Insights into electrospun pullulan-carboxymethyl chitosan/PEO core-shell nanofibers loaded with nanogels for food antibacterial packaging

A comprehensive review of gum-based electrospun nanofibers for food packaging: Preparation, developments, and potential applications

Gums represent an intriguing group of biopolymers utilized in the food industry owing to their exceptional properties. These intricate carbohydrate biomolecules possess the capacity to form gels and mucilage structures by binding with water. Their stabilizing potential, heightened viscosity, emulsifying characteristics, broad compatibility, and cost-effectiveness render them a valuable resource in the realm of food packaging. Electrospun nanofibers (ENFs) derived from gums offer an amplified surface-to-volume ratio in comparison to bulk materials at the macroscopic level, resulting in increased porosity and enhanced mechanical properties. These attributes have the potential to enhance surface functionalities and diversify their range of applications. Despite the limited availability of gum types for the synthesis of ENFs, extensive research has been dedicated to the advancement of gum-based ENFs and the exploration of their applications. This review paper delves into the influence of gum properties on solution spinnability and the prospective applications of gum-based ENFs in active and intelligent food packaging.

From nature to nanotech: Harnessing the power of electrospun polysaccharide-based nanofibers as sustainable packaging

Today, the applications of natural polysaccharide-based nanofibers are growing in drug delivery and food industries. They also showed their capability as packaging due to biodegradability, mechanical strength, barrier properties, thermal stability, antioxidant, and antimicrobial features. Natural polysaccharides come from different sources, such as plants, microbes, and animals. Natural polysaccharide-based nanofibers can be considered sustainable packaging in contrast to plastic packaging due to their safety and biodegradability. Smart packaging is a new trend in packaging materials, and natural polysaccharides can be applied as smart packaging. They can work as an indicator that confirms food health in food packaging. Electrospinning is one of the most used methods for the fabrication of nanofibers, and it can also be used for the fabrication of natural polysaccharide nanofibers. This method can be scaled up and used to fabricate nanofibers on a large scale. This paper will review recent studies on natural polysaccharide-based nanofiber as packaging materials and their benefits. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of their scale-up and electrospinning process. Furthermore, we will discuss the future perspective of natural polysaccharide-based nanofiber as a new sustainable packaging.

Nano/micro flexible fiber and paper-based advanced functional packaging materials

Recently, fiber-based and functional paper food packaging has garnered significant attention for its versatility, excellent performance, and potential to provide sustainable solutions to the food packaging industry. Fiber-based food packaging is characterized by its large surface area, adjustable porosity and customizability, while functional paper-based food packaging typically exhibits good mechanical strength and barrier properties. This review summarizes the latest research progress on food packaging based on fibers and functional paper. Firstly, the raw materials used for preparing fiber and functional paper, along with their physical and chemical properties and roles in food packaging, were discussed. Subsequently, the latest advancements in the application of fiber and paper materials in food packaging were introduced. This paper also discusses future research directions and potential areas for improvement in fiber and functional paper food packaging to further enhance their effectiveness in ensuring food safety, quality, and sustainability.

Developing novel hybrid bilayer nanofibers based on polylactic acid with impregnation of chamomile essential oil and gallic acid-stabilized silver nanoparticles

This study presents fabrication and characterization of novel chamomile essential oil (CMO)/gallic acid-stabilized silver nanoparticles (gallic acid-nanosilver, GNS), embedded into polylactic acid (PLA)-based hybrid bilayer nanofibers (NFs). Where CMO was impregnated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution and electrospun simultaneously with PLA to obtain PLA/PVA-PEG-CMO NFs (PLA/CMO A2). Meanwhile, GNS were added to PVA-PEG-CMO and electrospun to obtain PLA/PVA-PEG-CMO-GNS NFs (PLA/CMO-GNS A3). Where pure PLA/PVA-PEG NFs were coded pure PLA/A1. Physicochemical properties of fabricated bilayer-NFs were performed using various approaches. Besides, porosity%, swelling, biodegradability, CMO release pattern, antioxidant, antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity were investigated. Study investigation revealed PLA-based bilayer NFs exhibited a biphasic release profile for impregnated CMO. Due to presence of GA, antioxidant property and biocompatibility of PLA/CMO-GNS A3 was superior compared to pure PLA/A1 and PLA/CMO A2. Antibacterial activity was enhanced in presence of CMO in PLA/CMO A2 than pure PLA/A1. Furthermore, addition of GNS in PLA/CMO-GNS A3 displayed highest antibacterial activity due to synergy of CMO/GNS. Finally, MTT assay with HFB4 fibroblasts demonstrated absence of cytotoxicity of bilayer-based NFs. Thus, study suggests that developed PLA/PVA-PEG NFs could be a promising candidate for tissue regeneration and food edible packaging in particular when impregnated with both CMO/GNS.

