LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
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2025
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IF 6.6
Min Wen,Ran Tao,Jianchun Jiang,Yicun Chen,Yangdong Wang
Natural citral has attracted widespread attention for its antibacterial properties, but its instability during processing and in biological systems, such as the gastrointestinal tract, limits its application as an antibiotic alternative. This study aims to enhance the stability and antibacterial efficacy of citral by formulating it into a sustained-release system using Schiff base reaction and metal complexation with chitosan (CS), tannic acid (TA), and zinc (Zn). Characterization of the CS-CT-TA-Schiff base/OH-TA-Zn (CS-CT-TA-Zn) complex revealed a porous, rough morphology with an average particle size of 366.97 ± 48.02 nm. The composite exhibited a citral loading capacity of 57.78 ± 1.33%, with pH-responsive sustained release behavior observed within the pH range of 1.5–2.0. Tannic acid's antioxidant properties helped maintain the formulation’s stability. Antimicrobial testing showed that the citral loading in the composite at the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus was 20 μg/mL, effectively disrupting the bacterial cell membrane and inhibiting biofilm formation. The CS-CT-TA-Zn complex significantly enhances the stability and antibacterial activity of citral, providing new insights into its application as an antimicrobial agent targeted for delivery to the human stomach, and increasing its potential as a more effective food additive.
研究领域:
食品科学
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微生物学
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材料科学
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DOI
高影响因子
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 6.6
Yihong Zhou,Yang Xu,Peng Wang,Jing Zhang,Shangxing Chen,Dayong Peng,Zongde Wang,Yuling Yang,Hai Luo,Ji Zhang
Citral is one of the main components of everyday chemical fragrances and Its fragrance cannot be retained for long due to its active chemical properties. Currently, potentially toxic or expensive industrial surfactants are commonly used to emulsify flavors or essential oils, and most of the dispersed systems formed are thermodynamically unstable. In this study, modified corn protein was used as a solid particles and xanthan gum as a co-emulsifier to form an O/W type Pickering emulsion. Corn protein was modified with natural plant polyphenol–tannin to obtain solid particles with optimal amphiphilicity and antioxidant properties, and the particle size was approximately 170 nm. The Pickering emulsion was dispersed using a high-speed homogenizer. The percentage of encapsulated citral in the system was 20%. The particle size, polydispersity index, and citral encapsulation rate were 32.48 μm, 0.323, and 91.26%, respectively. The Pickering emulsion significantly improved the stability of the encapsulated citral, and the retention of citral in harsh environments (both high temperature and aerobic) was significantly increased. After one month of storage, the citral retention in the Pickering emulsion was 86.95% under aerobic conditions.
研究领域:
食品科学
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材料科学
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DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
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2024
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IF 5.3
Lei Xiao,Yuting Wei,Xin Liu,Bo Wang,Yueyuan Chen,Zhifang Cui
As an aldehyde derivative of monoterpene, citral is the main oxyterpene in various botanical essential oils which has been widely applied in food, cosmetics and medicines. The separation of oxyterpenes from terpenes (deterpenation) improves its stability and quality, which is an essential step for production of citral with high market value. Herein, the extractive separation of citral and limonene using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) of quaternary ammonium/alkanediol was explored. Influence of DESs components, including different quaternary ammonium salts as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs), various alkanediols as hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) and the changing of HBA to HBD ratios on citral extraction were studied. Distribution coefficient, selectivity and extraction yield of the citral of these DESs were experimentally evaluated. Among the HBAs investigated, tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBABr) was determined to be the suitable one, since halide Br - was better than Cl - , and quaternary ammonium cations with longer alkyl chain length was preferable. Meanwhile, 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) outperformed other alkanediols, and higher HBD contents in DESs facilitated the separation. TBABr/1,2-PDO (molar ratio 1:10) exhibited the best performance, with citral distribution coefficient 1.28, selectivity 13.65 and extraction yield 64.26%. The type and strength of molecular interactions between citral solute and DESs were identified by employing quantum chemistry calculation and molecular dynamic simulations. The performance difference of these DESs can be ascribed to the difference of the direct hydrogen bond between the α-OH of alkanediols and the O from citral carbonyl group during extraction. The mechanisms exploration provides insights for rational fine-tuning the novel DESs with better deterpenation performance.
