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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 19658

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Dr. Aleksey Bychkov

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Laboratory of Mechanochemistry, Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry SB RAS, Kutateladze 18, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
Interests: cellulose; ultrastructure; amorphization; mechanochemistry; hydrolysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the wide use of polymer materials determines the efficiency and sustainable development of the agro-industrial and food industries. With the problems of mass food production largely solved, the focus shifts to responsible consumption. The biodesign of foods consisting of macro- and micronutrients balanced with the physiological needs of the consumer is gradually replacing the problems related exclusively to hunger reduction. Storage trends are changing rapidly: with the growing popularity of food delivery services, it is necessary to develop new materials that allow not only the long-term preservation of product quality, but maintain aesthetic and organoleptic properties for a short time and at a high level.

At the same time, one should always keep in mind the environmental aspects of disposable packaging use!

Thus, modern science must solve a complex and contradictory problem—namely, to meet the ever-increasing needs (both quantitatively and qualitatively) of the population in food with the increasingly limited resources of the planet. Polymer chemistry researchers should focus on developing suitable materials to improve the quality and safety of food products, paying particular attention to the potential migration of impurity agents from supramolecular polymer structures.

In this Special Issue it is planned to collect a number of articles and reviews covering (but not limited to) the topics related to the development and application of polymer systems in food science: - Interaction of polymers from packaging with food components;

Polymer chemistry approach to the biodesign of food products;
Polymers’ physical-chemical properties, molecular/supramolecular structures and functions;
Methods for controlling the crystalline structure of polymers;
Properties of amorphous and crystalline (especially nano-size) polymer composites;
Packaging material science and applications;
Polymers as active and intelligent packaging (especially edible packaging);
Polymers with non-polymer nanoparticles;
Biobased polymers;
Polymer packaging and the environment (especially microplastics control);
Regulatory and economic aspects of polymeric food packaging.

Dr. Aleksey Bychkov
Guest Editor

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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

supramolecular structure
macronutrient modification
crystallinity
food packaging polymers
active packaging
intelligent packaging
biobased packaging, nano polymers
controlled release
polymer and non-polymer composites

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 4727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Obtention and Study of Polyurethane-Based Active Packaging with Curcumin and/or Chitosan Additives for Fruits and Vegetables—Part I: Analysis of Morphological, Mechanical, Barrier, and Migration Properties

by David Ruiz, Yomaira L. Uscátegui, Luis Diaz, Rodinson R. Arrieta-Pérez, José A. Gómez-Tejedor and Manuel F. Valero

Polymers 2023, 15(22), 4456; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15224456 - 18 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1125

Abstract

Several polyurethane-formulated films with curcumin and/or chitosan additives for food packaging have been previously obtained. The study examines the effect of the additives on the film’s morphological, mechanical, barrier, and migration properties. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TGA and DTGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), oxygen transmission rate (OTR), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and the overall and specific migration tests were conducted. The results show that the presence of chitosan significantly increased the overall migration and mechanical properties, such as the elongation at break, tensile strength, and Young’s modulus of most polyurethane formulations, while curcumin had a minor influence on the mechanical performance. Based on the results, formulations with curcumin but without chitosan are suitable for food packaging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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23 pages, 4745 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extraction, Isolation, Screening, and Preliminary Characterization of Polysaccharides with Anti–Oxidant Activities from Oudemansiella raphanipies

by Junqiang Qiu, Wang Shi, Jingnan Miao, Hui Hu and Yanan Gao

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2917; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132917 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 997

