Carbohydrate Polymers最新文献

{"title":"Cyclodextrin-enhanced edible coatings for extending shelf life of perishable foods: A comprehensive review with emphasis on fruits and vegetables","authors":"Pitt Supaphol ,&nbsp;Pairayaphak Ngamplang","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125063","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125063","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global food loss—approximately one-third of all production—demands innovative preservation technologies. Cyclodextrin (CD)-enhanced edible coatings offer a promising sustainable solution combining biodegradability, food-grade safety, and multifunctional preservation capabilities. This review systematically examines CD inclusion complex technology in edible coatings for fruits and vegetables, analyzing how different CD types (α-, β-, γ-CD and modified derivatives) affect encapsulation efficiency, release kinetics, and preservation efficacy. We elucidate how CD incorporation modifies physicochemical properties of coating matrices—including chitosan, alginate, starch, gelatin, and zein—through hydrogen bonding and polymer network interactions that influence thermal, mechanical, rheological, and barrier characteristics. Quantitative synthesis across 40+ studies reveals encapsulation efficiencies of 53–99%, controlled release extending from hours to 35 days, and preservation outcomes achieving 75–200% shelf life extension, 25–60% weight loss reduction, and &gt;90% microbial inhibition in optimized systems. The review critically evaluates structure-property-function relationships, identifies contradictions in mechanical property effects, and assesses regulatory frameworks and scale-up challenges. Key knowledge gaps—including standardized protocols, life cycle assessments, and consumer acceptance studies—are identified, and future research directions emphasizing CD-based metal-organic frameworks and smart responsive coatings are proposed. CD-enhanced edible coatings represent a significant opportunity to reduce food waste while contributing to global food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125063"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cationic chitosan/silsesquioxane hybrid cryogel with antibacterial activity for efficient removal of Cr (VI)","authors":"Xiaohan Zhao ,&nbsp;Yubin Huang ,&nbsp;Zhenhong Huang ,&nbsp;Hongzhi Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hazards of aqueous Cr (VI) are severe, necessitating adsorbents with high capacity, applicability, and recyclability. In this study, a novel water-soluble cationic quaternary ammonium silsesquioxane (SQ-N) was synthesized and subsequently reacted with chitosan (CS), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), and pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) to fabricate a flexible chitosan hybrid cryogel (PPSC-x (x = 1, 2, 3)) through UV cross-linking followed by freeze-drying. The resulting cryogel was comprehensively characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA, SEM, EDS, and XPS analyses. The PPSC-x (x = 1, 2, 3) cryogel possessed abundant active sites and superior mechanical properties, rendering them suitable for the efficient removal of Cr (VI) from wastewater. The adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, achieving a maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity of 274 mg g⁻¹ at 328 K. The adsorption of Cr (VI) followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and conformed to the Langmuir isotherm. PPSC-3 maintained &gt;90% removal efficiency over five cycles and demonstrated notable antibacterial activity against <em>Escherichia coli</em> and <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>. A prototype device further validated its practical potential for wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125065"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photo-induced in-situ synthesized nanocellulose-based SERS substrate integrated with molecularly imprinted polymer for selective detection of pesticide residues","authors":"Xingyue Liu ,&nbsp;Liucheng Meng ,&nbsp;Wen Deng ,&nbsp;Yuzhou Yang ,&nbsp;Yanling Lou ,&nbsp;Jianfeng Xi ,&nbsp;Peng Li ,&nbsp;Lei Zhang ,&nbsp;Weibing Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a highly sensitive technology to detect target analytes. Herein, we propose a novel nanocellulose-based SERS platform integrating SERS with molecular imprinting technology (MIP) for ultrasensitive and selective detection of pesticide residues. A uniform, dense, and surface-clean “hot spots” nanostructure was eco-friendly constructed based on cellulose nanofiber (CNF) films. The CNF film serves as a substrate for the photo-induced <em>in-situ</em> growth of silver nanoparticles without additional reducing agents and surfactants. By regulating pre-polymer viscosity (8.7 mPa·s at 2-hour pre-polymerization), a thin and uniform MIP layer was precisely coated on the “hot spots” <em>via</em> dip-coating, ensuring optimal balance between selectivity and SERS activity. The resulting SERS-MIP architecture increases the