A Comprehensive Review on Corn Starch-Based Nanomaterials: Properties, Simulations, and Applications

Dynamic borate ester bond reinforced hydroxyethyl cellulose/corn starch crosslinked film for simple recycling and regeneration

Endowing biodegradable plastics with easy recyclability can reduce competition with food resources and further enhance their environmental friendliness. In this work, 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid was grafted onto the side chains of hydroxyethyl cellulose and compounded with inexpensive cornstarch. Upon the introduction of tannic acid, stable and reversible borate ester bond rapidly formed, yielding composite biodegradable plastic films with outstanding mechanical properties and facile recyclability. The formation of a dynamic cross-linked network mitigates the aggregation of gelatinized starch molecules, enhancing the flexibility and durability of the crosslinked film. Testing revealed that while maintaining high tensile strength, the elongation at break of the crosslinked film increased by 952.86 %. The static water contact angle was improved from 32.74° to 78.82°, with a change of <5° within 1 min, demonstrating enhanced water resistance. Excellent antioxidant and thermal stability were also characterized, the crosslinked film can be easily dissolved by heating in water at pH = 6.5 and reshaped in water at pH = 7.2. After five times of regeneration, the tensile strength loss was as low as 5.68 %. This eco-friendly and efficient recycling process is promising during green chemistry.

Present status and application prospects of green chitin nanowhiskers: A comprehensive review

Petrochemical resources are non-renewable, which has impeded the development of synthetic polymers. The poor degradability of synthetic polymers poses substantial environmental pressure. Additionally, the high cost of synthetic biopolymers with excellent degradation performance limits their widespread application. Thus, it is crucial to seek green, sustainable, low-cost polymers as alternatives to petrochemical-based synthetic polymers and synthetic biopolymers. Chitin is a natural and renewable biopolymer discovered in crustacean shells, insect exoskeletons, and fungal cell walls. Chitin chains consist of crystalline and amorphous regions. Note that various treatments can be employed to remove the amorphous region, enhancing the crystallinity of chitin. Chitin nanowhiskers are a high crystallinity nanoscale chitin product with a high aspect ratio, a large surface area, adjustable surface morphology, and biocompatibility. They discover widespread applications in biomedicine, environmental treatment, food packaging, and biomaterials. Various methods can be utilized for preparing chitin nanowhiskers, including chemical, ionic liquids, deacetylation, and mechanical methods. However, developing an environmentally friendly preparation process remains a big challenge for expanding their applications in different materials and large-scale production. This article comprehensively analyzes chitin nanowhiskers' preparation strategies and their drawbacks. It also highlights the extensive application in different materials and various fields, besides the potential for commercial application.

Enhanced dye sequestration with natural polysaccharides-based hydrogels: A review

Due to the expansion of industrial activities, the concentration of dyes in water has been increasing. The dire need to remove these pollutants from water has been heavily discussed. This study focuses on the reproducible and sustainable solution for wastewater treatment and dye annihilation challenges. Adsorption has been rated the most practical way of the several decolorization procedures due to its minimal initial investment, convenient utility, and high-performance caliber. Hydrogels, which are three-dimensional polymer networks, are notable because of their potential to regenerate, biodegrade, absorb bulky amounts of water, respond to stimuli, and have unique morphologies. Natural polysaccharide hydrogels are chosen over synthetic ones because they are robust, bioresorbable, non-toxic, and cheaply accessible. This study has covered six biopolymers, including chitosan, cellulose, pectin, sodium alginate, guar gum, and starch, consisting of their chemical architecture, origins, characteristics, and uses. The next part describes these polysaccharide-based hydrogels, including their manufacturing techniques, chemical alterations, and adsorption effectiveness. It is deeply evaluated how size and shape affect the adsorption rate, which has not been addressed in any prior research. To assist the readers in identifying areas for further research in this subject, limitations of these hydrogels and future views are provided in the conclusion.

