Micro-encapsulation of garlic oil using esterified-wheat porous starch and whey protein isolate: Physicochemical properties, release behavior during in vitro digestion.

The study aimed to inhibit the stimulating impact of garlic oil (GO) on the stomach and attain high release in the intestine during digestion. So, wheat porous starch (WPS) was modified with octenyl succinic acid (OSA) and malic acid (MA) to obtain esterified WPS, OWPS and MWPS, respectively. The differences in physicochemical, encapsulation, and digestive properties of two GO microcapsules, WPI/OWPS/GO and WPI/MWPS/GO microcapsules produced by using OWPS and MWPS as variant carrier materials and whey protein isolate (WPI) as the same coating agent, were compared. The results found that OWPS had greater amphiphilicity, while MWPS had better hydrophobicity and anti-digestive ability than WPS. Encapsulation efficiency of WPI/OWPS/GO (94.67 %) was significantly greater than WPI/MWPS/GO (91.44 %). The digestion inhibition and low GO release (approximately 23 %) of WPI/OWPS/GO and WPI/MWPS/GO microcapsules in the gastric phase resulted from the protective effect of WPI combined with the good adsorption and lipophilicity of OWPS and MWPS. Especially, WPI/OWPS/GO microcapsule was relatively stable in the gastric phase and had sufficient GO release (67.24 %) in the intestinal phase, which was significantly higher than WPI/MWPS/GO microcapsule (56.03 %), benefiting from the adsorption and digestive properties of OWPS, and resulting in a total cumulative GO release rate of 90.86 %.

Origami-inspired highly stretchable and breathable 3D wearable sensors for in-situ and online monitoring of plant growth and microclimate.

The emerging wearable plant sensors demonstrate the capability of in-situ measurement of physiological and micro-environmental information of plants. However, the stretchability and breathability of current wearable plant sensors are restricted mainly due to their 2D planar structures, which interfere with plant growth and development. Here, origami-inspired 3D wearable sensors have been developed for plant growth and microclimate monitoring. Unlike 2D counterparts, the 3D sensors demonstrate theoretically infinitely high stretchability and breathability derived from the structure rather than the material. They are adjusted to 100% and 111.55 mg cm-2·h-1 in the optimized design. In addition to stretchability and breathability, the structural parameters are also used to control the strain distribution of the 3D sensors to enhance sensitivity and minimize interference. After integrating with corresponding sensing materials, electrodes, data acquisition and transmission circuits, and a mobile App, a miniaturized sensing system is produced with the capability of in-situ and online monitoring of plant elongation and microclimate. As a demonstration, the 3D sensors are worn on pumpkin leaves, which can accurately monitor the leaf elongation and microclimate with negligible hindrance to plant growth. Finally, the effects of the microclimate on the plant growth is resolved by analyzing the monitored data. This study would significantly promote the development of wearable plant sensors and their applications in the fields of plant phenomics, plant-environment interface, and smart agriculture.

Influence mechanisms of linoleic acid and oleic acid on the gel properties of egg yolk protein.

BACKGROUND: Gel property is among the crucial functional properties of egg yolk (EY), which determines the texture and flavor of EY products. In the present study, the effects of two unsaturated fatty acids [monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid (OA) and diunsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid (LA)] on the gel properties of EY protein were investigated. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the addition of LA and OA (10-50 g kg-1) improved the gel hardness (from 270.54 g to 385.85 g and 414.38 g, respectively) and viscosity coefficient (from 0.015 Pa.sn to 11.892 Pa.sn and 1.812 Pa.sn, respectively). The surface hydrophobicity of EY protein increased to a maximum value of 40 g kg-1 with the addition of both fatty acids (39.06 µg and 41.58 µg, respectively). However, excess unsaturated fatty acids (≥ 50 g kg-1) disrupted the completeness of the gel matrix and weakened the structural properties of the EY gel. CONCLUSION: Both fatty acids improved the gel properties of EY protein. At the same addition level, OA was superior to LA in improving gel properties. The present study provides a theoretical underpinning for the sensible application of unsaturated fatty acids in improving EY gel properties. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Preparation and characterization of zein-caseinate-pectin complex nanoparticles for encapsulation of curcumin: pectin extracted by high-speed shearing from passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) peel.

