Foods
·
2024
·Vol. 13
·期 11
·1730
·
IF 4.7
Zhe Liu,Xiaojie Ma,Yanzheng Ge,Xue Hei,Xinyu Zhang,Hui Hu,Jinjin Zhu,Benu Adhari,Qiang Wang,Aimin Shi
Microfluidic technology, as a continuous and mass preparation method of nanoparticles, has attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, zein nanoparticles (ZNPs) were continuously fabricated in a highly controlled manner by combining a microfluidics platform with the antisolvent method. The impact of ethanol content (60~95%,v/v) and flow rates of inner and outer phases in the microfluidics platform on particle properties were examined. Among all ZNPS, 90%-ZNPs have the highest solubility (32.83%) and the lowest hydrophobicity (90.43), which is the reverse point of the hydrophobicity of ZNPs. Moreover, when the inner phase flow rate was 1.5 mL/h, the particle size decreased significantly from 182.81 nm to 133.13 nm as the outer phase flow rate increased from 10 mL/h to 50 mL/h. The results revealed that ethanol content had significant impacts on hydrophilic–hydrophobic properties of ZNPs. The flow rates of ethanol–water solutions and deionized water (solvent and antisolvent) in the microfluidics platform significantly affected the particle size of ZNPs. These findings demonstrated that the combined application of a microfluidics platform and an antisolvent method could be an effective pathway for precisely controlling the fabrication process of protein nanoparticles and modulating their physicochemical properties.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
纳米技术
·
生物工程
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高影响因子
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
·
2017
·
IF 4.747
Lingli Deng,Xuefan Kang,Yuyu Liu,Fengqin Feng,Hui Zhang
In this study, the gelatin, zein , and gelatin/zein films were fabricated by electrospinning and solvent casting, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy , differential scanning calorimetry , Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements were performed to characterize the morphology, molecular interactions, thermal behavior, and surface hydrophilicity of the electrospun and casted films. Results showed that the zein particles prevented the gelatin chains from aggregating intra-molecularly in the casted films due to heterogeneous mixing, while strong hydrogen bonding was formed in the nanofibrous film as a result of homogeneous mixing. Interestingly, the gelatin/zein nanofibrous film had a hydrophobic surface (water contact angle of 118.0°), while the casted gelatin/zein film had a hydrophilic surface (water contact angle of 53.5°). The confocal laser scanning microscopy observations suggested that the zein particles were well dispersed in the gelatin network to maintain the nanofibrous structures after immersion in water or ethanol, leading to the improved solvent resistance.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物医学工程
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高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2026
·
IF 8.7
Zihuan Yuan,Tailong Dong,Xinmeng Zhang,Xiufeng Liu,Wei Shao
PZ/CT nanofiber film for fruit preservation was prepared. • Synergistic antibacterial effects of CO/THY were presented. • The shelf-life of strawberries was extended to 8 days. • High DPPH free radical scavenging (98.2%) was obtained. This study fabricated a pullulan/zein-based (PZ/CT) edible nanofiber film co-loaded with cornmint oil (CO) and thymol (THY) for strawberry preservation. The synergistic antibacterial activity of CO and THY, the electrospinning encapsulation, as well as the physicochemical, functional, and preservation properties of the nanofiber films were characterized. The PZ/CT nanofibers exhibited uniform morphology with an average diameter of 143 nm. The film presented a water contact angle of 82.8°, a water vapor permeability of 0.83 × 10 −10 g·m −1 ·s −1 ·Pa −1 , a tensile strength of 1.28 MPa, and an elongation at break of 36.5%. It showed UV-shielding capacity and achieved a DPPH radical scavenging rate of 98.2% within 0.5 h. At 25 mg/mL, the film showed inhibition rates of 99.8% against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, 99.7% against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, and 100% against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19119. Under ambient storage conditions (25 ± 2 °C), PZ/CT packaging extended the shelf life of strawberries to 10 days by retarding microbial growth, weight loss, and quality deterioration. These results indicate that the electrospun PZ/CT nanofiber film could serve as a promising biodegradable active packaging material for fruit preservation.