A review on advancements in the application of starch-based nanomaterials in biomedicine: Precision drug delivery and cancer therapy

The burgeoning field of starch-based nanomaterials in biomedical applications has perceived notable progressions, with a particular emphasis on their pivotal role in precision drug delivery and the inhibition of tumor growth. The complicated challenges in current biomedical research require innovative approaches for improved therapeutic outcomes, prompting an exploration into the possible of starch-based nanomaterials. The conceptualization of this review emerged from recognizing the need for a comprehensive examination of the structural attributes, versatile properties, and mechanisms underlying the efficiency of starch-based nanomaterials in inhibiting tumor growth and enabling targeted drug delivery. This review delineates the substantial growth in utilizing starch-based nanomaterials, elucidating their small size, high surface-volume ratio, and biocompatibility, predominantly emphasizing their possible to actively recognize cancer cells, deliver anticancer drugs, and combat tumors efficiently. The investigation of these nanomaterials encompasses to improving biocompatibility and targeting specific tissues, thereby contributing to the evolving landscape of precision medicine. The review accomplishes by highlighting the auspicious strategies and modern developments in the field, envisioning a future where starch-based nanomaterials play a transformative role in molecular nanomaterials, evolving biomedical sciences. The translation of these advancements into clinical applications holds the potential to revolutionize targeted drug delivery and expand therapeutic outcomes in the realm of precision medicine.

Advances in Sol-Gel-Based Superhydrophobic Coatings for Wood: A Review

As the focus of architecture, furniture, and other fields, wood has attracted extensive attention for its many advantages, such as environmental friendliness and excellent mechanical properties. Inspired by the wetting model of natural lotus leaves, researchers prepared superhydrophobic coatings with strong mechanical properties and good durability on the modified wood surface. The prepared superhydrophobic coating has achieved functions such as oil-water separation and self-cleaning. At present, some methods such as the sol-gel method, the etching method, graft copolymerization, and the layer-by-layer self-assembly method can be used to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces, which are widely used in biology, the textile industry, national defense, the military industry, and many other fields. However, most methods for preparing superhydrophobic coatings on wood surfaces are limited by reaction conditions and process control, with low coating preparation efficiency and insufficiently fine nanostructures. The sol-gel process is suitable for large-scale industrial production due to its simple preparation method, easy process control, and low cost. In this paper, the research progress on wood superhydrophobic coatings is summarized. Taking the sol-gel method with silicide as an example, the preparation methods of superhydrophobic coatings on wood surfaces under different acid-base catalysis processes are discussed in detail. The latest progress in the preparation of superhydrophobic coatings by the sol-gel method at home and abroad is reviewed, and the future development of superhydrophobic surfaces is prospected.

Physicochemical, Morphological, and Cytotoxic Properties of Brazilian Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) Starch Scaffold Loaded with Silver Nanoparticles

Due to the physical, thermal, and biological properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), as well as the biocompatibility and environmental safety of the naturally occurring polymeric component, polysaccharide-based composites containing AgNPs are a promising choice for the development of biomaterials. Starch is a low-cost, non-toxic, biocompatible, and tissue-healing natural polymer. The application of starch in various forms and its combination with metallic nanoparticles have contributed to the advancement of biomaterials. Few investigations into jackfruit starch with silver nanoparticle biocomposites exist. This research intends to explore the physicochemical, morphological, and cytotoxic properties of a Brazilian jackfruit starch-based scaffold loaded with AgNPs. The AgNPs were synthesized by chemical reduction and the scaffold was produced by gelatinization. X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to study the scaffold. The findings supported the development of stable, monodispersed, and triangular AgNPs. XRD and EDS analyses demonstrated the incorporation of silver nanoparticles. AgNPs could alter the scaffold’s crystallinity, roughness, and thermal stability without affecting its chemistry or physics. Triangular anisotropic AgNPs exhibited no toxicity against L929 cells at concentrations ranging from 6.25 × 10−5 to 1 × 10−3 mol·L−1, implying that the scaffolds might have had no adverse effects on the cells. The scaffolds prepared with jackfruit starch showed greater crystallinity and thermal stability, and absence of toxicity after the incorporation of triangular AgNPs. These findings indicate that jackfruit is a promising starch source for developing biomaterials.