likelihood that target molecules penetrate MIP-covered “hot spots”, yielding high sensitivity, reproducibility, and specificity toward parathion-methyl. The SERS substrate exhibited excellent sensitivity, reproducibility and selectivity for parathion-methyl, with a limit of detection of 3.97 × 10⁻¹¹ g/L and relative standard deviation of 7.60%. Moreover, it demonstrated remarkable capability in detecting pesticide residues on irregular surfaces of real samples, using a wiping sampling method that fully leverages the flexibility of the CNF film. This approach successfully integrates MIP with SERS technology, offering a flexible SERS substrate for on-site food safety monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125050"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oral absorption, cellular uptake and transport mechanisms of a novel glucuronogalactomannan from Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg in the intestinal epithelium","authors":"Chenjun Shen ,&nbsp;Fangmei Zhou ,&nbsp;Yuchi Chen ,&nbsp;Bingqi Zhu ,&nbsp;Yafei Li ,&nbsp;Zian Mao ,&nbsp;Yuexia Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Li ,&nbsp;Mingyuan Zhou ,&nbsp;Jianjun Wu ,&nbsp;Zhishan Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the oral absorption mechanisms of natural polysaccharides is critical for their further study and application. This study focused on a novel glucuronogalactomannan (STHP5) isolated from <em>Tetrastigma hemsleyanum</em> Diels et Gilg and systematically investigated its intestinal absorption and transcellular transport. STHP5 was fluorescently labeled with Cyanine5.5 amine (CSTHP5) and 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazinyl) aminofluorescein (FSTHP5) for <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em> tracking. Fluorescence spectroscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses confirm successful fluorescent labeling of STHP5. Near-infrared imaging demonstrated that CSTHP5 was absorbed in the small intestine and predominantly accumulated in the liver and kidney. Single-pass intestinal perfusion confirmed preferential absorption of FSTHP5 in the ileum. <em>In vitro</em>, FSTHP5 uptake occurred through macropinocytosis, clathrin-mediated, and caveolae-mediated endocytosis; its intracellular trafficking was governed by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–Golgi and endosome–lysosome pathways with microtubule participation; and its exocytosis was predominantly mediated by the ER–Golgi pathway and microtubules. In Caco-2 cell monolayers, transcellular transport was dose- and time-dependent and likely receptor-mediated. Together, STHP5 achieves efficient oral absorption across the intestinal epithelium <em>via</em> an integrated transport mode involving multi-pathway endocytosis, directed intracellular trafficking, and exocytosis, providing new insights into the absorption mechanisms of hydrophilic, high-molecular-weight polysaccharides and informing delivery system design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125023"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Imidazolium salt chitosan based on bacterial capture: Antimicrobial mechanisms, biosafety, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-infected wound healing","authors":"Yongsheng Ma ,&nbsp;Li Xu ,&nbsp;Ruixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Zhongshan Lu ,&nbsp;Jian You ,&nbsp;Hankun Cao ,&nbsp;Xiangdong Feng ,&nbsp;Jinping Zhou ,&nbsp;Shuangquan Wu ,&nbsp;Qifa Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global burden of disease caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections is escalating, necessitating the urgent development of novel antimicrobial materials that combine safety and high efficacy. Herein, a strategy combining bacterial capture with highly efficient broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity is employed to prepare a series of imidazolium salt chitosan (IMSCs) through a simple method. IMSCs-5 exhibits a capture-kill capability with a low propensity to induce bacterial resistance. It primarily induces bacterial death through intracellular reactive oxygen species generation and multiple synergistic mechanisms. Additionally, IMSCs-5 demonstrates strong therapeutic effects on wounds infected with methicillin-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, without causing notable systemic toxicity. These findings suggest that IMSCs provides new ideas for the rational design of novel antimicrobial materials, making it suitable for clinical applications in the treatment of MDR bacterial infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125083"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting acetalated dextran nanoparticle features: Controlled synthesis, formulation, and testing in a high-throughput process","authors":"Thorben Köhler ,&nbsp;Sreekanth Kunchapu ,&nbsp;Antje Vollrath ,&nbsp;Kourosh Rezaei ,&nbsp;Julian Kimmig ,&nbsp;Steffi Stumpf ,&nbsp;Stephanie Hoeppener ,&nbsp;Ivo Nischang ,&nbsp;Kevin M. Jablonka ,&nbsp;Ulrich S. Schubert ,&nbsp;Stephanie