Advances and applications of crosslinked electrospun biomacromolecular nanofibers.

Electrospinning is a technology for fabricating ultrafine fibers from natural or synthetic polymers that have novel or enhanced functional properties. These fibers have found applications in a diverse range of fields, including the food, medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, and chemical industries. However, the tendency for electrospun nanofibers to dissociate when exposed to certain environmental conditions limits many of their practical applications. The structural integrity and functional attributes of these nanofibers can be improved using physical and/or chemical crosslinking methods. This review article discusses the formation of polymeric nanofibers using electrospinning and then describes how different crosslinking methods can be used to enhance their mechanical, thermal, and biological attributes. Methods for optimizing the crosslinking reactions are discussed, including proper selection of crosslinker type and reaction conditions. Then, food, medical, and separation applications of crosslinked electrospun fibers are assessed, including in bone and skin tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, air filtration, water filtration, oil removal, food packaging, food preservation, and bioactive delivery. Finally, areas where future research are needed are highlighted, as well as possible future applications of crosslinked nanofibers.

Release kinetic modeling of Satureja Khuzestanica Jamzad essential oil from fish gelatin/succinic anhydride starch nanocomposite films: The effects of temperature and nanocellulose concentration.

Fish gelatin (FG) and octenyl succinic anhydride starch (OSAS) composite films loaded with 1, 2, 3 and 4 wt% bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and Satureja Khuzestanica Jamzad essential oil (SKEO) were achieved successfully and their physicochemical and release properties were investigated. The results revealed that incorporation of BNC improved the tensile strength which was associated with FE-SEM, FTIR and XRD. Moreover, this study focused on the release modeling of SKEO in 4, 25 and 37 °C from nanocomposite films using different release kinetic and Arrhenius models. Also, analysis of variance-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) and exploratory data visualization by principal component analysis (PCA) were carried out to investigate the effects of two controlled factors. Consequently, the Peleg model showed the best fitting of experimental data. The activation energies decreased by increasing the BNC concentration. This research demonstrated the nanocomposite film containing SKEO would be a suitable candidate for active food packaging.

Investigation of structural and physicochemical properties of microcapsules obtained from protein-polysaccharide conjugate via the Maillard reaction containing Satureja khuzestanica essential oil.

In this study, some common proteins including, whey protein isolate (WPI), soy protein isolate (SPI), and gelatin (G) conjugated with maltodextrin (MD) via Maillard reaction and were then used to encapsulate Satureja khuzestanica essential oil (SKEO). The higher glycation degree was obtained at a pH of 9 and 3 h of heating at 60 °C for SPI and WPI, and 90 °C for G. The results of FTIR and intrinsic fluorescence test showed the possibility of covalent binding formation between proteins and maltodextrin. The encapsulation efficiencies were obtained about 83.84 %, 88.95 %, and 89.27 % for MD-SPI, MD-G, and MD-WPI, respectively. Moreover, the Maillard reaction-based microcapsules had higher antioxidant activity than the physical mixture of protein-polysaccharide. The addition of SKEO to microcapsules improved antimicrobial activity. The results of this study demonstrated that MD-WPI and MD-G, as encapsulating materials, can be used to enhance the physiochemical properties of microcapsules loaded with SKEO.

Effect of dual physical modifications on structural and functional properties of gluten and whey protein: Ultrasound and microwave.

In this study, the effect of dual modification using ultrasound (100 and 300 W for 5, 10, and 15 min) and microwave (600 W for 45 s) treatments on functional properties of wheat gluten protein (WGP) and whey protein concentrate (WPC), as two by-products of food industry with different primary functional properties, was investigated. Ultrasound treatment did not affect the solubility of both proteins significantly but the emulsion and foam properties were increased up to 10 min. Nevertheless, microwave treatment after ultrasound caused a significant decrease in the solubility of both proteins. However, the foam stability of the WPC and WGP was not significantly modified after microwave treatment. The obtained results showed a more positive effect of ultrasound at 100 W for 10 min than other ultrasound treatments on the functional and structural properties of both proteins. The zeta potential of both proteins was decreased after dual physical modifications, but thermal stability of proteins was improved after microwave treatment.

