A novel polysaccharide/zein conjugate as an alternative green plastic

Unlocking flaxseed oleosomes (oil bodies) potential: Optimal extraction and functional insights through enzymolysis or dehulling treatment

Oleosomes are intracellular vesicles within a phospholipid monolayer membrane and have significant potential for use in various food applications as natural emulsions. Flaxseed, an underexplored yet promising crop, shows promise for oleosome utilization. However, the high mucopolysaccharide content in hulls may pose challenges to the extraction efficiency of natural flaxseed oleosomes (N-FOs). In this study, two pretreatment methods were employed prior to aqueous extraction: enzymatic hydrolysis using a cellulase-pectinase-xylanase cocktail and dehulling. Both pretreatment methods significantly improved the extraction yield, with dehulling flaxseed oleosomes (D-FOs) achieving 51.3 % and enzymatically hydrolyzed flaxseed oleosomes (E-FOs) reaching 53.1 %, representing an increase by a factor of five compared to N-FOs. The average droplet size of E-FOs ranged from 1.5 to 1.7 μm across pH 2.0 to pH 10.0, while the absolute value of the zeta-potential for E-FOs at pH 10.0 was the highest at -39.6 mV. Cryo-SEM imaged that E-FOs and N-FOs exhibited a more complete structure than D-FOs, which might be attributed to the increased electrostatic repulsion generated by flaxseed protein and spatial hindrance of incompletely hydrolyzed polysaccharides. LF-NMR spectra showed shorter T2 values of E-FOBs, confirming increased interactions between residual polysaccharides and oleosomes. The tight and solid-like interfacial film affirmed by the emulsifying activity and rheological results could protect emulsion droplets against flocculation and disproportionation, thus contributing to enhanced emulsification stability. Enzymatic hydrolysis demonstrated a favorable balance between extraction yield and functional properties compared to dehulling or no pretreatment, making it a suitable approach for efficient oleosome extraction from flaxseeds for various plant-based food applications.

Unveiling the potential of linseed mucilage, its health benefits, and applications in food packaging

Industrial waste products derived from the oil industry often contain valuable substances and elements with great potential. These by-products can be used for various purposes, including as nutrients, bioactive compounds, fuels, and polymers. Linseed mucilage (LM) is one such example of a beneficial by-product obtained from linseed. It possesses favorable chemical and functional properties, depending on its method of extraction. Different pretreatments, such as enzymatic extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pulse electric field, and ultrasound-assisted extraction, have been explored by various researchers to enhance both the yield and quality of mucilage. Furthermore, LM has exhibited therapeutic effects in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, constipation, hyperlipidemia, cancer, and other lifestyle diseases. Additionally, it demonstrates favorable functional characteristics that make it suitable to be used in bioplastic production. These properties preserve food quality, prolong shelf life, and confer antimicrobial activity. It also has the potential to be used as a packaging material, especially considering the increasing demand for sustainable and biodegradable alternatives to plastics because of their detrimental impact on environmental health. This review primarily focuses on different extraction techniques used for linseed mucilage, its mechanism of action in terms of health benefits, and potential applications in food packaging.