JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-MYSORE
·
2023
·
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
·
2025
·
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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FOOD CONTROL
·
2024
·
IF 5.6
Shuqi Zhang,Jing Yi,Zhilong Zhang,Xuanxuan Yuan,Zhongguo Shan,Haihua Wang
The growing concerns over food contamination caused by microorganisms, coupled with the worsening environmental impact of petroleum-based plastics have drawn significant attention to eco-friendly materials in food packaging. Herein, cyclodextrin-metal-organic framework (CD-MOF) was prepared as promising nanocarrier for the natural product gallic acid (GA). Then, the prepared material (GA@CD-MOF) was incorporated into zein matrix to obtain Zein-GA@CD-MOF films. Further studies showed that the composite films possessed great potential for food packaging, offering excellent UV-light blocking, water resistance , and mechanical properties. Notably, Zein-GA@CD-MOF films demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity (44.56%–77.97% against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and 28.36%–59.49% against Salmonella enterica ) and sustained antioxidant properties for 100 days, which correlated with the sustainable release effect of GA. Furthermore, the exceptional biosafety of GA@CD-MOF has been confirmed through cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays. Pork preservation experiments illustrated that the obtained films could retard protein degradation, microorganism growth, and lipid oxidation, extending the shelf-life by 9 days at 4 °C. These findings suggest that Zein-GA@CD-MOF films has promising application prospects in pork preservation packaging.
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FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
·
2025
·
IF 12.4
Tingting Yang,Xinming Zhang,Feifei Wang,Liming Zhang,Dawei Yu,Xueying Zhang,Guanghua Xia,Jiamei Wang
Cold plasma (CP) modification, combined with nanotechnology, has demonstrated significant potential for enhancing the performance of bio-based packaging films. In this study, zein-curcumin-quercetin-chondroitin sulfate nanoparticles (ZCQC NPs) were incorporated into a chitosan film and modified by CP (0, 10, 30, 50 kV) to enhance the physicochemical properties, bioactivity, and preservation ability of the chitosan-based film. Fourier transforms infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the presence of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between the NPs and chitosan, as well as their good compatibility. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that CP treatment synergistically enhanced the thermal stability of NPs-incorporated composite films. The incorporation of CP and NPs enhanced the film's mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, and barrier performance synergistically. Among them, the CP-C-NPs 30 kV film exhibited lower water vapor permeability (1.33 ± 0.15 g/m·d) and oxygen permeability (4.16 ± 0.27 × 10 −6 g/m·d·Pa), along with excellent antioxidant and antibacterial properties. More importantly, the CP-C-NPs 30 kV film significantly reduced the total viable count (13.64 % compared to the control) and the degree of lipid oxidation (TBARS value decreased by 42.86 %) in packaged fish, extending the shelf life at 4 °C to 8 days, which was twice that of ordinary packaging film. This study not only reveals the synergistic enhancement mechanism of CP modification on the performance of active packaging materials but also provides new strategies for developing efficient food preservation materials.
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FOOD CHEMISTRY
·
2025
·
IF 9.8
Hui Sun,Liming Zhang,Tao Yang,Kai Wang,Haohao Shi,Jiamei Wang,Guanghua Xia
Growing emphasis on green sustainability drives interest in eco-friendly packaging. This study first fabricates biodegradable zein-based nanofibers for active food packaging via green solution blow spinning, using zein/polyethylene oxide composites to enhance fiber uniformity and mechanical properties. Systematic modulation of acetic acid-water ratios and zein concentrations tailored nanofiber film characteristics. Optimized films exhibited homogeneous fibrous structures, exceptional thermal stability (T max : 351.71 ± 0.17 °C and 346.86 ± 0.17 °C), and high hydrophobicity (water contact angles >100°). Critically, films with elevated acetic acid-water ratios and zein levels showed superior mechanical strength – tensile strengths of 3.37 MPa and 9.20 MPa, elastic module of 27.02 MPa and 627.01 MPa. Results demonstrate that precise control of acetic acid-water ratios and zein concentration is key to enhancing fiber uniformity, thermal stability, and barrier functionality, advancing high-performance sustainable packaging development.
