This study investigated the physicochemical and emulsifying properties of chickpea protein isolate (CPI)-citrus pectin (CP) conjugates formed via the Maillard reaction across varying reaction durations. CPI and CP were conjugated under controlled dry-heating conditions, and the resulting conjugates were characterized by measuring their particle size, zeta potential, solubility, thermal stability, surface hydrophobicity, and emulsifying properties. The results showed that as reaction duration increased, the particle size and zeta potential of the CPI-CP conjugates increased significantly, reaching a maximum particle size of 1311.33 nm and a zeta potential of −35.67 mV at 12 h. Moreover, the Maillard reaction improved the solubility, thermal stability, and hydrophobicity of the CPI. Glycosylation increased the emulsifying activity index (EAI) and emulsifying stability index (ESI) of the CPI to 145.33 m²/g and 174.51 min, respectively. Optimal emulsions were achieved at a protein concentration of 1.5 wt% and a 10% volume fraction of the oil phase. The Maillard reaction promoted the interfacial protein content and the thickness of the interfacial layer while decreasing the droplet size and zeta potential of the emulsion. Additionally, the emulsion prepared with CPI-CP-12 h showed outstanding long-term stability. These results demonstrate that a moderate Maillard reaction with CP effectively enhances the physicochemical and emulsifying characteristics of CPI.

This study explored the structural features and foaming properties of ovalbumin (OVA) and its glycosylated conjugates with citrus pectin (CP) formed through the Maillard reaction. The results demonstrated that OVA and CP were successfully conjugated, with the degree of grafting increasing to 43.83% by day 5 of the reaction. SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed the formation of high-molecular-weight conjugates. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopy further revealed alterations in the secondary and tertiary structures of OVA, including an enhanced β-sheet content, a reduced β-turn content, and the depletion of tryptophan residues. Moreover, the surface hydrophobicity of the OVA–CP conjugates significantly increased, enhancing foaming properties. Furthermore, the analysis of foaming properties exhibited that the Maillard reaction improved the foaming capacity of OVA to 66.22% and foaming stability to 81.49%. These findings highlight the potential of glycosylation via the Maillard reaction to significantly improve the foaming properties of OVA, positioning it as a promising novel foaming agent.

As the focus on green chemistry intensifies, researchers are progressively looking to incorporate biodegradable and environmentally friendly solvents. Given the prevalent use of inorganic solvents in conventional methods for detecting selenium content, this study utilized a mixture design approach to create four deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The elements of the DESs consisted of six different compounds: guanidine hydrochloride, fructose, glycerol, citric acid, proline, and choline chloride. The synthesized deep eutectic solvents (DESs) exhibited a uniform and transparent appearance. The ideal ratios for each DES were established based on their density and viscosity measurements, leading to the formulations of DES1 (34% guanidine hydrochloride, 21% fructose, 45% water), DES2 (23% guanidine hydrochloride, 32% glycerol, 45% water), DES3 (27.5% citric acid, 27.5% proline, 45% water), and DES4 (30% choline chloride, 25% citric acid, 45% water). The characterization of the deep eutectic solvents (DESs) was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectroscopy, which confirmed the molecular formation of each DES. Following this, the DESs were applied as extraction solvents in a process involving ultrasonic-assisted microextraction (UAE) combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to assess the selenium levels in selenium-rich rice. The results were benchmarked against traditional microwave-assisted acid digestion (TM-AD), revealing selenium recovery rates ranging from 85.5% to 106.7%. These results indicate that UAE is an effective method for extracting selenium from selenium-rich rice, thereby establishing a solid data foundation for the environmentally friendly analysis of selenium content in rice.

Due to environmental pollution, unhealthy lifestyles, and autoimmunity, many individuals frequently encounter skin problems, such as sensitive skin, caused by the activation of the TRPV1 pathway and immune-inflammatory reactions. This study aims to synthesize compounds with soothing effects using β-chitooligosaccharides (COS) derived from marine Sargassum, which is investigated for its regulating inflammatory responses and activating of TRPV1 pathways. Dopamine is used as the hydroxyl donor in this process. COS-diDA, a compound that binds two dopamine amines, is synthesized using Michael additions and Schiff base reactions under alkaline circumstances, with a pH of 8.5. This work investigates the soothing effects of COS-diDA using a HaCaT cell model activated with capsaicin (CAP). ELISA and immunofluorescence experiments provide evidence that COS-diDA efficiently inhibits the activation of the TRPV1 protein in HaCaT cells by reducing its levels when stimulated with CAP. In addition, ELISA analysis demonstrates that COS-diDA reduces the secretion of IL-1α, IL-6, and IL-8 from HaCaT cells stimulated with CAP, indicating an interaction between the TRPV1 protein and interleukins. Additional research on in vitro pain models generated by CAP confirms the anti-inflammatory and soothing properties of COS-diDA. The study indicates that COS-diDA exhibits favorable adhesion qualities and possesses anti-inflammatory action, making it a viable candidate for inclusion as an anti-inflammatory component of cosmetic formulations.