In response to increasing concerns over food waste and safety, and the environmental impacts of traditional conservation methods, this review aims to explore the potential of bio-coatings in preserving the freshness of fruits and vegetables. Our primary objective is to provide a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in bio-coating technologies, detailing their benefits in terms of enhancing food safety, prolonging shelf life, and reducing waste. This paper delves into various forms of bio-coatings, their applications, and their effectiveness in maintaining post-harvest quality. We further elucidate the underlying mechanisms that govern their preservation efficacy. This review is intended for researchers, industry professionals, and policy makers who are interested in sustainable preservation alternatives and their implications for food security and environmental sustainability. By the end of this review, the audience will gain a thorough understanding of the current state of bio-coating technology and its prospects in the food preservation industry.

The present paper synthesized, characterized, and evaluated the performance of the novel biopolymeric membrane enriched with cellulose acetate and chitosan (CHI)-silver (Ag) ions in order to remove iron ion from the synthetic wastewater using a new electrodialysis system. The prepared membranes were characterized by Fourier Transforms Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DSC), contact angle measurements, microscopy studies, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrodialysis experiments were performed at the different applied voltages (5, 10, and 15 V) for one hour, at room temperature. The treatment rate (T_E) of iron ions, current efficiency (I_E), and energy consumption (W_c) were calculated. FTIR-ATR spectra evidenced that incorporation of CHI-Ag ions into the polymer mixture led to a polymer-metal ion complex formation within the membrane. The TGA-DSC analysis for the obtained biopolymeric membranes showed excellent thermal stability (>350 °C). The contact angle measurements demonstrated the hydrophobic character of the polymeric membrane and a decrease of it by CHI-Ag adding. The EIS results indicated that the silver ions induced a higher ionic electrical conductivity. The highest value of the iron ions treatment rate (>60%) was obtained for the biopolymeric membrane with CHI-Ag ions at applied voltage of 15 V.

Nowadays, special importance is given to quality control and food safety. Food quality currently creates significant problems for the industry and implicitly for consumers and society. The effects materialize in economic losses, alterations of the quality and organoleptic properties of the commercial products, and, last but not least, they constitute risk factors for the consumer’s health. In this context, the development of analytical systems for the rapid determination of the sanitary quality of food products by detecting possible pathogenic microorganisms (such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella due to the important digestive disorders that they can cause in many consumers) is of major importance. Using efficient and environmentally friendly detection systems for identification of various pathogens that modify food matrices and turn them into food waste faster will also improve agri-food quality throughout the food chain. This paper reviews the use of metal nanoparticles used to obtain bio nanosensors for the purpose mentioned above. Metallic nanoparticles (Au, Ag, etc.) and their oxides can be synthesized by several methods, such as chemical, physical, physico-chemical, and biological, each bringing advantages and disadvantages in their use for developing nanosensors. In the “green chemistry” approach, a particular importance is given to the metal nanoparticles obtained by phytosynthesis. This method can lead to the development of good quality nanoparticles, at the same time being able to use secondary metabolites from vegetal wastes, as such providing a circular economy character. Considering these aspects, the use of phytosynthesized nanoparticles in other biosensing applications is also presented as a glimpse of their potential, which should be further explored.

Many research studies are directed toward developing safe and efficient collagen-based biomaterials as carriers for drug delivery systems. This article presents a comparative study of the properties of new collagen sponges prepared and characterized by different methods intended for biomedical applications. The structural integrity is one of the main properties for a biomaterial in order for it to be easily removed from the treated area. Thus, the effect of combining a natural polymer such as collagen with an antimicrobial drug such as oxytetracycline or doxycycline and glutaraldehyde as the chemical cross-linking agent influences the cross-linking degree of the material, which is in direct relation to its resistance to collagenase digestion, the drug kinetic release profile, and in vitro biocompatibility. The enzymatic degradation results identified oxytetracycline as the best inhibitor of collagenase when the collagen sponge was cross-linked with 0.5% glutaraldehyde. The drug release kinetics revealed an extended release of the antibiotic for oxytetracycline-loaded collagen sponges compared with doxycycline-loaded collagen sponges. Considering the behavior of differently prepared sponges, the collagen sponge with oxytetracycline and 0.5% glutaraldehyde could represent a viable polymeric support for the prevention/treatment of infections at the application site, favoring tissue regeneration.

Gel-based membranes, a fusion of polymer networks and liquid components, have emerged as versatile tools in a variety of technological domains thanks to their unique structural and functional attributes. Historically rooted in basic filtration tasks, recent advancements in synthetic strategies have increased the mechanical strength, selectivity, and longevity of these membranes. This review summarizes their evolution, emphasizing breakthroughs that have positioned them at the forefront of cutting-edge applications. They have the potential for desalination and pollutant removal in water treatment processes, delivering efficiency that often surpasses conventional counterparts. The biomedical field has embraced them for drug delivery and tissue engineering, capitalizing on their biocompatibility and tunable properties. Additionally, their pivotal role in energy storage as gel electrolytes in batteries and fuel cells underscores their adaptability. However, despite monumental progress in gel-based membrane research, challenges persist, particularly in scalability and long-term stability. This synthesis provides an overview of the state-of-the-art applications of gel-based membranes and discusses potential strategies to overcome current limitations, laying the foundation for future innovations in this dynamic field.

The Romanian Black Sea environment, due to its biodiversity, contains a lot of organism, which represents a rich natural resource of many biologically active compounds, such as: sterols, proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acid, polysaccharides, pigments and antioxidants. In their evolution, marine organisms in the Black Sea adapted excellently to the marine environment such as: low temperature, absence of light, extreme pH and pressure, low salinity, low oxygen, the presence of one toxic abiotic chemical (H₂S). Moreover, they produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites (biologically active), which cannot be found in other terrestrial organisms. Chitosan is a copolymer of β-(1→4)-linked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose. Usually, it is obtained by deacethylation of the natural chitin, which is extracted from the exoskeleton of marine organisms, mainly crabs and shrimps. Chitosan could have a lot of applications in biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, metal ion sequestration, agriculture and foodstuff treatment (flocculation, clarification) because of its efficient interaction with other polyelectrolytes. In this paper, we propose new possible source of chitosan, the spawning of Rapana venosa, a predatory gastropod, which invaded the Black Sea in earlier 1940s. Preliminary spectral studies on this biopolymer extracted from this biomaterial and another marine source (Eriphia verucosa) will be discussed and compared with that of chitosan standard in order to put in evidence the presence of chitosan in the obtained extracts.