Special Issue:Carbohydrate Hydrocolloids in Food Systems:from Structure to Human Health

Preface Carbohydrate hydrocolloids mainly refer to the carbohydrate polymers and oligomers that can form colloidal systems when dispersed in water.A great variety of these poly saccharides and oligosaccharides are used as functional food additives,such as starch,modified starch,pectin,xanthan,carrageenans,gellan gum,alginate,galactomannans(e.g.,guar gum and locust bean gum),gum Arabic or acacia gum,gum karaya,gum tragacanth,carboxymethyl cellulose,and various oligosaccharides,to name but a few.

Characterization and stability of sedimentary colloids in different ecology regions in Taihu Lake

Colloidal particles,heterogeneous mixture with various organic components and continuous molecular weight(MW)distribution,is omnipresent in lake sediments and substantially influence the retention,transportation,and fate of contaminants in lake ecosystem.We sampled and extracted sedimentary colloids from different ecology regions in Taihu Lake,Jiangsu,East China,in June 2020,and they were further separated into four different particle size ranges by tangent ultrafiltration,and the properties of colloids were studied in various methods,including zeta potential analysis,transmission electron micrograph images(TEM),Fourier transformation infrared(FTIR),and 3D fluorescence.Results show that the surface of the colloids is covered with organic macromolecular substances,such as humuslike substances and protein-like substances.There were significant differences in molecular weight and fraction content of colloids in the sediments from macrophyte-dominant(MD)area and algae-dominant(AD)area in the lake.Colloids from MD area are mainly composed of humic acid,protein,and fulvic acid;the content of fulvic acid is lower than that of humic acid and protein.The humic acid exists mainly in small molecular weight(10-100 kDa),protein exists in mainly large molecular weight colloids(0.45-1μm).Colloids from AD area are mainly composed of humic acid,and mainly distributed in the molecular weight(10 kDa-0.45μm).The presence of humic acid inhibits effectively the agglomeration of the colloids.Especially,the stability of colloids is closely related to the molecular weight,with low molecular weight from MD area show higher stability.The existence of humic acid in colloids increases the electrostatic repulsion between colloidal particles,which can effectively inhibit the agglomeration of colloids,thus enhancing the stability of colloids.Furthermore,both monovalent and divalent electrolytes enhance colloidal aggregation,and the low-molecular-weight(LMW)colloid fraction exhibits higher stability efficiency than the high-molecular-weight(HMW)colloidal.

Cr^(Ⅵ) adsorption on four typical soil colloids: equilibrium and kinetics

It is observed that the adsorption of chromium are greater on kaolinite minerals, red soil (R) and laterite (L) colloids than that on montmorillonite, indicotic black (IB) and yellow brown (YB) soil colloids. The adsorption process of Cr Ⅵ on these media can be further described by Langmuir or Freundlich equation quite well. The adsorption reaction of Cr Ⅵ is fast, and the adsorption equilibrium can be reached within the first two hours in moderate temperature. The adsorption quantity of Cr Ⅵ to kaolinite mineral increased with the increasing pH in the range of 2.0 to 7.0, then decreased at higher pH. But it showed some consistence among the four soil colloids. The lower the pH, the stronger the adsorption. The possible mechanisms are further discussed here. Meanwhile the influence of temperature on Cr Ⅵ adsorption on different soil colloid and clay minerals are also investigated.

PREPARATION OF POLYMER MICROSPHERES WITH PYRIDYL GROUP AND THEIR STABILIZED GOLD METALLIC COLLOIDS

Narrow disperse poly（ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine） （poly（EGDMA-co-4-VPy）） microspheres were prepared by distillation-precipitation copolymerization of ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate （EGDMA） and 4-vinylpyridine （4-VPy） with 2,2＇-azobisisobutyronitrile （AIBN） as initiator in neat acetonitrile. The polymer microspheres containing pyridyl group were then utilized as stabilizer for gold metallic colloids with the diameter around 7 nm, which were prepared by the in situ reduction of gold chloride trihydrate with sodium borohydride through the coordination of the pyridyl group on the gel layer and surface of the microsphere with the gold metallic nano-particles. The catalytic properties of the pyridyl- functionalized microsphere-stabilized gold metallic colloids and the behavior of the stabilized-catalyst for the recycling were investigated with reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol as a model reaction.

SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTRA OF p-AMINOBENZOIC ACID ADSORBED ON Ag2CO3 COLLOIDS

It was observed that the p-aminobenzoic acid(PABA)molecules adsorbed on A92CO3 colloids exhibited strong SERS effect,the enhancement factor is estimated at 10~7—10~8 The mechanism of SERS effect on PABA adsorbed on the colloids was discussed.

