Preparation and Characterization of Electrospun Polysaccharide FucoPol-Based Nanofiber Systems.

The electrospinnability of FucoPol, a bacterial exopolysaccharide, is presented for the first time, evaluated alone and in combination with other polymers, such as polyethylene oxide (PEO) and pullulan. The obtained fibers were characterized in terms of their morphological, structural and thermal properties. Pure FucoPol fibers could not be obtained due to FucoPol's low water solubility and a lack of molecular entanglements.

Application of essential oils and polyphenols as natural antimicrobial agents in postharvest treatments: Advances and challenges.

The use of natural antimicrobial agents is an attractive ecological alternative to the synthetic fungicides applied to control pathogens during postharvest. In order to improve industrial production systems, postharvest research has evolved toward integration with science and technology aspects. Thus, the present review aims to draw attention to the achieved advances and challenges must be overcome, to promote application of essential oils and polyphenols as antimicrobial agents, against phytopathogens and foodborne microorganisms during postharvest.

Characterization and antifungal activity of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) leaf extract obtained using conventional and emerging technologies.

With the current agro-food industry demands for more environmentally-friendly production, the use of natural antifungal compounds extracted by emerging technologies led to a sustainable alternative to control microorganisms. Therefore, the present work aimed to: (i) determine antifungal activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Penicillium italicum of jackfruit leaf extracts obtained by different methods, and (ii) identify compounds by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. Microwave (MAE), high-hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and ultrasound (UAE) assisted extractions were tested, followed by fractionation with different polarity solvents.