Effect of sage seed gum film incorporating Zataria multiflora Boiss essential oil on the storage quality and biogenic amine content of refrigerated Otolithes ruber fillets.

The effect of an edible film based on sage seed gum (SSG) incorporating 3 % Zataria multiflora Boiss essential oil (ZEO) was investigated on the storage quality and shelf life of tiger-tooth croaker (Otolithes ruber) fillets during storage at 4 ± 1 °C compared to the control film (SSG film without ZEO) and the Cellophane. The SSG-ZEO film significantly decelerated microbial growth (evaluated by total viable count, total psychrotrophic count, pH, TVBN) and lipid oxidation (evaluated by TBARS) compared to the others (P ˂ 0.05). The antimicrobial activity of ZEO was the highest and the lowest on E. aerogenes (MIC: 0.196 µL/mL) and P. mirabilis (MIC: 0.977 µL/mL), respectively. E. aerogenes was identified as an indicator biogenic amine-producer in O. ruber fish at refrigerated temperature. The active film significantly lowered biogenic amine accumulation in the samples inoculated with E. aerogenes. A clear relationship was observed between the release of ZEO's phenolic compounds from the active film to the headspace and the reduction of microbial growth, lipid oxidation, and biogenic amine production in the samples. Consequently, SSG film containing 3 % ZEO is proposed as a biodegradable antimicrobial-antioxidant packaging to extend the shelf life and decrease the biogenic amine production in refrigerated seafood.

Encapsulation of Vitamins Using Nanoliposome: Recent Advances and Perspectives.

Nowadays the importance of vitamins is clear for everyone. However, many patients are suffering from insufficient intake of vitamins. Incomplete intake of different vitamins from food sources due to their destruction during food processing or decrease in their bioavailability when mixing with other food materials, are factors resulting in vitamin deficiency in the body. Therefore, various lipid based nanocarriers such as nanoliposomes were developed to increase the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Since the function of nanoliposomes containing vitamins on the body has a direct relationship with the quality of produced nanoliposomes, this review study was planned to investigate the several aspects of liposomal characteristics such as size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency on the quality of synthesized vitamin-loaded nanoliposomes.

CRISPR-Cas engineering in food science and sustainable agriculture: recent advancements and applications.

The developments in the food supply chain to support the growing population of the world is one of today's most pressing issues, and to achieve this goal improvements should be performed in both crops and microbes. For this purpose, novel approaches such as genome editing (GE) methods have upgraded the biological sciences for genome manipulation and, among such methods, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) are the main exciting innovations since the Green Revolution. CRISPR/Cas systems can be a potent tool for the food industry, improvement of agricultural crops and even for protecting food-grade bacteria from foreign genetic invasive elements. This review introduces the history and mechanism of the CRISPR-Cas system as a genome editing tool and its applications in the vaccination of starter cultures, production of antimicrobials and bioactive compounds, and genome editing of microorganisms.

Microbial pigments as an alternative to synthetic dyes and food additives: a brief review of recent studies.

Synthetic coloring agents have been broadly utilized in several industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic and textile. Recent surveys on the potential of teratogenicity and carcinogenicity of synthetic dyes have expressed concerns regarding their use in foods. Worldwide, food industries have need for safe, natural and new colorings to add variety to foods and make them appealing to consumers. Natural colorings not only expand the marketability of the food product, but also add further healthful features such as antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral properties. Novel microbial strains should be explored to meet the increasing global search of natural pigments and suitable techniques must be developed for the marketable production of new pigments, using microbial cultures, viz., fungi, and bacteria. To address the issue of the natural coloring agents, this review presents the recent trends in several studies of microbial pigments, their biological properties and industrial applications.

Electrospun ethyl cellulose/poly caprolactone/gelatin nanofibers: The investigation of mechanical, antioxidant, and antifungal properties for food packaging.

