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Gels
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Biopolymers-Based Emulsions and Hydrogels
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Biopolymers-Based Emulsions and Hydrogels

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 15118

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hongjie Dai

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
Interests: cellulose; protein; food colloids; emulsions; hydrogel; nanomaterials; interface interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhili Wan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Food Proteins and Colloids, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Interests: food physics; food colloids and interfaces; edible soft matter; gel network; surface rheology; plant proteins and natural surfactants; plant-based foods
Dr. Juntao Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
Interests: nanocellulose; porous organic polymer; Pickering emulsions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels are three-dimensionally cross-linked polymeric networks that can absorb large amounts of water without being dissolved. Besides excellent swelling capacity, the adjustable characteristics, including morphology, porous and mechanical properties, and environmental responsiveness, have endowed hydrogels with growing popularity in recent decades. Generally, hydrogels are prepared by physical interaction (chain entanglements, van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonds, crystallite associations, and/or ionic interactions) and/or chemical cross-linking, using biopolymers or synthetic polymers as raw materials, and show increasing applications in varied fields such as agriculture, biomedical materials, pollutant adsorbents, biosensors, etc. Emulsions generally consist of small spherical droplets of two liquids stabilized through surface active compounds such as surfactants or surface-active polymers. Pickering emulsions are designed by replacing traditional surfactants with solid particles as stabilizers. Compared with conventional emulsions (surfactant-stabilized emulsions), Pickering emulsions possess more advantages due to their superior stability against coalescence, adjustable permeability, and good elastic responses, showing wide application in food, medicine, and materials. Recently, with increasing demands for renewable and ecofriendly sustainable materials, developing effective utilizations of various biopolymers and their applications in hydrogels and emulsions have been widely studied. For example, various biopolymers such as sodium alginate, starch, protein, hemicelluloses, lignin, cellulose, chitin, and their derivatives have been widely used to fabricate biopolymer-based emulsions and hydrogels.

This Special Issue focuses on the recent research and advances in biopolymer-based emulsions and hydrogels, such as novel preparation methods, structures, mechanism analyses, and applications in different fields. Additionally, we welcome contributions on the preparation and characterization of biopolymers and bio-based nanoparticles.

Dr. Hongjie Dai
Dr. Zhili Wan
Dr. Juntao Tang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 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

  • biopolymers
  • emulsion
  • hydrogel
  • application
  • preparation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1990 KiB  
Communication
One-Step Generation of Alginate-Based Hydrogel Foams Using CO2 for Simultaneous Foaming and Gelation
by Imene Ben Djemaa, Sébastien Andrieux, Stéphane Auguste, Leandro Jacomine, Malgorzata Tarnowska and Wiebke Drenckhan-Andreatta
Gels 2022, 8(7), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8070444 - 16 Jul 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4724
Abstract
The reliable generation of hydrogel foams remains a challenge in a wide range of sectors, including food, cosmetic, agricultural, and medical applications. Using the example of calcium alginate foams, we introduce a novel foam generation method that uses CO2 for the simultaneous [...] Read more.
The reliable generation of hydrogel foams remains a challenge in a wide range of sectors, including food, cosmetic, agricultural, and medical applications. Using the example of calcium alginate foams, we introduce a novel foam generation method that uses CO2 for the simultaneous foaming and pH reduction of the alginate solution to trigger gelation. We show that gelled foams of different gas fractions can be generated in a simple one-step process. We macroscopically follow the acidification using a pH-responsive indicator and investigate the role of CO2 in foam ageing via foam stability measurements. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of interfacial rheology to provide evidence for the gelation process initiated by the dissolution of the CO2 from the dispersed phase. Both approaches, gas-initiated gelation and interfacial rheology for its characterization, can be readily transferred to other types of gases and formulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Emulsions and Hydrogels)
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Graphical abstract

13 pages, 3215 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Low-Energy Assisted Nanohydrogel of Azadirachta indica Oil
by Sukhdeep Kaur, Priyanka Sharma, Aarti Bains, Prince Chawla, Kandi Sridhar, Minaxi Sharma and Baskaran Stephen Inbaraj
Gels 2022, 8(7), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8070434 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2913
Abstract
Plant-based bioactive compounds have been utilized to cure diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and as a substitute to reduce the side effects of chemically synthesized drugs. Therefore, in the present study, Azadirachta indica oil nanohydrogel was prepared to be utilized as an alternate [...] Read more.
Plant-based bioactive compounds have been utilized to cure diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and as a substitute to reduce the side effects of chemically synthesized drugs. Therefore, in the present study, Azadirachta indica oil nanohydrogel was prepared to be utilized as an alternate source of the antimicrobial compound. The total phenolic compound in Azadirachta indica oil was quantified by chromatography analysis and revealed gallic acid (0.0076 ppm), caffeic acid (0.077 ppm), and syringic acid (0.0129 ppm). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of Azadirachta indica oil revealed the presence of bioactive components, namely hexadecenoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, ç-linolenic acid, 9-octadecanoic acid (Z)-methyl ester, methyl-8-methyl-nonanoate, eicosanoic acid, methyl ester, and 8-octadecane3-ethyl-5-(2 ethylbutyl). The nanohydrogel showed droplet size of 104.1 nm and −19.3 mV zeta potential. The nanohydrogel showed potential antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans with minimum inhibitory, bactericidal, and fungicidal concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 3.125 (µg/mL). The nanohydrogel showed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher (8.40 log CFU/mL) value for Gram-negative bacteria E. coli compared to Gram-positive S. aureus (8.34 log CFU/mL), and in the case of pathogenic fungal strain C. albicans, there was a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in log CFU/mL value (7.79–6.94). The nanohydrogel showed 50.23–82.57% inhibition in comparison to standard diclofenac sodium (59.47–92.32%). In conclusion, Azadirachta indica oil nanohydrogel possesses great potential for antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities and therefore can be used as an effective agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Emulsions and Hydrogels)
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Graphical abstract