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Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies
·
2026
·
IF 6.9
Huihui Li,Shunchang Wang,Chenglong Zhang,Zhendong Long,Xichao Yin,Hongjin Tang
Reliable intelligent food packaging films based on polysaccharide–protein composites are often limited by interfacial incompatibility and unstable colorimetric responses under complex environments. Herein, a nanoconfinement-assisted interfacial engineering strategy is proposed to construct reliable intelligent κ-carrageenan/Zein films by incorporating anthocyanin-loaded zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Cy@ZIF-8) as an active interfacial nanomodulator. In this composite system (Cy@ZIF-8/Kc/Zein), Cy@ZIF-8 simultaneously stabilizes anthocyanins through confinement effects. It also reorganizes the polysaccharide–protein network via hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and coordination interactions, effectively suppressing phase separation and promoting the formation of a homogeneous polymer matrix with a uniform thickness of approximately 0.052 mm. As a result, the Cy@ZIF-8/Kc/Zein film exhibited altered water and gas transport behaviors, showing a high swelling ratio of 4154%, a low moisture absorption of 8.19%, and a reduced water vapor transmission rate of 0.549 × 10 −8 kg·m·m −2 ·s −1 ·Pa −1 . These structural features further led to enhanced functional performances, including antioxidant activity with DPPH and ABTS scavenging efficiencies exceeding 80% at 7.5 mg/mL. Additionally, the film showed synergistic antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with survival rates decreasing to 15.29 ± 0.50% and 1.42 ± 0.31%, respectively. Application validation assays confirmed reliable chromatic evolution of the composite film under complex environmental conditions. Therefore, this study demonstrates that MOF-based nanostructures can function as effective interfacial regulators to tailor structure–property relationships and improve functional reliability in polysaccharide–protein intelligent packaging films.
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高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2012
·
IF 4.525
Jiantao Lin,Caihong Li,Yi Zhao,Jianchan Hu,Li-Ming Zhang
To develop biocompatible nanofibrous membranes for wound healing, we investigated the coelectrospinning of two proteins (collagen and zein) in aqueous acetic acid solution. It was found that the combination of zein could improve the electrospinnability of collagen. For the resultant electrospun membrane, its fiber diameter, surface wettability, mechanical, and in vitro degradable properties as well as cell adhesive ability could be modulated by the change of collagen/zein blending ratio. Moreover, berberine drug could be incorporated in situ into the electrospun nanofibrous membrane for its controlled release and antibacterial activity. The addition of berberine showed little effects on the fiber morphology and cell viability. In addition, the wound healing performance of the as-obtained nanofibrous membranes was examined in vivo by using female Sprague–Dawley rats and histological observation.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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组织工程
·
药物递送
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纳米技术
·
伤口护理
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高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2020
·
IF 5.162
Xuemeng Jia,Ning Yang,Xuchao Qi,Li Chen,Yiping Zhao
A novel bio-based zein- graft -β-cyclodextrin film was synthesized for cholesterol adsorption at room temperature. Immobilization of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to zein was achieved by the Maillard reaction and the zein- graft -β-CD powders showed higher glass transition temperature and higher solubility in water. Zein- graft -β-CD films, prepared by solvent evaporation casting, showed excellent capacity for cholesterol adsorption. The F 1:1 has the best adsorption properties, and the maximum adsorption capacity can reach 5.70 ± 0.56 mg cholesterol/g film. The adsorption cholesterol mechanism of zein- graft -β-CD film was correspond to the pseudo-first order kinetic model. In addition, the zein- graft -β-CD film retained an adsorption capacity of 3.10 ± 0.89 mg cholesterol/g film after three reuses. Using composite enzyme (1 mg/mL papain and 1 mg/mL amylase), the film (F 1:1 ) degradation reached 98.81% in 1 week. These results suggest that zein- graft -β-CD film has potential as a nature-based adsorbent for cholesterol adsorption and could be used in the food industry.
研究领域:
食品科学
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生物材料学
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PubMed
高影响因子
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
·
2022
·Vol. 307
·期 10
·2200241
·
IF 4.402
Yang Wang,Rong Li,Ying Liu,Yingxiang Huang,Jianxun Zhang,Xuehong Ren
Strong blood adhesion to dressing may cause secondary damage to the wounds during the wound dressing replacement process. Thus, blood repellent dressings have significant potential applications in wound treatment. Herein, a hydrophobic, degradable, and antibacterial dressing is reported to reduce the blood adhesion and prevent infection around the wounds. The dressing is prepared by cross-linked non-woven zein nanofibers with quaternized titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles coating. The dual hydrophobic structures supported by zein nanofibers and the quaternized TiO 2 nanoparticles coating provide outstanding water/blood repellency for the dressing, and efficiently prevent blood leakage. Meanwhile, the dressing also possesses appropriate moisture permeability (2194 ± 143 mL m −2 per day). In addition, the quaternized TiO 2 nanoparticles coating provides excellent bactericidal activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus , especially under visible Xe lamp illumination. Evaluations of hemolysis and cytocompatibility confirm that the fabricated mat is biocompatible and non-toxic to the cells. Considering the excellent degradable features, the dressing may become a promising environmentally friendly biomedical material.
