Microencapsulation of pomegranate seed oil using a succinylated taro starch: Characterization and bioaccessibility study

Use of encapsulated pomegranate seed oil in novel coarse and nanosized materials for improving the storage life of strawberry

Different-sized pomegranate seed oil-based emulsions (coarse (CsP) and nanoemulsions (NsP): 1246 and 325 nm) were successfully prepared. Strawberries treated with NsP and CsP showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in yeast-mold counts (TMY) by 1.80 log CFU g-1, and mesophilic aerobic bacteria counts (TMAB) decreased (p < 0.05) by 0.91 log CFU g-1, respectively. CsP- and NsP-treated strawberries had a TPC of 74.45 and 82.35 mg GAE kg-1, respectively, while control samples had a TPC of 44.24 mg GAE kg-1. The strawberries treated with NsP exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity with 179.44 mol TEAC g-1. After treatment with a coarse emulsion, severity levels of A. niger and B. cinerea were 60 and 73 % while the nanoemulsion treatment significantly reduced severity levels to 55.3 and 56 %. The coarse and nanoemulsions may have potential use within the food industry owing to their antioxidant and antifungal properties as well as their ability to enhance strawberry quality and function.

Application of Starch, Cellulose, and Their Derivatives in the Development of Microparticle Drug-Delivery Systems

Micro- and nanotechnologies have been intensively studied in recent years as novel platforms for targeting and controlling the delivery of various pharmaceutical substances. Microparticulate drug delivery systems for oral, parenteral, or topical administration are multiple unit formulations, considered as powerful therapeutic tools for the treatment of various diseases, providing sustained drug release, enhanced drug stability, and precise dosing and directing the active substance to specific sites in the organism. The properties of these pharmaceutical formulations are highly dependent on the characteristics of the polymers used as drug carriers for their preparation. Starch and cellulose are among the most preferred biomaterials for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and lack of toxicity. These polysaccharides and their derivatives, like dextrins (maltodextrin, cyclodextrins), ethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, carboxy methylcellulose, etc., have been widely used in pharmaceutical technology as excipients for the preparation of solid, semi-solid, and liquid dosage forms. Due to their accessibility and relatively easy particle-forming properties, starch and cellulose are promising materials for designing drug-loaded microparticles for various therapeutic applications. This study aims to summarize some of the basic characteristics of starch and cellulose derivatives related to their potential utilization as microparticulate drug carriers in the pharmaceutical field.

Nanoencapsulation of Phenolic Extracts from Native Potato Clones (Solanum tuberosum spp. andigena) by Spray Drying

Native potato clones grown in Peru contain bioactive compounds beneficial to human health. This study aimed to optimize the spray-drying nanoencapsulation of native potato phenolic extracts utilizing a central composite design and response surface methodology, obtaining the optimal treatment to an inlet temperature of 120 °C and an airflow of 141 L/h in the nano spray dryer B-90, which allowed maximizing the yield of encapsulation, antioxidant capacity (DPPH), encapsulation efficiency (EE), total phenolic compounds, and total flavonoids; on the other hand, it allowed minimizing hygroscopicity, water activity (Aw), and moisture. Instrumental characterization of the nanocapsules was also carried out, observing a gain in lightness, reddening of the color, and spherical nanoparticles of heterogeneous size (133.09-165.13 nm) with a negative ζ potential. Thermal, infrared, and morphological analyses confirmed the encapsulation of the core in the wall materials. Furthermore, an in vitro release study of phenolic compounds in an aqueous solution achieved a maximum value of 9.86 mg GAE/g after 12 h. Finally, the obtained nanocapsules could be used in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Development, application and future trends of starch-based delivery systems for nutraceuticals: A review

As a natural biopolymer, starch is ideally adapted as an encapsulant material for nutraceutical delivery systems due to its unique nature of extensive sources, versatility and high biocompatibility. This review offers an outline of recent advances in the development of starch-based delivery systems. The structure and functional properties of starch in encapsulating and delivering bioactive ingredients are first introduced. Structural modification of starch improves the functionalities and extends the applications of starch in novel delivery systems. Then, various nutraceutical delivery systems are systematically summarized, which include porous starch, starch particle, amylose inclusion complex, cyclodextrin, gel, edible film and emulsion. Next, the delivery process of nutraceuticals is discussed in two parts: digestion and release. Intestinal digestion plays an important role during the whole digestion process of starch-based delivery systems. Moreover, controlled release of bioactives can be achieved by porous starch, starch-bioactive complexation and core-shell structure. Finally, the challenges of the existing starch-based delivery systems are deliberated, and the directions for future research are pointed out. Composite delivery carriers, co-delivery, intelligent delivery, delivery in real food systems, and reuse of agricultural wastes may be the research trends for starch-based delivery systems in the future.

