Improve properties of sweet potato starch film using dual effects: Combination Mesona chinensis Benth polysaccharide and sodium carbonate

Enhancing mechanical and water barrier properties of starch film using chia mucilage

Biodegradable packaging materials are increasingly being investigated due to rising concerns about food safety and environmental conservation. This study examines the incorporation of chia mucilage (CM) into starch-based films using the casting method, aiming to understand its effects on the structure and functionality of the films. CM, an anionic heteropolysaccharide, is hypothesized to enhance the mechanical and barrier properties of the films through polymer interactions and hydrogen bonding. Our findings confirm that CM incorporation results in films with uniformly smooth surfaces, indicating high compatibility and homogeneity within the starch matrix. Notably, CM improves film transparency and crystallinity. Mechanical assessments show a remarkable elevation in tensile strength, soaring from 5.21 MPa to 12.38 MPa, while elongation at break decreases from 61.73 % to 31.42 %, indicating a trade-off between strength and flexibility. Additionally, water solubility decreases from 57.97 % to 41.40 %, and water vapor permeability is reduced by 30 % with CM loading. These results highlight the role of CM in facilitating the formation of a dense, interconnected polymeric network within the starch matrix. Given the soluble dietary fiber nature of CM, the CS/CM (corn starch/chia mucilage) blended films are expected to be safe for food packaging and applicable as edible films with health benefits.

Composite starch films as green adsorbents for removing benzo[a]pyrene from smoked sausages

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), which is emitted during the processing of smoked sausages, accumulates in sausages and poses a serious threat to human health. This study focused on the removal of BaP from sausages and accompanying particulate matter (PM) during the smoking of sausages by films formed by combining corn starch (CS) with K-carrageenan (KC)/sodium alginate (SA). Initially, the effects of different additions of KC and SA on the rheological analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and film-forming properties of the composite films were investigated. The BaP reduction capacities of CS-KC and CS-SA composite films in sausage were 41.1%-47.0% and 54.2%-56.5%, respectively, because the three-dimensional mesh structure of the composite films provided a large number of adsorption sites. Finally, kinetic studies demonstrated that BaP control in composite films is mainly achieved by intraparticle diffusion. Therefore, due to its excellent recyclability and biodegradability, composite starch film has a promising application in smoked meat products.

Resveratrol-loaded pH-responsive Mesona chinensis polysaccharides-zein nanoparticles for effective treatment of ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND

Resveratrol (Res) is promising food functional factor with favorable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, although its poor water solubility and low bioavailability limit extensive application. Therefore, in combination with another promising polysaccharide (Mesona chinensis polysaccharides, MCP), Res-loaded food nanocarriers (ResNPs) were developed to increase its water solubility, bioactivity and targeting properties. ResNPs were then applied to alleviate dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis.

RESULTS

Resveratrol can be well encapsulated in MCP-based nanoparticles in an amorphous state, improving its water solubility. ResNPs showed pH-response controlled release behavior in the gastrointestinal tract and increased the enrichment of Res in the colon. In vivo experiments of ResNPs against DSS-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) revealed that ResNPs significantly improved UC symptoms, modulated intestinal inflammation and down-regulated oxidative stress levels compared to free Res. ResNPs also play an positive role with respect to inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and promoting the expression of tight junction proteins. In addition, ResNPs improved the species composition and relative abundance of intestinal flora in UC mice, which effectively regulated the balance of intestinal flora and promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that MCP-based nanoparticles can effectively improve the solubility of resveratrol and enhance its in vivo bioactivity. Moreover, the present study also provides a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of UC with food polyphenol. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of Bletilla Striata Polysaccharide on the Pasting, Rheological and Adhesive Properties of Wheat Starch

