Revolutionizing cryopreservation: Bio-based cryoprotectants, mechanisms, and advanced applications for sustainable pan-food systems
X.Z. Liu, Da‐Wen Sun, You Tian
Abstract
Background Cryoprotectants, when applied to pan-food areas, can reduce frozen damage and quality degradation. Although traditional cryoprotectants such as saccharides, glycerol, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) have been widely used, with the development of bio-based concepts, biocompatible and non-toxic cryoprotectants naturally existing in nature such as antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) have gradually become more promising choices for cryopreservation and frozen food storage. Scope and approach This review focuses on the traditional and emerging bio-based cryoprotectants in pan-food applications, specifically reviewing the cryoprotective mechanisms and applications of saccharides, AFPs, and NADESs. The fundamentals and the updated information regarding the action mechanisms of the cryoprotectants are concluded, and the current research advances concerning the applications in pan-food areas using these cryoprotectants are summarized and discussed. Key findings and conclusions Disaccharides/oligosaccharides influence ice crystal growth by interacting with water molecules around proteins or lipids through water substitution theory, vitrification theory, and water entrapment hypothesis. Polysaccharides modulate the ice crystal growth behaviour through the ice-binding mechanism, and their molecular structures and molecular weights can significantly affect the ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity. AFPs from different sources change ice crystal morphology, exhibiting thermal hysteresis, and IRI activity in different degrees following “adsorption-inhibition” mechanism. NADESs show excellent capacities for freezing point depression and IRI due to their temperature-responded hydrogen-bonding supramolecular networks. As emerging cryoprotectants, AFPs and NADESs possessing non-toxicity and biocompatibility will show great potential in the future food mega-industry.