Physicochemical and Functional Characterization of Biopolymers and Their Applications
A Special Issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) belonging to the section "Food Science and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 185
Editors
Interests: food chemistry; natural product chemistry; antioxidant activity; food processing; food processing and engineering; food & nutrition; chromatography; biotechnology; phytochemicals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Biopolymers have gained increasing scientific and industrial relevance due to their sustainability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and versatile functional properties. In recent years, growing environmental concerns and the demand for eco-friendly materials have accelerated research focused on the extraction, modification, characterization, and application of biopolymers derived from natural, renewable, and non-conventional sources. Polysaccharides, proteins, gums, mucilages, and composite biopolymeric systems have demonstrated significant potential in food, pharmaceutical, biomedical, agricultural, packaging, and environmental applications.
This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for the dissemination of recent advances in the physicochemical, structural, thermal, rheological, mechanical, and functional characterization of biopolymers and their innovative technological applications. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the relationship between molecular structure, processing conditions, and functional performance, as well as on the development of sustainable and high-value biopolymeric systems.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the extraction and purification of biopolymers from conventional and emerging sources; chemical, physical, enzymatic, and biological modifications; starches and modified starches; hydrocolloids; biodegradable and active packaging materials; edible coatings and films; encapsulation and controlled-release systems for bioactive compounds; nanostructured and composite biomaterials; antioxidant and antimicrobial functionalities; protein–polysaccharide interactions; rheological and microstructural characterization; food and biomedical applications; and the valorization of agro-industrial residues for the production of functional biomaterials.
This Special Issue also welcomes interdisciplinary contributions involving food science, biotechnology, materials science, analytical chemistry, nanotechnology, and sustainable processing technologies related to biopolymer research and development. Both original research articles and high-quality review papers are encouraged.
Through this Special Issue, we aim to promote scientific discussion and collaboration among researchers working on the development of advanced, sustainable, and functional biopolymeric materials with potential industrial, environmental, and technological applications worldwide.
Prof. Dr. Francisco Erik González-Jiménez
Dr. Rosa Isela Guzmán-Gerónimo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- starch modified
- edible coatings
- microencapsulation
- agro-industrial residues
- underutilized crops
- microestructural characterization
- food packaging
- hydrogels
- biodegradable materials
- protein-based biopolymers
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