A Review on Advances and Challenges in Core-Shell Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering: Design, Fabrication, and Clinical Translation

This review explores core-shell scaffolds in bone tissue engineering, highlighting their osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties critical for bone growth and regeneration. Key design factors include material selection, porosity, mechanical strength, biodegradation kinetics, and bioactivity. Electrospun core-shell nanofibrous scaffolds demonstrate potential in delivering therapeutic agents and enhancing bone regeneration. Critical characterization techniques include structural, surface, chemical composition, mechanical, and degradation analyses. Scaling up production poses challenges, addressed by innovative electrospinning techniques. Future research focuses on regulatory and commercial considerations, while exploring advanced materials and fabrication methods to optimize scaffold performance for improved clinical outcomes.

Electrospun gelatin/tea polyphenol@pullulan nanofibers for fast-dissolving antibacterial and antioxidant applications

Bio-based active food packaging materials have a high market demand. We use coaxial electrospinning technology to prepare core-shell structured nanofibers with sustained antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The fiber core layer was composed of gelatin and tea polyphenols, whereas tea polyphenols provide antibacterial and antioxidant properties; the fiber sheath was composed of pullulan polysaccharides with antioxidant properties. By using a scanning electron microscope, it can be seen that the diameter distribution of the prepared nanofibers was uniform and the surface is smooth; using a transmission electron microscope, it can be clearly seen that the nanofibers have a core-shell structure; Fourier Transform Infrared and X-ray diffraction analysis indicate that the nanofibers have an amorphous structure; the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging shows that nanofibers have higher antioxidant properties with the addition of tea polyphenols; antibacterial test showed that nanofibers had obvious inhibitory effect on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli; and the nanofiber film dissolution test shows that nanofibers can be used as fast soluble active packaging. Finally, core-sheath-structured nanofibers can serve as active packaging for instant food, possessing both rapid water solubility and excellent antibacterial and antioxidant activity, making water-soluble nanofibers interesting applications in the field of food packaging.

The preparation, resources, applications, and future trends of nanofibers in active food packaging: a review

Active packaging is a novel strategy for maintaining the shelf life of products and ensuring their safety, freshness, and integrity that has emerged with the consumer demand for safer, healthier, and higher quality food. Nanofibers have received a lot of attention for the application in active food packaging due to their high specific surface area, high porosity, and high loading capacity of active substances. Three common methods (electrospinning, solution blow spinning, and centrifugal spinning) for the preparation of nanofibers in active food packaging and their influencing parameters are presented, and advantages and disadvantages between these methods are compared. The main natural and synthetic polymeric substrate materials for the nanofiber preparation are discussed; and the application of nanofibers in active packaging is elaborated. The current limitations and future trends are also discussed. There have been many studies on the preparation of nanofibers using substrate materials from different sources for active food packaging. However, most of these studies are still in the laboratory research stage. Solving the issues of preparation efficiency and cost of nanofibers is the key to their application in commercial food packaging.

Improvement of Stress Resistance of Microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum by Emulsion Electrospinning

Probiotics have become increasingly recognized for their potential health-promoting properties; however, the viability of probiotics can be affected by storage and transportation processes as well as the stressful environment of the human digestive tract, preventing them from achieving effective concentration (107 CFU/mL). In this regard, the embedding technology of probiotics provides an effective protection method. Dextran-based water in water (W/W) emulsion loaded with Lactobacillus plantarum was used as spinning solution to prepare Lactobacillus plantarum-loaded electrospun fibers. The structure of the W/W emulsion and the electrospun fibers was charactered. Lactobacillus plantarum were uniformly embedded in the internal phase of the W/W emulsion and the loading efficiency was 9.70 ± 0.40 log CFU/g. After 240 min digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, and temperature treatment in 65 °C and 72 °C, the loaded probiotics maintained high activity. Even after 5 days of storage in room temperature and 4 °C, the loaded probiotic activity levels remained high, with counts >8 log CFU/g. These results suggest that probiotics encapsulated by emulsion electrospinning could be potentially delivered in a novel food delivery system used in the future food industry.

PEG-crosslinked O-carboxymethyl chitosan films with degradability and antibacterial activity for food packaging

This study developed a kind of PEG-crosslinked O-carboxymethyl chitosan (O-CMC-PEG) with various PEG content for food packaging. The crosslinking agent of isocyanate-terminated PEG was firstly synthesized by a simple condensation reaction between PEG and excess diisocyanate, then the crosslink between O-carboxymethyl chitosan (O-CMC) and crosslinking agent occurred under mild conditions to produce O-CMC-PEG with a crosslinked structure linked by urea bonds. FT-IR and 1H NMR techniques were utilized to confirm the chemical structures of the crosslinking agent and O-CMC-PEGs. Extensive research was conducted to investigate the impact of the PEG content (or crosslinking degree) on the physicochemical characteristics of the casted O-CMC-PEG films. The results illuminated that crosslinking and components compatibility could improve their tensile features and water vapor barrier performance, while high PEG content played the inverse effects due to the microphase separation between PEG and O-CMC segments. The in vitro degradation rate and water sensitivity primarily depended on the crosslinking degree in comparison with the PEG content. Furthermore, caused by the remaining -NH2 groups of O-CMC, the films demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. When the PEG content was 6% (medium crosslinking degree), the prepared O-CMC-PEG-6% film possessed optimal tensile features, high water resistance, appropriate degradation rate, low water vapor transmission rate and fine broad-spectrum antibacterial capacity, manifesting a great potential for application in food packaging to extend the shelf life.

