INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2025
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IF 8.5
Junchao Ren,Xinyuan Guo,Rui Tan,Jianlong Chen,Mengde Huang,Lu Wang,Qingfa Zhang
Improving the toughness and strength of zein films simultaneously by a sustainable way is an urgent need. In this study, it is proposed to use hydrothermal carbon microspheres (HCM) and citrate ester (CE) to prepare hydrothermal carbon microspheres/citrate ester (HCE) to meet the inherent mechanical challenges of zein films. The results showed that the HCE with excellent structure and properties was obtained by ester bond and hydrogen bond, which also achieved the simultaneous improvement of zein film strength and toughness. Introducing HCM to HCE accelerated the degradation of zein whether for in water, orthophosphate solution, or soil environment. Additionally, the HCE increased the thermal decomposition residue, delayed the maximum decomposition peak temperature, and thus improved the thermal stability of zein. As a comparison, 3% HCM added CE exhibited the best performance improvement effects to zein film with the tensile strength of 2.37 MPa, tensile modulus of 0.81 GPa, elongation at break of 45.81%, hydrolysis rate of 44.12%, PBS degradation rate of 47.35%, buried degradation rate of 87.58%, and maximum decomposition peak temperatures of 270°C and 385°C. Having excellent properties and sustainability of the HCE provides a promising strategy for developing sustainable and high-performance zein composites.
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FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2026
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IF 10.4
Qiufang Liang,Panpan Cao,Yunxia Du,Aosen Lu,Haile Ma,Mingming Zhong,Yufan Sun,Abdul Qayum,Xiaofeng Ren
A novel two-step ultrasound way constructs zein-resveratrol-pectin ternary complexes. • Resveratrol plays a dual role as bioactive compound and protein structural modifier. • Primary ultrasound boosts resveratrol encapsulation and nanoparticle uniformity. • Secondary ultrasound drives interfacial assembly into a dense, stable layer. • The Pickering emulsion exhibits superior stability to heat, pH, salt and oxidation. This study introduces a two-step ultrasonic strategy for fabricating zein-resveratrol-pectin ternary complexes as Pickering emulsion stabilizers. The novelty lies in two aspects. First, resveratrol serves as both a structural modulator and an antioxidant. Second, ultrasonication plays a distinct dual role, with primary ultrasonication optimizing nanoparticle assembly (encapsulation efficiency 86.0%, particle size ∼180 nm) and secondary ultrasonication activating interfacial complexation with pectin to yield complexes with superior emulsifying performance (emulsifying activity index 15.94 m 2 /g). The resulting emulsion exhibited solid-like gel behavior (storage modulus ∼100 Pa), minimal creaming (20.01%), and exceptional stability under thermal, pH, and ionic stresses, with minimal creaming even at 85 °C. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of a dense interfacial layer, which underpinned the enhanced oxidative resistance (peroxide value 0.25 mmol/L after 5 days). This work demonstrates that integrating polyphenol modification with dual-stage ultrasonication offers a green and effective approach for developing high-performance, clean-label food colloids. Download: Download high-res image (176KB) Download: Download full-size image
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Food Packaging and Shelf Life
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2026
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IF 10.8
Kaikai Zhang,Chi Hu,Zhanpeng Chen,Chunguang Yao,Shulong Zeng,Yufan Liu,Fuliang Lu,Chongxing Huang
To overcome the limitations in barrier and heat-sealing properties hindering the use of cellulose-based biomaterials in packaging, a high-performance zein/cellulose/SiOₓ/zein composite was developed for food packaging with multifunctional attributes. Zein/cellulose composites were prepared using filter paper (FP) as the cellulose substrate, adjusting the internal structure of zein and the amount of external plasticizers to enhance the hydrophobic and barrier characteristics of zein coatings. Subsequently, a compact SiOₓ coating was applied onto the composite surface through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to further improve barrier performance. Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize the heat-sealing properties of the zein-based sealing layer, resulting in the creation of a stratified zein/cellulose/SiOₓ/zein composite with integrated hydrophobicity, barrier performance, and heat sealability. The bio-based composite, through synergistically optimizing individual material layer properties within its layered structure, fulfills the practical requirements of food packaging by demonstrating a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 35.73 g/(m²·d) and an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of 93.7 cm³ /(m²·d), comparable to commercial polyethylene terephthalate (PET) materials. It exhibits exceptional mechanical properties, including a tensile strength of 24.29 MPa, an elongation at break of 6.63%, and a Young's modulus of 934.00 MPa. Furthermore, it shows remarkable moisture resistance and biodegradability, ensuring effective food preservation and complete soil degradation within 21 days. This research introduces an innovative technical approach and establishes a theoretical framework for developing environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional paper-plastic-aluminum composite packaging materials.