The purpose of the present research was to fabricate ethylcellulose (ECL)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin (GEL) electrospun nanofibers containing Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) and zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO) to provide an appropriate substrate for food packaging. The ECL/PCL/GEL was incorporated with ZEO and ZnO at the concentrations of 10, 20, 30 and 50 wt% and 3 wt%, respectively. The results of ECL/PCL/GEL/ZEO/ZnO nanofiber exhibited uniform morphology with a mean diameter ranging from 361.85 ± 18.7 to 467.33 ± 14.50 nm and enhanced thermal stability. The ECL/PCL/GEL/ZEO/ZnO nanofiber had the highest mechanical parameters, such as young's modulus (437.49 ± 18), tensile strength (7.88 ± 0.7), and elongation at break (5.02 ± 0.6) and water contact angle (61.13 ± 0.5), compared with the other nanofibers. The cell viability during 48 and 72 h was obtained to be about more than 80% for all the nanofibers. Additionally, the ECL/PCL/GEL incorporated with 50% ZEO and 3% ZnO displayed the highest antioxidant activity (34.61 ± 1.98%) and antifungal properties against Penicillium notatum and Aspergillus niger. In general, the ECL/PCL/GEL with the weight ratio of 20:70:10 nanofiber incorporated with 30% ZEO and 3% ZnO was obtained to have appropriate mechanical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties and thermal stability.

----Evaluation of Design and Fabrication of Food-Grade Nanofibers from Chitosan-Gelatin for Nanoencapsulation of Stigmasterol Using the Electrospinning Method.

Purpose: In this research, electrospinning method was employed to fabricate food-grade nanofibers (NFs) from chitosan-gelatin combination for stigmasterol encapsulation. The spinnability of mixed chitosan and gelatin solutions was investigated at different polymer ratios, and the physicochemical properties of the NFs were evaluated. Methods: The mixture solution of chitosan (1.5 % w/v) and gelatin (20 % w/v) in acetic acid indicated spinnability under the following conditions: the ratio of 25:75, voltage of 17 kV, and 15 cm capillary collector distance with a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. Stigmasterol (0.04 % w/v) was incorporated into NFs of chitosan-gelatin at a respective ratio of 25:75. Results: Encapsulation efficiency (EE) of loaded stigmasterol was found to be 87 ± 5 %. The antioxidant ability of loaded stigmasterol was considerably higher than that observed for free stigmasterol. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results demonstrated the formation of the ultrathin fibers with no bead (with diameters of 217 ± 43 nm). The concentration of polymeric solution and viscosity had a notable effect on the electrospinning efficiency of the chitosan-gelatin-based NFs. The thermal stability of chitosan and gelatin fibers was more than that of native gelatin and chitosan. The in vitro stigmasterol release from these NFs followed a controlled-release pattern. The released phytosterol from chitosan formula was less than from those without chitosan formula (46 ± 3 % and 96 ± 4 % respectively). Conclusion: The obtained results suggested that gelatin had a high potential for enhancing the spinnability of chitosan under acidic conditions at optimized concentrations.

Effects of replacing soy protein and bread crumb with quinoa and buckwheat flour in functional beef burger formulation.

This study investigated the physicochemical, nutritional and sensorial characteristics of beef burgers formulated with quinoa flour (QF) and buckwheat flour (BWF) as replacers of the mixture of soy protein powder (SP) and bread crumb (BC). Six treatments were formulated in two groups (15% and 30% of added flour as Groups A and B, respectively). The oil absorption and water holding capacity were higher (P < 0.05) in Soy protein burgers (SPB) than in other burgers. The mineral content of magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc was higher in the quinoa burgers (QB) than in the other formulations for both A and B groups. Also, the result of sensory evaluation revealed increases (P < 0.05) in overall acceptability and taste attributes of QB and BWB (Buckwheat Burger) in both groups. The shelf life results showed significant differences between SPB and treated samples (QB and BWB). Therefore, these new beef burger formulations might be a viable option in improvement of nutritional, durability and sensory properties.

Treatment of starch films with a glow discharge plasma in air and O2 at low pressure.

In this study, the effect of different cold plasma treatments was investigated as a novel method for the modification of starch film properties. The films were prepared from wheat starch using a solvent casting method and then treated with air and O2 glow discharge plasma at different durations (4, 8, and 12 min). A significant increase in the hydrophilicity of the films was observed due to the formation of oxygen-containing groups after plasma treatment. Fourier transform infrared analysis illustrated a decrease in C-H groups that caused an increase in C-O and C-O-C groups in air-treated films and carbonyl groups in O2-treated films. The surface roughness of the treated films increased from 17.6 nm to 22.5 and 20.6 nm after air and O2 treatments, respectively. Plasma treatments decreased oxygen permeability of the films but no significant difference in the water vapor permeability was observed. After plasma treatment, tensile strength of films was improved due to crosslinking and etching at the surface, although elongation at break remains unchanged.

