Nanosized Zinc Oxide: Super-Functionalities, Present Scenario of Application, Safety Issues, and Future Prospects in Food Processing and Allied Industries

A facile and scalable strategy for constructing Janus cotton fabric with persistent antibacterial activity

Natural cotton fibers have attached considerable attention due to their excellent wearing comfort, breathability and warmth. However, it remains a challenge to devise a scalable and facile strategy to retrofit natural cotton fibers. Here, the cotton fiber surface was oxidized by sodium periodate with a mist process, then [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (DMC) was co-polymerized with hydroxyethyl acrylate (HA) to obtain an antibacterial cationic polymer (DMC-co-HA). The self-synthesized polymer was covalently grafted onto the aldehyde-functionalized cotton fibers via an acetal reaction between hydroxyl groups of the polymer and aldehyde groups of the oxidized cotton surface. Finally, the resulted Janus functionalized cotton fabric (JanCF) revealed robust and persistent antimicrobial activity. The antibacterial test showed that when the molar ratio of DMC/HA was 50: 1, JanCF possessed the best BR (bacterial reduction) values of 100 % against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, the BR values could be maintained over 95 % even after the durability test. In addition, JanCF exhibited excellent antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The cytotoxicity assessment confirmed that JanCF exhibited a reliable safety effect on human skin. Particularly, the intrinsic outstanding characteristics (strength, flexibility, etc.) of the cotton fabric were not considerably deteriorated compared to the control samples.

Electrospinning of PLA Nanofibers: Recent Advances and Its Potential Application for Food Packaging

Poly(lactic acid), also abbreviated as PLA, is a promising biopolymer for food packaging owing to its environmental-friendly characteristic and desirable physical properties. Electrospinning technology makes the production of PLA-based nanomaterials available with expected structures and enhanced barrier, mechanical, and thermal properties; especially, the facile process produces a high encapsulation efficiency and controlled release of bioactive agents for the purpose of extending the shelf life and promoting the quality of foodstuffs. In this study, different types of electrospinning techniques used for the preparation of PLA-based nanofibers are summarized, and the enhanced properties of which are also described. Moreover, its application in active and intelligent packaging materials by introducing different components into nanofibers is highlighted. In all, the review establishes the promising prospects of PLA-based nanocomposites for food packaging application.

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Induce DNA Damage in Sand Dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis Sperm

Products containing nanomaterials are becoming more and more common in everyday life. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), meanwhile, are among the most widely used NPs. However, their genotoxic effect on the germ products of marine organisms is poorly understood. Therefore, the effects of ZnO NPs and zinc ions (20, 50, 100, 200 µg/L) on the sperm of sand dollar Scaphechinus mirabilis were compared. Comet assay showed that both tested pollutants caused an increase in DNA damage to 6.57 ± 2.41 and 7.42 ± 0.88% DNA in the comet tail, for zinc ions and ZnO NPs, respectively. Additionally, a different pattern was shown by the increase in DNA damage, with increasing concentration of pollutants, in different experimental groups.

Zinc-Based Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Management of Plant Diseases: Ecological Safety and Future Prospects

A facet of nanorenaissance in plant pathology hailed the research on the development and application of nanoformulations or nanoproducts for the effective management of phytopathogens deterring the growth and yield of plants and thus the overall crop productivity. Zinc nanomaterials represent a versatile class of nanoproducts and nanoenabled devices as these nanomaterials can be synthesized in quantum amounts through economically affordable processes/approaches. Further, these nanomaterials exhibit potential targeted antimicrobial properties and low to negligible phytotoxicity activities that well-qualify them to be applied directly or in a deviant manner to accomplish significant antibacterial, antimycotic, antiviral, and antitoxigenic activities against diverse phytopathogens causing plant diseases. The photo-catalytic, fluorescent, and electron generating aspects associated with zinc nanomaterials have been utilized for the development of sensor systems (optical and electrochemical biosensors), enabling quick, early, sensitive, and on-field assessment or quantification of the test phytopathogen. However, the proficient use of Zn-derived nanomaterials in the management of plant pathogenic diseases as nanopesticides and on-field sensor system demands that the associated eco- and biosafety concerns should be well discerned and effectively sorted beforehand. Current and possible utilization of zinc-based nanostructures in plant disease diagnosis and management and their safety in the agroecosystem is highlighted.