Improvement of mechanical, barrier properties, and water resistance of konjac glucomannan/curdlan film by zein addition and the coating for cherry tomato preservation.

The mechanical, barrier properties, and water resistance of packaging materials are crucial for the preservation of fruits and vegetables. In this study, zein was incorporated as a hydrophobic substance into the konjac glucomannan (KGM)/curdlan (KC) system. The KC/zein (KCZ) showed good compatibility with the zein aggregates uniformly distributed in the network formed by an entanglement of KGM and curdlan micelles based on hydrogen bonds. The presence of zein inhibited the extension of the KC entangled structure and enhanced the solid-like behavior. The high content of zein (>6 %) increased zein aggregation and negatively affected the structure and properties of KCZ. The zein addition significantly improved the water vapor permeability, tensile strength, and elongation at break. The hydrophobicity of the KCZ films was significantly enhanced, accompanied by the water contact angle increasing from 81° to 112°, and the moisture content, swelling, and soluble solid loss ratio decreasing apparently. The K56C40Z4 coating exhibited an excellent preservation effect to inhibit the respiration of cherry tomatoes, significantly reducing the water loss and firmness decline and maintaining the appearance, total solid, total acid, and ascorbic acid content. This work provided a strategy to fabricate hydrophobic packaging for the preservation of fruits and vegetables.

Konjac glucomannan films incorporated pectin-stabilized Mandarin oil emulsions: Structure, properties, and application in fruit preservation.

To enhance the water-resistance and antibacterial properties of KGM films, mandarin oil (MO), was directly emulsified by pectin and then dispersed to the KGM matrix. The effect of MO concentration (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2 wt%) on the performance of the film-forming emulsions as well as the emulsion films was investigated. The results revealed that pectin could encapsulate and protect MO, and KGM as film matrix could further contributed to the high stability of the film-forming emulsions. The FT-IR, XRD, and SEM suggested that MO stabilized by pectin was uniformly distributed in the KGM matrix. The compatibility and good interaction between KGM and pectin contributed to highly dense and compact structure. Furthermore, increasing the concentration of MO effectively improved water-resistance, oxygen barrier, and antimicrobial activity of the KGM based films. The 1.5 wt% MO loaded KGM film had the highest tensile strength (72.22 MPa) and water contact angle (θ = 95.73°), reduced the WVP and oxygen permeability by about 25.8 % and 32.8 times, respectively, prolonged the shelf life of strawberries for 8 days. As demonstrated, the 1.5 wt% MO-loaded KGM film has considerable potential for high-performance natural biodegradable active films to ensure food safety and reduce environmental impacts.

Soft and flexible polyvinyl alcohol/pullulan aerogels with fast and high water absorption capacity for facial mask substrates.

Facial mask substrates commonly used in skincare are often considered unhealthy and environmentally unfriendly due to their composition of premoistened nonwovens containing various preservatives. This study aims to address this issue by developing a preservative-free degradable aerogel made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/pullulan (PUL) using a unidirectional freeze-drying method. The aerogels had ordered three-dimensional porous structures and exhibited desirable mechanical properties. They were soft and flexible in both dry and wet states, and their Young's moduli were comparable to that of human skin. The aerogels had high porosity, ranging from 93.0 % to 95.1 %, and exhibited a high water absorption rate and water absorption capacity (ranging from 7.5 g/g to 10.1 g/g). After 30 min of water evaporation, the aerogels showed excellent moisture retention, ranging from 88 % to 93 %. Additionally, the PVA/PUL aerogel efficiently loaded and released active ingredients, such as rapidly releasing ascorbic acid (> 90 % within 30 min). These findings suggest that the PVA/PUL aerogel has potential as a material for facial mask substrates.

Moisture loss inhibition with biopolymer films for preservation of fruits and vegetables: A review.