Schubert","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.124890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.124890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hydrophobic, pH-labile, and biodegradable acetalated dextran (Ac(e)Dex) is a promising material for drug delivery in nanomedicine. However, fundamental knowledge about the structure-property relationships is still missing, which hinders its application in preclinical and clinical trials. In this study, we synthesized a library of 36 Ac(e)Dex derivatives with different molar masses, types, and degrees of functionalization. A high-throughput formulation screening (&gt; 1000 formulations) was conducted using a liquid handling robot optimizing the concentration of polymer, the solvent, and the addition of additives. Selected formulations were scaled up and evaluated for their stability. To further correlate polymer properties with stability, a machine learning (ML) model was developed, providing a predictive tool for Ac(e)Dex nanoparticle degradation based on synthesis/formulation data. The novelty of this work lies in the integrated synthesis-to-prediction pipeline combining controlled polymer synthesis, high-throughput formulation, and ML-based stability modeling, rather than introducing new chemical mechanisms. By eludicating how structural parameters (molar mass, type, and degree of functionalization) influence formulation properties (i.e., size, dispersity, repeatability) and particle stability, this work enables standardized comparisons of Ac(e)Dex between different studies and supports its future preclinical development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 124890"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multifunctional carboxymethyl cellulose/polydopamine dual-network conductive hydrogels for motion detection and photothermal therapy","authors":"Yiying Wei ,&nbsp;Bo Cong ,&nbsp;Xiaopu Ji ,&nbsp;Dangyang Wang ,&nbsp;Jinghui Hu ,&nbsp;Zonglei Mou ,&nbsp;Haiqing Song ,&nbsp;Yue Zhi ,&nbsp;Yushu Liu ,&nbsp;Guofeng Zhang ,&nbsp;Wan Ru Sun ,&nbsp;Pingyu Wang ,&nbsp;Deqiang Wang ,&nbsp;Shuyang Xie ,&nbsp;Ranran Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125074","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125074","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flexible wearable sensors have garnered significant attention in recent years and exhibit promising application potential in the field of healthcare. Conductive hydrogels have emerged as ideal materials for the development of flexible wearable sensors due to their tunable structural properties, mechanical flexibility, and ease of processing. Nevertheless, most hydrogels are primarily engineered for detecting physiological signals, such as movement and electromyography (EMG), yet lack therapeutic functionalities. In addition, Previous reported hydrogels fabricated from synthetic polymers may retain residual small-molecule monomers, posing cytotoxicity risks. Herein, we report a multifunctional conductive hydrogel composed of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polydopamine (PDA), and polypyrrole-polydopamine-MnO_x nanoparticles (P-NPs), designed for concurrent motion monitoring, electromyography (EMG) signal detection, and photothermal therapy. The hydrogel was synthesized through a one-step amidation/oxidative polymerization approach, yielding an interpenetrating dual-network architecture with enhanced mechanical strength and tissue adhesion relative to single-network systems. The incorporation of P-NPs imparts high electrical conductivity, enabling real-time monitoring of physiological signals (e.g., joint movement, muscle activity), as well as effective photothermal conversion under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Notably, the hydrogel facilitates on-demand photothermal therapy to mitigate muscle fatigue upon detection of abnormal EMG signals, offering a strategy to prevent exercise-induced injury. Owing to its excellent biocompatibility and stability, the CMC/PDA/P-NPs hydrogel represents a promising platform for next-generation wearable devices integrating diagnostic and therapeutic functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125074"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrospinning of food-grade polysaccharides and proteins: Materials, challenges, and applications","authors":"Khubaib Ali ,&nbsp;Nadia Niaz ,&nbsp;Faizan Ul Haq ,&nbsp;Muhammad Waseem ,&nbsp;Waqas Ashraf ,&nbsp;Chen Guoxun ,&nbsp;Mangang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125070","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrospinning fabricates nanoscale fibers from food-grade polysaccharides and proteins. These fibers have high surface area, tunable porosity, and the ability to encapsulate various compounds, sparking interest in active packaging, food preservation, and nutraceutical delivery. A wide variety of food biopolymers are poorly spinnable due to low solubility, high surface tension, or lack of chain entanglement. In recent investigations, the limitation has been overcome by adopting co-solvent systems, mixing with