low as 3 o . Surprisingly, the composite membrane exhibited rapid emulsion separation performance under the low pressure (0.1 bar), with a flux of 23524 L·m -2 ·h -1 ·bar -1 and separation efficiency exceeding 98.2 %. The ZCP@CW/TiO 2 -s membrane achieved a high heavy metal adsorption capacity, particularly for Cu 2+ ions, with an adsorption capacity of 149.93 mg/g. The composite membrane also maintained a stable separation performance under 25 times of wear resistance test. In addition, the ZCP@CW/TiO 2 -s membrane had a great photodegradation ability, which could remove organic pollutants adsorbed on the composite membrane. Meanwhile, the composite membrane could be buried in soil after disposal, enabling rapid degradation and preventing secondary pollution. Moreover, the composite membrane is capable of effectively separating emulsions and removing heavy metal ions, thereby tackling the problem of complex oily wastewater pollution. Therefore, the biodegradable composite membrane can be used as candidate materials for future sustainable development.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2025
·
IF 8.5
Cen Zhang,Sicheng Li,Di Chen,Wenjing Lu,Chaogeng Xiao
Multicore-shell nanofibers were fabricated by integrating emulsion electrospinning and coaxial electrospinning technologies, in which the multicore section of the nanofibers was prepared by electrospinning of gelatin-stabilized emulsions, and the shell layer was coaxially electrospun from zein solution. Coaxial electrospinning of zein helped form emulsion-based electrospun fibers with bead-in-string, spindle-like, and straight morphologies. The hydrogen bonding between gelatin and zein contributed to the enhanced thermal properties of coaxially electrospun nanofibers. The coating of zein as shell greatly improved fiber surface wettability and mechanical strength. The release behavior of curcumin from the nanofibers was dominated by Fickian diffusion, and the zein shell as a physical barrier favored the prolonged release of curcumin and then the long-lasting antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli . This work thus gives an insight into the development of the nanofibers by emulsion-coaxial electrospinning as encapsulation matrices for the application in food products.
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高影响因子
FOOD CHEMISTRY
·
2024
·
IF 8.5
Shaoxuan Yu,Geyu Pang,Shiyang Li,Shengjuan Lv,Zhengpeng Wei,Jinmei Wang,Haifang Xiao,Lanlan Zhu
Zein-fucoidan nanoparticles (ZFNPs) as an excellent colloidal delivery system for bioactive compounds, such as curcumin (CUR), show a great application potential in the food industry. Herein, various amount of ZFNPs, ZFNPs loaded with CUR (CZFNPs) and free CUR were added into golden threadfin bream ( Nemipterus virgatus ) surimi to explore their impacts on the gel properties. Dynamic rheological tests showed that storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G") of surimi gels with the additive amount of ZFNPs and CZFNPs under 0.8 % significantly increased and their loss tangent (tan δ) slightly reduced during thermal gelation, indicating stronger networks and better structural configuration. Puncture test and textural profile analysis confirmed the improvements in breaking force, hardness, chewiness and gumminess of surimi gels. Furthermore, 0.8 % of ZFNPs and CZFNPs induced conformational changes of surimi proteins from α-helix to β-sheet and random coil, and then facilitating the cross-link between proteins. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance revealed that ZFNPs and CZFNPs promoted the redistribution of water in surimi gel networks, converting more free water to tightly bounded water, and thus increasing the water holding capacity. However, the addition of equivalent amount of CUR caused detrimental to surimi gel properties. In conclusion, ZFNPs and CZFNPs conferred better gel properties and nutritional characteristics to surimi gels, and this study provided a theoretical basis for the development of high-quality surimi products.
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高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2025
·
IF 8.5
Shuaizhen Fang,Yingjie Wang,Lin Zhu,Yaqiong Zhang,Liangli (Lucy) Yu
In this study, lutein-loaded zein nanoparticles (Lu-NPs) were firstly prepared using the antisolvent precipitation method, and the obtained nanoparticles had a spherical shape with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 78.13 nm, a monodispersed distribution and relatively high encapsulation efficiency of 89.11 %. Then, Lu-NPs were added to anthocyanin-loaded arabinoxylan/casein hydrogel (ACN-gel) to fabricate Lu-NPs incorporated nanocomposite hydrogels (Lu-NPs/ACN-gel), which emphasized on the effect of Lu-NPs addition amount (10 %, 20 % and 40 %) on the structure, physico-chemical and delivery properties of nanocomposite hydrogels. It was found that the 10 % or 20 % Lu-NPs addition could not obviously influence the microstructure and gel strength of Lu-NPs/ACN-gel. Meanwhile, hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions were formed between Lu-NPs and the gel matrix. However, with increasing Lu-NPs addition amount to 40 %, the porosity of Lu-NPs/ACN-gel was significantly increased to 48.48 % and the collapsed appearance was observed, which might be due to the formation of Lu-NPs aggregates in the gel network structure. Moreover, 10 % or 20%Lu-NPs/ACN-gels were found to greatly improve the light and thermal stability of anthocyanin and lutein, and exhibited colon-specific release behavior. These data suggested a possible utilization of Lu-NPs/ACN-gel in gel-related eye care foods.