3D-printing of oxidized starch-based hydrogels with superior hydration properties

High-hydration hydrogels based on carbohydrate polymers and green preparation methods have attracted intensive research focus recently. Driven by the attractive functions of starch, oxidized maize starch (OMS) was chosen and the related hydrogel (3D-OMS) was constructed by hot-extrusion 3D printing (HE-3DP). Meanwhile, the effect of different OMS concentrations (11 %-19 %) on its printability, structure and hydration properties were systematically investigated. The results showed that the formation of porous structure during HE-3DP environment contributed to rapid water absorption and well water holding capacity of 3D-OMS. Interestingly, as the OMS concentration increased from 11 % to 19 %, the 3D-OMS presented great hydration properties, with its maximum water absorption capacity and water holding capacity reaching 3013.43 % (11-OMS) and 93.53 % (19-OMS), respectively. Among them, 13 % was the best concentration for HE-3DP. Besides, 3D-OMS also exhibited good biodegradability and cytocompatibility. These results demonstrated potential for developing new starch-based biomedical hydrogel with great hydration properties through HE-3DP technology.

Effects of single and dual modifications through electron beam irradiation and hydroxypropylation on physicochemical properties of potato and corn starches

In this study, electron beam irradiation (EBI; 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 kGy), hydroxypropylation (HP) and dual modification of EBI-HP were applied to modify corn and potato starches. The results showed that the molar substitution (MS) of EBI-HP modified corn and potato starches were in the range of 0.060-0.087 and 0.080-0.124, respectively. After modifications, amylose content of corn (30.0 %) and potato (31.2 %) starches were declined to 24.2-28.1 % and 26.1-29.5 %, respectively, and relative crystallinity was reduced from 35.5 to 30.0 % for corn and 34.1 to 20.2 % for potato. Pasting properties decreased significantly in both starch sources with increasing irradiation dose. EBI decreased springiness, enthalpy of retrograded starch (ΔHr) and percentage of retrogradation (R%) on corn starches, which were different from those effects observed on potato starches. Meanwhile, HP increased peak viscosity up to 312.6 RVU and 1359.3 RVU for corn and potato starches, respectively. Moreover, EBI-HP was highly responsible for the decreases in the textural, gelatinization and retrogradation properties and relative crystallinity in both corn and potato starches. These results enhance the understanding of starch functionality modified by using both physical and chemical methods, and provide further insights on food and non-food applications.

Recent Trends in the Preparation of Nano-Starch Particles

Starch is affected by several limitations, e.g., retro-gradation, high viscosity even at low concentrations, handling issues, poor freeze-thaw stability, low process tolerance, and gel opacity. In this context, physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods have been investigated for addressing such limitations or adding new attributes. Thus, the creation of biomaterial-based nanoparticles has sparked curiosity. Because of that, single nucleotide polymorphisms are gaining a lot of interest in food packaging technology. This is due to their ability to increase the mechanical and water vapor resistance of the matrix, as well as hide its re-crystallization during storage in high-humidity atmospheres and enhance the mechanical properties of films when binding in paper machines and paper coating. In medicine, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are suitable as carriers in the field of drug delivery for immobilized bioactive or therapeutic agents, as well as wastewater treatments as an alternative to expensive activated carbons. Starch nanoparticle preparations can be performed by hydrolysis via acid hydrolysis of the amorphous part of a starch molecule, the use of enzymes such as pullulanase or isoamylase, or a combination of two regeneration and mechanical treatments with the employment of extrusion, irradiation, ultrasound, or precipitation. The possibility of obtaining cheap and easy-to-use methods for starch and starch derivative nanoparticles is of fundamental importance. Nano-precipitation and ultra-sonication are rather simple and reliable methods for nanoparticle production. The process involves the addition of a diluted starch solution into a non-solvent, and ultra-sonication aims to reduce the size by breaking the covalent bonds in polymeric material due to intense shear forces or mechanical effects associated with the collapsing of micro-bubbles by sound waves. The current study focuses on starch nanoparticle manufacturing, characterization, and emerging applications.