Abstract

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to find the optimal extraction process of Oudemansiella raphanipies polysaccharides (ORPs). The results showed that the optimal extraction parameters were an alkali concentration of 0.02 mol/L, a ratio of material to liquid of 1:112.7 g/mL, an extraction temperature of 66.0 °C, and an extraction time of 4.0 h. Under the optimal conditions, the yield of ORPs was raised to 16.2 ± 0.1%. The antioxidant activities of ORPs–I~V were determined and compared, and ORPs–V was further purified by chromatography, with an average molecular weight (Mw) of 18.86 kDa. The structure of ORPs–V was determined by Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR), monosaccharide analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The ORPs–V comprised fucose, rhamnose, arabinose, glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, fructose, galacturonic acid, and glucuronic acid at a ratio of 1.73:1.20:1.13:2.87:8.71:2.89:1.42:0.81. Compared to other ORPs, ORPs–V showed the strongest antioxidant activities (ABTS radical cation, hydroxyl radical and DPPH scavenging activities, and reducing power), and were able to significantly increase the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glutathione peroxidase. However, they reduced the malondialdehyde content in mice fed a high-fat diet. These results indicate that ORPs–V may be good anti–oxidant agents to be applied in functional foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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14 pages, 1922 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Soy Protein Acid Hydrolysate—Xanthan Gum Mixtures on the Stability, Disperse and Rheological Properties of Oil-in-Water Emulsions

by Dejan Ćirin, Nebojša Pavlović, Ivana Nikolić and Veljko Krstonošić

Polymers 2023, 15(9), 2195; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15092195 - 05 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1383

Abstract

There is a growing need for natural ingredients that could be utilized for the production of food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic emulsions. Soy protein acid hydrolysate (SPAH) is a plant-based additive used in the food industry mainly as a flavor enhancer. For the purpose of this work, however, it was mixed with a well-known natural polysaccharide, xanthan gum (XG), to produce stable 30% (w/w) sunflower oil-in-water emulsions using a rotor-stator homogenizer. In order to assess the emulsifying properties of the SPAH and its mixtures with XG, the surface tension properties of their water solutions, particle size, creaming stability, and rheological properties of the emulsions were investigated. Since the emulsions prepared using only SPAH, in various concentrations, were not stable, systems containing 5% of SPAH and 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5% of XG were then studied. The increase in concentration of the macromolecule led to an increase in creaming stability. The emulsions with 5% SPAH and 0.5% XG were stable for at least 14 days. The increase in XG concentration led to a decrease in d_4,3, while consistency index and non-Newtonian behavior increased. The systems containing SPAH, in the absence of XG, showed shear-thinning flow behavior, which was changed to thixotropic with the addition of XG. Viscoelastic properties of emulsions containing over 0.2% of XG were confirmed by oscillatory rheological tests, demonstrating the dominance of elastic (G’) over viscous (G”) modulus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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19 pages, 3062 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation as Food Active Packaging of Low-Density-Polyethylene-Based Films Incorporated with Rich in Thymol Halloysite Nanohybrid for Fresh “Scaloppini” Type Pork Meat Fillets Preservation

by Aris E. Giannakas, Constantinos E. Salmas, Dimitrios Moschovas, Vassilios K. Karabagias, Ioannis K. Karabagias, Maria Baikousi, Stavros Georgopoulos, Areti Leontiou, Katerina Katerinopoulou, Nikolaos E. Zafeiropoulos and Apostolos Avgeropoulos

Polymers 2023, 15(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020282 - 05 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1919

Abstract

A new era is rising in food packaging and preservation, with a consequent focus on transition to “greener” and environmentally friendly techniques. The environmental problems that are emerging nowadays impose use of natural materials for food packaging applications, replacement of chemical preservatives with natural organic extractions, such as essential oils, and targeting of new achievements, such as further extension of food shelf-life. According to this new philosophy, most of the used materials for food packaging should be recyclable, natural or bio-based, and/or edible. The aim of this work was to investigate use and efficiency of a novel food packaging developed based on commercial LDPE polymer incorporated with natural material halloysite impregnated with natural extract of thyme oil. Moreover, a direct correlation between the stiff TBARS method and the easiest heme iron measurements method was scanned to test food lesions easier and faster. The result of this study was development of the LDPE/10TO@HNT film, which contains the optimum amount of a hybrid nanostructure and is capable to be used as an efficient active food packaging film. Furthermore, a linear correlation seems to connect the TBARS and heme iron measurements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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20 pages, 3680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Development of New Nanocomposite Polytetrafluoroethylene/Fe₂O₃ NPs to Prevent Bacterial Contamination in Meat Industry

by Dmitriy A. Serov, Ilya V. Baimler, Dmitriy E. Burmistrov, Alexey S. Baryshev, Denis V. Yanykin, Maxim E. Astashev, Alexander V. Simakin and Sergey V. Gudkov