研究领域:
化学
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分离科学
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材料科学
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DOI
高影响因子
Frontiers in Plant Science
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2025
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IF 4.8
Qingyan Ling,Beihong Zhang,Junfei Jiang,Zufei Xiao,Zhipeng Zhu,Lina Huang,Yuanqiu Liu,Zhinong Jin
Camphora officinarum Nees ex Wall ( C. officinarum ), a citral-rich aromatic plant, is recognized as an unrivalled natural source of citral for spice production. Its large-scale cultivation in China via the sustainable coppice-rotation system has markedly revitalized rural economies. Nevertheless, the genetic basis driving its prolific citral accumulation remains elusive. We conducted an integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis comparing three citral type accessions (C1, C2, C3) with a non-citral type control (C0). Metabolomic profiling identified 904 leaf metabolites, with terpenoids representing the most abundant class (19.49%). Strikingly, GC-MS analysis unveiled a monoterpene-dominated essential oil composition in citral type C. officinarum leaves , characterized by four dominant constituents: geranial (36.9%-44.7%), neral (30.7%-34.1%), E-isocitral (2.2%-2.9%), and Z-isocitral (1.5%-2.1%). Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis highlighted critical key genes, acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase ( CoAACT ), hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase ( CoHMGS) , hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase ( CoHMGR ), phosphomevalonate decarboxylase ( CoMVD ), 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase ( CoDXS ), geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, type Ⅲ ( CoGGPS) , farnesyl diphosphate synthase ( CoFDPS ) showed elevated expression, enhancing precursor availability. The geraniol synthase ( CoGES ) and alcohol dehydrogenase ( CoADH ) involved in citral synthesis were significantly up-regulated in citral type C. officinarum . These findings demonstrate that the quantitative disparities in terpenoid distribution and concentration collectively define the species’ unique aromatic identity, underscoring chemotype-specific metabolic regulation mechanisms, while also screening key genetic determinants of citral biosynthesis preliminarily, thereby laying the groundwork for precision breeding programs in aromatic C. officinarum .
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
·
2025
·
IF 8
Jinming Dai,Mei Bai,Tariq Aziz,Nada K. Alharbi,Ashwag Shami,Fahad Al-Asmari,Fakhria A. Al-Joufi,Haiying Cui,Lin Lin
Gelatin is an important biocompatible and sustainable material for developing novel active food packaging. Herein, we report a gelatin/citral emulsion electrospinning strategy using sodium dodecyl sulfate as both an emulsifier and crosslinking agent to achieve effective encapsulation of citral and continuous formation of bioactive nanofiber coatings. The resulting core-shell nanofibers (CIT-NF) exhibited an average diameter of 286.7 ± 83.6 nm with a citral loading capacity of 225.8 mg/g. Furthermore, a hydrophobic surface layer was constructed through gelatin/ethyl cellulose blend electrospinning to form a bilayer membrane (CIT/EG-NF). The results demonstrate that the gelatin-based shell layer significantly improved the thermal stability of citral, increasing its maximum mass loss rate temperature from 155.8 °C to 166.1 °C. Remarkably, the fibrous network of the hydrophobic surface layer not only enhanced the aqueous stability of the fiber coating but also enabled sustained release of antimicrobials over 48 h on semi-solid surfaces. The CIT/EG-NF coating efficiently inhibited microbial growth in fresh chicken and beef, reducing the total viable count by more than 99 % and maintaining it below the spoilage threshold of 6 log CFU/g after 9 days of storage at 4 °C. Additionally, the coating reduced Staphylococcal enterotoxin production by 30–40 % in both meat types under a high bacterial loading. This study presents a novel bio-based active packaging strategy for controlling microbial contamination in meat products.
