Biopolymères Interactions Assemblages

This dataset describes the drying process of two tomato cultivars, H1311 and Terradou, with a particular focus on the tomato pericarp. The dataset originates from two interlinked experiments. The first experiment involved continuously imaging tomato slices using an MRI scanner while they were drying. The second experiment involved analysing fresh and dried tomato slices at three different stages using MRI, unilateral NMR, macro-vision histology, tissue texture analysis and biochemical analysis. The dataset includes original and processed MRI images acquired using a 1.5 T whole-body MRI scanner, original and processed NMR signals acquired using a unilateral NMR device, macro-vision images acquired using a high-resolution C-mount digital camera and texture and biochemical analyses. These data contribute to a better understanding of the changes in the morphology, tissue microstructure and biochemical composition of the fruit during drying, and of the relationship between these phenomena and the quality of the dried product. The dataset is shared to enable extended analyses by the multidisciplinary scientific community and manufacturers interested in fruit drying.

Hemicellulose and polyphenols present attractive functional potential for the elaboration of biobased materials but their interaction remains scarcely studied. In this study, the interaction behavior of xyloglucan (XG) and tannic acid (TA) was systematically studied over XG concentration ranging from 0.25g/L to 3g/L and TA:XG weight ratio from 0.1 to 10. Three distinct types of assemblies identified as swollen coils, dense beads or aggregated beads were described using a combination of QCM-D, light scattering and thermodynamic characterizations. They differed in size and colloidal behavior, and their formation was primarily governed by hydrophobic interactions and steric repulsions. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms driving hemicellulose-polyphenol association and highlight their potential in the design of functional, plant-inspired materials.

In this work, residues from banana cultivation were upgraded by isolating the cellulose fibers, modifying them chemically, and integrating them into superabsorbent polymer (SAP) systems designed for enhanced water uptake. After extraction, the cellulose was oxidized in a controlled manner with sodium periodate to generate dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) with an modular aldehyde content. DAC was further modified through a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) olefination with triethyl phosphonoacetate, yielding cellulose containing sodium propenoate units forming dialdehyde cellulose acrylate (DACAcr). The modified cellulose served as both a grafting agent and a cross-link-enhancing copolymer for the synthesis of hybrid BioSAPs (DACAcr-g-poly(AA-co-IA)) via radical polymerization in water using acrylic acid (AA) and itaconic acid (IA) were copolymerized in aqueous medium in the presence of the modified cellulose, which acted as a graftable macromolecular component. N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBA) served as the cross-linking reagent, while potassium persulfate (KPS) initiated the radical polymerization. The incorporation, after oxidation, of a double bond at C2 and C3 positions of the anhydroglucose units, improving their capacity to react with acrylic acid and increasing the number of hydrophilic carboxylate functionalities. This combination produced a flexible and robust polymer network exhibiting enhanced swelling and improved water retention properties which leads to a good compromise between the formation of pores in polymer networks and the mechanical stability of the hydrogel. A thorough analysis of the synthesized SAPs was performed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheological analysis. Kinetic studies revealed that the hybrid BioSAPs exhibited exceptional water absorption capacities, with the SAP-DACAcr0.5eq composite achieving up to 1441 ± 59 g·g–1 in distilled water. The results demonstrate the potential of DACAcr and its derivatives as sustainable, high-performance materials for water retention and management applications, providing an eco-friendly alternative to conventional SAPs. Overall, these results open promising prospects for creating low-cost and environmentally conscious solutions utilizing agricultural waste.