In cold storage, fruits and vegetables still keep a low respiratory rate. Although cold storage is beneficial to maintain the quality of some fruits and vegetables, several factors (temperature and humidity fluctuations, heat inflow, air velocity, light, etc.) will accelerate moisture loss. Biopolymer films have attracted great attention for fruits and vegetables preservation because of their biodegradable and barrier properties. However, there is still a certain amount of water transfer occurring between storage environment/biopolymer films/fruits and vegetables (EFF). The effect of biopolymer films to inhibit moisture loss of fruits and vegetables and the water transfer mechanism in EFF system need to be studied systematically. Therefore, the moisture loss of fruits and vegetables, crucial properties, major components, fabrication methods, and formation mechanisms of biopolymer films were reviewed. Further, this study highlights the EFF system, responses of fruits and vegetables, and water transfer in EFF. This work aims to clarify the characteristics of EFF members, their influence on each other, and water transfer, which is conducive to improving the preservation efficiency of fruits and vegetables purposefully in future studies. In addition, the prospects of studies in EFF systems are shown.

Konjac glucomannan-based aerogels with excellent thermal stability and flame retardancy for thermal insulation application.

Biomass aerogels are a promising kind of environment-friendly thermal insulation material. However, the flammability, poor water resistance, and thermal instability of biomass aerogels limit their applications. Herein, freeze-drying and thermal imidization were used to create konjac glucomannan (KGM), boron nitride (BN), and polyimide (PI)-based aerogels with a semi-interpenetrating network structure. The introduction of BN was beneficial to improve the mechanical properties and thermal stability of aerogels. The imidization process of PI improved the hydrophobicity, mechanical property, and flame retardancy of the aerogels. The synergistic effect of PI and BN reduced the peak heat release rate and total heat release rate of KGM-based aerogel by 55.8 % and 35 %, respectively, and endowed aerogel with good self-extinguishing performance. Moreover, the results of thermal conductivity and infrared thermal imaging demonstrated that the aerogels had excellent thermal insulation properties, and could effectively manage thermal energy over a wide range of temperatures. This study provides a simple method for the preparation of heat-insulating aerogel with high fire safety, which has broad application prospects in the field of energy saving and emission reduction.

Properties of konjac glucomannan/curdlan-based emulsion films incorporating camellia oil and the preservation effect as coatings on 'Kyoho' grapes.

The strategy of emulsion coating was used for grape preservation. Camellia oil (CO) was incorporated with KGM/curdlan (KC) to fabricate KC-CO emulsion systems. KC-CO emulsions were analyzed by droplet size distribution and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and KC-CO films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical properties, dissolution, gas permeability, water contact angle (WCA). KC-CO coating was used for preservation of 'Kyoho' grapes. The results indicated that the addition of CO had a positive effect on KC system. CO could form a uniform emulsion with KC, and the droplets were evenly dispersed in the KC matrix. KC-CO films displayed a continuous microstructure, and elongation at break (EAB) was improved, while tensile strength decreased. The dissolution, water vapor permeability (WVP), and WCA were significantly enhanced, while the permeability of oxygen and carbon dioxide exhibited no advantage compared with KC film. KC-CO-10 possessed optimal properties and was selected as an emulsion coating for preservation. The results suggested that KC-CO-10 significantly maintained the appearance, total solid and acid content of 'Kyoho' grapes, and delayed the weight loss and firmness decrease. This study contributed to the understanding of polysaccharide-lipid emulsion system and the applications.

Investigation and Characterization of Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Alkali-Treated Zein (AZ)/Sodium Alginate (SA) Composite Particles.