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Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies
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2026
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IF 6.9
Liyuan Ma,Danyang Liang,Xiangrui Ren,Li Niu,Wenqing Zhao,Wenhao Li
To address the quality limitations of gluten-free potato noodles caused by the lack of a gluten network, this study elucidates the influence of sodium alginate (SA, 0, 0.5, and 1.5%) and zein (0, 10, 15, and 20%), individually and in combination, on the thermomechanical properties of potato dough and the quality of twin-screw extruded noodles. Mixolab analysis showed that SA significantly increased water absorption, while zein delayed protein weakening ( P < 0.05). Their combination enhanced dough's thermomechanical stability and starch gelatinization. At 0.5% SA and 10% zein, dough development time was minimized (0.70 min), and retrogradation resistance was optimal (C5–C4 = 0.63 Nm). Cooking loss was significantly reduced (16.41–30.71%) with SA at ≤1.5% and zein at ≤15%. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance revealed their synergistic improvement of internal water distribution in noodles. Textural analysis indicated significantly reduced hardness, chewiness, and resilience for all SA-zein combinations except 1.5% SA with 20% zein, with maximum reductions (60.40%, 68.11%, and 38.18%) at 0.5% SA and 20% zein. Microscopy and quantitative network analysis confirmed that a moderate SA (<1.5%) promoted a continuous zein-starch network, whereas excess SA led to aggregation and structural deterioration. Color and in vitro digestion analyses revealed that SA and zein together enhanced redness and increased the content of rapidly digestible starch. In summary, at appropriate concentrations, the combination of SA and zein can synergistically improve noodle quality, thereby providing both theoretical and practical guidance for the rational design of gluten-free extruded noodles.
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Bioactive Materials
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2022
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IF 16.874
Yubei Zhang,Ali Raza,Ya-Qi Xue,Ganggang Yang,Uzma Hayat,Jingwen Yu,Chang Liu,Hua-Jie Wang,Jin-Ye Wang
Four-dimensional (4D) printing is a promising technology that provides solutions for compelling needs in various fields. Most of the reported 4D printed systems are based on the temporal shape transformation of printed subjects. Induction of temporal heterogenicity in functions in addition to shape may extend the scope of 4D printing. Herein, we report a 4D printing approach using plant protein (zein) gel inspired by the amyloid fibrils formation mechanism. The printing of zein gel in a specialized layered-Carbopol supporting bath with different water concentrations in an ethanol-water mixture modulates hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding that causes temporal changes in functions. The part of the construct printed in a supporting bath with higher water content exhibits higher drug loading, faster drug release and degradation than those printed in the supporting bath with lower water content. Tri-segment conduit and butterfly-shaped construct with two asymmetrical wings are printed using this system to evaluate biomedical function as nerve conduit and drug delivery system. 4D printed conduits are also effective as a drug-eluting urethral stent in the porcine model. Overall, this study extends the concept of 4D printing beyond shape transformation and presents an approach of fabricating specialized baths for 4D printing that can also be extended to other materials to obtain 4D printed medical devices with translational potential.
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Food Bioscience
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2022
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IF 5.318
Chen Shen,Wenqing Chen,Changzhu Li,Yong Ye,Haiying Cui,Lin Lin
As a nutritious cold chain food , cheese is susceptible to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. In order to prevent and control Listeria monocytogenes in cheese safely and efficiently, maintain the sensory quality during sale, this paper developed a novel nanofiber membrane with good mechanical strength, hydrophobicity , thermal stability , release performance and bacteriostatic performance as food active packaging. In this study, zein was introduced and electrospun to form a reliable carrier to embed and deliver citral in the cavity of HP-β-CD (Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin). We found that the zein-based nanofiber membranes showed preferable tensile properties and hydrophobicity with 4% (w:v) addition of citral/HP-β-CD inclusion complex. Meanwhile, the thermal stability and release property of citral were significantly improved by embedding in HP-β-CD and loading into zein-base nanofiber membranes. Moreover, after packaged by Zein nanofiber membrane encapsulated with citral/HP-β-CD inclusion complex under the storage conditions of 4 °C and 12 °C, the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in four kinds of cheeses was inhibited to a certain degree. The texture and sensory quality of the four cheeses at the two temperatures and the color quality under the low temperature condition of 4 °C did not change significantly. In summary, Zein nanofiber membranes encapsulated with citral/HP-β-CD inclusion complex has potential application prospects in the field of food active packaging.
