Recent advances in fabricating, characterizing, and applying food-derived fibers using microfluidic spinning technology

Abstract

Food-derived fiber materials are receiving significant attention due to their excellent biocompatibility and degradability. However, traditional spinning methods like melt spinning and electrostatic spinning often involve high temperatures and voltage, which limits their applications in biomedicine and other fields. In recent years, microfluidic spinning technology has emerged as a promising alternative for preparing food-derived fibers due to its mild reaction conditions and ability to control fiber size. Currently, microfluidic spinning technology has been used to fabricate fibers from various food-derived substances, including protein, konjac glucomannan, chitosan, and alginate. Therefore, this paper summarized the preparation conditions, solidification methods, preparation mechanism, influencing factors, and characterization methods of microfluidic spinning technology in the preparation of these food-derived fibers. Additionally, we also reviewed the application of these food-derived fibers prepared by microfluidic spinning technology in antibacterial activity, biological scaffolds, drug release, and wound healing. This review provides a theoretical basis for the application of microfluidic spinning technology in food industry, bioengineering, medicine, and other fields.