Electrospun Food Polysaccharides Loaded with Bioactive Compounds: Fabrication, Release, and Applications

Abstract

Food polysaccharides are well acclaimed in the field of delivery systems due to their natural safety, biocompatibility with the human body, and capability of incorporating/releasing various bioactive compounds. Electrospinning, a straightforward atomization technique that has been attracting researchers worldwide, is also versatile for coupling food polysaccharides and bioactive compounds. In this review, several popular food polysaccharides including starch, cyclodextrin, chitosan, alginate, and hyaluronic acid are selected to discuss their basic characteristics, electrospinning conditions, bioactive compound release characteristics, and more. Data revealed that the selected polysaccharides are capable of releasing bioactive compounds from as rapidly as 5 s to as prolonged as 15 days. In addition, a series of frequently studied physical/chemical/biomedical applications utilizing electrospun food polysaccharides with bioactive compounds are also selected and discussed. These promising applications include but are not limited to active packaging with 4-log reduction against E. coli, L. innocua, and S. aureus; removal of 95% of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs); heavy metal ion removal; increasing enzyme heat/pH stability; wound healing acceleration and enhanced blood coagulation, etc. The broad potentials of electrospun food polysaccharides loaded with bioactive compounds are demonstrated in this review.

Unraveling the Mechanical Property Decrease of Electrospun Spider Silk: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

“…Graphically, regardless of the direction of the electric field, the β sheet of spider silk was disrupted. Practically, the voltage used in an electrospun device ranges from 10 to 30 kV. − Based on previous research, the average electric field can be calculated within a range of 1–100 V/nm. In actual electric field environments, spider silk is sufficiently damaged, which causes a decrease in its mechanical properties.…”

Developments of Core/Shell Chitosan-Based Nanofibers by Electrospinning Techniques: A Review

“…However, sustainable alternatives can mitigate the buildup of single-use plastics in the environment due to biodegradability [1]. Among different biopolymers, chitosan has been widely considered a good candidate for numerous everyday applications, e.g., plastic replacement [4,5]. Chitosan is a linear cationic polymer comprising randomly distributed N-acetyl glucosamine and glucosamine units, derived from the deacetylation of chitin.…”