Synergistic effects of multiple enzymes from industrial Aspergillus niger strain O1 on starch saccharification

BACKGROUND

Starch is one of the most important renewable polysaccharides in nature for production of bio-ethanol. The starch saccharification step facilitates the depolymerization of starch to yield glucose for biofuels production. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger (A. niger) is the most used microbial cell factory for production of the commercial glucoamylase. However, the role of each component in glucoamylases cocktail of A. niger O1 for starch saccharification remains unclear except glucoamylase.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified the key enzymes contributing to the starch saccharification process are glucoamylase, α-amylase and acid α-amylase out of 29 glycoside hydrolases from the 6-day fermentation products of A. niger O1. Through the synergistic study of the multienzymes for the starch saccharification in vitro, we found that increasing the amount of α-amylase by 5-10 times enhanced the efficiency of starch saccharification by 14.2-23.2%. Overexpression of acid α-amylase in strain O1 in vivo increased the total glucoamylase activity of O1 cultures by 15.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study clarifies the synergistic effects among the components of glucoamylases cocktail, and provides an effective approach to optimize the profile of saccharifying enzymes of strain O1 for improving the total glucoamylase activity.

Degree of Biomass Conversion in the Integrated Production of Bioethanol and Biogas

The integrated production of bioethanol and biogas makes it possible to optimise the production of carriers from renewable raw materials. The installation analysed in this experimental paper was a hybrid system, in which waste from the production of bioethanol was used in a biogas plant with a capacity of 1 MWe. The main objective of this study was to determine the energy potential of biomass used for the production of bioethanol and biogas. Based on the results obtained, the conversion rate of the biomass—maize, in this case—into bioethanol was determined as the efficiency of the process of bioethanol production. A biomass conversion study was conducted for 12 months, during which both maize grains and stillage were sampled once per quarter (QU-I, QU-II, QU-III, QU-IV; QU—quarter) for testing. Between 342 L (QU-II) and 370 L (QU-I) of ethanol was obtained from the organic matter subjected to alcoholic fermentation. The mass that did not undergo conversion to bioethanol ranged from 269.04 kg to 309.50 kg, which represented 32.07% to 36.95% of the organic matter that was subjected to the process of bioethanol production. On that basis, it was concluded that only two-thirds of the organic matter was converted into bioethanol. The remaining part—post-production waste in the form of stillage—became a valuable raw material for the production of biogas, containing one-third of the biodegradable fraction. Under laboratory conditions, between 30.5 m3 (QU-I) and 35.6 m3 (QU-II) of biogas per 1 Mg of FM (FM—fresh matter) was obtained, while under operating conditions, between 29.2 m3 (QU-I) and 33.2 m3 (QU-II) of biogas was acquired from 1 Mg of FM. The Biochemical Methane Potential Correction Coefficient (BMPCC), which was calculated based on the authors’ formula, ranged from 3.2% to 7.4% in the analysed biogas installation.

Molecular docking and GC-MS data for the inhibition of RAD51 expression by a compound from Clerodendrum inerme L

Screening of potential inhibitors for RAD51 from petroleum ether extract of Clerodendrum inerme L. (C.inerme) is of interest. Presence of phytocompounds was identified using GC-MS analysis. Molecular docking and ADME properties were calculated for potential inhibitors for RAD51. A total of 25 phytocompounds were extracted from the petroleum ether extract of C.inerme. The compound 1,2,4-Trimethyl-3-nitrobicyclo [3.3.1]nonan-9-one shows binding features with the cancer target protein RAD51 similar to the FDA approved drug of 5-Flurouracil for further consideration in the context of pancreatic cancer drug discovery.