Polymers 2022, 14(22), 4880; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14224880 - 12 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1964

Abstract

The bacterial contamination of cutting boards and other equipment in the meat processing industry is one of the key reasons for reducing the shelf life and consumer properties of products. There are two ways to solve this problem. The first option is to create coatings with increased strength in order to prevent the formation of micro damages that are favorable for bacterial growth. The second possibility is to create materials with antimicrobial properties. The use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings with the addition of metal oxide nanoparticles will allow to the achieving of both strength and bacteriostatic effects at the same time. In the present study, a new coating based on PTFE and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles was developed. Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were synthesized by laser ablation in water and transferred into acetone using the developed procedures. An acetone-based colloidal solution was mixed with a PTFE-based varnish. Composites with concentrations of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles from 0.001–0.1% were synthesized. We studied the effect of the obtained material on the generation of ROS (hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals), 8-oxoguanine, and long-lived active forms of proteins. It was found that PTFE did not affect the generation of all the studied compounds, and the addition of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles increased the generation of H₂O₂ and hydroxyl radicals by up to 6 and 7 times, respectively. The generation of 8-oxoguanine and long-lived reactive protein species in the presence of PTFE/Fe₂O₃ NPs at 0.1% increased by 2 and 3 times, respectively. The bacteriostatic and cytotoxic effects of the developed material were studied. PTFE with the addition of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, at a concentration of 0.001% or more, inhibited the growth of E. coli by 2–5 times compared to the control or PTFE without NPs. At the same time, PTFE, even with the addition of 0.1% Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, did not significantly impact the survival of eukaryotic cells. It was assumed that the resulting composite material could be used to cover cutting boards and other polymeric surfaces in the meat processing industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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20 pages, 2671 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Hydrothermal Processing on Miscanthus × giganteus Polysaccharides: A Kinetic Assessment

by Sandra Rivas, Valentín Santos and Juan Carlos Parajó

Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4732; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214732 - 04 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1255

Abstract

Miscanthus × giganteus samples were characterized for composition and treated with hot compressed water (hydrothermal or autohydrolysis treatments) at temperatures in the range of 190–240 °C. The liquid phases from treatments were analyzed to assess the breakdown of susceptible polysaccharides into a scope of soluble intermediates and reaction products. The experimental concentration profiles determined for the target compounds (monosaccharides, higher saccharides, acetic acid and sugar-decomposition products) were interpreted using a pseudohomogeneous kinetic mechanism involving 27 reactions, which were governed by kinetic coefficients showing an Arrhenius-type temperature dependence. The corresponding activation energies were calculated and compared with data from the literature. The kinetic equations allowed a quantitative assessment of the experimental results, providing key information for process simulation and evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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11 pages, 2160 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Enzymatic Conversion of Starch for the Food Industry

by Ekaterina Podgorbunskikh, Aleksandr Sapozhnikov, Timofei Kuskov, Daria Gurova, Anastasiia Kopylova, Aleksey Bychkov and Oleg Lomovsky

Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4575; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214575 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2208

Abstract

This study demonstrated the feasibility of comprehensive enzymatic conversion of starch for non-waste applications in food industry. Enzymatic conversion of starch gives rise to nano-sized particles that can be used for manufacturing biodegradable and edible packaging materials and glucose syrup for replacing sugar in confectionery formulations. The 96 h enzymatic hydrolysis yielded starch nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm. Films based on nano-sized starch particles have promising physicochemical properties for manufacturing biodegradable and edible packaging materials. Such properties as reduced moisture content, increased homogeneity, crystallinity, and high initial thermal stability improve the mechanical and performance characteristics of the final food packaging materials. During film formation from starch subjected to preliminary mechanical amorphization, the polymer chain is recrystallized. The C-type crystal structure of starch is converted to the B-type structure. The supernatant obtained by starch hydrolysis can be used for producing glucose syrup. The resulting glucose syrup can be used as a sugar substitute in production of confectionery products. No objective technological differences in properties of glucose syrup obtained by comprehensive conversion of starch and the commercially available glucose syrup derived from sucrose were revealed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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15 pages, 2711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Amorphization of Chitosan with Different Molecular Weights

by Ekaterina Podgorbunskikh, Timofei Kuskov, Denis Rychkov, Oleg Lomovskii and Aleksey Bychkov

