2026· BIO Web of Conferences· 0 citations· 15 references
Abstract
Hydrophobic bioactive compounds are difficult to deliver because of poor water solubility, limited stability, and uncontrolled release. In this study, chitosan-soy protein isolate (CS-SPI) conjugates were prepared by dry-heat Maillard reaction and used as natural polymeric emulsifiers for curcumin-loaded emulsions. The highest grafting degree of 15.3% was obtained at 70 °C, 74.50% relative humidity, 96 h, and a CS:SPI mass ratio of 1:3. Compared with chitosan and CS-SPI non-covalent complex-stabilized emulsions, the CS-SPI conjugate-stabilized emulsion showed the smallest droplets (7.23 μιη) and a more uniform distribution. It maintained high encapsulation efficiency after 6 days of storage (94.28%) and suppressed burst release during simulated gastric digestion, extending curcumin release to about 72 h. These results suggest that CS-SPI conjugates improve emulsion stability and sustained-release performance.
Curcumin exhibits excellent bioactive potential, but its practical applications in functional foods are limited. In this study, novel food-grade water-in-water (W/W) Pickering emulsions constructed by maltodextrin/pullulan (MD/PUL) were developed to encapsulate and deliver of aqueously dispersible curcumin nanocomplex. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) prepared by TEMPO oxidation method were used as Pickering stabilizers, and the 0.06 wt% CNCs-stabilized emulsions showed excellent storage stability and environmental stability. Soy protein isolate-curcumin complex (SPI-Cur) was prepared by the pH-driven method through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds, thus enhancing the water solubility of curcumin. SPI-Cur exhibited stronger binding affinity to MD than to PUL, enabling efficient encapsulation in the dispersed phase of MD/PUL Pickering emulsions. Furthermore, the emulsion system significantly enhanced the storage, photostability and thermal stability of SPI-Cur. The bioaccessibility of encapsulated SPI-Cur reached 51.98% after in vitro simulated digestion, which was significantly higher than that of free SPI-Cur (37.62%). This study provides an environment friendly strategy to address the poor water solubility and stability bottlenecks of curcumin in functional foods, and expands the application of W/W Pickering emulsions for encapsulating and delivering of hydrophilic bioactives.
Pengrui Wu, Xindi Wei, Chunling Nie et al.· Food Research International· 0 citations
Postharvest spoilage of fresh fruits demands efficient bio-based packaging films. Here, chitosan/gelatin (CG) films were incorporated with β-cyclodextrin-encapsulated clove essential oil microcapsules (β-CD@CEO MCs) at varying loadings. The results suggested that CEO encapsulation occurred within β-CD cavities and hydrogen-bond binding of MCs to the CG matrix. At 0.4% MCs, the composite film showed 60.11% higher tensile strength, excellent UV shielding, lower water vapor transmission rate, and strong antioxidant activity (DPPH 89.6%, ABTS 97.1), along with 58.21% biodegradation after 16 days of soil burial. In vitro release studies revealed a pH-responsive sustained release profile of CEO from the composite films, with faster release under acidic conditions (98.5% at pH 3.5 after 72 h) compared to neutral conditions (87.2% at pH 7.0), indicating the potential for targeted release on the weakly acidic grape surface. The film also exhibited significant antimicrobial effects against Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium gladioli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. In table grape preservation, CG/MCs-0.4 film effectively delayed decay, reduced weight loss by 38.79%, maintained firmness and color, and preserved higher levels of soluble solids, titratable acidity, reducing sugars, and vitamin C compared to polyethylene packaging and untreated controls.
Developing biodegradable active packaging films that combine mechanical reinforcement, barrier improvement, antibacterial activity, and controlled release of natural antimicrobials remains challenging. Here, TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose (TOBC) was used to stabilize clove essential oil (CEO) Pickering emulsions, which were incorporated into sodium alginate (SA) matrices. The effects of TOBC concentration on emulsion stability and emulsion loading on film-forming solutions, film structure, mechanical performance, barrier properties, antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and CEO release were evaluated. The emulsion stabilized with 0.7 wt% TOBC showed good visual stability after 30 days and was selected for film preparation. Moderate incorporation of the TOBC-stabilized CEO Pickering emulsion improved SA film performance, with SA-E10 showing the best overall balance. SA-E10 reached a tensile strength of 38.56 ± 1.66 MPa and an elongation at break of 10.27%, while the moisture content decreased from 36.48 ± 2.32% to 27.93 ± 0.46%. The films also showed enhanced UV-shielding capacity and lower water vapor permeability. Antioxidant activity increased with emulsion loading, reaching 71.43 ± 2.55% for DPPH and 83.66 ± 1.49% for ABTS. Film-coated paper disks showed visible inhibition zones against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Compared with direct CEO incorporation, the Pickering emulsion system delayed CEO release, indicating potential for sustained-release active packaging.