DEPLETION POTENTIAL OF COLLOIDS: A DIRECT SIMULATION STUDY

The depletion interaction between a big sphere and a hard wall and between two big hard spheres in a hard sphere colloidal sytem was studied by the Monte Carlo method. Direct simulation of free energy difference was performed by means of the Acceptance Ratio Method (ARM).

SYNTHESIS OF POLYMER-STABILIZED RUTHENIUM COLLOIDS BY LOW BOILING POINT ALCOHOL REDUCTION

Stable and well-dispersed poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP)-stabilized ruthenium colloidal clusters wereprepaxed via the reduction of ruthenium(III) chloride by refluxing with low boiling point alcohols. Investigation of the size ofRu colloids by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that the average diametes could be controlled in the rangeof 1.2-1.6 nm with relative standard deviations of less than 0.33 by changing the molar ratio of PVP to Ru. The X-rayphotoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization verified the formation of elemental ruthenium colloids.

Effect of TiO_2 Nanoparticles on Photochromism of WO_3 Colloids

WO2 and TiO2 colMds were synthesized by the hydrolysis technique and part of the TiO2 colloid was treated by means of the hydrothermal method. The photochromic performances of the resulting materials obtained via combining the WO3 colloid with the treated TiO2 colloid and the non-treated TiO2 colloid, respectively, are very different. The TiO2 colloid without hydrothermal treatment can effectively improve the photochromic performance of the WO3colloid. The TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated in detail by XRD, TEM, surface photovohage spectra（SPS） and field-induced surface photovoltage spectrometry（FISPS）. The photochromism mechanism of WO3 colloid is discussed.

Effect of Aqueous Colloids on Arsenic Geochemistry:Evidences from Ultrafiltration of High Arsenic Groundwater in the Hetao Basin,Inner Mongolia

Groundwater colloidal particles are believed to affect element geochemical behavior in groundwaters, which would mobilize trace element in the groundwater system.Investigation of As geochemisttry as impacted by colloids was carried out by using ultrafiltration technology in the Hetao basin,Inner Mongolia.Six groundwater sampling points have been chosen,including five with high As concentration (】100μg/L) and one with low As concentra-

INFLUENCES OF SEVERAL SOIL COLLOIDS ON THE ADSORPTION AND PROPERTIES OF UREASE ENZYME

The present experiment was designed to elucidate the effects of the sterilized colloids separated from red soil,latosol and yellow brown soil,which are the typical zonal soils in central-south China, on the adsorption,activity,kinetic parameters and thermal stability of urease enzyme which plays significant role in the transformation of soil nitrogen compounds. Results show that the amount of enzyme adsorbed on the examined soil colloids followed the order: yellow brown soil>red soil=latosol. The residual activities of enzyme in different colloid systems are in the following sequence:red soil>latosol> yellow brown soil. The thermal stability of adsorbed enzyme is higher than that of free enzyme. The enzyme immobilized on yellow brown soil colloid had the highest stability at elevated temperature from 60 to 80℃. Both of the free and immobilized urease obey Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The Km values of immobilized urease (13. 5-20. 8 mM) on different soil colloids examined were in the same order of magnitude as that of free urease (9. 3mM). The kinetic constant of immobilized enzyme suggests that urease adsorbed on yellow brown soil colloid has a greater affinity for substrate. The Ku and Vmax values also indicate a mixed type of enzyme inhibition for the examined soil colloids. These results provide basic evidences for the understanding of the properties and kinetics of soil enzymes in tropic and subtropic regions.

SYNTHESIS OF POLYMER-STABILIZED PLATINUM/RUTHENIUM BIMETALLIC COLLOIDS AND THEIR CATALYTIC PROPERTIES FOR SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF CROTONALDEHYDE

Polymer-stabilized platinum/ruthenium bimetallic colloids （Pt/Ru） were synthesized by polyol reduction with microwave irradiation and characterized by TEM and XPS. The colloidal nanoparticles have small and narrow size distributions. Catalytic performance of the Pt/Ru colloidal catalysts was investigated on the selective hydrogenation of crontonaldehyde （CRAL）. A suitable amount of the added metal ions and base can improve the selectivity of CRAL to crotylalcohol （CROL） remarkably. The catalytic activity and the selectivity are dependent on the compositions of bimetallic colloids. Thereinto, PVP-stabilized 9Pt/1Ru colloid with a molar ratio of metals Pt：Ru = 9：1 shows the highest catalytic selectivity 77.3% to CROL at 333 K under 4.0 MPa of hydrogen.

Organo-mineral complexes in soil colloids:Implications for carbon storage in saline-alkaline paddy soils from an eight-year field experiment

The combination of organic carbon(OC) and reactive minerals is a crucial mechanism of soil carbon(C) storage, which is regulated by the formation of organo-mineral complexes on the surface of soil colloids. The effect of organic fertilizer on the storage mechanism of OC in soil colloids was studied through an 8-year field experiment, which included four treatments: i) no fertilization(control, CK), ii) only mineral N, P, and K fertilization(NPK), iii) NPK plus a low level(450 kg C ha^(-1)year^(-1)) of organic fertilization(NPKC1), and iv) NPK plus a high level(900 kg C ha^(-1)year^(-1)) of organic fertilization(NPKC2). The main results indicated that organic fertilizer addition significantly increased the content of aromatic-C, which was 158.7% and 140.0% higher in soil colloids than in bulk soil in the NPKC1 and NPKC2 treatments, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further demonstrated that the relative proportion of C=C group on the surface of soil colloids was increased by 20.1% and 19.1% in the NPKC1 and NPKC2 treatments, respectively,compared with the CK. In addition, compared with the NPK treatment, the content of reactive minerals(such as Fe and Al oxides) significantly increased with organic fertilization, which was positively correlated with C=C group in soil colloids. This indicates that aromatic-C may be retained by the formation of aromatic-mineral complexes with reactive minerals in soil colloids. Organic fertilization also significantly increased OC storage efficiency(OCSE), which was significantly higher in the NPKC1 treatment than in the NPKC2 treatment. Therefore, a moderate amount of organic fertilizer application is a better agronomic practice to increase OCSE and OC storage in saline-alkaline paddy soils.

A review on marine collagen:sources,extraction methods,colloids properties,and food applications

The growing interest in valorizing industrial by-products has led researchers to focus on exploring different sources and optimizing collagen extraction conditions over the past decade.While bovine hide,cattle bones,pork,and pig skins remain the most abundant collagen sources,there is a growing trend in the industrial utilization of collagen from non-mammalian species.This review explores alternative marine collagen sourcesand summarizes emerging trends in collagen recovery from marine sources,with a particular focus on environmentally friendly methods.Additionally,this review covers the colloidal structure-forming properties of marine collagens,including foam,film,gel,and emulsion formation.It also highlights the potential and important applications of marine collagen in various food products.Based on the currently reported marine sources,collagens extracted from fish,jellyfish,and sea cucumbers were found to have the highest yield and mostly comprised type-l collagen,while crustaceans and mollusks yielded lower percentages of collagen.Traditional extraction techniques isolate collagen based on acetic acid and pepsin treatment,but they come with drawbacks such as being time-consuming,causing sample destruction,and using solvents.Conversely,marine collagen extracted using conventional methods assisted with ultrasonication resulted in higher yields and strengthened the triple-stranded helical structures.Recently,an increasing number of new applications have been found in the food industry for marine collagens,such as biodegradable film-forming materials,colloid stabilizers,foaming agents,and micro-encapsulating agents.Furthermore,collagen is a modern foodstuff and is extensively used in the beverage,dairy,and meat industries to increase the stability,consistency,and elasticity of products.

Surface charge property governing co-transport of illite colloids and Eu(Ⅲ) in saturated porous media

The transport of colloids and radionuclides is sophisticated because of the variety of charge properties between colloidal particles and host subsurface media, which causes great difficulty in establishing a reliable model of radionuclides migration by taking the colloid phase into consideration. In this work,the co-transport of illite colloids(IC) and Eu(Ⅲ) in the quartz sand and iron-coated sand porous media was investigated by column experiments to address the predominant mechanism of charge properties on co-transport. Results showed that Eu(Ⅲ) transport was driven by the illite colloids and electrostatic interaction was critical in governing the co-transport patterns. The promotion of Eu(Ⅲ) transport by IC was attenuated in the iron-coated sand systems;more IC-Eu(Ⅲ) complexes were retained uniformly in the column. The pore throat shrinkage caused by electrostatic attachment between aggregated IC and iron oxides exacerbated the physical straining and size exclusion effect of IC-Eu(Ⅲ) complexes. An aggravated irreversible retention of IC-Eu(Ⅲ) was detected in iron-coated sand column due to the electrostatic attraction of IC-Eu(Ⅲ) to host media. The findings are essential for improving the understanding on the potential transport, retention and release risk of colloids associated radionuclides, and imply that the positively charged permeable reactive barrier is an effective strategy to reduce the transport risk of colloid associated radionuclides.