BACKGROUND: Pectin extracted by high-speed shearing from passion fruit peel (HSSP) is a potentially excellent wall material for encapsulating curcumin, which has multiple advantages over pectin prepared by heated water extraction. HSSP was used to fabricate complex nanoparticles of zein-sodium caseinate-pectin for encapsulation of curcumin in this study. The influence of heating on the physicochemical properties of the composite nanoparticles was also investigated, as well as the effect of composite nanoparticles on the encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant activity and release characteristics of curcumin. RESULTS: The nanoparticles were formed through electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions between the proteins and HSSP. A temperature of 50 °C was more favorable for generating compact and small-sized nanoparticles, which could effectively improve the encapsulation efficiency and functional properties. Moreover, compared to other pectin used in the study, the nanoparticles prepared with HSSP showed the best functionality with a particle size of 234.28 ± 0.85 nm, encapsulation rate of 90.22 ± 0.54%, free radical scavenging rate of 78.97% and strongest protective capacity in simulated gastric fluid and intestinal release effect. CONCLUSION: Zein-sodium caseinate-HSSP is effective for encapsulating and delivering hydrophobic bioactive substances such as curcumin, which has potential applications in the functional food and pharmaceutical industries. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tandem propane dehydrogenation and surface oxidation catalysts for selective propylene synthesis.

Direct propane dehydrogenation (PDH) to propylene is a desirable commercial reaction but is highly endothermic and severely limited by thermodynamic equilibrium. Routes that oxidatively remove hydrogen as water have safety and cost challenges. We coupled chemical looping-selective hydrogen (H2) combustion and PDH with multifunctional ferric vanadate-vanadium oxide (FeVO4-VOx) redox catalysts. Well-dispersed VOx supported on aluminum oxide (Al2O3) provides dehydrogenation sites, and adjacent nanoscale FeVO4 acts as an oxygen carrier for subsequent H2 combustion. We achieved an integral performance of 81.3% propylene selectivity at 42.7% propane conversion at 550°C for 200 chemical looping cycles for the reoxidization of FeVO4. Based on catalytic experiments, spectroscopic characterization, and theory calculations, we propose a hydrogen spillover-mediated coupling mechanism. The hydrogen species generated at the VOx sites migrated to adjacent FeVO4 for combustion, which shifted PDH toward propylene. This mechanism is favored by the proximity between the dehydrogenation and combustion sites.

Effects of nanocellulose combined with high pressure on the textural, structural, and gel properties of Nemipterus virgatus sausage.

This study aimed to improve the gel quality of golden threadfin bream (Nemipterus virgatus) sausage by adding sugarcane nanocellulose (SNC) and using high pressure combined with a two-stage heat treatment. The gel strength, textural properties, protein secondary structure, water states, and microstructure were analyzed and compared. The results indicated that the heat treatment was beneficial to stabilizing the protein gel structure, increasing the gel strength and textural quality, and reducing the cooking loss. High-pressure treatment resulted in a decrease of α-helix and an increase of ß-sheet in the protein, forming a dense gel structure, which enhanced the gel strength and the percentage of bound water. The superior hydrophilicity of nanocellulose and its cross-linking with protein increased the percentage of bound water in the gel, which improved the water-holding capacity and mechanical properties. Therefore, the best gel quality was obtained by adding nanocellulose and treating it with high pressure combined with two-stage heating.

Concerted oxygen diffusion across heterogeneous oxide interfaces for intensified propane dehydrogenation.

Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) is an industrial technology for direct propylene production which has received extensive attention in recent years. Nevertheless, existing non-oxidative dehydrogenation technologies still suffer from the thermodynamic equilibrium limitations and severe coking. Here, we develop the intensified propane dehydrogenation to propylene by the chemical looping engineering on nanoscale core-shell redox catalysts. The core-shell redox catalyst combines dehydrogenation catalyst and solid oxygen carrier at one particle, preferably compose of two to three atomic layer-type vanadia coating ceria nanodomains. The highest 93.5% propylene selectivity is obtained, sustaining 43.6% propylene yield under 300 long-term dehydrogenation-oxidation cycles, which outperforms an analog of industrially relevant K-CrOx/Al2O3 catalysts and exhibits 45% energy savings in the scale-up of chemical looping scheme. Combining in situ spectroscopies, kinetics, and theoretical calculation, an intrinsically dynamic lattice oxygen "donator-acceptor" process is proposed that O2- generated from the ceria oxygen carrier is boosted to diffuse and transfer to vanadia dehydrogenation sites via a concerted hopping pathway at the interface, stabilizing surface vanadia with moderate oxygen coverage at pseudo steady state for selective dehydrogenation without significant overoxidation or cracking.