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Biomaterials Research
·
2025
·
IF 9.6
Zijian Dai,Wanting Yin,Jiahao Li,Lingjun Ma,Fang Chen,Qun Shen,Xiaosong Hu,Yong Xue,Junfu Ji
Quercetin as a flavonoid polyphenol in nature has shown great anti-obesity effects. Due to its poor stability in chemical structure and low intestinal absorption, the in vivo bioavailability of quercetin is considered to be the main challenge for applications. To achieve the oral quercetin administration, chitosan was successfully trimethylated (TMC) to coat the quercetin-loaded zein nanoparticles (Zein-Q), which were designed as the core–shell structure for enhancing the intestinal absorption in this study. TMC-Zein-Q was demonstrated to protect quercetin from degradation and showed the sustained-release effect in an in vitro drug release experiment. The nanoparticles were found to reversibly open tight junctions between intestinal epithelial cells and help to increase quercetin uptake via the paracellular pathway in Caco-2 cells. In addition, the delivery system also showed stronger intestinal permeability and mucoadhesion in vivo, which improved the bioavailability of quercetin in cellular and animal experiments. After 10 weeks of intervention, TMC-Zein-Q could effectively suppress weight gain, improve serum lipid levels, and ameliorate hepatic steatosis and glucose tolerance in high-fat diet (HFD) mice by mediating the AMPK pathway. Consequently, this work successfully constructed TMC-Zein-Q for oral quercetin delivery, providing a novel and feasible strategy for the treatment of obesity via the oral route.
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JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
·
2025
·
IF 3.5
Cheng Zhang,Shuangling Zhang,Jingjun Ma,Xiaohui Wang,Min Chen,Liangtao Lv,Heping Liu,Guanyu Zhao,Junpeng Li,Nan Sun
BACKGROUND The limited water solubility and instability of myricetin (Myr) restrict its application in functional food. Peptides from colla corii asini (CCAP) have recognized potential for the design of hybrid nanoparticles due to their therapeutic bioactivity. In this study, a dual-protein (animal–plant hybrid) delivery system was developed by the integration of CCAP with Zein (Z), with the objective of enhancing the efficiency of Myr for diabetes management. RESULTS Size-exclusion chromatography combined with multi-angle light scattering and zeta potential revealed small- and medium-sized CCAP fragments (83.0–100.5 and 100.5–785.6 Da, 10.0% and 80.0%, respectively; degree of hydrolysis: 78.3%) enabling electrostatic interactions with Z. CCAP-Z-Myr nanoparticles (98.2 nm) exhibited enhanced encapsulation efficiency (91.4%) and thermal stability (endothermic peak shift from 71.8 °C (Z-Myr) to 138 °C (CCAP-Z-Myr)). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed Myr amorphization (disappearance of crystalline peaks at 5.8°, 11.4°, 14.1°, 16.6°, 26.3° and 28.4°) and electrostatic interactions between CCAP and Z (CO peak shift from 1657 cm −1 (Z) to 1633 cm −1 (CCAP-Z), amide II from 1542 cm −1 (Z) to 1536 cm −1 (CCAP-Z)). Antioxidant activity of CCAP-Z-Myr surpassed that of Z-Myr (ABTS: 60.4% versus 25.3%, DPPH: 57.6% versus 33.0%, FRAP: 0.65 versus 0.42, hydroxyl radicals: 50.4% versus 30.2%, superoxide anions: 50.9% versus 29.7%). α -Glucosidase inhibitory activity of CCAP-Z-Myr was notably improved compared with Z-Myr (78.5% versus 64.8%). CONCLUSION This study demonstrated a dual animal–plant protein strategy to enhance hydrophobic bioactive Myr delivery for diabetes management, offering novel insights for functional foods and therapeutic formulations. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Pharmaceutics
·
2020
·Vol. 12
·期 2
·169
·
IF 4.421
Xiaojing Liu,Jingfu Jia,Shulei Duan,Xue Zhou,Anya Xiang,Ziling Lian,Fahuan Ge
Antimicrobial medicine and food packages based on bio-based film containing essential oils have attracted great attention worldwide. However, the controlled release of essential oils from these film nanocomposites is still a big challenge. In this study, a long-term antibacterial film nanocomposite composed of zein film and cinnamon essential oil (CEO) loaded MCM-41 silica nanoparticles was prepared. The CEO was loaded into MCM-41 particles via modified supercritical impregnation efficiently with a high drug load (>40wt%). The morphologies of the prepared nanoparticles and film nanocomposite were characterized by a scanning electron microscope. The release behaviors of CEO under different temperatures, high humidity, continuous illumination and in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) solution were investigated. The results showed that the film nanocomposite had an outstanding release-control effect. The addition of MCM-41 nanoparticles also improved the mechanical properties of zein films. The antibacterial effect of CEO was significantly prolonged by the film nanocomposite; indicating the CEO film nanocomposite fabricated via modified supercritical CO2impregnation was a potential long-term antibacterial medicine or food package material.Keywords:film nanocomposite;essential oil;supercritical CO2;long-term package