Pickering emulsions stabilized by food-grade colloidal particles have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to their "surfactant-free" nature. In this study, the alkali-treated zein (AZ) was prepared via restricted alkali deamidation and then combined with sodium alginate (SA) in different ratios to obtain AZ/SA composite particles (ZS), which were used to stabilize Pickering emulsion. The degree of deamidation (DD) and degree of hydrolysis (DH) of AZ were 12.74% and 6.58% respectively, indicating the deamidation occurred mainly in glutamine on the side chain of the protein. After the treatment with alkali, AZ particle size decreased significantly. Moreover, the particle size of ZS with different ratios was all less than 80 nm. when the AZ/SA ratio was 2:1(Z2S1) and 3:1(Z3S1), the three-phase contact angle (θo/w) were close to 90°, which was favorable for stabilizing the Pickering emulsion. Furthermore, at a high oil phase fraction (75%), Z3S1-stabilized Pickering emulsions showed the best long-term storage stability within 60 days. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) observations showed that the water-oil interface was wrapped by a dense layer of Z3S1 particles with non-agglomeration between independent oil droplets. At constant particle concentration, the apparent viscosity of the Pickering emulsions stabilized by Z3S1 gradually decreased with increasing oil phase fraction, and the oil-droplet size and the Turbiscan stability index (TSI) also gradually decreased, exhibiting solid-like behavior. This study provides new ideas for the fabrication of food-grade Pickering emulsions and will extend the future applications of zein-based Pickering emulsions as bioactive ingredient delivery systems.

Formation and characterization of konjac glucomannan/ethyl cellulose films by using ethanol and water as the solvents.

Hydrophilic konjac glucomannan (KGM)/hydrophobic ethyl cellulose (EC) film was prepared in the ethanol/water environment. The film-forming solution and film properties were both characterized to analyze the molecular interaction changes. Although higher ethanol usage enhanced the stability of the film-forming solution, it did not benefit the film property improvement. The SEM images showed some fibrous structure on the air surface of the films, consistent with the XRD results. The changing trend of mechanical properties and the FTIR results suggested that both ethanol content and ethanol evaporation impacted the molecular interaction during the film formation. The surface hydrophobicity results indicated that the ethanol content could cause significant EC aggregation changes on the film surface only with high EC contents. The water vapor permeability results suggested that higher ethanol usage decreased the compactness of the films. Considering all results, the 20 % ethanol content and the weight ratio of KGM: EC = 7:3 were suggested for the film preparation due to the superior properties in most properties. This study contributed to the understanding of polysaccharide interaction in the ethanol/water environment and offered an alternative biodegradable packaging film.

Characterizations of konjac glucomannan/curdlan edible coatings and the preservation effect on cherry tomatoes.

In this study, konjac glucomannan (KGM) and curdlan were used to fabricate composite coating (KC). The coating solutions were investigated using a rheological method, and the coatings were characterized by water solubility tests, water vapor permeability (WVP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The preservation effect of KC coating on cherry tomatoes stored at room temperature was determined. Results indicated that the curdlan addition can adjust the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of KGM coatings. Curdlan addition enhanced intermolecular entanglement and film-forming property. Increasing curdlan content in KC coatings significantly decreased the moisture content, dissolution and swelling ratio, and WVP. The KGM-curdlan composites behaved as high-performance coatings with good compatibility and uniformity. The K3C2 coating showed the best uniformity, water barrier, and thermal stability. The application of K3C2 coating significantly reduced the weight loss, decay loss, and delayed the decreases of firmness, soluble solids, total acid, and VC contents of cherry tomatoes. The KGM/curdlan edible coatings have promising potential for prolonging the shelf life of cherry tomatoes and applications in fruits preservation in the future.

Microstructure, Thermal Conductivity, and Flame Retardancy of Konjac Glucomannan Based Aerogels.