Valorization of Aquatic Weed and Agricultural Residues for Innovative Biopolymer Production and Their Biodegradation

In this work, water hyacinths, bagasse and rice straw were valorized to produce an innovative biopolymer. Serial steps of extraction, bleaching and conversion of cellulose to be carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as well as the last steps of blending and molding were performed. The CMC was mixed with tapioca starch solution by a ratio of 9:18, and a plastic sizer of glycerol was varied at 2%, 4% and 6% by volume. In addition, bioplastic sheets were further determined in their properties and biodegradation. The results revealed that bioplastics with 6% glycerol showed a high moisture content of 23% and water solubility was increased by about 47.94% over 24 h. The effect of temperature on bioplastic stability was found in the ranges of 146.28–169.25 °C. Furthermore, bioplastic sheets with 2% glycerol could maintain their shape. Moreover, for texture analysis, the highest elastic texture in the range of 33.74–38.68% with 6% glycerol was used. Moreover, bioplastics were then tested for their biodegradation by landfill method. Under natural conditions, they degraded at about 10.75% by weight over 24 h after burying in 10 cm soil depth. After 144 h, bioplastics were completely decomposed. Successfully, the application of water, weed and agricultural wastes as raw materials to produce innovative bioplastic showed maximum benefits for an environmentally friendly product, which could also be a guideline for an alternative to replace synthetic plastics derived from petroleum.

Emergence of Polymeric Material Utilising Sustainable Radiation Curable Palm Oil-Based Products for Advanced Technology Applications

In countries that are rich with oil palm, the use of palm oil to produce bio-based acrylates and polyol can be the most eminent raw materials used for developing new and advanced natural polymeric materials involving radiation technique, like coating resins, nanoparticles, scaffold, nanocomposites, and lithography for different branches of the industry. The presence of hydrocarbon chains, carbon double bonds, and ester bonds in palm oil allows it to open up the possibility of fine-tuning its unique structures in the development of novel materials. Cross-linking, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT), polymerization, grafting, and degradation are among the radiation mechanisms triggered by gamma, electron beam, ultraviolet, or laser irradiation sources. These radiation techniques are widely used in the development of polymeric materials because they are considered as the most versatile, inexpensive, easy, and effective methods. Therefore, this review summarized and emphasized on several recent studies that have reported on emerging radiation processing technologies for the production of radiation curable palm oil-based polymeric materials with a promising future in certain industries and biomedical applications. This review also discusses the rich potential of biopolymeric materials for advanced technology applications.

Maize and Sorghum as Raw Materials for Brewing, a Review

Brewing is among the oldest biotechnological processes, in which barley malt and—to a lesser extent—wheat malt are used as conventional raw materials. Worldwide, 85–90% of beer production is now produced with adjuvants, with wide variations on different continents. This review proposes the use of two other cereals as raw materials in the manufacture of beer, corn and sorghum, highlighting the advantages it recommends in this regard and the disadvantages, so that they are removed in technological practice. The use of these cereals as adjuvants in brewing has been known for a long time. Recently, research has intensified regarding the use of these cereals (including in the malted form) to obtain new assortments of beer from 100% corn malt or 100% sorghum malt. There is also great interest in obtaining gluten-free beer assortments, new nonalcoholic or low-alcohol beer assortments, and beers with an increased shelf life, by complying with current food safety regulations, under which maize and sorghum can be used in manufacturing recipes.

Preparation and evaluation of functional allopurinol imprinted starch based biomaterials for transdermal drug delivery

This study focuses on the synthesis of functional allopurinol (ALP) imprinted biomaterials for a transdermal drug delivery using mung bean starch (MBS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium benzoate (SB) as a crosslinking agent, and poloxamer (PX) as a thermo-sensitive polymer. Prepared functional biomaterials were characterized and evaluated by SEM, FT-IR analysis, and physical properties. Results of ALP recognition properties indicated that adsorbed amounts (Q) of ALP on functional ALP imprinted biomaterials were 3.8 to 4.9-fold higher than that of non-ALP imprinted biomaterial. Results of ALP release revealed that the ALP release rate for PX added biomaterials was 1.10 (36.5 °C) or 1.30 (45 °C) times faster than that at 25 °C. These results indicate that functional ALP imprinted biomaterials have thermo-sensitive properties due to the addition of PX. Results of ALP release using artificial skin indicated that ALP release was increased at a relatively steady-state rate for 3 h and that the ALP release behavior followed the non-Fickian diffusion mechanism.