Effect of washing, soaking and pH in combination with ultrasound on enzymatic rancidity, phytic acid, heavy metals and coliforms of rice bran.

Simultaneous reduction in activity of fat destabilizing enzymes (lipase and lipoxygenase), contaminants heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, and Hg), antinutrient phytic acid and hazardous coliforms in rice bran was investigated. Application of washing, soaking the washed sample at different pH values (2, 6 and 9) alone or in combination with ultrasonication were examined. While washing was beneficial, its low efficiency acquired further treatment, which was prevailed by application of acidic pH and ultrasound (28 kHz) treatments. Free fatty acids and peroxide value, as indicators of enzymes activity, implied the effectiveness of treatments with adverse impact of sonication on peroxide value. Remarkably, reduction of dominant heavy metals (As, Pb and Zn) and phytic acid were synergistically facilitated by sonication. Coliforms growth was inhibited at pH 2 even at the absence of ultrasonic treatment. Evidently, combination of acidic pH and ultrasound is a practical approach to improve rice bran stability and safety.

Concentrated O/W emulsions formulated by binary and ternary mixtures of sodium caseinate, xanthan and guar gums: rheological properties, microstructure, and stability.

The effects of xanthan gum (XG) (0, 0.3, 0.6 wt%), guar gum (GG) (0, 0.3, 0.6 wt%) and XG:GG mixtures (0.3-0.3, 0.3-0.6, 0.6-0.3 and 0.6-0.6 wt%) on the physical stability of sodium caseinate (CN) stabilized concentrated O/W emulsions (φoil = 0.6) were examined. The emulsion stability, microstructure, droplets size distribution, and rheological properties were evaluated. The findings showed that with increasing total gum concentration up to 0.6% droplets size and emulsion instability significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The emulsion containing a ternary mixture of CN:XG:GG at total gum concentration (0.6%) with a mixing ratio of 0.3:0.3 XG:GG exhibited the best stability with the highest ESI value (98.3%). Above the critical concentration, an excessive increase in storage modulus led to a significant increase in droplet size and emulsion instability. In brief, concentrated emulsions stabilized by binary and ternary mixtures (CN/XG/GG) may be applicable in special food like heavy cream and as a template for fabricating oleogels.

Application of electrospinning technique in development of intelligent food packaging: A short review of recent trends.

Intelligent food packaging refers to packages with the ability to sense foodstuff changes and to inform customers of the packaging content variations. They are often accompanied by smart detecting devices. Providing a suitable platform to include these devices into packaging polymers has always been discussing. Electrospun nanofibers produced through the electrospinning have been recently utilized as an outstanding and novel platforms for this purpose. Thus, the main aim of this study is to investigate recent trends in producing intelligent food packaging using electrospinning technique. In this regard, this paper was categorized into two chief sections, including (a) the principal of electrospinning technique to fabricate fine nanofibers and the parameters affecting the quality of electrospun fibers, and (b) the role of nanofibers as a platform to cover pH indicators in intelligent food packaging.

Fabrication of curcumin-zein-ethyl cellulose composite nanoparticles using antisolvent co-precipitation method.

The stable colloidal nano-dispersion of curcumin (CU) loaded zein-ethyl cellulose (ZN-EC) as three hydrophobic agent in water was prepared using two step antisolvent co-precipitation method. The EC coated NPs were prepared by adding EC in ethyl acetate to the ZN-CU NPs at a concentration ratio of 1: 3.5 w/v. The prepared colloidal suspension of ZN-EC showed high physical stability during storage time. The particle diameters and zeta potential values of ZN-CU and ZN-CU-EC colloidal suspensions were 140 ± 12 nm, 38 ± 2 mV and 179 ± 12 nm, 12 ± 2 mV, respectively. Based on Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, participation of EC on the surface of ZN-CU particles could reduce the sticky appearance of particles. Encapsulation efficiency of CU in NPs did not improve after precipitation of EC, but the stability of NPs against pH changes, increased and release rate of CU from NPs at different pH values (3-8) were significantly reduced in comparison of ZN-CU NPs. The EC coated NPs showed the excessive protection for CU antioxidant activity during storage. In conclusion, the prepared NPs, with high physical stability, have good potential for encapsulation and delivery of CU to colon region.

