Carboxymethylcellulose-induced depletion attraction to stabilize high internal phase Pickering emulsions for the elderly: 3D printing and ß-carotene delivery.

In this study, a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) induced depletion attraction was developed to stabilize high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) as age-friendly 3D printing inks. The results demonstrated that depletion force induced the adsorption of yolk particles at the droplet interface and the formation of osmotic droplet clusters, thereby increasing the stability of HIPPEs. In addition, the rheological properties and nutrient delivery properties of HIPPEs could be adjusted by the mass ratio of yolk/CMC. The HIPPEs stabilized at yolk/CMC mass ratio 20:7.5 showed optimal printability, viscoelastic, structural recovery, and swallowability. HIPPEs have been applied to 3D printing, International Dysphagia Dietary Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) test, and in vitro digestive simulation in the elderly, indicating their attractive appearance, safe swallowability, and enhanced bioaccessibility of ß-carotene. Our work provides new ideas for developing age-friendly foods with plasticity and nutrient delivery capacity by depletion attraction stabilizing HIPPEs.

Development of high internal phase Pickering emulsions stabilized by egg yolk and carboxymethylcellulose complexes to improve ß-carotene bioaccessibility for the elderly.

The work aimed to develop the multi-protein mixture of egg yolk as natural particles to stabilize high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) to improve the bioaccessibility of ß-carotene in the elderly. The results showed that the depletion attraction drove the adsorption of egg yolk protein particles at the oil-water interface and the formation of osmotic droplet clusters due to the attachment of particle-coated droplets in the dispersed phase, leading to kinetic blocking and stable gelation of HIPPEs. Rheological measurements showed that HIPPEs had shear thinning, low shear stress, viscoelastic properties, and structural recovery properties, which facilitated easy consumption for the elderly. The stability of HIPPEs was verified by ionic and centrifugal stability tests, demonstrating their potential for application to complex gastric environments. HIPPEs have been applied to the International Dysphagia Dietary Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) test and simulated in vitro digestion in older adults, demonstrating their safe swallowability and high ß-carotene bioaccessibility. Our findings suggest solutions for food practitioners facing the aging problem and provide new insights for preparing age-friendly foods.

Intelligent packaging based on chitosan/fucoidan incorporated with coleus grass (Plectranthus scutellarioides) leaves anthocyanins and its application in monitoring the spoilage of salmon (Salmo salar L.).

The innovation of this study was to develop a novel biodegradable intelligent packaging based on chitosan/fucoidan combined with different amounts (1, 3 and 5 wt% on chitosan basis) of coleus grass (Plectranthus scutellarioides) leaves anthocyanins (CGL) to monitor the spoilage of salmon (Salmo salar L.). The addition of fucoidan improved the barrier and mechanical properties of the chitosan films (CS) due to hydrogen bonds and intermolecular electrostatic interactions. Moreover, the addition of CGL not only improved the physical properties but also improved the biological activity of chitosan/fucoidan film (CF). The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity of CF contained 5 wt% CGL was 1.83 and 1.75 times than CF, respectively. The inhibition zone size of CF films containing 5 wt% CGL (CF-5%CGL) was approximately 2.04 (Escherichia coli) and 2.16 (Staphylococcus aureus) times higher than that of CF. Moreover, CF-CGL displayed obvious color changes in different pH environments and is highly sensitive to ammonia gas. The CF-CGL has visible color changes during the monitoring of salmon spoilage and extended the shelf life of salmon. According to our findings, CF-CGL film might be employed as a possible intelligent packaging material for monitoring and preserving salmon in the future.

Development and characterization of active packaging based on chitosan/chitin nanofibers incorporated with scallion flower extract and its preservation in fresh-cut bananas.

The aim of this study was to develop a novel active packaging using chitosan (CS) and esterified chitin nanofibers (CF) combined with different contents (1, 2 and 4 wt% on CS basis) of scallion flower extract (SFE) to protect banana samples. The addition of CF significantly improved the barrier and mechanical properties of the CS films (p < 0.05) due to hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. Moreover, the addition of SFE not only improved the physical properties of the CS film but also improved the CS film biological activity. The oxygen barrier property and antibacterial ability of CF-4%SFE were approximately 5.3 and 1.9 times higher than those of the CS film, respectively. In addition, CF-4%SFE had strong DPPH radical scavenging activity (74.8 ± 2.3 %) and ABTS radical scavenging activity (84.06 ± 2.08 %). Fresh-cut bananas stored in CF-4%SFE showed less weight loss, starch loss, color and appearance change than those stored in traditional polyethylene film, which indicated that CF-4%SFE was much better at storing fresh-cut bananas than conventional plastic packaging. For these reasons, CF-SFE films have great potential as a candidate to replace traditional plastic packaging and extend the shelf life of packaged foods.