Transport parameters for aroma compounds through i-carrageenan and sodium alginate-based edible films

Hybrid Hosts Based on Sodium Alginate and Porous Clay Heterostructures for Drug Encapsulation

In this study, some hybrid materials based on sodium alginate (NaAlg) and porous clay heterostructures (PCHs) were investigated as new hosts for 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) encapsulation. The hybrid hosts were prepared by ionotropic gelation technique using different concentrations of PCHs (1, 3, and 10 wt%) in order to identify the optimal parameters for encapsulation and drug release. The obtained hybrid materials were characterized using FTIR Spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Vis spectrometry to investigate the interactions of the raw materials involved in the preparation of hybrid hosts, the influence of PCHs concentrations on drug encapsulation efficiency and drug release profile. All the results show that the synthesized hybrid materials were able to load a high amount of 5-FU, the encapsulation efficiency and the release profile being influenced by the concentrations of PCHs.

Encapsulated Limonene: A Pleasant Lemon-Like Aroma with Promising Application in the Agri-Food Industry. A Review

Limonene, mainly found as a major component in Citrus spp., has been proven to possess a valuable potential as sustainable replacement to synthetic pesticides and food preservatives. This review intends to give a clear overview of the principal emerging applications of limonene in the agri-food industry as antimicrobial, herbicidal and antioxidant agent. To successfully use limonene in a greener agri-food industry, its preservation had become a top concern for manufacturers. In order to elucidate the most efficient and sustainable manner to encapsulate limonene, the different techniques and materials tested up to the present are also reviewed. In general, encapsulation conserves and protects limonene from outside aggressions, but also allows its controlled release as well as enhances its low water solubility, which can be critical for the discussed applications. Other parameters such as scalability, low cost and availability of equipment will need to be taken into account. Further efforts would likely be oriented to the elucidation of encapsulating sustainable systems obtained by cost-efficient elaboration processes, which can deliver effective concentrations of limonene without affecting crops and food products.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation on the Diffusion of Flavor, O2 and H2O Molecules in LDPE Film

The diffusion of five flavor organic molecules, including D-limonene, myrcene, ethyl hexanoate, 2-nonanone, and linalool in low density polyethylene (LDPE) film were investigated by combined experimental and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. The diffusion coefficients derived from the prediction model, experimental determination, and MD simulation were compared, and the related microscopic diffusion mechanism was investigated. The effects of the presence of the flavor organic molecules on the diffusion of O₂ and H₂O in polyethylene (PE) were also studied by MD simulation. Results show that: The diffusion of five flavor molecules in LDPE is well followed to Fick’s second law by the immersion experiment; MD simulation indicates the dual mode diffusion mechanism of the flavor molecules is in LDPE; the diffusion coefficients from MD simulation are close to those from the experimental determination, but are slightly larger than those values; the presence of the flavor organic molecules hinders the diffusion of O₂ and H₂O, which can be well explained from the fraction of free volume (FFV) and interaction energy calculation results derived from MD simulation.

Alginate-Based Edible Films and Coatings for Food Packaging Applications

Alginate is a naturally occurring polysaccharide used in the bio industry. It is mainly derived from brown algae species. Alginate-based edible coatings and films attract interest for improving/maintaining quality and extending the shelf-life of fruit, vegetable, meat, poultry, seafood, and cheese by reducing dehydration (as sacrificial moisture agent), controlling respiration, enhancing product appearance, improving mechanical properties, etc. This paper reviews the most recent essential information about alginate-based edible coatings. The categorization of alginate-based coatings/film in food packaging concept is formed gradually with the explanation of the most important titles. Emphasis will be placed on active ingredients incorporated into alginate-based formulations, edible coating/film application methods, research and development studies of coated food products and mass transfer and barrier characteristics of the alginate-based coatings/films. Future trends are also reviewed to identify research gaps and recommend new research areas. The summarized information presented in this article will enable researchers to thoroughly understand the fundamentals of the coating process and to develop alginate-based edible films and coatings more readily.

Scale-Up Preparation and Characterization of Collagen/Sodium Alginate Blend Films

In an effort to produce scale-up of edible films, collagen-based films including different amounts of sodium alginate (CS) were prepared by casting method. Films were characterized based on their rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties, water vapor permeability (WVP), and oxygen permeability (OP). The microstructures were also evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Furthermore, the addition of sodium alginate effectively improved the viscosity and thermal stability, significantly increased TS, and decreased E and WVP (P<0.05), but with no obvious effect on OP (P>0.05). SEM and AFM showed homogeneous matrix, with no signs of phase separation in the blends. Overall, films (CS2) produced using collagen (g) : sodium alginate (g) = 10 : 2 showed suitable rheological property (apparent viscosity was 4.87 m Pa s−1) and better TS (26.49 Mpa), E (64.98%), WVP (1.79 × 10−10 g·cm−1·s−1·Pa−1), and OP (3.77 × 10−5 cm3·m−2·d−1·Pa−1).

Physical properties of carboxymethyl cellulose based nano-biocomposites with Graphene nano-platelets

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) based bio-nanocomposite filled with graphene nano-platelets (GNPs) was prepared using casting technique. The morphology, thermal, light barrier, water vapor permeability (WVP), contact angle, moisture absorption and mechanical properties of the resulted bio-nanocomposites were investigated. The results indicated with addition of 0.5% w/w GNPs to polymer matrix, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) decreased from 7.74 MPa (in the pure film) to 5.69 MPa however, strain to break (SB) increased from 12.49% to 19.87%. The GNPs caused to reducing of light transmission and increasing of the water repelling nature of nano-biocomposites. However, it had not effect on melting point of CMC based nano-biocomposites.

Preparation of microfibrillated cellulose/chitosan-benzalkonium chloride biocomposite for enhancing antibacterium and strength of sodium alginate films

The nonantibacterial and low strength properties of sodium alginate films negatively impact their application for food packaging. In order to improve these properties, a novel chitosan-benzalkonium chloride (C-BC) complex was prepared by ionic gelation using tripolyphosphate (TPP) as a coagulant, and a biocomposite obtained through the adsorption of C-BC complex on microfibrillated cellulose, MFC/C-BC, was then incorporated into a sodium alginate film. The TEM image showed that the C-BC nanoparticles were spherical in shape with a diameter of about 30 nm, and the adsorption equilibrium time of these nanoparticles on the surface of MFC was estimated to be 6 min under the driving forces of hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. According to the disc diffusion method, the MFC/C-BC biocomposite-incorporated sodium alginate film exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and certain antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli . The strength tests indicated that the tensile strength of the composite sodium alginate film increased about 225% when the loading of MFC/C-BC biocomposite was 10 wt %. These results suggested that the MFC/C-BC biocomposite-incorporated sodium alginate film with excellent antibacterial and strength properties would be a promising material for food packaging, and the MFC/C-BC may also be a potential multifunctional biocomposite for other biodegradable materials.