A combination of starch and hydrocolloids is a facile method for physically modifying native starch. Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) is a glucomannan with various applications in the food and cosmetic industries as a thickening agent. This study focused on investigating the impact of BSP on the pasting, rheological and adhesive properties of wheat starch (WS). Results from a Rapid Visco-Analyzer (RVA) revealed that the addition of BSP (below 0.2%) resulted in increases in peak viscosity, breakdown and setback values. However, for the addition of BSP at a higher concentration (0.3%), the opposite trend was observed. Rheological measurements indicated that the presence of BSP increased the viscoelastic properties of WS-BSP gels. TGA results demonstrated that the presence of BSP promoted the thermal stability of starch. FTIR results indicated the short-range order structure decreased at low addition concentrations of BSP (0.05% and 0.1%) and increased with higher BSP addition concentrations (0.2% and 0.3%). SEM observation showed that the BSP improved the hydrophilic property of starch gels and decreased the size of pores in the starch gels. Further, the mechanical properties of paper samples unveiled that the present of BSP in starch gels obviously increased its bonding strength as an adhesive.

Thermal, Rheological, Structural and Adhesive Properties of Wheat Starch Gels with Different Potassium Alum Contents

Wheat starch (WS) is a common adhesive material used in mounting of calligraphy and paintings. Potassium alum (PA) has indeed been used for many centuries to modify the physicochemical properties of starch. Thermal analysis revealed that the presence of PA led to an increase in the gelatinization temperature and enthalpy of the starch gels. The leached amylose and the swelling power of the starch gels exhibited a maximum at the ratio of 100:6.0 (WS:PA, w/w). The rheological properties of starch gels were consistent with changes in the swelling power of starch granules. SEM observations confirmed that the gel structure became more regular, and the holes grew larger with the addition of PA below the ratio of 100:6.0 (WS:PA, w/w). The short-range molecular order in the starch gels was enhanced by the addition of PA, confirmed by FT-IR analysis. Mechanical experiments demonstrated that the binding strength of the starch gels increased with higher PA concentrations and decreased significantly after the aging process. TGA results revealed that PA promoted the acid degradation of starch molecules. This study provides a detailed guide for the preparation of starch-based adhesive and its applications in paper conservation.

Rheology, Texture and Swallowing Characteristics of a Texture-Modified Dysphagia Food Prepared Using Common Supplementary Materials

A dysphagia diet is a special eating plan. The development and design of dysphagia foods should consider both swallowing safety and food nutritional qualities. In this study, the effects of four food supplements, namely vitamins, minerals, salt and sugar, on swallowing characteristics, rheological and textural properties were investigated, and a sensory evaluation of dysphagia foods made with rice starch, perilla seed oil and whey isolate protein was carried out. The results showed that all the samples belonged to foods at level 4 (pureed) in The International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) framework, and exhibited shear thinning behavior, which is favorable for dysphagia patients. Rheological tests showed that the viscosity of a food bolus was increased with salt and sugar (SS), while it decreased with vitamins and minerals (VM) at shear rates of 50 s^-1. Both SS and VM strengthened the elastic gel system, and SS enhanced the storage modulus and loss modulus. VM increased the hardness, gumminess, chewiness and color richness, but left small residues on the spoon. SS provided better water-holding, chewiness and resilience by influencing the way molecules were connected, promoting swallowing safety. SS brought a better taste to the food bolus. Dysphagia foods with both VM and 0.5% SS had the best sensory evaluation score. This study may provide a theoretical foundation for the creation and design of new dysphagia nutritional food products.

The relationship between molecular structure and film-forming properties of thermoplastic starches from different botanical sources

To illustrate the correlations between molecular structures and the film-forming properties of thermoplastic starch from various botanical sources, starches from cereal, tuber and legume were modified by thermoplastic extrusion and the corresponding thermoplastic starch films were prepared including thermoplastic corn starch (TCS), thermoplastic rice starch (TRS), thermoplastic sweet potato starch (TSPS), thermoplastic cassava starch (TCAS) and thermoplastic pea starch (TPES) films. TPES film displayed a higher tensile strength (6.28 MPa) and stronger water resistance, such as lower water solubility (15.70 %), water absorption (42.35 %), and water vapor permeability (0.285 g·mm·h-1·m-2·kPa-1) due to higher contents of amylose and B1 chains. TCAS showed a smoother and more amorphous film due to higher amylopectin content, resulting higher elongation at break and larger opacity. TCS film was the most transparent due to a compacter network and more ordered crystallinity structure, which was suit for the packaging of fresh vegetables and aquatic products, whereas TCAS film was the opaquest, which protected package foods from light such as meat products, etc. The outcome would provide an innovative theory to regulate accurately the functional properties of thermoplastic starch films for different food needs.