Fengge Yu, Jieying Fan, Xiangying Liu et al.· Foods· 0 citations
Addressing the severe postharvest losses of perishable fruits and environmental concerns caused by plastic packaging, this study developed a multifunctional composite film. Specifically, a composite of β-cyclodextrin and tea saponin-a byproduct of camellia oil processing-was synthesized and served as a stabilizer for the eugenol emulsion. This composite exhibited favorable surface activity, endowing the emulsion with excellent storage stability. Further, incorporating the emulsion into a κ-carrageenan/cationic guar gum film-forming matrix, the obtained film exhibited favorable mechanical properties (tensile strength: 22.62 MPa, elongation at break: 33.16%), outstanding antioxidant activity (scavenging rates of 60.77% for DPPH and 94.03% for ABTS radicals), and excellent sustained-release effect. Strawberry preservation experiment further confirmed that the composite film can inhibit microbial growth and reduce water loss, thereby extending the shelf life of fruits. This study provides valuable insights for advancing green packaging technologies and promoting the sustainable utilization of food processing byproducts.
Longbin Li, Chi Feng, Fuhou Lei et al.· Food Chemistry· 0 citations
This study aimed to encapsulate lutein in high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized by quinoa protein isolate (QPI), tannic acid (TA), and high-methoxy pectin (HMP) particles at varying concentrations to address its low delivery efficiency and bioavailability. High concentrations (3%-4%) of QPI-TA-HMP particles demonstrated strong interfacial adsorption, forming thick viscoelastic films around oil droplets. These interfacial properties imparted controllable rheological behaviors, textural characteristics, and stable 3D-printing scaffolds to the lutein-loaded HIPEs, achieving an encapsulation efficiency of 81.65 ± 2.36%. In vitro tests indicated that HIPEs enhanced lutein's resistance to storage, heat, and UV exposure while facilitating sustained intestinal release, resulting in a lutein bioaccessibility of 43.73 ± 1.44%. In vivo experiments further demonstrated that the HIPEs delivery system maintained high lutein concentrations in the small intestine, cecum, and colon, thereby significantly enhancing lutein accumulation in systemic circulation. These findings provide new insights into enhancing lutein's stability, delivery performance, and bioavailability.
The escalating need for biodegradable packaging has driven search for sustainable alternatives to synthetic plastics for efficient food products packaging. This research presents a functional gelatin (Gl)-tannic acid (TA)-coated chitosan (Ch) based composite film incorporating mushroom extract (ME) and curcumin extract (CE), which was developed for fresh chicken preservation in refrigerated conditions. The mechanical strength of composite biodegradable films was markedly enhanced when compared to gelatin. The structural and morphological analysis supported strong interactions between components and the development of a compact and uniformly structured polymer matrix. The optimized Gl/TA@Ch/ME/CE film showed reduced moisture content (9.8%), lower solubility (22.4%), decreased swelling (28.5%), and 51% lower water vapour transmission rate, UV-blocking properties and improved low oxygen permeability (1.3 ± 0.15 × 10-9 g·cm/cm2·s). The film exhibited superior antioxidant activity (25.83%), total phenolic content (52.12 μg GAE/mL), and significant antibacterial performance against strains of E. coli and S. aureus. Plant toxicity and developmental toxicity on zebrafish and 97% biodegradation within 48 h confirmed safety and good biocompatibility. Application of the optimized film to the fresh chicken samples significantly reduced the weight loss, delayed pH increase, preserved the texture, and reduced the microbial growth. These results suggest the synergistic effect of tannic acid-coated chitosan and gelatin led to enhancement of strength and stability of the film, and curcumin extract and mushroom extract improved functionality, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. This research establishes an innovative strategy for fabricating high-performance, bioactive packaging composite films exhibiting superior potential for food safety applications.
Tanu Singh, Piyush Verma, Preiti Deol et al.· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations