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Electrospinning is a simple, versatile method that employs an electrostatic force to produce fibers in the micro-to nanometer range using a wide variety of materials ranging from natural biopolymers to synthetics. Variations on the basic electrospinning set-up can be used to produce fibers demonstrating various morphological and functional properties advantageous for specific applications. Moreover, electrospun fibers created using naturally occurring polysaccharides have attracted much attention due to, but not limited to, their biological properties and sustainable sourcing. In this review, common variations on the basic electrospinning set-up are briefly discussed for their benefits in fiber morphology and upscaling capabilities. In depth, electrospun fibers made from polysaccharides; specifically alginate, cellulose, chitin and chitosan, starch, pullulan, hyaluronic acid, dextran, and levan; are discussed with an emphasis on the current research direction being taken for each of these materials. Moreover, current methods to increase electrospinnability for these polysaccharides are presented as well. Electrospun fibers can be specifically tailored for their function by the optimization of the electrospinning process and spinning dope. However, before the electrospinning process can be successfully upscaled on an industrial or commercial level, it is important to determine an effective method for increasing the rate of fiber production and, generally in the case of polysaccharides, increasing electrospinnability. Biopolymer fibers, specifically, demonstrate high potential in the biomedical field due to their biodegradability and compatibility properties. • Electrospinning technique is simple, versatile, and scalable. • Nanofibers successfully electrospun from various bio-based carbohydrate polymers. • Biopolymer nanofibers show many advantages for food and related applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the fine structure of starch and its gelatinization properties is not well studied, particularly in relation to the influence of sugar or sugar alcohol. In this study, seven starches with distinct molecular structures were investigated to determine how different sugars and sugar alcohols affect their gelatinization properties. The inclusion of sugars and sugar alcohols resulted in a significant elevation of starch gelatinization temperatures (∼ 8 °C), especially with sucrose, isomaltose and isomalt. Nevertheless, the influence of these sugars/ sugar alcohols on the gelatinization temperature range and enthalpy change varied depending on the particular starch varieties. According to the correlation analysis, sugars and sugar alcohols mainly exert their impact on the starch gelatinization temperature range and enthalpy change by possibly interacting with amylose chains possessing a degree of polymerization ranging from 100 to 1000 (p < 0.05) and inhibiting the amylose leaching during gelatinization. These findings help a better understanding of the complex relationship between starch fine structure and gelatinization properties under the influence of sugars and sugar alcohols. Possible mechanism how sugars and sugar alcohols affect starch gelatinization property. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, caffeine (CA) was encapsulated into food-grade starch matrices, including swelled starch (SS), porous starch (PS), and V-type starch (VS). The bitterness of the microcapsules and suppression mechanisms were investigated using an electronic tongue, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and the in vitro release kinetics of CA. All the CA-loaded microcapsules showed a lower bitterness intensity than the control. The MD results proved that the weak interactions between starch and CA resulted in a moderate CA release rate for SS-CA microcapsules. The PS-CA microcapsule presented the longest CA release, up to 40 min, whereas the VS-CA microcapsule completely released CA in 9 min. The CA release rate was found to be related to the microcapsule structure and rehydration properties. A low CA bitterness intensity could be attributed to a delay in the CA release rate and resistance to erosion of the microcapsules. The results of this work are valuable for improving starch-based microcapsules (oral-targeted drug-delivery systems) by suppressing the bitterness of alkaloid compounds. Unlabelled Image • Caffeine (CA) loaded in starch microcapsules could delay its release rate. • Porous starch loaded CA showed the slowest release rate. • The diffusion path and swelling ratio affect CA bitterness suppression. • CA bitterness suppression was influenced by intermolecular interactions and release rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, anthocyanin-loaded water 1 -in-oil-in-water 2 (W 1 /O/W 2) double Pickering emulsions stabilized by octenylsuccinate quinoa starch (OSQS) were optimized, and their storage stability and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion were evaluated. Novel starch-based double emulsions as anthocyanin cargos were achieved at 2% (w/v of oil) of polyglycerol polyricinoleate concentration, the W 1 /O volume proportion of 3:7, 6% (w/v of total volume) of OSQS concentration, and the volume proportion of (W 1 /O): W 2 = 6:4 and 5:5. CLSM results evidenced the formation of double Pickering emulsions, and the significant decreases in the encapsulation stability of anthocyanins were closely related to the increases in the droplet size induced by osmotic pressure. Less than 15% of anthocyanins in the double Pickering emulsions was released after incubated for 60 min under simulated stomach conditions; controlled-release of anthocyanins was observed during the 120 min of simulated intestinal digestion, consistent with starch hydrolysis data. These findings will be useful for designing starch-based double Pickering emulsion with intestinal-targeted delivery as a novel carrier of sensitive hydrophilic bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • OS-starch granules with different sizes for Pickering emulsifiers were prepared. • Octenylsuccinylation significantly improved the emulsifying capacity of starch granules. • Smaller particles of OS-starch granules exhibit better emulsifying capacity and storage stability. Abstract The present study aimed at investigating the effects of octenylsuccinylation and particle size on the emulsifying properties of starch granules as Pickering emulsifiers. Starch spherulites (1–5 μm), native rice starch (5–10 μm), waxy maize starch (10–20 μm) and waxy potato starch (20–30 μm) were modified with octenylsuccinic anhydride. Results showed that octenylsuccinylation caused a significant increase in the contact angle, and there was a weak positive linear correlation with the emulsifying capacity of the starch granules. After octenylsuccinylation, smaller particles of octenylsuccinate-starch granules exhibited better emulsifying properties with smaller droplet size and lower creaming index. Overall, both octenylsuccinylation and particle size have important effects on the emulsifying properties of starch granules as Pickering stabilizers. This study could be useful in the design and development of starch-based Pickering emulsifiers, and provide potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The development of emulsion gels has attracted increasing interests due to their potential applications as oil structuring templates and release-controlled carriers for sensitive lipid-soluble bioactive compounds. This work aimed to elucidate the importance of changing the degree of substitution (DS, 0.0072–0.0286) and oil volume fraction (Φ, 10–90%) to achieve octenylsuccinate (OS) quinoa starch granule-based Pickering emulsion gels. The gelation process, droplet size distribution, rheological properties and microstructure of Pickering emulsion gels formed at various DS and Φ values were evaluated. Octenylsuccinylation did not change the morphology or the granule size of quinoa starch but significantly increased the contact angle from 36.2° to 68.7°. OS quinoa starch granule-stabilized Pickering emulsion gels were formed at a DS of 0.0286 with Φ values ranging from 50 to 70%. At the Φ value of 70%, increasing DS progressively increased the apparent viscosity (η) and storage modulus (G′) of the emulsions as a result of the adsorption of more OS quinoa starch granules at the oil/water interface. Both η and G′ showed an increasing trend as a function of Φ (50–70%) at a DS value of 0.0286, and this was closely related to the microstructure of the formed emulsion gels. The network of OS quinoa starch-based Pickering emulsion gels at high Φ values (e.g., 60% and 70%) was mainly composed of compact "aggregated" oil droplets, which was largely attributed to the inter-droplet interactions. These results are of great help in understanding the gelling mechanism and the development of starch granule-based Pickering emulsion gels. Graphical abstract Image 1054545 Highlights • OSA modification enabled the efficient adsorption of quinoa starch at the oil/water interface. • Increasing oil volume fraction enhanced the extent of aggregation of oil droplets. • Inter-droplet interaction was responsible for the formation of Pickering emulsion gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swelled cornstarch granules incubated at different incubation temperatures was prepared as a complexation matrix to encapsulate lutein. Increasing incubation temperature (55–70 °C) induced the gelatinization of cornstarch, resulting in enhancement of swelling power (1.67–6.26 g/g) and lutein content (0.78–4.86 mg/g). A decreased (double helix of amylopectin) and an increased (single helix of V-amylose) enthalpy change were associated with the increased incubation temperature. The retention index of lutein in the composites incubated at 65 °C and 70 °C could achieve 76% after 21 days of storage. Less than 30% of lutein in the composites was released after incubating for 120 min under stomach conditions. Fast lutein release was observed during the first 20 min intestinal digestion, consistent with starch hydrolysis data. This study opens a promising pathway for swelled cornstarch granules as delivery carriers of bioactive ingredients, which are of vital importance for their potential use in the sensitive food supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition and starch characteristics of acorn ( Quercus glandulifera Bl. ) were studied. The moisture content of acorn seeds was 7.55%. The crude fat, crude protein, dietary fiber, total ash, and nitrogen-free extract contents of acorn seed were 4.20%, 10.16%, 2.95%, 0.03%, and 82.66%, respectively, on a dry weight basis. Linoleic, oleic, and palmitic were the most predominant fatty acids. UFA:SFA and SFA:MUFA:PUFA ratios were 2.6:1 and 1.25:1.34:1, respectively. The essential amino acid content from acorn seeds was low based on FAO reference values. Acorn seeds were a good source of Fe, Zn, and Mn. The contents of vitamins A and E were 1.40 mg RE/100 g and 10.78 mg/100 g, respectively. Starch extracted from acorn seeds had round, triangle, and elliptical morphology with granule size of 3.3–126.2 μm. The ratio between amylose and amylopectin contents was 25.39:72.94. Acorn starch had a typical A-type crystal pattern with 23.53% relative crystallinity. The gelatinization temperature was 66.53 °C and the transition enthalpy was 4.33 J/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual saliency prediction plays an important role in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) video analysis tasks. In this paper, an efficient saliency prediction model for UAV video is proposed based on spatial–temporal features, prior information and the relationship of frames. It can achieve high efficiency by designing a simplified network model. Since UAV videos usually cover a wide range of scenes containing various background disturbances, a cascading architecture module is proposed for feature extraction from coarse to fine, in which a saliency related feature sub-network is utilized to obtain useful clues from each frame, then a new convolution block is designed to capture spatial–temporal features. This structure can achieve advanced performance and high speed based on a 2D CNN framework. Moreover, a multi-stream prior module is proposed to model the bias phenomenon in viewing behavior for UAV video scenes. It can automatically learn prior information based on the video context, and can also combine other priors. Finally, based on the spatial–temporal features and learned priors, a temporal weighted average module is proposed to model the inter-frame relationship and generate the final saliency map, which can make the generated saliency maps look smoother in the temporal dimension. The proposed method is compared with 17 state-of-the-art models on two public UAV video saliency prediction datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that our model outperforms other competitors. Source code is available at: https://github.com/zhangkao/IIP_UAVSal_Saliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lauric acid was introduced into "Empty" V-type starch using a solid encapsulation method. The structural characteristics and emulsifying properties of the starch-fatty acid complex (SFAC) were explored as a function of the complexing temperature. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry confirmed that SFAC was mainly composed of type-I amylose inclusion complexes. Contact angle measurements revealed that the hydrophobic properties of SFAC were closely related to the temperature-regulated complex index. The particle size range of SFAC gradually increased as the complexing temperature increased. The SFAC-stabilized Pickering emulsion at c of 5% and Φ of 40–60% possessed a small droplet size and long-term storage stability for up to 30 days, resulting from the formation of a gel-like network. This study provides new insight into the design of hydrophobic modified starch as a novel and multifunctional emulsifier and is of great help in the development of starch-based Pickering emulsion gels. • Lauric acid was complexed with "Empty" V-type starch using a solid encapsulation method. • Complexing temperature dictated the structure and emulsifying properties of starch-fatty acid complex (SFAC). • SFAC stabilized Pickering emulsion stored up to 30 days and emulsion gel formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still unclear whether small left ventricle (LV) is an adverse structural prognostic feature in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between small LV and risk of cardiovascular events in AF population. From the China-AF registry, 7,764 patients with AF were enrolled and divided into groups with normal, small, and large LV size based on left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) measurement per the American Society of Echocardiography references. Cox models were used to assess the association between LV size or LVEDD with composite cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, ischemic stroke or systemic embolism, or major bleeding). There were 308 (4.0%) participants assessed with small LV who were older, with lower body mass and blood pressure, and fewer comorbidities, and 429 (5.5%) were identified with large LV. Compared with the normal LV group, small LV and large LV were significantly associated with higher incidence of composite cardiovascular events (adjusted HR [aHR]: 1.54 [95% CI: 1.07-2.20] for small LV; aHR: 1.36 [95% CI: 1.02-1.81] for large LV) and cardiovascular death (aHR: 1.94 [95% CI: 1.14-3.28] for small LV; aHR: 1.83 [95% CI: 1.24-2.69] for large LV). Small LV was also associated with increased risk of major bleeding [aHR: 2.21 [95% CI: 1.01-4.86]). A U-shaped relationship between LVEDD and composite cardiovascular events was identified (P nonlinear < 0.001). In a prospective AF cohort, small LV was independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, which needed consideration in risk stratification and management for patients with AF. (ChiCTR-OCH-13003729) [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Starch-based nanofibers successfully electrospun from aqueous dispersions • Addition of pullulan aided in electrospinning of octenylsuccinylated (OS) starch • Electrospinnability of OS starches dictated mainly by rheological properties • Spinnability map of OS starch and pullulan established We aimed to develop a greener process for dry-electrospinning food-grade modified starch through the elimination of organic solvents. The rheological properties and electrospinnability of aqueous dispersions of commercial octenylsuccinylated (OS) starches with various molecular weight (Mw) were investigated, yet only nanofibers with beads or defects could be obtained from OS starch with the highest Mw, i.e., Purity Gum@ Ultra (PGU). Further improvement in the fiber morphology was achieved by adding pullulan (PUL) as a minor component in the spinning dope. Smooth, continuous, and bead-free nanofibers (147-250 nm) were obtained from the PGU-PUL dispersions. Shown on an electrospinnability map, the successful electrospinning of 12%, 15%, and 20% (w/v) aqueous PGU dispersions required a minimum addition of 6%, 5%, and 3% (w/v) of PUL, respectively. The addition of PUL contributed to establishing sufficient molecular entanglement for electrospinning. This study provides a promising green process to produce starch-based nanofibers for use in various applications, e.g., drug delivery, wound dressing, and tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrophobic modified starch nanoparticles were fabricated through combined starch nanoprecipitation and complexation with zein, and their emulsifying behaviors were further evaluated as a Pickering emulsion stabilizer. Novel starch/zein nanocomposites with a unimodal particle distribution, mean diameter of 147.9 nm and contact angle of 83.0° were achieved. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that the zein was successfully complexed with the starch molecules. Dissociation test confirmed that electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding were the main driving forces for the formation and maintenance of the starch/zein nanocomposites. Complexing with zein endowed the starch nanoparticles with emulsion pH-responsive behavior, which could provide a simple and green pathway to pH-responsive materials that afford controlled release of bioactive ingredients with emulsion delivery and recyclable catalysis of enzymatic reactions. Image 1 • Novel starch/zein nanocomposites were successfully fabricated. • Complexation with zein achieved hydrophobic modification of starch. • Starch/zein ratio and reverse method dominated the formation of nanocomposites. • Starch/zein nanocomposites exhibited emulsion pH-responsive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Food-acceptable MOFs based on CDs were prepared to encapsulate menthol. • Differences of structure and characteristics among various CD-MOFs were compared. • β-CD-MOF showed apparently higher thermal stability than α-CD-MOF or γ-CD-MOF. • The menthol content in β-CD-MOF was 3–4 times greater than for other reported materials. Cyclodextrin (CD)-metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are developed as a new type of food-acceptable multi-porous material, which shows a great potential for controlled volatile compound release. This study aimed to synthesize CD-MOFs from potassium nitrate, crystallized with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), β-CD or γ-CD, and their complex capacities were further evaluated using menthol encapsulation. Compared with CD, all the CD-MOFs had highly ordered crystal structures and more regular shapes. β-CD-MOF showed better thermal stability, with an initial thermal degradation temperature of 253 °C, higher than the other two CD-MOFs. The CD-MOFs were used for menthol encapsulation and the resulting menthol concentration within the inclusion complexes (ICs) was determined. The menthol concentration in ICs followed the order: β-CD-MOF > β-CD > γ-CD-MOF > γ-CD > α-CD ≥ α-CD-MOF. The menthol content and encapsulation efficiency of β-CD-MOF were 21.76% (w/w) and 22.54% (w/w) respectively, significantly higher than those of other reported solid materials, such as amylose, CD and V-type starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octenylsuccinate quinoa starch (OSQS) granule that stabilized Pickering emulsion gel with different gel networks by modulating the oil volume fraction (Φ) was developed as a carrier for lutein. Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by OSQS were achieved at Φ values ranging from 30% to 60%. Increasing Φ progressively increased the droplet size, storage modulus, and apparent viscosity, resulting in the formation of gel-like structure. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that OSQS formed a densely packed layer at the oil/water interface, the degree of aggregation between droplets increased, and the gel network enhanced through droplet flocculation with increasing Φ. After 31 days of storage, the retention index of lutein in the emulsion gel could reach 55.38%, and the corresponding half-life times increased from 12 to 41 days. This study will be useful for designing starch-based Pickering emulsion gel with tunable gel network and desirable characteristics as delivery carrier of sensitive bioactive compounds. • Oil volume fraction modulated the gel network of starch-based emulsion gel. • Bridged droplets should be responsible for the formation of emulsion gel. • Compact gel network conferred superior storage stability to lutein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rheological, thermal and textural properties of batter are critical for the eating and processing quality of soft cake products. Wheat starch molecular structures play an important role on these properties. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis and size-exclusion chromatography were used to measure amylopectin and amylose chain-length distribution. The obtained data were fitted with two different biosynthesis-based models, resulting in few biologically-meaningful parameters. For cake batter, the rheological, thermal and textural properties were measured by rheometer, differential scanning calorimetry and texture analyser. The length of amylose intermediate to long chains and amylopectin long chains was significantly positively correlated with the viscoelasticity of cake batter. The length of long amylose chains showed a negative correlation with the frequency value of crossover point between G′ and G″ curves. Moreover, different combinations of long amylopectin and intermediate-long amylose chains contributed to the formation of multi-endothermic gelatinization peaks. From flour-water system to flour-lipid-protein system, the main factors determining rheological and thermal properties changed from short amylopectin to long amylopectin and intermediate-long amylose chains. This study provides the first associations between starch molecular fine structure and functional properties of cake batter, which could help food industry breed and select suitable wheat varieties for improved batter quality. [Display omitted] • The functional properties of flour-lipid cake batter were investigated in this study. • Long AP & medium and long AM chains are positively correlated with viscoelasticity. • Decrease of long AM chain length increases crossover point x value of rheology curves. • Cake batter shows two endothermic peaks in gelatinization curves. • Chain length distribution of AM is the determining factor for flour-lipid batter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Synthesis of the HKUST-1 with mesoporous structure. [•] Exploration of the new application of MOFs materials in uranium removal. [•] Development of a high-efficiency adsorbent for uranium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • The starches of three new varieties of corn cultivated by our team were investigated. • The structure and properties of 8 kinds of waxy, sweet waxy corn starch were studied. • The corn varieties that could replace waxy rice development products were identified. To explore the feasibility of substituting waxy rice with waxy or sweet-waxy corn, eight varieties of waxy and sweet-waxy corns were selected, including three self-cultivated varieties (Feng nuo 168, Feng nuo 211, and Feng nuo 10). Their starches were isolated and used as research objects, and commercially available waxy rice starch (CAWR) and waxy corn starch (CAWC) were used as controls. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, rapid viscosity analyzer, and rotational rheometer were used to analyze their physicochemical and structural characteristics. The morphologies of all corn starch granules were generally oval or round, with significant differences in particle size distributions. All ten starches exhibited a typical A-type crystal structure; however, their relative crystallinity varied from 20.08% to 31.43%. Chain length distribution analysis showed that the A/B ratio of Jing cai tian nuo 18 and Feng nuo 168 was similar to that of CAWR. Peak viscosities of corn starches were higher than that of CAWR, except for Feng nuo 10, while their setback values were lower than that of CAWR. Except for Feng nuo 10, the paste transparency of corn starches was higher than that of CAWR (10.77%), especially for Jing cai tian nuo 18 (up to 24%). In summary, Jing cai tian nuo 18 and Feng nuo 168 are promising candidates to replace CAWR in developing various rice-based products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of cinnamaldehyde essential oil (CEO), which is naturally antibacterial, has been limited due to its high volatility and insolubility in water. This issue may be addressed by nanoencapsulation through electrospinning. In this study, octenylsuccinylated starch (OSS) with different molecular structures blended with pullulan (PUL) was developed to load CEO for enhanced antibacterial potential. OSS with a smaller molecular size and a higher degree of substitution is beneficial for the electrospinning of OSS/PUL into high-quality nanofiber mats. The electrospinning process of OSS/PUL aqueous dopes is mainly influenced by moderate apparent viscosity, increased conductivity, and reduced surface tension. CEO loading through physical adsorption significantly changed the fiber microstructure and displayed antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , and Aspergillus flavus for electrospun OSS/PUL nanofiber mats. This study demonstrates that electrospun starch-based nanofiber mats with loading of essential oils could hold a potential application in active food packaging and wound dressing. [Display omitted] • Electrospinning of OSS with different molecular structure and PUL was explored. • Electrospinnability map of OSS/PUL aqueous dopes was studied systematically. • OSS with smaller R h and higher DS is beneficial for blending electrospinning. • CEO loading significantly improved the antibacterial activity of fiber mats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The off-odor of seafood, which negatively affected its flavor and quality, was removed mainly by non-recyclable liquid-phase deodorization methods at present. In this work, octenylsuccinylated starch (OSS)-pullulan (PUL) nanofiber mats were regenerated after physical adsorption and thermal desorption of off-odor compounds in oyster peptides. The mat structure was characterized and the adsorption process was investigated. The regenerated nanofiber mats maintained a favorable appearance and microscopic morphology even after 25 adsorption-desorption cycles, with a reduction in average fiber diameter and average pore area, an increase in hydrophobicity and alterations in surface groups. Their adsorption rate first decreased and then stabilized as the number of cycles increased and was as high as 81.76% after 25 cycles. Correlation analysis revealed that the adsorption efficiency of regenerated nanofiber mats was related to their microstructure, surface groups and hydrophobicity. These findings could provide a theoretical basis for odor removal by electrospun nanofiber mats and their recycling. [Display omitted] • Nanofiber mat maintained a good morphology after thermal regeneration for 25 cycles. • Adsorption of fiber mat showed first decreased then stabilized as cycles increased. • Adsorption efficiency of mat was related to its microstructure and surface groups. • Adsorption of mat for alcohols was negatively correlated with its hydrophobicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hierarchical β-Ni(OH)2 hollow microspheres with partial open gaps have successfully been prepared via a facile hydrothermal process with the assistance of l-lysine. The as-prepared products have been characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption/desorption, respectively. The results reveal that the sample consists of a large scale of porous microspheres which is composed of nanosheets. A possible growth mechanism is proposed including the initial formation of hierarchical hollow microspheres aggregated from nuclei and the subsequent site-specific oriented growth of nanosheets by self-assembly along a preferred growth direction of [101] at the growth state. It is found that l-lysine used as a crystal growth modifier plays a key role in the formation of this hierarchical structure. This special structure is also responsible for the obvious enhancement of electrochemical properties, which exhibits a high specific capacitance of 1398.5Fg−1 at a current density of 5mAcm−2 and excellent cycling stability. This hollow microspheres display great potential as electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Oyster peptides usually have strong off-flavors, which seriously affect the acceptability and application of products. Electrospinning of three commercial octenylsuccinylated (OS) starches (Purity Gum Ultra (PGU), Hi-Cap 100 (HC100) and Purity Gum 2000 (PG2000)) and pullulan (PUL) may be a potential method of adsorbing the odor of oyster peptides, which is simple, green and sustainable. All the electrospun PUL-OS starch fiber mats had an excellent white appearance with smooth, continuous, bead-free and randomly oriented nanofibers (70–240 nm). The adsorption rates of PUL-PGU, PUL-HC100 and PUL-PG2000 nanofiber mats for the volatile compounds of oyster peptides were 50.58%, 34.36% and 20.88%, respectively, attributing to physical adsorption evidenced by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A significant positive correlation was observed between the pore areas of nanofiber mats and the adsorption rates of acids and alkanes, which may be related to the formation of π-complexes on the nanofiber surface. For the first time, we demonstrated that the starch-based nanofiber mats prepared using a green process can improve the flavors of marine products. [Display omitted] • Electrospinning map of octenylsuccinylated (OS) starch-pullulan was extended. • Nanofiber mats were used to adsorb the odors of oyster peptides in a solid phase. • Oyster peptides' odors were improved by a physical adsorption from nanofiber mats. • Nanofiber mats had an obvious superiority in adsorbing acids and alkanes. • Adsorption rates of odors were dictated mainly by pore areas of nanofiber mats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]