Effects of ultrasound-assisted H2O2 on the solubilization and antioxidant activity of yeast β-glucan

Yeast β-glucan (YG) possess an extensive range of biological activities, such as the inhibition of oxidation, but the poor water solubility of macromolecular YG limits its application. In this study, through the combined degradation of ultrasonic waves and H₂O₂, and the optimization of the main process parameters for solubilizing YG by response surface methodology (RSM), a new product of YG_UH was generated. The molecular weight, structural characteristics and degradation kinetics before and after solubilization were evaluated. The results showed that the optimal solubilization conditions were reaction time: 4 h, ultrasonic power: 3 W/mL, H₂O₂ concentration: 24 %. Under these conditions, ultrasound-assisted H₂O₂ increased the solubility (from 13.60 % to 70.00 %) and reduced molecular weight (from 6.73 × 10⁶ Da to 1.22 × 10⁶ Da). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Congo red (CR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that ultrasound-assisted H₂O₂ increased the conformation's flexibility greatly, without changing the main structure of YG. More importantly, solubilization of YG improved free radical scavenging activity with YG_UH exhibiting the highest levels of DPPH and ABTS⁺ free radical scavenging activity. These results revealed that ultrasound-assisted H₂O₂ degradation could be a suitable way to increase the solubility of YG for producing value-added YG.

Gallic acid and heat moisture treatment improve pasting, rheological, and microstructure properties of Chinese yam starch-chitosan gels: A comparative study

Nowadays，It is difficult for the polysaccharide-starch system to meet demand of practical production owing to the poor gel properties. Therefore, aiming to further improve the practical application of polysaccharide-starch gel, the effects of gallic acid (GA) and heat moisture treatment (HMT) on the gel properties and microstructure of yam starch/chitosan (YS/CS) composite gels were investigated. Swell power (SP) results showed that GA and HMT treatment respectively reduced the SP of YS gel by 3.24 g/g and 6.03 g/g, given that GA and HMT decrease the rheology of the water phase inhibiting the entry of water into the swollen starch. In the pasting process, HMT reduced pasting viscosity of the HMT/YS system because only little amylose was leached in the medium for elevating its viscosity after HMT. The rheological properties suggested that high temperature treatment of HMT facilitated the disruption and disintegration of starch granules resulting dynamic modulus had a decline trend. The elastic properties of GA/YS gels were enhanced with the addition of GA, which could be supported by the thicken lamellar observed in its microstructure. In general, GA and HMT effectively alter the gel properties of YS/CS gel system, and facilitate its practical application in food industry.

Separation of principal component dihydromyricetin from Ampelopsis grossedentata by high-speed counter-current chromatography and its interaction with corn starch

Ampelopsis grossedentata (AG) is an industrial crop in the grape family, which has been used as a dual-purpose plant for medicine and tea with high medicinal values. However, little is reported on the separation technology of active components from AG and processing technology of AG products. High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied to separate the principal component dihydromyricetin (DMY) from AG. DMY is added to starch-based products to improve food quality. The interaction between corn starch (CS) and DMY was investigated to predict and control the structure and function of starch-based foods. Results show that DMY with 97.13% purity was successfully obtained by HSCCC using a solvent system composed of light petroleum-ethyl acetate-methanol-water-trichloroacetic acid (1:3:1:3:0.01, v/v/v/v/v). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) exhibits that the interactions between CS and DMY included hydrogen bond and noncovalent bond. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that DMY could increase the relative crystallinity of CS. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance results (LF-NMR) imply that DMY decreased the spin relaxation time (T₂ ) and inhibited the mobility of free water. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results suggest that DMY changed the surface morphology of CS through hydrogen bond interaction. Moreover, the results of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicate that DMY could enlarge the pores and change the microstructure of CS-DMY complexes. The findings promote the development of industrial CS-based products and utilization of corn crop.