With abundant renewable resources and good biodegradability, bio-based aerogels are considered as promising insulating materials for replacing the conventional petroleum-based foam. In this study, konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based aerogels were prepared as thermal insulation materials via a convenient sol-gel and freeze-drying progress with different content of plant polysaccharides, proteins, and wheat straw. The morphology, thermal conductivity, and flame retardancy of KGM-based aerogels were determined. The KGM-based aerogels showed a uniform three-dimensional porous microstructure. The addition of wheat straw could significantly reduce the pore size of aerogels due to its special multi-cavity structure. KGM-based aerogels showed low densities (0.0234-0.0559 g/cm-3), low thermal conductivities (0.04573-0.05127 W/mK), low peak heat release rate (PHRR, 46.7-165.5 W/g), and low total heat release (THR, 5.7-16.2 kJ/g). Compared to the conventional expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyurethane (PU) foam, the maximum limiting oxygen index (LOI) of KGM-based aerogels increased by 24.09% and 47.59%, the lowest PHRR decreased by 79.37% and 94.26%, and the lowest THR decreased by 76.54% and 89.25%, respectively. The results demonstrated that the KGM-based aerogels had better performance on flame retardancy than PU and EPS, indicating high potential applications as heat insulation in the green advanced engineering field.

Improving konjac glucomannan-based aerogels filtration properties by combining aerogel pieces in series with different pore size distributions.

The pore size distribution of konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based aerogels seriously impacted the air filtration efficiency and filtration resistance. This study aimed to investigate the pore size distribution control of KGM-based aerogels through total solid concentration of the sol and to improve the filtration performance by preparing aerogel stacks, which were made by combining KGM-based aerogels with different pore size distribution (range: 0-180 µm). Results indicated that with increased total solid concentration from 50% to 100% of the origin formulae, aerogel pore size became smaller and the porosity was decreased for all the three sample formulae. Meanwhile, the aerogel mechanical property and filtration efficiency were both strengthened with increased total solid concentration, but the air resistance became significantly higher. The changing extent and rule were influenced by the sample components (KGM, starch, gelatin, wheat straw). The aerogel stacks prepared by in series combining the aerogel pieces with different pore size distribution (from large size to small size) was found to improve filtration efficiency (e.g. from 70% to 80% for K1G2S4WS2) and significantly lower the air resistance (e.g. from 270 Pa to 190 Pa for K1G2S4WS2). This study could guide the filtration performance improvement of aerogels.

Impact of heating and drying temperatures on the properties of konjac glucomannan/curdlan blend films.

The impact of preparation conditions including heating temperature (from 60 °C to 90 °C) and drying temperatures (from 25 °C to 90 °C) on the properties of pure curdlan film and konjac glucomannan (KGM) and curdlan blend films were analyzed. Microstructure analysis indicated the KGM addition could significantly improve the relatively poor film-forming property of curdlan. FTIR and X-ray analysis showed that at high heating temperature 90 °C, molecular interaction might be enhanced in the films due to the stretched structure of curdlan and dissociation of curdlan bundles or triple-helix structure. This was supported by the changes in the mechanical property, surface hydrophobicity, moisture barrier, and moisture tolerance property. The impacts of drying temperature were some different for the curdlan film and KGM/curdlan blend film, and were explained from the molecular hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity, compactness of the films, curdlan conformation, and molecular interaction. This work guided biodegradable film production especially with curdlan added.

Changes in microstructure and rheological properties of konjac glucomannan/zein blend film-forming solution during drying.

During film formation at 60 °C, the microstructure and rheological properties of konjac glucomannan (KGM) film-forming solution and KGM/zein blend film-forming solution were investigated. The drying process of film-forming solutions was divided into two stages according to the drying curves. Scanning electron microscopy showed that KGM chains in the blend solution aggregated into thicker chains and formed a molecular network with larger pores. Zein particles grew larger but were homogeneously distributed during drying as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The addition of zein improved the thermal stability of the film-forming solution. As the drying proceeded (up to 8 h), KGM solution exhibited a typical concentrated solution behavior due to molecular entanglement; whereas the blend solution gradually formed a weak gel after 2 h. Complex viscosity data for the film-forming solutions were well-fitted by the power-law model. The information obtained from the study is important for understanding the film-forming mechanism.