Functional electrospun nanofibers: fabrication, properties, and applications in wound-healing process

Electrostatic spinning as a technique for producing nanoscale fibers has recently attracted increasing attention due to its simplicity, versatility, and loadability. Nanofibers prepared by electrostatic spinning have been widely studied, especially in biomedical applications, because of their high specific surface area, high porosity, easy size control, and easy surface functionalization. Wound healing is a highly complex and dynamic process that is a crucial step in the body's healing process to recover from tissue injury or other forms of damage. Single-component nanofibers are more or less limited in terms of structural properties and do not fully satisfy various needs of the materials. This review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the literature on the use of electrostatically spun nanofibers to promote wound healing, to overview the infinite possibilities for researchers to tap into their biomedical applications through functional composite modification of nanofibers for advanced and multifunctional materials, and to propose directions and perspectives for future research.

Thymol incorporation within chitosan/polyethylene oxide nanofibers by concurrent coaxial electrospinning and in-situ crosslinking from core-out for active antibacterial packaging

Active packaging systems that are sustainable and capable of delivering antimicrobial agents are in demand in food industry. In this work, Thymol (Thy) was encapsulated into Polyethylene oxide (PEO)/Chitosan (CS) to form core-shell nanofibers via coaxial electrospinning. Various dose of the crosslinker-genipin (GP) were encapsulated into the core layer to achieve in-situ etching crosslink with the CS of shell layer during the electrospinning process. The core-shell structure of the nanofiber was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The microstructures, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, swelling ratios, wettability, thermal stability, biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of the crosslinked films were characterized. The results showed that the crosslinked films had compact structures, strong water resistance, better mechanical property and thermal stability, the sustained release profiles and antioxidant activity were also improved. More importantly, the antibacterial assays indicated that the Thy loaded nanofiber films could effectively inhibit the growth of two common food spoilage bacteria-E. coli and S. aureus.

Recent advances in plant-based polysaccharide ternary complexes for biodegradable packaging

Polysaccharide-based packaging has been directed toward the development of technologies for the generation of packaging with biodegradable materials that can serve as substitutes for conventional packaging. Polysaccharides are reliable sources of edible packaging materials with excellent renewability, biodegradability, and bio-compatibility as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Apart from these properties, packaging film developed from a single polysaccharide has various disadvantages due to undesirable properties. Thus, to overcome these problems, researchers focused on ternary blend-based bio-packaging instead of the primary and binary complex to improve their characteristics and properties. The review emphasizes the extraction of polysaccharides and their combination with other polymers to provide desirable characteristics and physico-mechanical properties of the biodegradable film which will upgrade the green packaging technology in the future generation This review also explores the advancement of ternary blend-based biodegradable film and their application in foods with different requirements and the future aspects for developing advanced biodegradable film. Moreover, the review concludes that cellulose, modified starch, and another plant-based polysaccharide film mostly provides good gas barrier property and better tensile strength, which can be used as a safeguard of perishable and semi-perishable foods which brings them closer to replacing commercial synthetic packaging.

Production and applications of pullulan from lignocellulosic biomass: Challenges and perspectives

Pullulan is an exopolysaccharide produced by Aureobasidium pullulans, with interesting characteristics which lead to its application in industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, and others. To reduce production costs for industrial applications, cheaper raw materials such as lignocellulosic biomass can be utilized as a carbon and nutrient source for the microbial process. In this study, a comprehensive and critical review was conducted, encompassing the pullulan production process and the key influential variables. The main properties of the biopolymer were presented, and different applications were discussed. Subsequently, the utilization of lignocellulosics for pullulan production within the framework of a biorefinery concept was explored, considering the main published works that deal with materials such as sugarcane bagasse, rice husk, corn straw, and corn cob. Next, the main challenges and future prospects in this research area were highlighted, indicating the key strategies to favor the industrial production of pullulan from lignocellulosic biomasses.

A Brief Review on the Electrohydrodynamic Techniques Used to Build Antioxidant Delivery Systems from Natural Sources

Extracts from plants have been one of the main sources of antioxidants, namely polyphenols. The associated drawbacks, such as instability against environmental factors, low bioavailability, and loss of activity, must be considered during microencapsulation for a better application. Electrohydrodynamic processes have been investigated as promising tools to fabricate crucial vectors to minimize these limitations. The developed microstructures present high potential to encapsulate active compounds and for controlling their release. The fabricated electrospun/electrosprayed structures present different benefits when compared with structures developed by other techniques; they present a high surface-area-to-volume ratio as well as porosity, great materials handling, and scalable production-among other advantages-which make them able to be widely applied in different fields, namely in the food industry. This review presents a summary of the electrohydrodynamic processes, main studies, and their application.