研究领域:
生物材料学
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医学工程
·
创伤治疗
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DOI
高影响因子
International Journal of Nanomedicine
·
2023
·
IF 8
Yun Liu,Ying-Ling Miao,Feng Qin,Cen Cao,Xiao-Lin Yu,Yu-Han Wu,Tian-Lu Wang,Ruo-Gu Xu,Liu Zhao,Fan Wu,Zheng-Chuan Zhang,Jia-Min Yang,Yang Yang,Xin Xie,Li-Ming Zhang,Fei-Long Deng
Background Critical-sized bone defects raise great challenges. Zein is of interest for bone regeneration, but it has limited ability to stimulate cell proliferation. In this regard, a poly (aspartic acid) (PAsp)-zein hybrid is promising, as PAsp can promote rat bone marrow stromal cell (rBMSCs) proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. This research aimed to develop electrospun PAsp-modified zein nanofibers to realize critical-sized bone defects repair.Methods Three groups of PAsp-modified zein nanofibers were prepared, they were PAsp grafting percentages of 0% (zein), 5.32% (ZPAA-1), and 7.63% (ZPAA-2). Using rBMSCs as in vitro cell model and SD rats as in vivo animal model, fluorescence staining, SEM, CCK-8, ALP, ARS staining, μCT and histological analysis were performed to verify the biological and osteogenic activities for PAsp-modified zein nanofibers.Results As the Asp content increased from 0% to 7.63%, the water contact angle decreased from 129.8 ± 2.3° to 105.5 ± 2.5°. SEM, fluorescence staining and CCK-8 assay showed that ZPAA-2 nanofibers had a superior effect on rBMSCs spreading and proliferation than did zein and ZPAA-1 nanofibers, ALP activity and ARS staining showed that ZPAA-2 can improve rBMSCs osteogenic differentiation. In vivo osteogenic activities was evaluated by μCT analysis, HE, Masson and immunohistochemical staining, indicating accelerated bone formation in ZPAA-2 SD rats after 4 and 8 weeks treatment, with a rank order of ZPAA-2 > ZPAA-1 > zein group. Moreover, the semiquantitative results of the Masson staining revealed that the maturity of the new bone was higher in the ZPAA-2 group than in the other groups.Conclusion Electrospun PAsp-modified zein can provide a suitable microenvironment for osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs, as well as for bone regeneration; the optimal membrane appears to have a PAsp grafting percentage of 7.63%.
研究领域:
生物材料学
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组织工程学
·
再生医学
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PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2023
·
IF 8.2
Min Pan,Linyu Nian,Lin Chen,Jiang Jiang,Debo Luo,Shijia Ying,Chongjiang Cao
As the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the livestock and poultry industry is facing the challenge of increasing production to meet global demand while reducing environmental impacts. Improving feed digestibility by optimizing feed structure (e.g., exogenous additive) is one of the green breeding measures to alleviate carbon pressure. In this study, the interaction mechanism and in vitro digestibility properties of puerarin (PUE) with feed proteins (zein and soy protein isolate (SPI)) to form Zein-PUE and SPI-PUE complexes were investigated mainly by multispectral and molecular docking techniques. Results indicated that the addition of PUE improved the physicochemical properties of proteins (e.g., solubility and disulfide bond contents). Then, the spectral results showed that the binding processes were spontaneous, and the protein structure tended to loose and disordered after binding, and more hydrophobic residues were exposed to the hydrophilic microenvironment. Moreover, on the basis of molecular docking revealed that PUE bound to zein by hydrogen bond, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, while with SPI by hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction. Finally, in vitro digestion experiments demonstrated that the bioavailability of Zein-PUE and SPI-PUE complexes increased by 1.15 % and 2.11 %, respectively. Overall, PUE is a promising feed additive beneficial for enhancing protein digestibility and bioavailability.
