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Gels
Special Issues
Recent Advances in Protein Gels
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Recent Advances in Protein Gels

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 3882

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Stanca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research &Development National Institute for Textiles and Leather-Division Leather and Footwear Institute, 031215 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: biopolymers; protein gels; circular economy, waste management
Dr. Katarzyna Ławińska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Łukasiewicz Research Network, Lodz Institute of Technology, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
Interests: protein gels; chemical engineering; environmental engineering; environmental protection; mineral resources management; granular matter; composites; waste management; environmentally friendly technologies; process optimization; REACH; safe product; biotechnology; food

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on protein gels is dedicated to recent developments from theoretical and fundamental aspects to the synthesis, characterization, materials properties, and applications of protein-based gels.

Recently, protein gels have been widely used in the agriculture, food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries due to their versatile properties. For example, smart hydrogels based on keratin or collagen have the potential to be used as drug carriers. Additionally, protein gels have been used for periodical root applications in a greenhouse to increase the intake of amino acids.

For this Special Issue, we look forward to presenting more recent advances in protein gels. Contributions based on any materials science and technology related to gels are very welcome. The paper type can be original articles, reviews, short communications, and perspectives.

Dr. Maria Stanca
Dr. Katarzyna Ławińska
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 2600 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

  • protein gels
  • hydrogels
  • biopolymers
  • synthesis and characterization
  • functional applications
  • waste management
  • circular economy

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1686 KiB  
Article
Innovative Protein Gel Treatments to Improve the Quality of Tomato Fruit
by Gabriela Luta, Daniela Balan, Maria Stanca, Ovidiu Jerca, Stefana Jurcoane, Mihaela Niculescu, Carmen Gaidau and Ioana Rodica Stanculescu
Gels 2024, 10(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10010010 - 21 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1682
Abstract
This study aims to establish the effect of biostimulatory protein gels on the quality of tomato. One of the most consumed vegetables, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is a rich source of healthy constituents. Two variants of protein gels based on bovine gelatin [...] Read more.
This study aims to establish the effect of biostimulatory protein gels on the quality of tomato. One of the most consumed vegetables, tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is a rich source of healthy constituents. Two variants of protein gels based on bovine gelatin and keratin hydrolysates obtained from leather industry byproducts were used for periodical application on the tomato plant roots in the early stage of vegetation. The gels were characterized by classical physicochemical methods and protein secondary structure was obtained by FTIR band deconvolution. After ripening, tomato was analyzed regarding its content of quality indicators (sugars and organic acids) and antioxidants (lycopene, β-carotene, vitamin C, polyphenols). The results emphasized the positive effects of the protein gels on the quality parameters of tomato fruit. An increase of 10% of dry matter and of 30% (in average) in the total soluble sugars was noted after biostimulant application. Also, lycopene and vitamin C recorded higher values (by 1.44 and 1.29 times, respectively), while β-carotene showed no significant changes. The biostimulant activity of protein gels was correlated with their amino acid composition. Plant biostimulants are considered an ecological alternative to conventional treatments for improving plant growth, and also contributing to reduce the intake of chemical fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Protein Gels)
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13 pages, 4969 KiB  
Article
Development of a New Collagen Gel Product for Leather Finishing
by Xinping Zhang, Sílvia Sorolla, Concepció Casas and Anna Bacardit
Gels 2023, 9(11), 883; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110883 - 08 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1103
Abstract
Leather finishing is a critical process in the leather industry, as it significantly influences the final appearance, durability, and quality of leather products. Traditional leather finishing techniques often involve the use of synthetic chemicals, which may lead to environmental concerns and potential health [...] Read more.
Leather finishing is a critical process in the leather industry, as it significantly influences the final appearance, durability, and quality of leather products. Traditional leather finishing techniques often involve the use of synthetic chemicals, which may lead to environmental concerns and potential health hazards. In this study, we investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a new collagen-based product for leather finishing. Collagen, a natural protein found abundantly in animals, has shown promise as an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative for leather finishing. The new collagen gel product obtained from bovine hide waste by using an alkaline extraction method with lime was functionalized through an enzymatic treatment that allows to achieve a finishing product suitable for coating formulations, and at the same time, a biodegradable finishing. The collagen gel product was optimized by varying parameters, such as temperature, pH, and enzyme quantity. The optimized collagen gel product exhibits a wide particle size range and retains the triple-helical structure of collagen. The leather samples treated with the collagen gel product show enhanced properties compared to those with conventional finishes. The results show that the collagen gel product enhances water vapor permeability, color stability, and touch in the finishes. However, a low resistance to wet rubbing is obtained; therefore, it is necessary to study how to improve this parameter. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Protein Gels)
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Review

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28 pages, 6758 KiB  
Review
Recent Insights into Glucose-Responsive Concanavalin A-Based Smart Hydrogels for Controlled Insulin Delivery
by Maria Bercea and Alexandra Lupu
Gels 2024, 10(4), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040260 - 11 Apr 2024
Viewed by 751
Abstract
Many efforts are continuously undertaken to develop glucose-sensitive biomaterials able of controlling glucose levels in the body and self-regulating insulin delivery. Hydrogels that swell or shrink as a function of the environmental free glucose content are suitable systems for monitoring blood glucose, delivering [...] Read more.
Many efforts are continuously undertaken to develop glucose-sensitive biomaterials able of controlling glucose levels in the body and self-regulating insulin delivery. Hydrogels that swell or shrink as a function of the environmental free glucose content are suitable systems for monitoring blood glucose, delivering insulin doses adapted to the glucose concentration. In this context, the development of sensors based on reversible binding to glucose molecules represents a continuous challenge. Concanavalin A (Con A) is a bioactive protein isolated from sword bean plants (Canavalia ensiformis) and contains four sugar-binding sites. The high affinity for reversibly and specifically binding glucose and mannose makes Con A as a suitable natural receptor for the development of smart glucose-responsive materials. During the last few years, Con A was used to develop smart materials, such as hydrogels, microgels, nanoparticles and films, for producing glucose biosensors or drug delivery devices. This review is focused on Con A-based materials suitable in the diagnosis and therapeutics of diabetes. A brief outlook on glucose-derived theranostics of cancer is also presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Protein Gels)
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