Effects of humic acid and surfactants on the aggregation kinetics of manganese dioxide colloids

The aggregation of common manganese diox- ide （MnO2） colloids has great impact on their surface reactivity and therefore on their fates as well as associated natural and synthetic contaminants in engineered （e.g. water treatment） and natural aquatic environments. Nevertheless, little is known about the aggregation kinetics of MnO2 colloids and the effect of humic acid （HA） and surfactants on these. In this study, the early stage aggregation kinetics of MnO2 nanoparticles in NaNO3 and Ca（NO3）2 solutions in the presence of HA and surfactants （i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate （SDS）, and polyvinylpyrrolidone （PVP）） were modeled through time-resolved dynamic light scattering. In the presence of HA, MnO2 colloids were significantly stabilized with a critical coagulation concentration （CCC） of-300mmol · L-1 NaNO3 and 4 mmol.L-1 Ca（NO3）2. Electrophoretic mobility （EPM） measurements confirmed that steric hindrance may be primarily responsible for increasing colloidal stability in the presence of HA. Moreover, the molecular and/or chemical properties of HA might impact its stabilizing efficiency. In the case of PVP, only a slight increase of aggregation kinetics was observed, due to steric reactions originating from adsorbed layers of PVP on the MnO2 surface. Consequently, higher CCC values were obtained in the presence of PVP. However, there was a negligible reduction in MnO2 colloidal stability in the presence of 20 mg·L-1SDS.

Biochar colloids and their use in contaminants removal

In this study, we report on the extraction, characterization, and potential applications of colloidal biochar derived from pyrolyzed wood-an untapped source of carbonaceous particles.A series of characterizations was performed on biochar colloids to unravel their colloidal properties and surface chemistry through which it was found that they have a net negative charge and are stable between pH 3 and 10.Moreover,our initial toxicity tests showed that biochar colloids themselves are not toxic and they can be used in remediation applications,which led us to investigate(1)their copper sorption,a model inorganic contaminant,in a scenario that biochar colloids are released into the environment and(2)their potential use in organic pollutants adsorption and degradation.Copper sorption studies showed that biochar colloids have a copper sorption capacity as high as 22 mg g^(−1) in sub-ppm copper solutions.This increased the acute 48 h lethal concentration(LC50)of copper for Daphnia magna by 21 ppb,which is comparable to the previously reported effect by dissolved organic matter.Adsorption and degradation of methylene blue(MB),an often-used proxy for organic contaminants in water,were studied by coupling the biochar colloids to positively charged TiO_(2) nanoparticles and using it as a photocatalyst.The hybrid MB photodegradation efficiency was 21%higher than that of TiO_(2) nanoparticles alone.Enhancement of demethylation is proposed as the main degradation mechanism of MB,as confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy(LC/MS),and the positive impact of biochar colloids is ascribed to their abundant adsorption sites,which may facilitate MB adsorption and its photocatalytic degradation.

Dynamic nano-Ag colloids cytotoxicity to and accumulation by Escherichia coli:Effects of Fe^3+,ionic strength and humic acid

Released Ag ions or/and Ag particles are believed to contribute to the cytotoxicity of Ag nanomaterials,and thus,the cytotoxicity and mechanism of Ag nanomaterials should be dynamic in water due to unfixed Ag particle:Ag+ ratios.Our recent research found that the cytotoxicity of PVP-Ag nanoparticles is attributable to Ag particles alone in 3 hr bioassays,and shifts to both Ag particles and released Ag^+ in 48 hr bioassays.Herein,as a continued study,the cytotoxicity and accumulation of 50 and 100 nm Ag colloids in Escherichia coli were determined dynamically.The cytotoxicity and mechanisms of nanoAg colloids are dynamic throughout exposure and are derived from both Ag ions and particles.Ag accumulation by E.coli is derived mainly from extracellular Ag particles during the initial 12 hr of exposure,and thereafter mainly from intracellular Ag ions.Fe^3+ accelerates the oxidative dissolution of nano-Ag colloids,which results In decreasing amounts of Ag particles and particle-related toxicity.Na^+ stabilizes nano-Ag colloids,thereby decreasing the bioavailability of Ag particles and particle-related toxicity.Humic acid(HA) binds Ag^+ to form Ag^+-HA,decreasing ion-related toxicity and binding to the E.coli surface,decreasing particle-related toxicity.HA in complex conditions showed a stronger relative contribution to toxicity and accumulation than Na^+ or Fe^3+.The results highlighted the cytotoxicity and mechanism of nano-Ag colloids are dynamic and affected by environmental factors,and therefore exposure duration and water chemistry should be seriously considered in environmental and health risk assessments.

