Fig 1.
Formation of cutinsomes with pectin monitored by opalescence.
Transition of aleuritic acid (black squares) and aleuritic acid with pectin (24:1 w/w-red circles, 12:1 w/w-blue triangles, 6:1 w/w-green inverted triangles) solutions from micellar to nanoparticle state monitored at 480 nm. The absorbance increase is associated with the opalescence resulting from the appearance and aggregation of nanoparticles. Chemical structures of pectin and aleuritic acid are included.
Fig 2.
Morphology of cutinsomes from aleuritic acid and pectin.
a-c, TEM images of aggregated nanoparticles of aleuritic acid and pectin at 1:0 (a), 24:1 (b) and 6:1 (c) w/w ratios. Diverse morphologies are observed for the different ratios. Scale bar = 200 nm.
Fig 3.
Esterification capacity of cutinsomes from aleuritic acid and pectin.
Esterification index of the precipitated solids obtained from aleuritic acid (black squares) and aleuritic acid with pectin (24:1 w/w-red circles, 12:1 w/w-blue triangles, 6:1 w/w-green inverted triangles) solutions in the range of pH from 8.0 to 5.6. Inset shows the ATR-FTIR spectra in the carbonyl region (1810–1510 cm-1) of the precipitated solid from aleuritic acid with pectin (24:1 w/w) solutions at pH 8 and 6.
Fig 4.
Interaction HOPG surface-cutinsomes with pectin.
a-b, non-contact AFM topography of cutinsomes obtained from mixtures of aleuritic acid with pectin at 1:0 (a) and 24:1 (b) ratios deposited on HOPG by drop vaporization. c, height profile corresponding to the dashed line in a and b.
Fig 5.
Cutinsomes from cutin monomers and pectin.
a, esterification index of precipitated solids from solutions of cutin monomers (black squares) and cutin monomers with pectin (24:1 w/w-red circles) in the range of pH from 8.5 to 5.5. Chemical structures of the main tomato fruit cutin monomers of tomato fruit are included. b, TEM image of aggregated nanoparticles of cutin monomer and pectin at 24:1 w/w. A diffuse edge between the components is observed.
Fig 6.
A model for pectin-lipid self-assembly during the formation of cutinsomes.
Diagram of the phase transition from a micellar state to the formation and polymerization of a cutinsome and its subsequent aggregation from an aqueous solution of aleuritic acid (a-f) or cutin monomers (a-c and d’-f’) with pectin.