Enhancing the characteristics of bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia) starch aerogels through cold plasma treatment and physical cross-linking

IF 3.7 Q2 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NFS Journal Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-07 DOI:10.1016/j.nfs.2026.100260

Mahsa Rastehmanfard , Sara Hedayati , Seyed Mohammad Hashem Hosseini , Mahboubeh Fazaeli , Mehrdad Niakousari

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Abstract

This study concentrated on the fabrication and evaluation of four types of aerogels derived from bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia) starch (BVS). These include the conventional native starch aerogel (CNSA), the conventional plasma-treated starch aerogel (CPSA), the physically cross-linked native starch aerogel (PNSA), and the physically cross-linked plasma-treated starch aerogel (PPSA). Cold plasma treatment caused notable modifications in the properties of BVS starch, while leaving its functional groups unchanged, as verified by Raman and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. Rheological assessments (G′ and G″) indicated that starch treated with plasma developed a weak gel, whereas scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images displayed surface cavities and fissures caused by plasma etching. Despite the crystalline structure being preserved, there was a slight reduction in crystallinity from 21% to 19%. Textural evaluation demonstrated a decrease in springiness following plasma treatment. Subsequent to these processes, aerogels were produced utilizing both native and cold plasma-treated BVS via conventional and physical cross-linking methods. SEM images revealed a porous structure in aerogels that was developed due to water evaporation during the freeze-drying process. FT-IR spectra exhibited the majority of characteristic bands, although some were absent, likely as a result of gelatinization. X-ray diffraction revealed that the aerogels were more amorphous in nature compared to their starch precursors. PPSA demonstrated the highest hardness, the greatest surface area, the least mass loss following a week of water immersion, and exceptional thermal properties. These results indicate that the integration of cold plasma treatment with physical cross-linking markedly enhances the functional and structural attributes of BVS aerogels, highlighting their potential for advanced material applications.

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通过冷等离子体处理和物理交联提高苦紫薇淀粉气凝胶的特性

本文主要研究了苦紫薇淀粉（BVS）制备的四种气凝胶的制备及性能评价。这些包括传统的天然淀粉气凝胶（CNSA）、传统的等离子体处理淀粉气凝胶（CPSA）、物理交联的天然淀粉气凝胶（PNSA）和物理交联的等离子体处理淀粉气凝胶（PPSA）。通过拉曼和傅里叶变换红外（FT-IR）分析证实，冷等离子体处理引起了BVS淀粉性质的显著改变，而其官能团不变。流变学评估（G '和G″）表明，等离子体处理的淀粉形成了弱凝胶，而扫描电子显微镜（SEM）图像显示等离子体蚀刻引起的表面空洞和裂缝。尽管晶体结构被保留了下来，但结晶度从21%略微下降到19%。质地评价显示血浆处理后弹性降低。在这些工艺之后，通过常规和物理交联方法，利用原生和冷等离子体处理的BVS生产气凝胶。扫描电镜图像显示气凝胶中的多孔结构是由于冷冻干燥过程中水分蒸发而形成的。FT-IR光谱显示了大多数特征波段，尽管有些特征波段不存在，可能是糊化的结果。x射线衍射显示，与淀粉前体相比，气凝胶在性质上更无定形。PPSA表现出最高的硬度、最大的表面积、浸泡一周后的最小质量损失和优异的热性能。这些结果表明，冷等离子体处理与物理交联的结合显著增强了BVS气凝胶的功能和结构属性，突出了其在先进材料应用中的潜力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

NFS Journal Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Food Science

CiteScore

11.10

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

29 days

期刊介绍： The NFS Journal publishes high-quality original research articles and methods papers presenting cutting-edge scientific advances as well as review articles on current topics in all areas of nutrition and food science. The journal particularly invites submission of articles that deal with subjects on the interface of nutrition and food research and thus connect both disciplines. The journal offers a new form of submission Registered Reports (see below). NFS Journal is a forum for research in the following areas: • Understanding the role of dietary factors (macronutrients and micronutrients, phytochemicals, bioactive lipids and peptides etc.) in disease prevention and maintenance of optimum health • Prevention of diet- and age-related pathologies by nutritional approaches • Advances in food technology and food formulation (e.g. novel strategies to reduce salt, sugar, or trans-fat contents etc.) • Nutrition and food genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics • Identification and characterization of food components • Dietary sources and intake of nutrients and bioactive compounds • Food authentication and quality • Nanotechnology in nutritional and food sciences • (Bio-) Functional properties of foods • Development and validation of novel analytical and research methods • Age- and gender-differences in biological activities and the bioavailability of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals and other dietary factors • Food safety and toxicology • Food and nutrition security • Sustainability of food production