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Sustainable Materials and Technologies
·
2025
·
IF 9.2
Zifeng Yang,Haonan Zhang,Donglai Zhang,Yun Fang,Qiuyu Xiong,Bin Yu,Jingli Cheng,Liqing Li,Qunzhen Guo,Jinhao Zhao
Soybean root rot, primarily caused by Fusarium and Phytophthora spp., severely damages root tissues, impairs nutrient uptake, and leads to plant death, particularly in saline-alkaline soils, where high pH, salt stress, and deteriorated soil conditions reduce the stress resistance of soybean plants. Conventional chemical treatments are less effective owing to the poor vertical mobility of fungicides in alkaline soils. Stimuli-responsive controlled-release formulations can improve the bioavailability of active ingredients, reduce application frequency, and minimize environmental impact. Here, we present a sustainable, biodegradable, and environmentally benign delivery system based on zein, a plant-derived protein. Zein was modified with non-toxic succinic anhydride to improve water dispersibility, resulting in a green carrier (SZ) with reduced ecological risk. The UV-sensitive fungicide difenoconazole (Di) was encapsulated into this carrier via nanoprecipitation to construct a stimuli-responsive nano-enabled delivery system (Di@SZ). Di@SZ exhibited alkaline-triggered release, with rapid release in alkaline conditions. Compared to the commercial emulsifiable concentrate (EW), Di@SZ nanoparticles showed a 3.03-fold improvement in UV resistance. They enhanced vertical mobility of Di in soil, enabling targeted root delivery during drip irrigation in saline-alkaline soils. Pot experiments demonstrated that Di@SZ provided stronger and longer-lasting protection against soybean root rot than EW. Moreover, the system exhibited superior biosafety, with 2.77-fold lower toxicity to soil earthworms relative to EW. These findings underscore Di@SZ as a sustainable, materials-based plant protection technology that integrates renewable resources, reduces environmental impact, and enhances efficacy, offering a promising approach for eco-friendly disease management in agriculture.
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高影响因子
POLYMER
·
2025
·
IF 4.5
Qianqian Yu,Haijun Wang,Yisha Ma
This study presents a sustainable bio-composite strategy enhancing the dielectric energy storage performance of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) through acetate-modified zein proteins. The amphiphilic structure of denatured zein, featuring exposed -OH, -NH 2 , C=O, and -COOH groups, enables multipoint hydrogen bonding with PVDF chains. These interactions achieve dual key effects: promoting β-phase crystallization in PVDF to significantly increase the dielectric constant by 40% without elevating dielectric loss, while simultaneously forming hydrogen bond-mediated physical crosslinking networks. This network not only homogenizes electric field distribution and suppresses space charge accumulation but, crucially, counteracts the potential increase in dipole relaxation losses associated with reduced crystallinity by effectively restricting polymer chain mobility. The optimized microstructure delivered exceptional electrical properties including high breakdown strength, an energy density of 11.31 J/cm 3 , and 83.44% energy efficiency at the maximum field, surpassing most reported PVDF composites. Unlike traditional inorganic fillers, this bio-derived modifier addresses crystalline limitations and interfacial defects while avoiding the brittleness associated with chemical crosslinking. This work fundamentally elucidates protein-polymer interfacial synergy and establishes a scalable, eco-friendly paradigm for high-performance dielectric composites, offering significant energy storage potential.
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高影响因子
FOOD CHEMISTRY
·
2022
·
IF 9.231
Xiao-Long Li,Ran Meng,Bao-Cai Xu,Bao Zhang,Bo Cui,Zheng-Zong Wu
Emulsion gels prepared with carrageenan and emulsion stabilized by zein/carboxymethyl dextrin were served as fat substitute in sausages. Color, pH, texture, rheology, microstructure, cooking loss and antioxidant activity of sausages were assessed. The replacement of emulsion gels increased L* and decreased a* of sausages. The incorporation of curcumin increased b* of sausages. The pH of sausages had no obviously change when the emulsion gels and curcumin were used as fat substitute. The hardness and viscoelasticity of sausages improved with the addition of emulsion gels. The SEM suggested that network structure was enhanced with the increase of emulsion gels. After adding emulsion gels and curcumin, the cooking loss of sausages was significantly decreased and antioxidant activity was significantly increased. This study indicated that emulsion gels, which was fabricated by carrageenan and emulsion stabilized by zein/carboxymethyl dextrin, could be an excellent substitute to replace fat in sausages.
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PubMed
高影响因子
Food Packaging and Shelf Life
·
2026
·
IF 10.8
Hao Dong,Yan Su,Yue Zhang,Liping Tong,Shifeng Hou
Traditional homogeneous films are often unable to simultaneously maintain a high-humidity microenvironment and buffer relative humidity (RH) fluctuations during fresh-produce storage. Herein, a zein-based asymmetric active packaging film was developed by integrating a ligand-regulated Zein@Metal Azolate Framework 47 (Zein@MAF47) humidity-buffering layer with a dense Zein/humic acid (Zein/HA) barrier layer. MAF47 was grown in situ on electrospun zein fibers through a layer-by-layer assembly strategy, and the 2-methylimidazole/3-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole (Hmim/Hmtz) ligand ratio was tuned to regulate water adsorption–desorption behavior. Among the investigated samples, Zein@MAF47 with an Hmim/Hmtz ratio of 3:1 exhibited high-humidity-responsive S-shaped sorption behavior, a water uptake of 0.42 g/g at 90% RH, and stable cycling performance. Meanwhile, the Zein/HA layer formed a compact hydrocolloid network through electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, resulting in a low water vapor permeability of (1.89 ± 0.06) × 10 −11 g·m/(m 2 ·s·Pa). The resulting Zein@MAF47 −Zein/HA bilayer film showed directional water vapor transport and rapidly stabilized the RH at (80 −82)% in a model humidity-regulation system. In preservation experiments, this packaging maintained the internal RH above 97%, thereby reducing the weight loss of Agaricus bisporus to 8.96% under refrigerated conditions and 4.10% at room temperature. These results indicate that coupling a humidity-responsive porous layer with a compact moisture-barrier layer is a promising strategy for developing active packaging films for humidity-stabilized fresh-produce preservation.
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高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）