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CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
·
2026
·
IF 13.2
Yucheng Zou,Manjun Kang,Kaiyuan Cao,Xiaorui Su,Boyu Huaxing,Zeyu Qin,Abdullah,Jiyong Shi,Xiaowei Huang,Xiaobo Zou
Advanced delivery systems are crucial for overcoming the limitations of ferulic acid (FA), including its poor water solubility and stability. This study utilized γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (γ-CD-MOF) to encapsulate FA, yielding FA-loaded γ-CD-MOF (FA@CD-MOF) nanocarriers, which were subsequently incorporated into zein/polyvinyl alcohol electrospun nanofibers to construct a dual-encapsulation system. Results showed that FA@CD-MOF exhibited an average particle size of 228.36 nm, and demonstrated efficient FA encapsulation with a loading capacity of 27.39% and encapsulation efficiency of 51.76%. The composite nanofibers exhibited enhanced thermal stability and moderate anti-swelling properties. In vitro release studies demonstrated that the γ-CD-MOF effectively suppressed initial burst release of FA, and led to a sustained release profile that conformed to the Fickian diffusion mechanism. Furthermore, the composite nanofibers exhibited long-lasting antioxidant activity owing to the protective effect (nano-in-nano) of the delivery system. Notably, in vitro digestion experiments showed that the bioavailability of FA in the nanofibers reached 74.66%, a 2.9-fold increase compared to free FA (26.11%). Cytotoxicity tests on Caco-2 cells supported the remarkable biocompatibility and biosafety of the developed delivery system. Collectively, this study presents a highly promising strategy utilizing γ-CD-MOF for the controlled delivery of FA, which significantly enhances its stability and bioavailability. Download: Download high-res image (405KB) Download: Download full-size image
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FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
·
2026
·
IF 8.8
Mengchu Sun,Chenglong Zhang,Xichao Yin,Hongjin Tang
With the escalating environmental impact of petroleum-based plastics, natural polysaccharide-protein composite films have demonstrated significant potential as eco-friendly materials for food packaging. However, research on integrating bioactive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with Zein-based matrices to develop multifunctional active packaging remains underexplored. This study developed a novel composite film by encapsulating cinnamaldehyde (CA) within a magnesium-gallic acid-MOF (Mg-GA-MOF) and incorporating it into an ethyl cellulose (EC)/Zein matrix for pork preservation. The optimized CA@Mg-GA-MOF/EC/Zein-4% film with a thickness of 0.14 mm demonstrated remarkable mechanical properties, including a tensile strength of 55.75 MPa and an elongation at break of 5.46%. It exhibited low water vapor permeability at 5.87 × 10 −7 g·m −1 ·s −1 ·Pa −1 . The film also showed strong antibacterial activity, inhibiting growth by up to 99.73% against Escherichia coli and 89.26% against Staphylococcus aureus , as well as notable antioxidant properties with DPPH and ABTS scavenging rates of 59.70% and 49.71%, respectively. Furthermore, the composite film demonstrated sustained release characteristics for CA and GA and excellent biocompatibility. Non-covalent interactions between the components contributed to the improvement of functional properties of the film. In pork preservation trials, the composite film effectively delayed microbial growth, protein degradation, and lipid oxidation. Based on the total viable count safety limit (6 log CFU/g, GB 4789.2–2016), the film extended the shelf life of pork by 7 days compared to the control group. This study presents the first use of Mg-GA-MOF for the co-delivery of CA and GA within the EC/Zein film, offering a novel strategy for high-performance active food packaging.
