Biopolymer-based intelligent packaging integrated with natural colourimetric sensors for food safety and sustainability.

Increasing concerns about global food safety and security demands innovative solutions, particularly in food packaging technologies. This review paper investigates the advanced integration of natural colourimetric sensors with biopolymer-based packaging materials, with a focus on developments over the past 5 years. These sensors change colour in response to environmental stimuli such as oxygen, temperature, pH and relative humidity, intuitively indicating food freshness and safety. The paper emphasizes the recent advancements in using natural colourants, such as alizarin, anthocyanins, betacyanins, chlorophyll, curcumin and shikonin. When combined with either natural or synthetic biopolymers, these colourants contribute to a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to food packaging. Such technological advances could notably decrease the incidence of foodborne illnesses by signaling potential spoilage or contamination, while also addressing food wastage by providing clear indications of edibility. Although challenges remain in sensor longevity and widespread adoption, the prospects for biopolymer-based food packaging with embedded natural colourimetric sensors are promising.

Development and characterization of edible and active coating based on xanthan gum nanoemulsion incorporating betel leaf extract for fresh produce preservation.

Developing an edible and active coating, incorporating environmentally-friendly antimicrobial agents into edible polymers, provides an eco-friendly alternative to conventional packaging and exhibits significant potential in preserving the quality of postharvest food. Herein, we aim to develop a novel edible and active coating based on xanthan gum (XG) nanoemulsion (NE) incorporating betel leaf extract (BLE) for the preservation of fresh produce. The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity of the methanol extract of BLE at various concentrations were characterized. Further development of the active coating at different formulations of Tween 80 (1 % and 3 % w/v), XG (0.1 % to 0.5 % w/v), and BLE (1 % to 5 % w/v) was characterized by physical stability, viscosity, and antimicrobial properties. Results showed that the active coating at 1 % BLE showed significant antimicrobial properties against diverse bacterial and fungal foodborne pathogens (e.g., B. cereus, S. aureus) and fungal cultures (e.g., C. albicans). The study also examined the shelf-life of tomatoes coated with the BLE-XG NE solution, stored at 4 °C for 27 days. Analyses of weight retention, soluble solids, pH, texture, sensory attributes, and microbial populations showed that the coating effectively preserved tomato quality, highlighting its potential to preserve fresh produce and enhance food security.

Quantitative and rapid detection of nanoplastics labeled by luminescent metal phenolic networks using surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

The escalating prevalence of nanoplastics contamination in environmental ecosystems has emerged as a significant health hazard. Conventional analytical methods are suboptimal, hindered by their inefficiency in analyzing nanoplastics at low concentrations and their time-intensive processes. In this context, we have developed an innovative approach that employs luminescent metal-phenolic networks (L-MPNs) coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to separate and label nanoplastics, enabling rapid, sensitive and quantitative detection. Our strategy utilizes L-MPNs composed of zirconium ions, tannic acid, and rhodamine B to uniformly label nanoplastics across a spectrum of sizes (50-500 nm) and types (e.g., polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polylactic acid). Rhodamine B (RhB) functions as a Raman reporter within these L-MPNs-based SERS tags, providing the requisite sensitivity for trace measurement of nanoplastics. Moreover, the labeling with L-MPNs aids in the efficient separation of nanoplastics from liquid media. Utilizing a portable Raman instrument, our methodology offers cost-effective, swift, and field-deployable detection capabilities, with excellent sensitivity in nanoplastic analysis and a detection threshold as low as 0.1 µg/mL. Overall, this study proposes a highly promising strategy for the robust and sensitive analysis of a broad spectrum of particle analytes, underscored by the effective labeling performance of L-MPNs when coupled with SERS techniques.

Use of Internet viral marketing to promote smoke-free lifestyles among Chinese adolescents.

PURPOSE: Youth smoking is a global public health concern. Health educators are increasingly using Internet-based technologies, but the effectiveness of Internet viral marketing in promoting health remains uncertain. This prospective pilot study assessed the efficacy of an online game-based viral marketing campaign in promoting a smoke-free attitude among Chinese adolescents. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-one Hong Kong Chinese adolescents aged 10 to 24 were invited to participate in an online multiple-choice quiz game competition designed to deliver tobacco-related health information. Participants were encouraged to refer others to join. A zero-inflated negative binomial model was used to explore the factors contributing to the referral process. Latent transition analysis utilising a pre- and post-game survey was used to detect attitudinal changes toward smoking. RESULTS: The number of participants increased almost eightfold from 121 to 928 (34.6% current or ex-smokers) during the 22-day campaign. Participants exhibited significant attitudinal change, with 73% holding negative attitudes toward smoking after the campaign compared to 57% before it. The transition probabilities from positive to negative and neutral to negative attitudes were 0.52 and 0.48, respectively. It was also found that attempting every 20 quiz questions was associated with lower perceived smoking decision in future (OR = 0.95, p-value <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our online game-based viral marketing programme was effective in reaching a large number of smoking and non-smoking participants and changing their attitudes toward smoking. It constitutes a promising practical and cost-effective model for engaging young smokers and promulgating smoking-related health information among Chinese adolescents.

The effects of multisensory therapy on behaviour of adult clients with developmental disabilities--a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing use of multisensory therapy in enhancing sense of well-being and reducing challenging or stereotypic self-stimulating behaviour in people with a developmental disability. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to present the best available evidence on the effect of multisensory therapy in adult clients with developmental disabilities on the frequency of challenging behavior, stereotypic self-stimulating behavior, and positive behaviour; and changes of physiological measures. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: A search of electronic databases of published research studies (January 1985-December 2008) was conducted, using appropriate search terms. The reference lists and bibliographies of retrieved articles were reviewed to identify research not located through other search strategies. REVIEW METHODS: Studies that investigated the effects of multisensory environment in relation to outcomes were examined. Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. Methodological quality was also assessed by two reviewers against key quality criteria. FINDINGS: One hundred and thirty-two studies were identified from database search of which 17 met the inclusion criteria for review. The evidence supports that participants' had displayed more positive behaviour after multisensory therapy sessions. There is no strong evidence supporting that multisensory therapy could help in reducing challenging behaviour or stereotypic self-stimulating behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review demonstrates a beneficial effect of multisensory therapy in promoting participants' positive emotions. While the reviewers acknowledge the difficulty in carrying out randomized controlled trial in people with developmental disabilities and challenging behavior, the lack of trial-derived evidence makes it difficult to arrive at a conclusion of the effectiveness of the multisensory therapy. Future study should use well-designed randomised controlled trials to evaluate the short and long term effectiveness of multisensory therapy. There is also a need for qualitative studies which allow the clients to tell the stories of their experiences.