Diversity analysis of starch physicochemical properties in 95 proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) accessions.

In this study, 95 accessions of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) were characterized for starch physicochemical properties, including apparent amylose content (AAC), gel textural properties, Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) pasting viscosity properties, thermal and retrogradation properties. Based on genotypic data, the genetic diversity and inter-relationship of these starch traits were analyzed. Diverse starch quality was found, for example, AAC ranged from 0 to 32.3%, gelatinization temperature (GT) varied from 71.5 to 79.0 ℃, and RVA profile showed distinct patterns among proso millet of different AAC types. Interestingly, high AAC proso millet usually had GT lower than that of low AAC proso millet, which is different from the findings in rice starch. Many starch traits were significantly correlated and most of the 18 tested traits could be classified as either AAC-related traits or GT-related traits. In summary, the information presented here will be useful for further development of proso millet products.

Iron encapsulated microstructured gel beads using an emulsification-gelation technique for an alginate-caseinate matrix.

Iron-deficiency anemia is an important health problem in global public issues, and development of iron fortifiers in diets is essential for the decrease of iron deficiency. However, there are problems for iron fortification in food because the common bioavailable iron compounds would contribute to iron-promoted lipid oxidation and unpleasant iron odor, presenting an adverse food quality. Ferrous fumarate loaded microstructured gel beads were prepared by an emulsification-gelation method using an alginate-caseinate matrix, and the gel network was formed by crosslinking of Ca2+ or Fe2+. Internal gelated beads showed relatively symmetrical and homogeneous spheres with no adhesion due to the simultaneous release of Fe2+ to initiate gelation in situ. External gelated beads displayed an irregular and adhesive structure, probably because the random contact between Na-ALG and Ca2+ occurred on the droplet surface, and the immediately gelated hardening layer provided a delay for further Ca2+ diffusion. The gel beads exhibited a lag phase in the promotion of lipid oxidation of the emulsion and restrained the iron odor release from ferrous fumarate. Ferrous ion release from microstructured gel beads in the simulated gastric juice was obviously delayed before a more progressive high release in the simulated intestinal juice, beneficial for iron absorption in the duodenum. The iron encapsulated microstructured gel beads might be developed as a promising safe iron fortifier by relieving lipid oxidation and iron odor.

Characterization of morphology and physicochemical properties of native starches isolated from 12 Lycoris species.

In this study, starch was isolated from 13 genotypes of 12 Lycoris species, and the morphology, granule size distribution and physicochemical properties, including apparent amylose content (AAC), Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) pasting properties, textural properties, thermal and retrogradation properties were characterized. The majority of starch granules of the 13 Lycoris genotypes were oval in shape, and granule size followed a normal distribution with a mean diameter of 20-30 µm. Contrary to previously published findings, the XRD results revealed that lycoris starches had either C-type or CA-type crystallinity. All lycoris starches showed high AAC varying from 25.6% to 32.7%, and low gelatinization temperature (GT) ranging from 58.8 to 69.7℃. Inter-relationships among 18 starch quality traits were analyzed based on correlation analysis. The present study provides information on lycoris starch characteristics which should serve as a useful guide for later studies on lycoris starch utilization in food and non-food industries.

Trivalent iron induced gelation in Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. polysaccharide.

Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. polysaccharide (ASKP) has attracted growing attention in the field of food and medical engineering due to its biological activity and colloidal property. In this study, the binding between ASKP and ferric ions was found and the binding mechanism was explored. The results showed that ASKP could form a hydrogel with three-dimensional network structure in the presence of ferric ions. Ferric ions could specifically bind with the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups of the high molecular weight fraction of 60P with the binding stoichiometry of [M3+]/[repeating unit] = 2.5. The possible mechanism of the formation of ASKP-Fe3+ complex was proposed as two binding modes of monodentate and bridging binding. ASKP-Fe3+ complex exhibited higher thermal stability than ASKP revealed with DSC thermograms. The study indicated that ASKP would be a novel gelation biopolymer and the ASKP-Fe3+ complex hydrogel could be exploited as a new iron fortifier.