Coupling acid catalysis and selective oxidation over MoO3-Fe2O3 for chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation of propane.

Redox catalysts play a vital role in chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation processes, which have recently been considered to be a promising prospect for propylene production. This work describes the coupling of surface acid catalysis and selective oxidation from lattice oxygen over MoO3-Fe2O3 redox catalysts for promoted propylene production. Atomically dispersed Mo species over γ-Fe2O3 introduce effective acid sites for the promotion of propane conversion. In addition, Mo could also regulate the lattice oxygen activity, which makes the oxygen species from the reduction of γ-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 contribute to selectively oxidative dehydrogenation instead of over-oxidation in pristine γ-Fe2O3. The enhanced surface acidity, coupled with proper lattice oxygen activity, leads to a higher surface reaction rate and moderate oxygen diffusion rate. Consequently, this coupling strategy achieves a robust performance with 49% of propane conversion and 90% of propylene selectivity for at least 300 redox cycles and ultimately demonstrates a potential design strategy for more advanced redox catalysts.

Effects of Different Blanching Methods on the Quality of Tremella fuciformis and Its Moisture Migration Characteristics.

Blanching is a critical step in the processing of Tremella fuciformis (T. fuciformis). The effects of different blanching methods (boiling water blanching (BWB), ultrasonic-low temperature blanching (ULTB), and high-temperature steam (HTS)) on the quality and moisture migration characteristics of T. fuciformis were investigated. The results showed that the T. fuciformis blanched by ULTB (70 °C, 2 min, 40 kHz, 300 W) had the best quality, including a brighter appearance, superior texture, and good sensory features, with a polysaccharide content of 3.90 ± 0.02%. The moisture migration characteristics of T. fuciformis after blanching exhibited four peaks, displayed strong and weak chemically bound water, immobilized water, and free water, whereas ULTB had a weak effect on the freedom of water in T. fuciformis. The study will provide the foundation for the factory processing of T. fuciformis.

Effects of high-speed shear and double-enzymatic hydrolysis on the structural and physicochemical properties of rice porous starch.

This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties of the rice porous starch (HSS-ES) prepared by high-speed shear combined with double-enzymatic (α-amylase and glucoamylase) hydrolysis, and to reveal their mechanism. The analyses of 1H NMR and amylose content showed that high-speed shear changed the molecular structure of starch and increased the amylose content (up to 20.42 ± 0.04 %). FTIR, XRD and SAXS spectra indicated that high-speed shear did not change the starch crystal configuration but caused a decrease in short-range molecular order and relative crystallinity (24.42 ± 0.06 %), and a loose semi-crystalline lamellar, which were beneficial to the followed double-enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore, the HSS-ES displayed a superior porous structure and larger specific surface area (2.962 ± 0.002 m2/g) compared with double-enzymatic hydrolyzed porous starch (ES), resulting in the increase of water and oil absorption from 130.79 ± 0.50 % and 109.63 ± 0.71 % to 154.79 ± 1.14 % and 138.40 ± 1.18 %, respectively. In vitro digestion analysis showed that the HSS-ES had good digestive resistance derived from the higher content of slowly digestible and resistant starch. The present study suggested that high-speed shear as an enzymatic hydrolysis pretreatment significantly enhanced the pore formation of rice starch.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Polyphenols from Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl) on RAW264.7 Macrophages Induced by Monosodium Urate and Potential Mechanisms.

Acute gouty arthritis is an acute inflammatory reaction caused by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in joints and surrounding soft tissues. Controlling inflammation is the key to preventing acute gouty arthritis. Anti-inflammatory activities and the possible molecular mechanisms of plum (Prunus salicina Lindl cv. "furong") polyphenols (PSLP) on RAW264.7 macrophage cells induced by monosodium urate were investigated. PPSF significantly inhibited the activity of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and interleukin-18 (IL-18). In addition, PPSF exhibited excellent activation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in RAW264.7 macrophages. The results of global screening of all transcripts by RNA-seq revealed 8585 differentially expressed genes between the PSLP-treated group and the MUS group. From GO analysis, PSLP could affect the occurrence and development of RAW264.7 macrophage inflammation through biological processes, such as organic substance metabolism, intracellular organelles, and binding function. The regulation mechanism of PSLP on MSU-induced RAW264.7 macrophage inflammation may be achieved through the HIF-1 signaling pathway, renal cell carcinoma, the ErbB signaling pathway, and the FoxO signaling pathway. Therefore, PSLP has great prospects in the prevention of gout and similar inflammatory diseases.