Effects of low molecular weight organic acids on aggregation behavior of biochar colloids at acid and neutral conditions

Low molecular weight organic acids(LMWOAs),as active components in the rhizosphere carbon cycling,may influence the environmental behaviors of biochar colloids.This study selected the pine-wood and wheat-straw biochars(PB and WB)as two typical biochars.The effects of typical LMWOAs(oxalic acid,citric acid,and malic acid)on aggregation kinetics of PB and WB colloids were investigated under pH 4 and 6 conditions.Critical coagulation concentrations(CCCs)of both PB and WB colloids were decreased with the LMWOAs regardless of the types of biochar and the solution pH,and the most significant effect occurred in pH 4 due to more LMWOAs sorption on the biochar colloids.The different types of LMWOAs caused various CCCs changes.For example,the CCC values of PB colloids decreased from 75 mM to 56,52,and 47 mM in the pH 4 NaCl solutions when 1 mM oxalic acid,citric acid,and malic acid were present in the suspensions,respectively.The chemical structure(functional groups)and molecular weight of LMWOAs,solution pH,and the electrophoretic mobility(EPM)of biochar co-influence the interactions between biochar colloids and LMWOAs,thus affecting the stability of biochar colloids in the presence of LMWOAs.The presence of LMWOAs accelerated the aggregation of colloidal biochar by increasing the interaction of surface bridging bonds(hydrogen bonding)and decreasing the repulsive force between colloidal biochar particles.This study showed that LMWOAs could accelerate the aggregation of biochar colloids in acidic or neutral environments and reduce the mobility of biochar colloids in soil rhizosphere.

Bio-inspired Hydroxyapatite/Gelatin Transparent Nanocomposites

Hydroxyapatite(HA)nanoparticles impart outstanding mechanical properties to organicinorganic nanocomposites in bone.Inspired by the composite structure of HA nanoparticles and collagen in bone,a high performance HA/gelatin nanocomposite was first developed.The nanocomposites have much better mechanical properties(elongation at break 29.9%,tensile strength 90.7 MPa,Young’s modulus 5.24 GPa)than pure gelatin films(elongation at break 9.3%,tensile strength 90.8 MPa,Young’s modulus 2.5 GPa).In addition,the composite films keep a high transmittance in visible wavelength range from 0%to 60%of the HA solid content.These differences in properties are attributed to the homogeneous distribution of HA nanoparticles in the gelatin polymer matrix and the strong interaction between the particle surfaces and the gelatin molecules.This protocol should be promising for HA-based nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties for biomedical applications.

An oxygenating colloidal bioink for the engineering of biomimetic tissue constructs

Ensuring a sufficient oxygen supply is pivotal for the success of bioprinting applications since it fosters tissue integration and natural regeneration.Variation in oxygen concentration among diverse tissues necessitates the precise recreation of tissue-specific oxygen levels in imprinted constructs to support the survival of targeted cells.Although oxygen-releasing biomaterials,such as oxygen-generating microparticles(OMPs),have shown promise for enhancing the oxygen supply of microenvironments in injured tissues,whether this approach is scalable for large tissues and whether tissue-specific bioinks with varying OMP concentrations remain printable remain unknown.This study addresses this critical gap by introducing an innovative class of engineered oxygenated bioinks that combine colloidal-based microgels with OMPs.We report that incorporating nanosized calcium peroxide(nCaO_(2))and manganese oxide nanosheets(nMnO_(2))into hydrophobic polymeric microparticles enables precise modulation of oxygen release while controlling hydrogen peroxide release.Moreover,the fabrication of oxygenating and cytocompatible colloidal gels is achieved using an aqueous two-phase system.This study thoroughly evaluates the fundamental characteristics of the resulting bioink,including its rheological behaviors,printability,shape fidelity,mechanical properties,and oxygen release properties.Moreover,this study demonstrates the macroscopic scalability and cytocompatibility of printed constructs produced via cell-laden oxygenating colloidal bioinks.By showcasing the effectiveness of extrusion-based bioprinting,this study underscores how it can be used to fabricate biomimetic tissues,indicating its potential for new applications.The findings presented here advance the bioprinting field by achieving scalability with both high cell viability and the possibility of mimicking specifically oxygenated tissues.This work thereby offers a promising avenue for the development of functional tissues with enhanced physiological relevance.