Fabrication of Zein/Mesona chinensis Polysaccharide Nanoparticles: Physical Characteristics and Delivery of Quercetin

Polysaccharides are considered to be highly stable, nontoxic, hydrophilic, biodegradable, and biocompatible, coupled with the diverse chemical functions they contain, making them promising biomaterials for the development of nutrient delivery systems. In this study, we prepared zein-Mesona chinensis polysaccharide (MCP) nanoparticles by antisolvent precipitation. Zien and MCP self-assembly formed smooth spherical nanoparticles (Z-M NPs) under hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. Results showed that MCP concentration (0% to 0.2%), pH (3 to 7), and addition sequence have a great effect on the particle size (165 to 463 nm), potential (-18.46 to -38.6 mV), and rheological properties of Z-M NPs. Moreover, Z-M NPs had good redispersibility and favorable encapsulation efficiency (92.8%) for quercetin. Compared with free quercetin, quercetin-loaded Z-M NPs significantly downregulated the expression of NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in RAW264.7 induced by lipopolysaccharide, which resulted in higher in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, Z-M NPs have the potential to be applied to encapsulate hydrophobic natural phytochemicals as food-based functional biomaterials.

Antioxidant activities, functional properties, and application of a novel Lepidium sativum polysaccharide in the formulation of cake

A novel heteropolysaccharide, named cress water soluble polysaccharide (CWSP), was purified from Lepidium sativum seeds. Antioxidant activities and functional properties were characterized thermally using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) results of CWSP were evaluated. The total antioxidant capacity and the metal chelating activities of CWSP at 3 mg/ml were equivalent to 116.34 µg ascorbic acid and 62.57%, respectively. As for the CWSP that was used for the production of cakes, it was thermally stable, and it presented high water (WHC) and oil holding (OHC) capacities and good emulsion properties. The samples were prepared with different levels of CWSP (0.1. 0.3, and 0.5%) and analyzed during 15 days of storage at room temperature. The obtained results indicated that the addition of CWSP had a significant effect on the texture profile, leading to the increase in all parameters in terms of hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and chewiness. Moreover, the reformulation samples presented higher a* and lower L* and b* than the control sample. The sensory evaluation showed that the formulation of cake with 0.3% of CWSP was the most acceptable. Therefore, CWSP was shown to be a new alternative for improving the quality attributes, indicating potent antioxidant activities on the shelf life during the storage of bakery foods.

Preparation and characterization of hyacinth bean starch film incorporated with TiO2 nanoparticles and Mesona chinensis Benth polysaccharide

Hyacinth bean starch (HBS) was used to prepare nanocomposite films with the reinforcement agent of nanotitanium oxide (TiO₂-N) and Mesona chinensis Benth polysaccharide (MCP). The effects of TiO₂-N and MCP on the moisture combination, rheological properties of film-forming solutions (FFS) and physiochemical properties of films were investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that HBS, TiO₂-N and MCP had good compatibility, while no novel absorption peak in FTIR spectra, and characteristic peaks of TiO₂-N were found in XRD patterns of composite films. Contact angle of HBS/TiO₂-N/M3 film increased from 65.6° to 90.9°, which illustrated that TiO₂-N and MCP effectively enhanced hydrophobicity of films. TiO₂-N and MCP positively affected anti-UV light ability of HBS films by resisting most of invisible light. Furthermore, stable and compact network structures were formed by the synergistic effect of TiO₂-N and MCP, thereby elongation to break was increased from 17.123% to 28.603% significantly, and heat resistance was enhanced clearly. This study prepared a nanocomposite HBS-based films based TiO₂-N and MCP, which had guiding significance for development of functional films and combination of polysaccharides and metallic oxide.