Polymers 2022, 14(20), 4438; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14204438 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4108

Abstract

Mechanical amorphization of three chitosan samples with high, medium, and low molecular weight was studied. It is shown that there are no significant differences between the course of amorphization process in a planetary ball mill of chitosan with different molecular weights, and the maximum degree of amorphization was achieved in 600 s of high intensity mechanical action. Specific energy consumption was 28 kJ/g, being comparable to power consumption for amorphization of cellulose determined previously (29 kJ/g) and 5–7-fold higher than that for amorphization of starch (4–6 kJ/g). Different techniques for determining the crystallinity index (CrI) of chitosan (analysis of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, the peak height method, the amorphous standard method, peak deconvolution, and full-profile Rietveld analysis) were compared. The peak height method is characterized by a broader working range but provides deviated CrI values. The peak deconvolution method (with the amorphous Voigt function) makes it possible to calculate the crystallinity index of chitosan with greater accuracy, but the analysis becomes more difficult with samples subjected to mechanical processing. In order to refine the structure and calculation of CrI by the Rietveld method, an attempt to optimize the structure file by the density functional theory (DFT) method was performed. The averaged profile of amorphous chitosan approximated by an eighth-order Fourier model improved the correctness of the description of the amorphous contribution for XRD data processing. The proposed equation may be used as a universal standard model of amorphous chitosan to determine the crystallinity index both for the amorphous standard method and for peak deconvolution of XRD patterns for arbitrary chitosan samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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Review

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21 pages, 2695 KiB

Open AccessReview

Smart Packaging Based on Polylactic Acid: The Effects of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Agents from Natural Extracts on Physical–Mechanical Properties, Colony Reduction, Perishable Food Shelf Life, and Future Prospective

by Halimatuddahliana Nasution, Hamidah Harahap, Elisa Julianti, Aida Safitri and Mariatti Jaafar

Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4103; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204103 - 16 Oct 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1828

Abstract

Changes in consumer lifestyles have raised awareness of a variety of food options and packaging technologies. Active and smart packaging is an innovative technology that serves to enhance the safety and quality of food products like fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat. Smart packaging, as a subset of this technology, entails the integration of additives into packaging materials, thereby facilitating the preservation or extension of product quality and shelf life. This technological approach stimulates a heightened demand for safer food products with a prolonged shelf life. Active packaging predominantly relies on the utilization of natural active substances. Therefore, the combination of active substances has a significant impact on the characteristics of active packaging, particularly on polymeric blends like polylactic acid (PLA) as a matrix. Therefore, this review will summarize how the addition of natural active agents influences the performance of smart packaging through systematic analysis, providing new insights into the types of active agents on physical–mechanical properties, colony reduction, and its application in foods. Through their integration, the market for active and smart packaging systems is expected to have a bright future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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25 pages, 1227 KiB

Open AccessReview

Effect of Non-Thermal Food Processing Techniques on Selected Packaging Materials

by Domagoj Gabrić, Mia Kurek, Mario Ščetar, Mladen Brnčić and Kata Galić

Polymers 2022, 14(23), 5069; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14235069 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1868

Abstract

In the last decade both scientific and industrial community focuses on food with the highest nutritional and organoleptic quality, together with appropriate safety. Accordingly, strong efforts have been made in finding appropriate emerging technologies for food processing and packaging. Parallel to this, an enormous effort is also made to decrease the negative impact of synthetic polymers not only on food products (migration issues) but on the entire environment (pollution). The science of packaging is also subjected to changes, resulting in development of novel biomaterials, biodegradable or not, with active, smart, edible and intelligent properties. Combining non-thermal processing with new materials opens completely new interdisciplinary area of interest for both food and material scientists. The aim of this review article is to give an insight in the latest research data about synergies between non-thermal processing technologies and selected packaging materials/concepts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers in Food Science)

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