Fabrication and characterization of gelatin-EGCG-pectin ternary complex: formation mechanism, emulsion stability, and structure.

BACKGROUND: Protein-polyphenol-polysaccharide ternary complex particles have better emulsion interfacial stability compared to protein-polysaccharide binary complexes. However, knowledge is scarce when it comes to the fabrication of protein-polyphenol-polysaccharide ternary complexes as interfacial stabilizers and the interactions between the three substances. In the present work, ternary complexes were prepared using gelatin, high methoxyl pectin, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as raw materials. The effect of different influencing factors on the formation process of ternary complexes was investigated by varying different parameters. physicochemical stability, emulsifying properties, and structural characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: The ternary complex had a smaller particle size (275 nm) and polydispersity index (0.112) when the mass concentration ratio of gelatin to high methoxyl pectin was 9:1, addition of EGCG was 0.05%, pH value was 3.0, and ionic strength was 10 mmol L-1 . Meanwhile, the complex had the highest emulsifying stability index (691.75 min) and emulsifying activity index (22.96 m2 g-1 ). Scanning electron microscopical observation demonstrated that the addition of EGCG promoted the dispersion of ternary complex more uniformly, and effectively reduced the agglomeration phenomenon. The discrepancy in fluorescence intensity suggested that interactions between EGCG and gelatin occurred, which altered the protein spatial conformation of gelatin. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis elucidated that hydrogen bond interaction was the primary non-covalent interaction between EGCG and gelatin-high methoxyl pectin binary complex. CONCLUSION: The aforementioned results purposed to provide some theoretical reference and basis for the rational design of stable protein-polyphenol-polysaccharide ternary complexes. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Gelatin-EGCG-high methoxyl pectin ternary complex stabilized W1/O/W2 double emulsions loaded with vitamin C: Formation, structure, stability, in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.

Vitamin C is an essential nutritional supplement and antioxidant in food. However, the development of vitamin C in the food industry is limited due to its extremely poor chemical stability. In this study, W1/O/W2 double emulsions loaded with vitamin C were prepared, and their structure, physicochemical stability, and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion were investigated. The results manifested that the encapsulation efficiency was the highest (90.23 ± 0.49 %) when the addition of vitamin C in the internal aqueous phase was 0.05 %. Storage stability revealed that no phase separation occurred and did not show stratification in the emulsion system during storage, and the physical stability was excellent. pH stability demonstrated that the W1/O/W2 double emulsion loaded with vitamin C had a lower polydispersity index (PDI) value (0.19 ± 0.01) and greater absolute zeta potential value (40.37 ± 0.48) in alkaline environment (pH 8.0-12.0). The ionic stability suggested that the double emulsion was less stable in the presence of sodium ions. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion indicated that the bioavailability of vitamin C was 25 % after simulated digestion in vitro, elucidating that the W1/O/W2 double emulsion loaded with vitamin C was released slowly in the small intestine and had a certain sustained-release function.

Structural and rheological properties of nanocellulose with different polymorphs, nanocelluloses I and II, prepared by natural deep eutectic solvents from sugarcane bagasse.

Sugarcane bagasse, a sugar industry waste, has plentiful cellulose. The present work was aimed to prepare the quality nanocellulose with different polymorphs, nanocelluloses I (NC-I) and II (NC-II) utilizing natural deep eutectic solvents (choline chloride and oxalic acid dihydrate) combined with mechanical treatment from purified cellulose (celluloses I and II), which were prepared from sugarcane bagasse, and to further compare the structural and rheological properties of NC-I and NC-II. Results showed that the yields of NC-I and NC-II were 73.66 ± 0.11 % and 75.15 ± 0.08 %, respectively. Morphology indicated that NC-I had a needle-like appearance with a length of 769.9 ± 76.4 nm and a width of 4.9 ± 1.3, while NC-II displayed a rod-like profile with a smaller size (length: 196.3 ± 50.1 nm; width: 14.9 ± 3.8 nm). Structural characterization revealed that both NC-I and NC-II had high purity, good thermal stability (>300 °C) and high crystallinity (85.5 % and 86 %, respectively). Rheological and zeta potential properties revealed that NC-I suspension had bigger shear resistance, viscoelasticity and lower zeta potential, resulting in better storage stability compared with NC-II suspension. Therefore, the NC-I and NC-II with different characteristics may have potential applications in multiple fields, such as the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industry.