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PubMed
高影响因子
PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
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2025
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IF 3.9
Ling Qingyan,Zhang Beihong,Xiao Zufei,Shen Yao,Jiang Junfei,Xu Zhiwei,Liu Qingqing,Xiao Changlong,Zeng Rong,Liu Yuanqiu,Jin Zhinong
Citral-type Camphora officinarum ( C. officinarum ) exhibits high economic value due to its branch and leaf essential oil enriched with citral, yet the low natural concentration of this compound necessitates urgent strategies to enhance yield and quality. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a recognized safe elicitor, stimulates aromatic compound accumulation in plants and promotes monoterpene synthesis in C. officinarum suspension cells. However, it remained unclear whether foliar MeJA application enhances monoterpene biosynthesis in C. officinarum . This study evaluated the effects of near-harvest foliar MeJA application at gradient concentrations 0 μmol/L (control, M0), 100 μmol/L (M100), 250 μmol/L (M250), and 500 μmol/L (M500) on growth, oil gland morphology, and essential oil composition in citral-type C. officinarum . The results demonstrated that: M100 treatment significantly increased plant height, branch biomass, leaf biomass, and total biomass compared to the control M0. M250 treatment induced structural modifications in oil cells, enlarging their diameter and increasing density, resulting in an 11.83% increase in essential oil yield per unit fresh leaf weight. Both M100 and M250 treatments enhanced citral content by 3.6% and 3.31%, respectively, while total essential oil production surged by 12.31% (M100) and 15.46% (M250). Principal component analysis (PCA) collectively demonstrated that 100–250 μmol/L MeJA (M100/M250) represented the optimal induction concentration for enhancing essential oil yield and promoting citral synthesis, whereas 500 μmol/L (M500) induced detrimental osmotic stress. These findings demonstrate that MeJA serves as a safe agricultural regulation approach for enhancing essential oil yield and citral content, offering valuable insights for other aromatic plant species.
研究领域:
植物生理学
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农学
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天然产物化学
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植物学
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DOI
高影响因子
FOOD CHEMISTRY
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2024
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IF 8.5
Bolin Xu,Xiujun Lin,Yang Zhao,Chengpeng Yin,Yang Cheng,Xue Li,Yang Li
Oleogels containing bioactive substances such as citral (CT) are used as functional food ingredients. However, little information is available on the influence of different oleogel network structure caused by CT addition and fatty acid distribution on its digestion behavior. Coconut oil, palm oil, high oleic peanut oil, safflower seed oil, and perilla seed oil were used in this study. The results showed that perilla seed oil-CT-based oleogels had the highest oil-holding capacity (99.03 ± 0.3), whereas CT addition higher than 10 wt% could lead to the morphology collapse of oleogels. Physical and thermodynamic analyses revealed that CT could reduce oleogel hardness and higher unsaturated fatty acid content is more likely to form oleogel with stable and tight crystalline network. Moreover, the dense structure of oleogels hinders the contact between oleogels and lipase, thus weakening triglyceride digestion. These findings provide valuable insights into the design of oleogels loading with CT.
研究领域:
食品科学
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化学
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营养学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY
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2024
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IF 2.2
Reymick Okwong Oketch,Duan Bin,Feng Zhao,Zhang Yong Hua,Ouyang Qiuli,Kaaya Archileo N.,Tao Nengguo
Management of Penicillium digitatum requires use of highly effective fungicides that are not prone to drug resistance and are safe to humans and the environment. This study examined the fungicidal potential of combinations of cuminaldehyde (CA) + trans-2-hexen-1-al (TH) and CA + Citral. Both CA + TH and CA + Citral exhibited enhanced fungitoxicity against P. digitatum than CA, citral or TH alone. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CA + Citral consisted of 0.13 ml/L CA and 0.3 ml/L citral, representing a synergistic interaction. MIC of CA + TH consisted of 0.12 ml/L CA and 0.15 ml/L TH, representing an additive interaction. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of CA + Citral and of CA + TH consisted of 0.26 ml/L CA and 0.6 ml/L citral, and 0.18 ml/L CA and 0.24 ml/L TH, respectively. 10×MFC CA + Citral in Tween-80 (WCI) delayed onset of hyphal growth in fruits inoculated with P. digitatum to day 5 compared to day 4 in the 10×MFC CA + TH in Tween-80 (WCT) treatment, and day 3 for the control samples. Daily green mold disease incidence and disease severity were much lower in WCI and WCT treatments than in the 10×MFC CA in Tween-80 (WCA) treatment and in control samples. Our results show that WCI was much fungitoxic against P. digitatum than WCT and WCA, its effect being comparable to that of imazalil. Additionally, at 25 ± 2 °C and 85–90% relative humidity, both WCI and WCT markedly preserved fruit quality by day 6 of treatment. WCI and WCT are thus, safe, cheap and highly effective alternatives to chemical fungicides being used to control postharvest green mold in citrus fruits.
研究领域:
植物病理学
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食品科学
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微生物学
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农业化学
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高影响因子
ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY
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2018
·Vol. 37
·期 8
·3199-3209
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IF 2.073
You Zhou,Xueqiong Yin,Juan Chen,Dachun Feng,Li Zhu
To better explore the encapsulation efficiency of citral microcapsules through spray-drying, amphiphilic methylcellulose (MC) was used as the emulsifier and the interior wall material, with chitosan (CTS) and alginate (ALG) as the composite external wall materials. The sequence and proportion of wall materials were compared and optimized based on the stability of the emulsions and citral content in the microcapsules. MC/CTS/ALG was the best wall material for citral microencapsulation. Formulation comprising 1.5 ml citral, 0.8 g MC, 1.0 g CTS, and 6.0 g ALG had the best entrapment of citral, resulting in citral unit content of 46.4 mg/g and the encapsulation efficiency of 82.2%. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy images expressed distinct spherical core–shell structure of the microcapsules. Citral microcapsules absorbed water during storage, which resulted in particle size increase and cracks in the microcapsules surface. Water absorption properties in common used environments (open in air, sealed plastic bag, glass bottle) were investigated. CoCl 2 microcapsules were used to intuitively express the water absorption through the color change. The results are referential for industry to select proper wall materials and storage conditions for spice microcapsules to increase the shelf life of relevant foods.
研究领域:
食品科学
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材料科学
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DOI
高影响因子
FOOD CONTROL
·
2023
·
IF 6
Dan Shen,Xia Chang,Liling Zhou,Dandan Hao,Zhongxiang Fang,Yang Shan,Lvhong Huang,Gaoyang Li
In this study, an inclusion complex (IC) of citral (CIT) within hydroxypropyl- β -cyclodextrin (HP β CD) was prepared by ultrasound technique. The structural characterization, thermal stability, phase solubility, antifungal properties and applications of CIT/HP β CD-IC in strawberry storage were investigated. The results showed that CIT/HP β CD-IC was successfully formed and had better thermal stability than CIT only. The apparent stability constant and Gibbs free energy change of the inclusion process was determined to be 142.08 M −1 and −12.87 kJ mol −1 , respectively, by the phase solubility method. The in vitro antifungal tests demonstrated that the IC had a certain antifungal effect against Geotrichum citri-aurantii , with a significant inhibitory effect against the growth of Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata at concentrations above 5 mg mL −1 . Additionally, the treatment of CIT/HP β CD-IC on strawberry effectively reduced the decay rate and decrease of weight loss, soluble solids, firmness, and pH, thereby extending the shelf life. This research indicated that the ultrasonically synthesized CIT/HP β CD-IC effectively improved the water solubility and stability of CIT and could be utilized as an antifungal preservative for storage and preservation of strawberry, and potentially other fruits and vegetables.
研究领域:
食品科学
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植物化学
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DOI
高影响因子
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
·
2026
·
IF 8.8
Yaqiu Kong,Jieling Chen,Haiyan Tang,Zhiyu Yan,Yang Hu,Qilin Huang
OSA-YDF Pickering emulsions regulated film microstructure and interfaces. • Interfacial structure governed swelling–diffusion–controlled citral release. • Droplet dispersion enabled release, while aggregation hindered mass transfer. • The films exhibited enhanced UV-blocking, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. • Shelf life of strawberries and blueberries increased by 50% and 33.3%. Citral-loaded liquid high internal phase Pickering emulsions stabilized by OSA-modified yeast dietary fiber (OSA-YDF) were incorporated into a chitosan matrix to fabricate composite films for berry preservation. Compared with neat chitosan film, incorporation of the citral-loaded Pickering emulsion markedly enhanced the surface hydrophobicity, water vapor barrier properties, antioxidant and antibacterial performance. Specifically, the composite films exhibited inhibition rates exceeding 90% against E. coli , S. aureus , and B. cinerea . Citral in different food simulants showed a sustained release profile over 72 h and was strongly influenced by the interfacial characteristics of OSA-YDF-stabilized emulsion droplets dispersed within the chitosan matrix. Kinetic modeling indicated that citral release was primarily governed by chitosan matrix swelling and concentration-driven diffusion. At relatively low emulsion contents, the emulsion droplets were uniformly distributed within the chitosan matrix, allowing citral to diffuse across the OSA-YDF interfacial layer, resulting in sustained citral release. In contrast, excessive emulsion incorporation induced droplet aggregation and interfacial layer crowding, generating heterogeneous composite structure that hindered citral transport. An optimal balance between droplet dispersion and matrix integrity was achieved at 7.5% emulsion content, leading to superior overall film properties and controlled release performance. Preservation experiments further confirmed that the composite film effectively delayed berry deterioration by reducing weight loss, nutrient loss, and texture softening, extending shelf life from 4 d to 8 d for strawberries and from 12 d to 18 d for blueberries. This work provides valuable insights for active food packaging applications. Download: Download high-res image (193KB) Download: Download full-size image
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DOI
高影响因子
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
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2025
·
IF 7.3
Shuai He,Yun Zhao,Weiyu Liu,Zhenfeng Huang,Nanlan Shen,Chuanbai Yu,Wenhui Rao
Transparent flame-retardant epoxy coatings with high toughness and sustainability are of great interest for advanced protective and electronic applications. In this work, a bio-sourced flame-retardant toughening agent (CTDP) was synthesized using citral and a phosphorus-containing compound. The resulting molecule features dangling aliphatic chains and multiple reactive groups, enabling it to act not only as a flame-retardant toughening agent but also as a co-curing agent within the epoxy resin (EP). At a low loading of 0.5 wt%, the EP/CTDP-0.5 achieved a limiting oxygen index of 27.5 % and achieved the UL-94 V-1 rating, demonstrating significantly enhanced flame retardancy compared to neat EP. Cone calorimeter results further demonstrated a 14.9 % reduction in peak heat release rate and a 13.2 % decrease in total smoke production, highlighting the effective fire-safety performance of CTDP. Remarkably, the incorporation of only 0.5 wt% CTDP led to a significant 209.9 % increase in impact strength, highlighting its excellent toughening effect. This improvement is primarily attributed to the flexible dangling aliphatic chains in CTDP, which promote microphase separation and facilitate the formation of a hyperbranched-like crosslinked structure. Importantly, the EP/CTDP composites maintained excellent optical transparency, with visible-light transmittance remaining high even at increased CTDP content. These findings demonstrate that CTDP effectively integrates flame retardancy, mechanical toughness, and transparency within a single bio-based molecular framework, offering a promising and sustainable strategy toward the design of advanced multifunctional EPs.
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高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）