Recently, the research team led by Professor Zhang Hua from the College of Food and Bioengineering, at Zhengzhou University of Light Industry (ZZULI), in collaboration with the team led by Professor Li Bin from Huazhong Agricultural University, published a review paper titled "Synthesis, structural modulation, and functional applications of Schiff bases in food science" in Advances in Colloid and Interface Science(CAS Q1, TOP journal, IF=19.3),an international renowned journal. Associate Researcher Sun Gege from the College of Food and Bioengineering is the first author, and Wang Mengchen, a 2025 graduate student, is the second author. Professors Zhang Hua and Li Yan are the corresponding authors. ZZULI is listed as the first affiliated institution.

Schiff bases have gained increasing academic attention due to their excellent tunability, dynamic reversibility, and multifunctionality. Although current studies predominantly focus on their chemical applications, there remains a lack of systematic studies on their optimization for food-grade materials and their impact on food functionality. This review explores the formation mechanisms of Schiff bases, including the chemical structures, composition, and functionality of components. Particularly, it emphasizes the synergistic interactions between food-grade natural reactants (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, and phytochemicals) and synthetic components, along with the mechanistic influence of such interactions on material performance. Furthermore, the paper explores the innovative applications of Schiff bases in food colloids, functional materials, and delivery systems, with special attention to balancing the functionality, stability, and biocompatibility of the materials to meet practical demands in food industry applications. The review aims to provide valuable theoretical support for the applications of Schiff bases in food systems, while offering new insights into food preservation, nutrient delivery, and quality enhancement. Future studies are encouraged to further explore diversified reaction conditions and expand application scenarios, particularly in sustainable green food processing technologies, to unleash the full potential of Schiff bases in the food sector.

The research result was supported by programs such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32502205), the Key Scientific Research Project of Higher Education Institutions in Henan Province (26B550018) and the Henan Province Science and Technology Program for Tackling Key Problems (252102110112).

Journal article link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2026.103903