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Food Packaging and Shelf Life
·
2022
·
IF 8.749
Xiaomin Wang,Xue Huang,Fengjuan Zhang,Fanyun Hou,Fangxuan Yi,Xia Sun,Qingqing Yang,Xiangbo Han,Zhanli Liu
In this study, chitosan/zein composite film combined with tea polyphenol was fabricated, and the effect of tea polyphenol on the structure and physical properties of chitosan/zein film was investigated. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated that the distribution and content of water molecules in chitosan/zein film were changed with the addition of tea polyphenol. The results of fluorescence measurement and secondary structure analysis proved the enhanced physical and structural properties of tea polyphenol composite film. And the film showed favorable stretching resistance and flexibility. Furthermore, the effect of composite film on quality and physiological indexes of mushroom ( Lyophyllum decastes Sing.) stored at 4 °C for 15 d were systematically evaluated. The results indicated that the tea polyphenol composite film showed the effectiveness of maintaining color, texture as well as integrity of cell membrane evidenced by relatively lower membrane permeability and malondialdehyde content of mushrooms. Besides, weight loss and respiration rate were efficiently retarded. In comparison with control and chitosan/zein film, the tea polyphenol composite film inhibited the activity of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, while enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase). In a word, the chitosan/zein composite film incorporated with tea polyphenol showed the potential as an effective technology for maintaining the postharvest quality of mushroom ( Lyophyllum decastes Sing.).
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FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
·
2023
·
IF 8.1
Wanmei Lin,Yifan Zhang,Jihong Huang,Zhonghong Li
A pH-responsive double-layer film comprising chitosan (CS), zein (Z), curcumin-β-cyclodextrin complex (Cur- β-CD), alizarin (AL) and cinnamaldehyde (CIN) was developed to detect spoilage and prolong the shelf life of pork. The outer Z/AL is the colorimetric responsive and highly protective outer layer, while the CS/Cur- β-CD/CIN is the fluorescence responsive and functional layer. The CS/Cur- β-CD/CIN-Z/AL film demonstrated excellent barrier properties against oxygen (8.48 × 10 -13 g (m s Pa) -1 ) and water (2.42 × 10 -11 g (m s Pa) -1 ) primarily due to the polar interactions in the Z structure and its hydrophobic nature. The addition of AL and Cur provided the CS/Cur- β-CD/CIN-Z/AL film with pH colorimetric and fluorescence response capabilities, respectively. Furthermore, the inclusion of Cur- β-CD, CIN and AL significantly enhanced the film’s antioxidant and antibacterial properties, with radical scavenging rates of 79.29 % (DPPH) and 89.84 % (ABTS), as well as antibacterial efficiencies of 96.2 % ( S. aureus ) and 85.78 % ( E. coli ). To test the effectiveness of the double-layer film, a freshness monitoring and maintenance experiment was conducted on pork stored at 4 °C for 8 days. Various parameters of pork, including surface color, pH value, total volatile bases nitrogen (TVB-N), total viable counts (TVC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), hardness and springiness, were measured, along with the color and fluorescence intensity (FL) of the film. The shelf life of the pork was extended by at least 2 days compared to the control group, and the pork was considered inedible if ΔE ≥ 12 or FL intensity ≤ 2160. Overall, this food packaging film shows promise in simultaneously monitoring and maintaining the freshness of pork.
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