Composite foods are consumed daily, but understanding their sensory properties is a major challenge. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of Flash Profile (FP) method to characterize strawberry-filled biscuits properties, in a context of sugar reduction. Investigations were carried out on fillings (with/without added sugar, with/without strawberry aroma), then biscuits (with sugar or maltitol or sorbitol, with/without vanilla aroma) and finally on the complex fruit-filled biscuits, corresponding to a progressive matrix complexification strategy. FP allowed a discrimination of the products for the 3 matrices according to their formulation and flavouring. Fruit fillings and biscuits were described with both flavour and texture attributes, whereas fruit-filled biscuits were mainly described with texture attributes. This texture predominance could result from complex changes of texture perceived during chewing. Panellists may also have focused on the first perceived characteristics or on the product's most distinguishing features to ease the task. FP was efficient to discriminate samples in each set of samples according to formulation. The characteristics allowing differentiation between samples varied depending on the matrix. Flavour attributes were mainly used for fluid matrices while texture was dominant for solid matrices. In our study, all panellists evaluated the 3 sets of products in the same order which could have influence their evaluation of complex products during the last session. Further investigations about the evaluation of complex solid products with FP may determine if texture is always dominant, even with a lower number of products. • Flash Profile is suitable for the analysis of texturally complex foods. • Flash Profile highlights different dominant perceptions depending on matrix nature. • Fluid matrices are equally described by aroma and texture attributes. • Texture properties are predominant compared to flavour ones in filled biscuits.

Hen's egg allergy is the second most common food allergy in young children, with the major allergens ovalbumin and ovomucoid found in egg white. While many egg-allergic children can tolerate baked or hard-boiled eggs, there is limited understanding of how heating affects allergen structure and allergenicity within the egg white protein matrix. This study investigated the impact of egg white boiling for 10 or 45min on the structure and allergenicity of the main egg white allergens. Our results showed that 45min of boiling led to significant structural changes and a strong reduction in egg white allergenicity, while 10min of boiling had a minor effect. Gastric digestion further reduced allergenicity, especially in 45min boiled eggs. These findings highlight how increasing the boiling time of egg white can reduce allergenicity through structural changes in the main egg white allergens.

The cell walls are known to play an important role in the evolution of tomato quality during processing, but the mechanisms are not always clearly identified. The study investigated changes in cell wall polysaccharides in two tomato varieties, Terradou and H1311, following hot air drying at 45°C for 18-20h. Significant reductions in pectic sugars (rhamnose, uronic acid), pectin methyl esterification, and hemicellulose-related sugars (mannose, glucose, xylose) were observed, particularly in H1311, mirroring ripening processes and indicating enzyme activity during drying. Solid-state NMR revealed increase in cellulose crystallinity, especially in Terradou, along with reduced cell wall polysaccharide organization, reduced water content around pectin and increased cell wall interactions of pectin as the fruit dried. The correlations between sugar composition and structural dynamics suggest that mannan may play a key role in cellulose organization. The study highlights the role of fruit genetics and enzymatic breakdown in the drying process. It is hypothesized that preservation of hemicelluloses structure during drying helps maintain cell wall porosity, which may facilitate faster water migration.

Abstract In contrast to animals, plants have a high regenerative capacity, and they can form new organs and even complete individuals from a few cells present in adult tissues, either in response to injury or to the alteration of their environment. In this study, we describe the isolation and characterization of the more adventitious roots1-1 (mars1-1) mutant, which exhibits enhanced regenerative potential upon wounding in tomato hypocotyl explants. Additionally, the mars1-1 fruits exhibited a rough surface due to the ectopic proliferation of subepidermal cells, which formed callus-like structures on the cuticle. The MARS1/ROUGH gene encodes a conserved lysine-specific histone demethylase, SlLSD1, which regulates a variety of processes in metazoans, including cell proliferation, stem cell pluripotency, and embryogenesis. Two CRISPR/Cas9 null alleles, mars1-2 and mars1-3, were generated and their pleiotropic phenotype was characterized. We found elevated levels of H3K4me1 in mars1/rough seedlings, which suggests that SlLSD1 is required for the demethylation of this histone mark. To ascertain the impact of altered epigenetic marks in the mars1/rough mutants on gene expression regulation, we conducted a transcriptome analysis using a variety of RNA-Seq studies on tomato hypocotyls. By employing specific bioinformatic workflows and leveraging on the resolution of directional RNA-Seq data, we have identified over several dozen distinct genomic regions that exhibit de novo expression in the mars1/rough mutants. One such region includes a novel B-type cyclin gene, which is upregulated in the mars1/rough mutants and may account for the observed phenotypes. Our findings indicate that SlLSD1 plays a role in the establishment and maintenance of silencing in specific genomic regions that are essential for tissue-specific reprogramming.