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The aim of this study was assess the application of carvacrol at 5 and 10% levels in production of the zein film and evaluation of its antimicrobial properties, and also kinetics release of carvacrol from active film (10%w/w) in food simulants of acetic acidand ethanol at different temperatures by using high performance liquid chromatography from. Diffusion and the activation energy (E_a) values of zein film containing 10% carvacrol were calculated based on Fick’s second law. Results showed that by increasing temperature from 4 to 37°C, the extent of releasing after 60 min in acid simulant (9.82 ± 1.34 to 40.78 ± 0.06 %(, and ethanol simulant (11.80 ± 1.34 to 47.44 ± 0.06%) was increased. The diffusion value of carvacrol at 4, 22 and 37°C in acetic acid simulant was determined 0.23, 1.20 and 6.70 m.s, respectively. The E_a value for carvacrol diffusion in 3% acetic acid simulant (72.75 kJmol^-1) was lower than in ethanol simulant (79.73 kJ mol^-1). The antibacterial activity of zein films was studied against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenesin at 4 and 37°C. The zein films containing 5% carvacrol produced a good bactericidal effect. It was observed total inhibition against Escherichia coli by incorporating 10% carvacrol in zein film at both temperatures. This work suggested that the zein bioplastics containing carvacrol can be used as an active packaging for improving the safety and shelf-life of food products.

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Backgrounds: Candida albicans (C. albicans) as a fungal pathogen is part of the normal flora of the human body, which could cause various infections in patients with defective immune systems. Nowadays, there is a need to design and synthesis new drug formulations to overcome drug resistance in this genus. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main ingredient in Nigella sativa, which has considerable antifungal properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of thymoquinone-zein nanoparticles (TQ-ZNPs) on C. albicans.
Materials & Methods: In the current study, TQ was encapsulated in zein (as a biodegradable carrier) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The antifungal activity of TQ-ZNPs against C. albicans (ATCC 10231; standard strain) and their inhibitory effects on biofilm formation were examined using standardized broth microdilution and MTT assays, respectively. The total oxidant status (TOS) of C. albicans was assessed using colorimetric method, and the toxic effect of nanoparticles on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was evaluated by MTT assay.
Findings: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of TQ-ZNPs was significantly reduced compared to that of free TQ. MIC values of TQ-ZNPs and free TQ were determined to be 7.4 and 50 µg/mL, respectively. Biofilm formation was inhibited, and oxidant production by fungal cells was increased. The findings of this study showed that TQ-ZNPs had no toxic effect on PBMCs.
Conclusion: This study results revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles had a good antifungal activity without any toxicity. The results demonstrated the superior efficiency of TQ-ZNPs over free TQ. Hence, this structure could be used to load hydrophobic drugs. However, more studies are needed to evaluate the beneficial properties of TQ-ZNPs.
 

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In the 20th century, two influential novels were written in Egypt and Iran, which found a special place. Dr. Heikel's novel Zeinab in Egypt and Ali Mohammad Afghani's novel Shohar Aho Khanum established a new trend in the fiction prose of the two countries. Obviously, due to the nature of the novel and the detail in it, the element of description has a prominent position. Dialogue is one of the effective tools in description and makes the flow of the story between the characters more alive. Although Zeinab's novel has not yet been translated into Farsi and only an English translation of it is available, a thesis has been compiled on the comparison of these two influential novels, and an article has been prepared on the description of these two works. Using the descriptive-analytical method and library method, this research compares the role and effect and how the dialogue element is used in the descriptions of the novel Shuhar Ahokhanam by Mohammad Ali Afghani and the novel Zeinab by Mohammad Hossein Heikal as two pioneering novels in the presian & Arabic literature.The dialogue element in Shohar Ahokhanam's novel is bold, technical and more effective than the dialogue in Zeinab's novel, especially in the plot of the story.

 

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Protein-based carriers have several advantages over lipid, carbohydrate, synthetic polymers and inorganic colloidal carriers in terms of biodegradability, availability, high capacity of drug transplantation. Electrospinning is a process that uses electric fields to spin fibers with diameters ranging from hundreds to tens of nanometers. Zein is the major storage protein of maize. Vancomycin is a broad spectrum antibiotic that acts against gram-positive bacteria. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the properties of nano-fibrous membrane containing vancomycin antibiotics and to study release and antibacterial properties. Electrospinning method was used to prepare a polymer matrix of a zein nanofiber containing vancomycin antibiotic. The physical properties of the fibers, the method of drug release and the antimicrobial activity of vancomycin loaded fiber were investigated. The morphology of the nanofiber was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy and the formation of uniform filamentary fibers was confirmed. The results of Fourier transform infrared indicated no interaction between zein and vancomycin. The DSC results indicated that vancomycin was physically in amorphous state. The results showed that after 168 h, about 55% of the loaded vancomycin on the fibers was released. A significant difference was observed between the rate of drug release at different times (p <0.05). There was also a decrease in the number of bacteria encountered with vancomycin loaded zein fibers compared to non-loaded zein fiber and control samples. Keywords: Nanofiber, Zein, Vancomycin, Electrospinning, Drug delivery

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Today one of the most important concerns of the world is the significant volume of waste accumulation associated with the synthetic polymers used in food packaging. Therefore, biodegradable edible films are the best alternative for synthetic polymers and plastics. In this study, biodegradable films of corn zein containing two levels of olive leaf extract (10 and 15% w/w) are produced and their physical, mechanical, colorimetric and micro straucture properties were investigated. The results showed that the effect of treatment on physical, mechanical and colorimetric properties was significant (p <0.05). The results showed that by adding 15% extract, the thickness and moisture absorption increased compared to the control sample. Also, by increasing the percentage of olive leaf extract, there was a significant decrease in solubility and vapor permeability in all three relative humidity (33, 50 and 75%) compared to the control sample. In conclusion, it can be concluded from the results of this study that the combination of olive leaf extract with polymeric zein improves some physical and mechanical properties of edible film

