Sustainable Exploitation of Sea Balls (Egagropili): A Review.

(L.) Delile is the main seagrass plant in the Mediterranean basin that forms huge underwater meadows. Its leaves, when decomposed, are transported to the coasts, where they create huge banquettes that protect the beaches from sea erosion.

Argan ( L.) Seed Oil Cake as a Potential Source of Protein-Based Film Matrix for Pharmaco-Cosmetic Applications.

Various different agri-food biomasses might be turned into renewable sources for producing biodegradable and edible plastics, potentially attractive for food, agricultural and cosmeceutical sectors. In this regard, different seeds utilized for edible and non-edible oil extraction give rise to high amounts of organic by-products, known as seed oil cakes (SOCs), potentially able to become protein-rich resources useful for the manufacturing of biodegradable films. This study reports the potential of SOC derived from (argan), a well-known plant containing valuable non-refined oil suitable for food or cosmetic use, to be a promising valuable source for production of a protein-based matrix of biomaterials to be used in the pharmaco-cosmetic sector.

Lignin/Carbohydrate Complex Isolated from Sea Balls (Egagropili): Characterization and Antioxidant Reinforcement of Protein-Based Films.

A lignin fraction (LF) was extracted from the sea balls of (egagropili) and extensively dialyzed and characterized by FT-IR and NMR analyses. LF resulted water soluble and exhibited a brownish-to-black color with the highest absorbance in the range of 250-400 nm, attributed to the chromophore functional groups present in the phenylpropane-based polymer. LF high-performance size exclusion chromatography analysis showed a highly represented (98.

Amylose/cellulose nanofiber composites for all-natural, fully biodegradable and flexible bioplastics.

Thermoplastic, polysaccharide-based plastics are environmentally friendly. However, typical shortcomings include lack of water resistance and poor mechanical properties. Nanocomposite manufacturing using pure, highly linear, polysaccharides can overcome such limitations.

Valorisation of Sea Balls (Egagropili) as a Potential Source of Reinforcement Agents in Protein-Based Biocomposites.

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NC) and a lignin-containing fraction (LF) were obtained from egagropili, the so called sea balls produced from rhizome and stem fragments of that accumulate in large amounts along the coastal beaches in the form of tightly packed and dry materials of various dimensions. Both egagropili fractions have been shown to be able to improve the physicochemical properties of biodegradable films prepared from protein concentrates derived from hemp oilseed cakes. These materials, manufactured with a biodegradable industrial by-product and grafted with equally biodegradable waste-derived additives, exhibited an acceptable resistance with a still high flexibility, as well as they showed an effective barrier activity against water vapor and gases (O and CO).

Hydrocolloid-Based Coatings with Nanoparticles and Transglutaminase Crosslinker as Innovative Strategy to Produce Healthier Fried Kobbah.

This study addresses the effect of coating solutions on fried kobbah. Coating solutions were made of pectin (PEC) and grass pea flour (GPF), treated or not with transglutaminase (TGase) and nanoparticles (NPs)-namely mesoporous silica NPs (MSN) or chitosan NPs (CH-NPs). Acrylamide content (ACR), water, oil content and color of uncoated (control) and coated kobbah were investigated.

Cross-Linked Amylose Bio-Plastic: A Transgenic-Based Compostable Plastic Alternative.

Bio-plastics and bio-materials are composed of natural or biomass derived polymers, offering solutions to solve immediate environmental issues. Polysaccharide-based bio-plastics represent important alternatives to conventional plastic because of their intrinsic biodegradable nature. Amylose-only (AO), an engineered barley starch with 99% amylose, was tested to produce cross-linked all-natural bioplastic using normal barley starch as a control.

All-natural bio-plastics using starch-betaglucan composites.

Grain polysaccharides represent potential valuable raw materials for next-generation advanced and environmentally friendly plastics. Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is processed using conventional plastic technology, such as casting, extrusion, and molding. However, to adapt the starch to specific functionalities chemical modifications or blending with synthetic polymers, such as polycaprolactone are required (e.

Higher susceptibility to amyloid fibril formation of the recombinant ovine prion protein modified by transglutaminase.

Prion proteins are known as the main agents of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies affecting humans as well as animals. A recombinant ovine prion protein was found to be in vitro able to act as an effective substrate for a microbial isoform of transglutaminase, an enzyme catalyzing the formation of isopeptide bonds inside the proteins. We proved that transglutaminase modifies the structure of the prion protein by leading to the formation of three intra-molecular crosslinks and that the crosslinked protein form is more competent in amyloid formation compared to the unmodified one.

Transglutaminase-mediated modification of ovomucoid: effects on its trypsin inhibitory activity and antigenic properties.

Hen egg can cause food hypersensitivity in infants and young children, and ovomucoid is the most allergenic factor among proteins contained in egg white. Since proteinase treatment, a well-recognized strategy in reducing food allergenicity, is ineffective when applied to ovomucoid because of its ability to act as trypsin inhibitor, we investigated the possibility of reducing the ovomucoid antiprotease activity and antigenic properties by covalently modifying its structure. The present paper reports data showing the ability of the Gln115 residue of ovomucoid to act as an acyl donor substrate for the enzyme transglutaminase and, as a consequence, to give rise to a covalent monodansylcadaverine conjugate of the protein in the presence of both enzyme and the diamine dansylated derivative.

Transglutaminase crosslinked pectin- and chitosan-based edible films: a review.

The production of biodegradable and edible films with desired mechanical characteristics and gas barrier properties represents one of the most advanced challenges in the field of food wrapping and coating. New edible films can serve not only to provide food with physical protection but also to reduce loss of their moisture, to restrict absorption of oxygen, to lessen migration of lipids, to improve their mechanical handling features, and as materials, to apply in direct contact with internal food to realize a multilayer food packaging. Polymers derived from natural products, like carbohydrates and proteins, offer the greatest opportunities as component of edible films since their biodegradability and environmental compatibility are assured and they can also supplement the nutritional value of specific foods.

Synthesis and resistance to in vitro proteolysis of transglutaminase cross-linked phaseolin, the major storage protein from Phaseolus vulgaris.

The ability of phaseolin to act as an acyl donor and acceptor substrate of transglutaminase was studied by using an enzyme isolated from Streptoverticillium mobarense. Phaseolin, a trimeric storage protein from Phaseolus vulgaris L., was shown to possess both glutamine and lysine residues reactive for the enzyme.