Lysophosphatidic acid receptor LPA3 prevents oxidative stress and cellular senescence in Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare laminopathy that produces a mutant form of prelamin A, known as Progerin, resulting in premature aging. HGPS cells show morphological abnormalities of the nuclear membrane, reduced cell proliferation rates, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and expression of senescence markers. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a growth factor-like lipid mediator that regulates various physiological functions via activating multiple LPA G protein-coupled receptors. Here, we study the roles of LPA and LPA receptors in premature aging. We report that the protein level of LPA3 was highly downregulated through internalization and the lysosomal degradation pathway in Progerin-transfected HEK293 cells. By treating Progerin HEK293 cells with an LPA3 agonist (OMPT, 1-Oleoyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycerophosphothionate) and performing shRNA knockdown of the Lpa3r transcript in these cells, we showed that LPA3 activation increased expression levels of antioxidant enzymes, consequently inhibiting ROS accumulation and ameliorating cell senescence. LPA3 was shown to be downregulated in HGPS patient fibroblasts through the lysosomal pathway, and it was shown to be crucial for ameliorating ROS accumulation and cell senescence in fibroblasts. Moreover, in a zebrafish model, LPA3 deficiency was sufficient to cause premature aging phenotypes in multiple organs, as well as a shorter lifespan. Taken together, these findings identify the decline of LPA3 as a key contributor to the premature aging phenotypes of HGPS cells and zebrafish.

Fabrication and characterization of a novel konjac glucomannan-based air filtration aerogels strengthened by wheat straw and okara.

The konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based aerogel as an air filtration material was fabricated through sol-gel and freeze-drying methods. Results showed that gelatin and starch addition could increase the filtration efficiency and compressive strength of aerogel significantly, due to the appearance of more microporous structure and the formation of dense structure in aerogel. The addition of wheat straw could decrease the filtration resistance and increase the breathability of KGM-based aerogel, which was attributed to the multi-cavities of wheat straw. The aerogel with wheat straw had a filtration efficiency of 93.54% for particle matters ≥ 0.3 µm, a filtration resistance 29 Pa, and an air permeability 271.42 L/s·m2. Okara addition could increase the hydrophobicity of KGM-based aerogel by increasing the water contact angle and decreasing the equilibrium water content. The water contact angle of the aerogel containing okara reached 105.4°, and the equilibrium water content was decreased by 17.03%-81.10% compared with that without okara, with relative humidity 0%-80%. The results demonstrated that the KGM-based aerogel had good performance on filtration, mechanical and hydrophobic properties, indicating high potential application as an air filtration material.

Effect of drying temperature on structural and thermomechanical properties of konjac glucomannan-zein blend films.

Konjac glucomannan (KGM)/zein blend films were successfully prepared by solution casting at different drying temperatures (40, 50, 60, 70 and 80°C). The effects of drying temperature on the films' structural, thermomechanical, mechanical and water barrier properties were investigated. Microstructural observations indicated that zein particles were homogeneously dispersed in KGM continuous matrix, and the blend film dried at 60°C showed the most compact and smooth surface. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis curves showed that with increasing drying temperature from 40 to 60°C, glass transition temperature (Tg) of films increased; however, with further increase in temperature, the Tg decreased, indicating the compatibility of film components was the highest when dried at 60°C. The hydrophobicity of blend film dried at 60°C was significantly stronger than that of other blend films, supported by the highest water contact angle, and the lowest swelling ratio and solubility. Moreover, the film dried at 60°C showed the highest tensile strength, elongation at break, and the lowest water vapor permeability. Therefore 60°C was preferred for KGM/zein blend film preparation. This study indicated that intermolecular interactions among film components were greatly influenced by the drying temperature, and should be carefully noticed for film preparation.