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Layer by layer self - assembly technique is one of the newest methods to produce multilayer films relying on the placement of the liquid layers on solid substance. The purpose of this studies  is to manufacture multilayer kraft  based on protein biopolymers (zein and whey isolated protein) containing of green tea phenolic compounds by utilizing layer by layer self - assembly technique and evaluation antibacterial, physical-mechanical properties and release of phenolic compounds from coated kraft at refrigerator temperature in pH of 4.5 and 7. The minimum inhibitory concentration of green tea powder demonstrates that Escherichia coli (5mg/ml) compared to Listeria monocytogenes (10mg/ml) is more sensitive. The results of physical properties of krafts coated paper showed that thickness, grammage and bulk density increased by coating process. Also, the presence of zein in outer layer caused a significant reduction in WVP and increased air resistance. Evaluation of phenolic compounds release from coated krafts demonstrated that release rate in acidic food stimulant was more than the neutral stimulants. Also, release content of kraft paper with zein as outer layers respect to whey isolated protein was higher in the first days and continued in a longer time. Log reduction value of coated Kraft with active bilayer zein against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes was 0.25 and 0.06 respectively. According to the results of this study, active zein bilayer kraft is recommended as a carrier of phenolic compounds for the packaging of food products

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Today, preventing the loss of by-products of food industry and their optimal use in order to increase the quality of food has attracted the attention of many researchers. So the aim of this study was to improve the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of gluten-free fermented doughnut based on rice flour by adding corn gluten meal and tahini meal on three levels of 0, 5 and 10%. The results showed by  increasing the amount of corn gluten meal and tahini meal, the amount of protein and peroxide of the final product increased and decreased respectively. Also, The results showed that only increasing the amount of tahini meal in the formulation increased the moisture content, specific volume and porosity and decreased the firmness of the tissue, while the addition of corn gluten meal had no significant effect on these parameters. On the other hand, only increasing the amount of corn gluten meal in the formulation reduced the fat content of the final product and adding tahini meal did not cause a significant change in this regard. The results also showed that with increasing the amount of corn gluten meal and tahini meal, the amount of L* and a* crust values decreased and increased, respectively and the addition of corn gluten meal increased the amount of b* crust value. Finally, introduced two samples containing 5% corn gluten meal and 10% tahini meal and the sample containing 10% tahini meal and without corn gluten meal as the best sample. So, it can be concluded that the use of these meal in addition to the development of industries and economic productivity, improves the quantitative and qualitative characteristics and enhances the nutritional value of the final product.

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Vitamin D₃ is a fat-soluble vitamin and one of the most important vitamins for body. Enriching foods, especially juices, with this vitamin requires encapsulation due to dispersion problems and sensitivity to oxidation and light. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of using zein hydrolysate and the effect of ultrasonic frequency (40 kHz) on the structure of nanocomplex carrying vitamin D₃ and its stability in orange juice were investigated. The encapsulation and loading efficiency as well as the size of the prepared nanoparticles were measured and physicochemical, microbial and sensory evaluations were performed on the juice during days 1, 15 and 30. Encapsulation and loading efficiency for nanoparticles containing vitamin D₃ by ultrasonic pretreatment increased by about 12.2 (70 vs. 62.4) and 14.73% (10.69 vs. 9.32), respectively. Particle size and zeta potential for different treatments were respectively obtained in the range of 49.59–58.49 nm and -24.5 – -36.62 and the use of nanocomplexes reduced the particle size and zeta potential compared to free vitamin D₃ in orange juice. Regarding the physicochemical, microbial and sensory results obtained for fortified orange juice, zein hydrolysate nanocomplex has the potential to be used as a suitable and valuable carrier for enriching fruit juices with bioactive substances, especially vitamin D₃, without any harmful effects.
 

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The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant properties of date seed methanolic extracts of Rabbi variety and evaluating the physicochemical properties of zein nanoparticles loaded with these extracts. Ultrasonic treatment was used to extract methanolic extract from date seed powder and antisolvent precipitation method was used to encapsulate date seed methanolic extracts in amounts of 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 g in zein biopolymer carrier. In this study, the total phenolic content (TPC) and half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of date seed extracts of Rabbi variety in 45 min, the temperature of 50⁰C of ultrasonic bath and 70% methanol solvent concentration were obtained respectively 369.47 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight and 5.08 µg/m1. By increasing the ratio of encapsulated extract in zein carrier from 0.1 to 0.4, the encapsulation efficiency from 85.90 to 95.19% and the size of zein particles loaded with methanolic extracts from 129.95 to 183.30 nm increased and the zeta potential of nanoparticles decreased from +19.15 to +14.48 mV. The size and zeta potential of extract-free zein particles were determined 109.30 nm and +21.96 mV, respectively. The results of ATR-FTIR analysis indicated that with increase the ratio of methanolic extract encapsulated in the zein carrier, the stretching peak of O‒H⋯O bond changed and increased from 3292.85 to 3294.85 cm^-1. In Investigating the FE-SEM images, extract-free zein nanoparticles and zein nanoparticles loaded with date seed extracts had semi-spherical morphology. Overall, the hydrophobic nature of zein carrier caused it to bind with the phenolics of Rabbi date seed extract through non-covalent, van der Waals, hydrogen, and hydrophobic interactions. Therefore, it can be used as a strong carrier for the encapsulation of date seed extracts.