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Frontiers in Nutrition
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2022
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IF 6.59
Chen Yufeng,Gao Xiaojing,Liu Shucheng,Cai Qiuxing,Wu Lijun,Sun Yi,Xia Guobin,Wang Yueqi
In this work, the lactoferrin (LF) was glycosylated by dextran (molecular weight 10, 40, and 70 kDa, LF 10K, LF 40K, and LF 70K) via Maillard reaction as a stabilizer to establish zein/glycosylated LF nanoparticles and encapsulate 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF). Three zein/glycosylated LF nanoparticles (79.27–87.24 nm) with low turbidity (<0.220) and polydispersity index (PDI) (<0.230) were successfully established by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. Compared with zein/LF nanoparticles, zein/glycosylated LF nanoparticles further increased stability to ionic strength (0–500 mM NaCl) at low pH conditions. Zein/glycosylated LF nanoparticles had nanoscale spherical shape and glycosylated LF changed surface morphology of zein nanoparticles. Besides, encapsulated 7,8-DHF exhibited an amorphous state inside zein/glycosylated LF nanoparticles. Most importantly, zein/glycosylated LF nanoparticles had good water redispersibility, high encapsulation efficiency (above 98.50%), favorable storage stability, and bioaccessibility for 7,8-DHF, particularly LF 40K. Collectively, the above research provides a theoretical reference for the application of zein-based delivery systems.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2026
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IF 8.7
Zhaohui Liang,Ze Zhou,Liheng Chen,Xueqing Qiu
Industrial alkali lignin is an abundant aromatic biological macromolecule with intrinsic UV shielding ability, but its structural heterogeneity and aqueous self-aggregation limit its use as a stable carrier matrix. Herein, industrial alkali lignin was valorized through zein regulated co-assembly to construct surfactant free hybrid biological macromolecular nanocapsules (LZNP@Abm) for abamectin (Abm) delivery. The composite macromolecular matrix afforded excellent colloidal stability and a loading capacity of 79.22%, and LZNP@Abm retained 74.94% Abm after 72 h of UV irradiation, effectively mitigating photolytic degradation. By integrating lignin derived UV shielding with zein mediated interfacial stabilization and pH and temperature responsive gating, LZNP@Abm suppressed release, with only 34.18% release after 180 h under weakly acidic leaf surface and soil conditions, while accelerating release at pH 9 and 35 °C, conditions relevant to alkaline and warm lepidopteran larval midguts. Molecular dynamics and density functional theory analyses identified key zein residues, including asparagine, serine, and proline, that enhanced Abm binding through cooperative hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions. Improved foliar wettability and liquid retention further promoted leaf deposition and reduced potential non-target pesticide loss. LZNP@Abm achieved 5.7–23.5-fold reductions in LC 50 against Spodoptera frugiperda and complete mortality of S. litura , restored seed germination to 85.56%, and maintained earthworm survival at 83.33 to 96.67%. This work demonstrates a mechanism informed biopolymer carrier strategy for converting industrial lignin into a functional pesticide delivery platform with photoprotection, controlled release, and improved biosafety. Download: Download high-res image (119KB) Download: Download full-size image
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CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
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2023
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IF 11.2
Wei Wang,Wei Liu,Jinshan Wu,Meihong Liu,Yuhua Wang,Huimin Liu,Jingsheng Liu
This work aimed to develop novel particle-filled microgels based on zein and carboxymethyl starch for delivering quercetin (Que). The anti-solvent precipitation and chemical cross-linking methods were combined to produce the zein-carboxymethyl starch particle-filled microgels (SM-Z). The critical finding of the study was that adding zein nanoparticles significantly improved the strength, water holding capacity, and thermal stability of carboxymethyl starch microgel (SM). Besides, SM-Z had good biodegradability, and the particle size was about 44–61 μm. SM-Z successfully encapsulated Que with a high encapsulation efficiency of 86.7 %. Que-loaded SM-Z (Q/SM-Z) significantly enhanced 30 d storage and UV light stability (up to 89.4 % retention rate) of Que than the Que-loaded SM (Q/SM). Q/SM-Z exhibited pH-responsive swelling behavior, and the swelling was greatest in the simulated intestinal fluid (pH = 7). Besides, the Q/SM-Z showed good stability in simulated gastric fluids and sustained release of Que in simulated intestinal fluids, 72.5 % Que was released at 8 h. During Que transport in Caco-2 cell monolayers, Q/SM (5.8 %) and Q/SM-Z (9.7 %) were significantly higher than free Que (1.93 %). Therefore, as an oral delivery system for hydrophobic active substances, SM-Z possesses good biodegradability and pH-responsive intestinal-targeted delivery capability, providing a new strategy for designing starch-based encapsulation materials.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2023