Effect of ball milling-assisted glycosylation modification on the structure and foaming property of egg white protein.

The effect of different glycosylation degrees on molecular structure and foaming property of egg white protein (EWP) was investigated using ball milling-assisted glycosylation. The results showed the foaming ability (FA) and foam stability (FS) of EWP improved when the degree of glycosylation was increased. In particular, FA of ball milling-assisted glycosylation of EWP enhanced by 39.9% and 28.8%, and the FS increased by 28.7% and 24.0% compared with EWP and ball milling egg white protein (BE) at 150 min of reaction. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis could reflect the grafting degree of EWP and glucose molecules from the side. When EWP was fully grafted with glucose, endogenous fluorescence and free sulfhydryl groups indicated that tertiary structure of EWP was depolymerized, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the secondary structure tended to change from order to disorder. The results of this study indicated that ball milling-assisted glycosylation modification was a practical method to improve the foaming property of EWP. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: EWP has great FA and FS, making it indispensable in the baking industry. In this study, ball milling-assisted glycosylation was used to improve the foaming property of EWP, and the molecular structure of EWP with different degrees of glycosylation was fully resolved. The results demonstrated that ball milling, as a physical pretreatment, can fully unfold the structure of EWP. When sugar molecules were fully grafted, the particle size of EWP reduced, solubility increased, and the stability of system improved, thus enhancing the foaming property of EWP. The results can provide theoretical basis for improving the foaming property of EWP and provide a reference value for its industrial application.

Data-Driven Interpretable Descriptors for the Structure-Activity Relationship of Surface Lattice Oxygen on Doped Vanadium Oxides.

Understanding the structure-activity relationship of surface lattice oxygen is critical but challenging to design efficient redox catalysts. This paper describes data-driven redox activity descriptors on doped vanadium oxides combining density functional theory and interpretable machine learning. We corroborate that the p-band center is the most crucial feature for the activity. Besides, some features from the coordination environment, including unoccupied d-band center, s- and d-band fillings, also play important roles in tuning the oxygen activity. Further analysis reveals that data-driven descriptors could decode more information about electron transfer during the redox process. Based on the descriptors, we report that atomic Re- and W-doping could inhibit over-oxidation in the chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation of propane, which is verified by subsequent experiments and calculations. This work sheds light on the structure-activity relationship of lattice oxygen for the rational design of redox catalysts.

Quantitative proteomics provides a new perspective on the mechanism of network structure depolymerization during egg white thinning.

As a typical colloidal solution system, egg white (EW) will naturally thin during storage. This paper discussed mechanism of EW thinning and protein depolymerization from the perspective of "protein composition and molecular structure". The results of rheology showed that viscoelasticity of EW declined substantially. Analysis of EW protein in gel system demonstrated that arrangement of EW thermal gel gradually tightened with dissociation of skeleton protein during storage. Molecular characteristics of EW protein in solution showed that particle size and free sulfhydryl content decreased. The increase of disulfide bonds enhanced intermolecular electrostatic force and hindered molecular aggregation, which improved solubility of molecules and reduced surface hydrophobicity. Quantitative proteomic analysis indicated the reduced abundance of ß-ovomucin (OVO) might be the direct cause of EW thinning. Notably, some proteins extensively involved in the aggregation of proteins during later storage. The results can provide scientific basis for depolymerization and aggregation of EW during storage.

Mechanism of differences in characteristics of thick/thin egg whites during storage: Physicochemical, functional and molecular structure characteristics analysis.

This study systematically analyzed and compared thechanges of physicochemical, functional and molecular structural characteristics between thick egg white (KEW) and thin egg white (NEW) during storage. Analysis of physicochemical properties showed that moisture content decreased significantly with the increase of pH during storage. KEW was gradually thinning, while NEW was closer to Newtonian fluid. Functional properties indicated that KEW thermal gel was gradually hard and brittle with the properties of NEW. KEW had better emulsifying property than NEW, and NEW had superior foaming ability. The α-helix and ß-sheet in the FT-IR spectrum showed a downward trend, revealing secondary structure changed from order to disorder. Enhancement of fluorescence intensity indicated the structural unfolding and exposure of tryptophan residues. SDS-PAGE proved that OVO might be related to the difference between KEW and NEW characteristics. This study provided new idea and reference value for egg storage and diversified utilization of egg white.