研究领域:
农业科学
·
食品科学
·
生物技术
·
分子生物学
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PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2026
·
IF 8.7
Huijie Jiang,Genyang Ye,Jinlong Sun,Xiaohong Liu,Qiang Fu
Dihydromyricetin-loaded zein-maltodextrin (DMY/ Z -MD) nanoparticles were fabricated by pH-driven method. • Incorporation of maltodextrin (MD) improved the stability of zein nanoparticles. • The effect of the dextrose equivalent (DE) value of MD on the stability of zein nanoparticles was evaluated. Maltodextrin (MD), a polysaccharide produced by the partial hydrolysis of starch, serves as stabilizer for zein nanoparticles (NPs). MD exhibits distinct structural and functional properties depending on its dextrose equivalent (DE) value; however, its specific role in stabilizing zein NPs remains unclear. In this study, MD (DE 8, 12, and 18) was used as stabilizer to prepare dihydromyricetin (DMY) /zein-maltodextrin (DMY/ Z -MD) NPs. The resulting spherical NPs encapsulated DMY in an amorphous state, primarily through hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. The thermal, ionic strength, and storage stability of the DMY/ Z -MD NPs were significantly enhanced with increasing DE values, a correlation further validated by molecular simulations. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity and drug release were largely independent of the DE value. This study elucidates the relationship between the DE value of MD and the stability of zein NPs, highlighting the critical role of high-DE MD for expanding the application in the food industry.
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Surfaces and Interfaces
·
2026
·
IF 6
Yicui Wei,Bixin Cheng,Xingcan Huang,Weibo Zhang,Hui Wu,He Xiao
A novel metal ion-crosslinked zein-assisted stamp-sintering strategy is developed. • The metal ions-zein interactions enable the facile fabrication of LM patterns. • The excellent stamped LM circuits in flexible electronics are demonstrated. Liquid metals (LMs) have emerged as promising materials for flexible electronics owing to their excellent electrical conductivity and fluidity. However, their inherently high surface tension and surface oxide layer pose significant challenges to controlled processing and practical integration. Therefore, effective regulation of the interface of liquid metal particles (LMPs) is essential to improve their processability and interfacial compatibility. In this study, we developed a metal ion-crosslinked zein-assisted in situ stamping-sintering strategy utilizing zein as a surface functional agent to modify LMPs. This one-step process enables simultaneous LM patterning and in-situ sintering of the composite ink, eliminating additional activation steps. The resulting patterns exhibit robust adhesion to a wide variety of substrates, ranging from flexible to rigid, and from metallic to polymeric surfaces, attributed to the interfacial adhesion enabled by gallium ions released from the LM and the molecular structure of zein. By leveraging the advantages of the zein/LM ink and the stamp-printing technique, this system demonstrates considerable potential for broad application in next-generation flexible electronic systems. Download: Download high-res image (219KB) Download: Download full-size image
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Foods
·
2025
·Vol. 14
·期 9
·1563
·
IF 5.1
Xiumei Wang,Yibin Chen,Xiaoxu Zhao,Jie Pang
The effects of stearic acid (SA) and lauric acid (LA) with different concentrations on the structure and physicochemical properties of konjac glucomannan (KGM)/chitosan (CTS)/Zein (KCZ) film were systematically investigated in this paper. The rheology results suggested that the apparent viscosity of the KCZ film solution was significantly enhanced after adding fatty acids (FAs), and all the film-forming solutions were typical non-Newtonian pseudoplastic fluids. Hydrogen bond interactions were formed among KGM, CTS, Zein, and FA molecules. KCZ-FA films had higher crystallinities than KCZ film, and their crystallinities increased with the increase in FA concentrations. Microstructure indicated that adding FAs significantly affected the surface morphologies and roughness of KCZ film. KCZ-LA films exhibited much rougher surfaces than KCZ-SA films when FA concentrations were the same. Moreover, the incorporation of FAs significantly (p< 0.05) decreased the transmittance of KCZ film. KCZ-FA films exhibited higher hydrophobicities and water vapor barrier properties than KCZ film due to their significantly (p< 0.05) higher water contact angle, lower water solubility, water content, and vapor permeability values. The thermal stabilities, color attributes, and mechanical properties of KCZ film were also improved after adding appropriate concentrations of FA. Therefore, KCZ-FA films with excellent performances are promising food packaging materials in the future.
研究领域:
食品科学
·
材料科学
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DOI
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高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）