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IF 8.2
Linjie Yang,Chuang Zhou,Yunhao Liu,Zuyu He,Mengru Zhang,Chao Wang,Ziming Yang,Puwang Li
In this study, zein-gallic acid covalent complex prepared by alkali treatment was utilized as an emulsifier to stabilize cinnamon essential oil (CEO) Pickering emulsion, and the chitosan-based (CZGE) films loaded with CEO Pickering emulsion were prepared by blending. The influences of different contents of CEO Pickering emulsion on the physical properties and biological activities of CZGE films were investigated. The results showed that Pickering emulsion had good compatibility with chitosan matrix and enhanced the interaction between film-forming matrix polymer. In addition, incorporating with CEO Pickering emulsion (15 %, v /v) significantly improved the mechanical and barrier properties of the films, and also enhanced the light transmittance and thermal stability of the films. Furthermore, the loading of emulsion also improved the antioxidant activities of the films and led to the formation of high antimicrobial property against food pathogens, and the slow-release behavior of CEO could effectively extend the biological activity of the films. These results suggested that Pickering emulsion has potential as a loading system and a plasticizer in active packaging, and the feasibility of CZGE film in food packaging.
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JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-MYSORE
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2023
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IF 3.1
Yu Hongrui,Huang Xueying,Zhou Liping,Wang Yi
Active packaging with antimicrobial functions to improve the quality and extend the shelf life of food products has gained great interest. Because commercial plastic packaging materials are not biodegradable and cause great environmental problems, plant-derived natural materials have been widely studied for the application of biodegradable packaging materials. Herein, we reported a study of essential oils (EOs)-loaded zein film. Cinnamaldehyde (CIN), carvacrol, and eugenol were added to equip the films with antimicrobial effects, while polyethylene glycol (PEG) and oleic acid (OA) were selected for the improvements of mechanical properties. The results showed that PEG efficiently improves the tensile strength and elongation (%E) of zein films compared to OA, although PEG induced weaker water barrier properties of the films than OA. FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of the hydrogen bonds between zein and PEG/OA. The EO-embedded zein film showed better antimicrobial effects than EO themselves. CIN-embedded films showed the highest antimicrobial effect among the three EOs. The sizes of the inhibition zones against Staphylococcus aureus of PEG-added zein films with 1%, 3%, and 5% CIN were 5.67, 12.67, and 16.67 mm, which were larger than that of pure CIN, with the sizes of 0.00, 3.00, and 4.67 mm, respectively. The developed films demonstrate a gradual release of EOs and show antimicrobial effects up to 96 h, indicating their high potential for the applications as active food packaging.
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FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
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2025
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IF 12.4
Qingbo Jiao,Gerui Ren,Nan Lv,Hao Li,Tianrong Wang,Min Huang,Ruibo Wu,Zexing Cao,Hujun Xie
Enhancing protein-protein interactions (PPIs) has been intensively studied, and the use of molecular glues is a cutting-edge technology. Although the number of molecular glues approved by the Food and Drug Administration is limited, (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has shown potential as a molecular glue. This study aimed to investigate how EGCG regulated the mechanism of PPIs using zein and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) as model proteins. The molecular dynamics simulations revealed that EGCG enhanced hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions in Zein-β-LG complexes, thereby improving their stability and compactness. The Δ G values for the formation of the complexes were all higher than −20 kcal/mol, suggesting strong protein interactions and spontaneous binding process. To validate the theoretical calculations, experimental verification was also conducted. The turbidity, particle size, and ζ-potential results demonstrated that EGCG enhanced the aggregation and stability of Zein-β-LG complexes. Fluorescence experiments indicated that the Δ G values at 298K were −27.57 kJ‧mol −1 at pH 5.5, −26.26 kJ‧mol −1 at pH 7.0, and −25.58 kJ‧mol −1 at pH 2.5, and the corresponding binding sites were 1.036, 1.018, and 1.118, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were the main driving forces involved in the complexation of EGCG and Zein-β-LG. EGCG binding significantly altered the secondary structures and surface properties of the complexes. These insights emphasized the potential of EGCG in modulating protein interactions, with significant implications for protein-based material and delivery system in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
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