Scientists at IIT-Roorkee have developed a biodegradable, antimicrobial packaging material by combining gelatin with two cacti varieties, Cylindropuntia fulgida (CF) and Euphorbia caducifolia extract (ECE), though the latter was used less. Gelatin is a good antimicrobial packaging material but has poor mechanical properties (like strength) and absorbs water. Adding the cacti countered these two issues.

In a paper on the material, published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, the authors — Lokesh Kumar, Ram Kumar Deshmukh and Kirtiraj Gaikwad — say they chose Cylindropuntia fulgida as a polymer because of “ its low cost and availability”.

Prof Gaikwad told Quantum that the gelatin-CF-ECE composite film is suitable for food packaging, given that all the ingredients are natural.

“The packaging film also exhibits antimicrobial properties, which make it suitable for the preservation of perishable fruits and vegetables. The composite film is flexible with excellent heat-sealing properties, can be converted into shelf-standing pouch for the packaging of low-moisture food products,” Gaikwad said.

Cerium oxide for bone health

Surgical cotton microfibres loaded with nanoceria (cerium oxide) could be a new platform for bone tissue engineering, according to a joint study by IIT-Roorkee and Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur.

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Materials morph into cool green warriors

Bone regeneration is hampered by ‘oxidative stress’ — a situation in which cell-damaging ‘reactive oxygen species’ such as peroxides and superoxides exceed the anti-oxidants that can neutralise them. Polymer scaffolds loaded with material that scavenge these free radicals have always been used. Now, the IIT-Roorkee and IIEST study has discovered that integrating nanoceria into cellulose-gelatin and freeze-drying the mix to produce ‘CG-NC scaffolds’ helps a lot in bone regeneration.

“Adding nanoceria to the scaffolds improved mechanical, bio-mineralisation properties, and decreased swelling and in-vitro weight loss. In-vitro studies confirmed that CG-NC scaffolds supported cell proliferation and differentiation better than bare (CG) scaffold,” says a paper produced by the scientists and published in the Ceramics International journal.

Fresh juice, forward osmosis

Forward osmosis is a good method for concentrating pomegranate juice with minimum effect on quality and extended shelf-life, a study by the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, has revealed.

Researchers Das Trishitman, Pradeep Negi and Navin Rastogi concentrated pomegranate juice using forward osmosis and thermal evaporation methods.

Based on the hydroxymethyl furfural content (less than 25 mg per kg), it was concluded that juices concentrated through forward osmosis could be stored at ambient and accelerated conditions for 101 and 66 days, respectively.

Comparatively, thermally concentrated juice could be stored only for 31 and three days, respectively. Further, forward osmosis also resulted in a four-fold increase in brix as well as anthocyanin content, says a paper produced by the scientists and published in the Food Chemistry journal.

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