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Biopolymers: Structure-Function Relationship and Application III

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 2559

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
Interests: food engineering; extrusion processing; plant proteins
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymers have been widely applied in the food, pharmaceutical, and environmental industries, showing great potential for health benefits, effectiveness, and sustainability.

Structural characterization improves our understanding of biopolymers or their hydrolysates/derivatives at the molecular level. An in-depth understanding of structure–function relationships could be the key to aiding the transfer from theoretical studies to industrial applications. 

This Special Issue covers the structural characterization (e.g., chemical composition, linkage type, substitution, or conformation), physicochemical properties (e.g., rheology, or emulsifying/biofilm-forming/binding capacities), and bioactivity (e.g., immunomodulation, diabetes, blood sugar control, anticancer or antibacterial/antivirus activities) of biopolymers from various sources.

The establishment of correlations between structural features and functionalities is highly encouraged. Biopolymers used as carriers or encapsulation matrices for the targeted delivery of biologically active components are also included in this scope. 

Dr. Zhaojun Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • carbohydrate polymers
  • food hydrocolloids
  • dietary fibers
  • protein
  • structure
  • conformation
  • physicochemical properties
  • rheology
  • functionality
  • bioactivity

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2697 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Non-Ionic Polysaccharides on the Heat-Induced Gelling Properties of Curdlan
by Guoyan Zhong, Zhaojun Wang, Qiuming Chen, Zhiyong He, Maomao Zeng, Fang Qin and Jie Chen
Polymers 2024, 16(23), 3345; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233345 - 29 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Curdlan’s application is constrained by high gelation concentration, poor water solubility, and incompatibility with other polysaccharides. To address these limitations, this study investigated the effects of different concentrations (0.05–0.3%) of non-ionic polysaccharides (pullulan (PL), locust bean gum (LBG), guar gum (GG), and konjac [...] Read more.
Curdlan’s application is constrained by high gelation concentration, poor water solubility, and incompatibility with other polysaccharides. To address these limitations, this study investigated the effects of different concentrations (0.05–0.3%) of non-ionic polysaccharides (pullulan (PL), locust bean gum (LBG), guar gum (GG), and konjac gum (KGM)) on the heat-induced gelling properties of curdlan. PL with no branch showed 0.3% enhanced gel hardness. LBG with a small amount of galactose residue and KGM with an acetyl group had similar effects on hardness, while GG with a large amount of galactose residue slightly weakened the mixed gel. The rheological results showed that PL had little effect on curdlan, and LBG and KGM had a positive effect on curdlan unfolding, but 0.3% GG was significantly antagonistic to curdlan. The above results implied that non-ionic polysaccharides without side chains interacted weakly with the curdlan and hardly changed the properties of curdlan. Curdlan unfolding and stable suspension were favored if the structure contained galactose or acetyl side chains that interacted with curdlan through hydrogen bonding. These results suggested an effective way to modify curdlan by strengthening the interaction of curdlan with others and weakening the hydrogen bonding of curdlan to broaden its application in food colloids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers: Structure-Function Relationship and Application III)
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14 pages, 4659 KiB  
Article
Study of the Incorporation of Gel and Aloe vera Peel Extract in a Polymer Matrix Based on Polyvinylpyrrolidone
by Britania Janet Gutiérrez Rafael, Orlando Zaca Moran, Raúl Jacobo Delgado Macuil, Hugo Martínez Gutiérrez, Marcos García Juárez and Valentin Lopez Gayou
Polymers 2024, 16(14), 1998; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16141998 - 12 Jul 2024
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Abstract
The development of dressings based on electrospun membranes with polymers and plant extracts is an interesting approach to skin regeneration, providing elements to prevent contamination and a matrix that accelerates the healing process. We developed a membrane composed of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), gel and [...] Read more.
The development of dressings based on electrospun membranes with polymers and plant extracts is an interesting approach to skin regeneration, providing elements to prevent contamination and a matrix that accelerates the healing process. We developed a membrane composed of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), gel and Aloe vera peel extract via the electrospinning technique. Additionally, an optimal ratio of PVP/Av gel/Av skin extract was determined to facilitate membrane formation. Electrospun membranes were obtained with fiber diameters of 1403 ± 57.4 nm for the PVP and 189.2 ± 11.4 nm for PVP/Av gel/Av peel extract, confirming that the use of extracts generally reduced the fiber diameter. The incorporation of gel and peel extract of Aloe vera into the electrospun membrane was analyzed via FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopies. FTIR revealed the presence of functional groups associated with phenolic compounds such as aloin, aloe-emodin, emodin and aloesin, which was confirmed by UV–Vis, revealing absorption bands corresponding to aloin, phenols and carbonyl groups. This finding provides evidence of the effective integration and prevalence of bioactive compounds of a phenolic and polysaccharide nature from the gel and the Av skin extract in the electrospun fibers, resulting in an advanced membrane that could improve and accelerate the healing process and protect the wound from bacterial infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers: Structure-Function Relationship and Application III)
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12 pages, 9229 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Lignocellulose Nanofibrils Extracted from Bamboo Fibrous and Parenchymal Tissues and the Properties of Resulting Films
by Xiaofeng Zhang, Jingpeng Li, Gege Bao, Daochun Qin and Xiaobei Jin
Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1829; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131829 - 27 Jun 2024
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Abstract
Bamboo is composed of thick-walled fibrous tissue and thin-walled parenchymal tissue. To compare the energy consumption of preparing lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) from these bamboo tissues, the crystallinity, sol. viscosity, morphology and mechanical properties of LCNF at different preparation stages were characterized in detail. [...] Read more.
Bamboo is composed of thick-walled fibrous tissue and thin-walled parenchymal tissue. To compare the energy consumption of preparing lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) from these bamboo tissues, the crystallinity, sol. viscosity, morphology and mechanical properties of LCNF at different preparation stages were characterized in detail. It required at least nine homogenization cycles for dissociating the fibrous tissue, but only six cycles for the parenchymal tissue. The average diameter of LCNF isolated from fibrous and parenchymal tissues was 45.1 nm and 36.2 nm, respectively. The tensile strength of the LCNF film prepared from parenchymal tissue reached 142.46 MPa, whereas the film from fibrous tissue reached only 122.82 MPa. Additionally, a metal organic framework (MOF) was used to produce MOF-LCNF film with enhanced UV protection and antibacterial properties. The results indicated that the energy consumption for preparing LCNF from parenchymal tissue is significantly lower than that for preparing LCNF from fibrous tissue. This study offers a low-cost and eco-friendly method for preparing LCNF, promoting the precise utilization of different tissues from bamboo based on their unique characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biopolymers: Structure-Function Relationship and Application III)
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