synthetic or natural polymers, and using hybrid and coaxial spinning methods to enhance fiber formation and stability. Research on proteins and polysaccharides has shown enhancements in mechanical strength and barrier properties, as well as protection against antioxidants, antimicrobials, probiotics, and other sensitive molecules. Reported studies show that electrospun food-grade nanofibers can achieve encapsulation efficiencies exceeding 90% and extend shelf life by 10–20 days, depending on the formulation. Electrospun biopolymer fibers are promising biodegradable, functional packaging substitutes and delivery carriers in food and nutraceuticals. However, issues persist regarding solvent safety, production scalability, and regulatory approval for direct food contact. Research on greener spin media, fiber formation, and packaging integration could help transfer electrospun biopolymers from the lab to commercial food applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125070"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural elucidation of an amylopectin from Astragalus membranaceus by integrating selective and quantitative NMR spectra with database matching","authors":"Junyin Zhang ,&nbsp;Caihong Li ,&nbsp;Yu Yang ,&nbsp;Yaling Deng ,&nbsp;Jiang Xin ,&nbsp;Zhongyan Zhu ,&nbsp;Xiu Gu ,&nbsp;Kaifeng Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elucidating homopolysaccharide structures presents significant challenges due to pronounced NMR signal overlap. In this study, we elucidated the structure of a neutral homopolysaccharide APS-N, purified from <em>Astragalus membranaceus</em> by integrating high-resolution, highly selective, and quantitative NMR techniques with empirical database matching. First, eight well-resolved H1/H2 cross-peaks in the DQF-COSY spectrum were assigned to define monosaccharide residues <strong>A-H</strong>. Complete sets of ¹H and ¹³C chemical shifts for each monosaccharide spin system were obtained from TOCSY and 2D HSQC-TOCSY experiments, with proton assignments further verified by 1D DREAMTIME TOCSY and paired with their carbon counterparts in HSQC spectrum. An in-house R script was then developed to identify residues <strong>A-H</strong> by systematically comparing their ¹³C/¹H chemical shift pairs against an empirical database of 1929 fully assigned sugar residues from literatures. It revealed that APS-N consisted exclusively of glucose residues with diverse glycosidic linkage patterns. The ¹H and ¹³C assignments were further validated by intra-residue HMBC correlations. Subsequently, the glycosidic linkages were determined by mapping the assignments of the inter-residue cross-peaks in HMBC, ROESY and 2D HSQC-ROESY spectra. Finally, integration with ¹H qNMR-derived stoichiometric ratios enabled complete structural elucidation of APS-N. In summary, the proposed workflow provides an effective alternative for homopolysaccharide structural characterization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125046"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the physical phase behavior of Ulva polysaccharide and soybean isolate protein complexes: the effects of pH and ionic strength on gel properties","authors":"Kaixuan Bu ,&nbsp;Wenqin Chu ,&nbsp;Xianyu Li ,&nbsp;Ziye Shen ,&nbsp;Xinting Duan ,&nbsp;Peng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125067","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.carbpol.2026.125067","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The phase behavior of protein and polysaccharide mixed systems is crucial for investigating the formation of macromolecular gels. This manuscript examined the interactions between soy protein isolate (SPI) and <em>Ulva clathrata</em> polysaccharides (UCP) under varying pH and calcium ion concentrations, elucidating the underlying mechanisms. State diagrams constructed by the biopolymer composite system provided an intuitive visualization of the phase behavior. As the pH increased, electrostatic repulsion intensified, leading to a stable turbid system in the SPI-UCP complexes. Gaussian fitting analysis revealed that at pH 9.0, intermolecular hydrogen bonds dominated the hydrogen bonding interactions. When the calcium ion concentration approached the critical boundary (200 mM), the SPI-UCP hydrogel exhibited optimal gel hardness, storage modulus, and a dense, uniform pore structure. However, excessive Ca²⁺ promoted uncontrolled aggregation and salting-out effects, which impaired network uniformity and reduced effective cross-link density. Comprehensive analysis indicated that the interactions between SPI and UCP involved hydrogen bonding, electrostatic forces, hydrophobic interactions, and Ca²⁺ bridging. These findings provided novel insights into the interplay between SPI and UCP, offering a new perspective for modulating the gelation properties of UCP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":261,"journal":{"name":"Carbohydrate Polymers","volume":"380 ","pages":"Article 125067"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146186824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}