17 pages, 10187 KiB  
Article
Novel Hydrocolloids Obtained from Mango (Mangifera indica) var. Hilaza: Chemical, Physicochemical, Techno-Functional, and Structural Characteristics
by Ronald Marsiglia-Fuentes, Somaris E. Quintana and Luis A. García Zapateiro
Gels 2022, 8(6), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8060354 - 6 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2732
Abstract
Background: Hydrocolloids are ingredients used to improve the technological properties of products; currently, there is a growing demand from the food industry and consumers to use natural ingredients and reduce the environmental impact. Methods: This work evaluated the effect of pH on hydrocolloid [...] Read more.
Background: Hydrocolloids are ingredients used to improve the technological properties of products; currently, there is a growing demand from the food industry and consumers to use natural ingredients and reduce the environmental impact. Methods: This work evaluated the effect of pH on hydrocolloid extraction from the pulp, seed, and peel of mango (Mangifera indica) var. hilaza and their chemical, physicochemical, techno-functional, and structural properties. Results: The main component of the hydrocolloid was the carbohydrates for pulp (22.59%) and peel (24.05%), and the protein for seed (21.48%) was corroborated by NIR spectra and associated with the technological and functional properties. The solubility increases with the temperature presenting values higher than 75% at 80 °C; the swelling index was higher than 30%, while the water holding capacity was higher in samples with higher carbohydrate content (110–121%). Moreover, a higher content of total phenolic compounds (21.61 ± 0.39–51.77 ± 2.48 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity (≥193.82 μMol Trolox/g) was obtained. The pH of extraction changes the color parameters and microstructural properties. Conclusions: Novel ingredients from mango pulp, seed, and peel at different pH levels have technological and functional properties that are potential use in the food industry as an alternative to the development of microstructural products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Emulsions and Hydrogels)
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18 pages, 2952 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Ethosomes Containing Tocopherol Acetate to Enhance Transdermal Permeation: In Vitro and Ex Vivo Characterizations
by Naheed Akhtar, Naveed Akhtar, Farid Menaa, Walaa Alharbi, Fatima Saad Salem Alaryani, Ali Musfer Alqahtani and Faizan Ahmad
Gels 2022, 8(6), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8060335 - 30 May 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3773
Abstract
Background: Tocopherol acetate (TA) is known as a skin moisturizing and photoprotective agent. One major drawback with tocopherol and its derivatives remains its limited stability. Aim: To develop highly stable TA-containing ethosomal gel (TAEG) as an advanced dosage form. Methods: A cold method [...] Read more.
Background: Tocopherol acetate (TA) is known as a skin moisturizing and photoprotective agent. One major drawback with tocopherol and its derivatives remains its limited stability. Aim: To develop highly stable TA-containing ethosomal gel (TAEG) as an advanced dosage form. Methods: A cold method technique was used to produce the ethosomes. An in vitro evaluation of viscosity, conductivity, and pH stability was carried out for three months. An in vitro physical characterization of the nanoparticles (NPs) that included particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis was then performed. Organoleptic evaluation, thermostability at 8 °C, 25 °C, 40 °C and 40 °C ± 75% RH, pH, conductivity, viscosity, and spreadability measurements were also performed in vitro for three months. An ex vivo permeation study was performed in phosphate-buffered solution (1× PBS; pH 5.5 or pH 7.4) at 37 ± 0.2 °C by using rat abdominal skin and the Franz diffusion cell method. The data of three independent experiments were expressed as mean ± SD. A two-way ANOVA was applied to compare data on TAEG versus TA control gel (TACG). Results: PS of the ethosomes was in the range of 144–289 nm. A total of nine formulations were developed. Optimized TAEG formulation (TA-5) was selected based on the highest entrapment efficiency (EE) of 99.71%, while the stability, the PS, and the uniformity-based polydispersity index (PDI) were also among the best. TA-5 exhibited smooth spherical ethosomal NPs with PS of 200.6 nm, ZP value of −18.6 V, and PDI of 0.465. Stability data obtained for TA-5 in terms of rheology, conductivity, and pH presented no significant change (p > 0.05) during the entire study duration. Rheological studies indicated that TA-5 followed a non-Newtonian behavior of shear thinning system. The ex vivo drug permeation was 44.55 ± 0.01% in TA-5 and the drug retention in skin was 51.20%, which was significantly higher than TACG as observed after 24 h permeation study (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The newly developed TAEG formulation appears promising to enhance the effectivity of TA and its topical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers-Based Emulsions and Hydrogels)
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