Safety assays and nutritional values of mycoprotein produced by Fusarium venenatum IR372C from date waste as substrate.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional and environmental benefits of mycoprotein verify its beneficial role on the health of humankind in the next decades. Agro-industrial wastes can be used as cheap substrates to decrease the total cost of product. However, fungi may produce toxins or lead to allergic reactions in consumers. Therefore, the study of the safety and nutritional aspects of this product are very important. RESULTS: Fusarium venenatum IR372C was cultured on date wastes and ammonium salts in submerge fermentation. The safety and nutritional issues of produced mycoprotein were investigated including allergy tests and analyses of toxins, as well as existence of toxin genes, and content of heavy metals, metals, amino acids and fatty acids. The results showed that fumonisin genes in F. venenatum IR372C remain without any gene expression during 1 week fermentation. Zearalenone and deoxynivalenol cannot be detected in the fermentation medium after 3 weeks. Prick tests on 30 volunteers demonstrated no sensitivities to mycoprotein. The content of lead was 658 µg kg-1 as the highest heavy metal followed by arsenic, cadmium and mercury at 161, 30.57 and 0 µg kg-1 , respectively. Produced mycoprotein includes essential amino acids at appropriate contents and the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acid was nearly 2:1. Also, calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc were found in mycoprotein, which could have health beneficial impacts on consumers. CONCLUSION: This study has provided information on safety aspects of mycoprotein production by F. venentaum IR372C from date wastes. However, further studies with focus on long-term clinical benefits of diets containing mycoprotein are necessary. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development and characterization of a novel edible film based on Althaea rosea flower gum: Investigating the reinforcing effects of bacterial nanocrystalline cellulose.

Althaea rosea flowers were used to procure the gum (ARG) needed for film preparation. Pretest studies suggested 1.5% ARG + 50% glycerol as optimum for film preparation. The reinforcement impact of 3, 5, and 8 wt% bacterial nanocrystalline cellulose (BNC) incorporation (based on the dry weight of ARG) was investigated on the structural, mechanical, physical, thermal, optical, morphological, and barrier properties of films. The Results suggested that increasing the BNC concentration until a certain level (5 wt% BNC) could improve the latter properties. However, at higher concentration (8 wt% BNC), cellulose nanoparticles tended to agglomerate, which led to the impairment of some of those properties, especially barrier properties. According to AFM and SEM results, BNC addition increased surface roughness and coarseness. All BNC-loaded films showed better functions compared to control sample (0 wt% BNC) and the film containing 5 wt% BNC was suggested as the optimum film.

Oleogel production based on binary and ternary mixtures of sodium caseinate, xanthan gum, and guar gum: Optimization of hydrocolloids concentration and drying method.

We report the optimization of oleogel formulation based on sodium caseinate (CN, 0-4 g/100 g), xanthan gum (XG, 0-1 g/100 g), guar gum (GG, 0-1 g/100 g), and drying method (freeze and oven drier) using response surface methodology to achieve the desired oil binding capacity, textural, and rheological attributes. All the selected responses were successfully fitted by a quadratic model with determination coefficient values higher than .95 with the exception of firmness values which was fitted by linear model. There were considerable increases in all the responses for the samples containing ternary mixtures of protein-gum (CN:XG:GG) as well as binary mixtures (CN:GG and CN:XG) compared to samples containing protein or gums alone due to the synergistic effect of CN and gums on formation of highly ordered and strong gel network. Regression modeling demonstrated that freeze drying method led to significantly greater structure recovery values than those of oven drying method. The best formulation was the freeze dried oleogel containing 4 g/100 g CN, 0.43 g/100 g XG, and 0.98 g/100 g GG. Results showed that fabrication of oleogels with at least 94.5 g/100 g sunflower oil and characteristics similar to industrial shortening is feasible.