Mechanism of synergistic stabilization of emulsions by amorphous taro starch and protein and emulsion stability

Amorphous taro starch (TS)/whey protein isolate (WPI) mixtures were prepared using pasting treatment. The TS/WPI mixtures and their stabilized emulsions were characterized to determine the emulsion stability and the mechanism of synergistic stabilization of emulsions. As WPI content increased from 0% to 13%, the paste final viscosity and retrogradation ratio of the TS/WPI mixture gradually decreased from 3683 cP to 2532 cP and from 80.65% to 30.51%, respectively. As the WPI content increased from 0% to 10%, the emulsion droplet size decreased gradually from 96.81 μm to 10.32 μm, and the storage modulus G' and stabilities of freeze-thaw, centrifugal, and storage increased gradually. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that WPI and TS were mainly distributed at the oil-water interface and droplet interstice, respectively. Thermal treatment, pH, and ionic strength had little influence on the appearance but had different influences on the droplet size and G', and the rates of droplet size and G' increase under storage varied with different environmental factors.

Microencapsulation of tomato seed oil using phlorotannins-adducted pea protein isolate-chitosan and pea protein isolate-chitosan complex coacervates

Pea protein isolates (PPI)/phlorotannins (PT)/chitosan (CS) ternary complex and PPI/CS binary complex were synthesized to prepare tomato seed oil (TSO) microcapsules. The concentration of PT was determined to be 0.025% (w/w) based on the solubility, emulsification, and UV-visible spectrum of PPI-PT complex. Subsequently, the optimal pHs associated with the formation of PPI/CS and PPI-PT/CS complex coacervates were determined to be pH 6.6 and 6.1, while the optimal ratios were 9:1 and 6:1, respectively. The coacervate microcapsules were successfully produced by freeze-dried method and those formulated with PPI-PT/CS displayed significantly lower surface oil content (14.57 ± 0.22%), higher encapsulation efficiency (70.54 ± 0.13%), lower particle size (5.97 ± 0.16 μm), and PDI (0.25 ± 0.02) than PPI/CS. The microcapsules were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, the encapsulated TSO exhibited enhanced thermal and oxidative stability than that of free oil, along with microcapsules fabricated with PPI-PT/CS ternary complex showed better protection than that of free PT. Overall, PPI-PT/CS complex as an effective wall material in delivery system presented great potential.

Optimal conditions for anthocyanin extract microencapsulation in taro starch: Physicochemical characterization and bioaccessibility in gastrointestinal conditions

This research aims to find the optimal conditions for the encapsulation of anthocyanin extract using taro starch to increase the retention of active compounds (RAC), drying yield (DY), antioxidant activity, stability, and bioaccessibility. The microencapsulation is carried out in a spray dryer, and the process is optimized using response surface method (RSM), applying starch concentration and inlet air temperature as independent parameters. Optimized microcapsules (OM) are obtained with solids concentration of 20.9 % and inlet temperature of 125 °C as optimal conditions. Drying yield (70.1 %), moisture content (5.2 %), water activity (0.211), phenolic compound content (797.8 mg GAE/g), anthocyanins (469.4 mg CE3G/g), ABTS (116.2 mg AAE/g) and DPPH (104.4 mg AAE/g) are analyzed through RSM. Retention percentage in OM show values of 60 % in bioactive compounds up to four weeks of storage under accelerated storage conditions. Bioaccessibility of OM is 10 % higher than that observed in the extract without encapsulation during gastrointestinal digestion. The results in this study show that OM made with taro starch and obtained with RSM effectively protect through digestion and ensure bioactive compound stability during storage.

Punicic Acid and Its Role in the Prevention of Neurological Disorders: A Review

Millions of people worldwide are affected by neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). NDs are characterized by progressive damage and death of nerve cells accompanied by high levels of inflammatory biomarkers and oxidative stress conditions. Punicic acid, the main bioactive component of pomegranate (Punica granatum) seed oil, is an omega-5 isomer of conjugated α-linoleic acid that has shown strong anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects that contributes towards its positive effect against a wide arrange of diseases. Punicic acid decreases oxidative damage and inflammation by increasing the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. In addition, it can reduce beta-amyloid deposits formation and tau hyperphosphorylation by increasing the expression of GLUT4 protein and the inhibition of calpain hyperactivation. Microencapsulated pomegranate, with high levels of punicic acid, increases antioxidant PON1 activity in HDL. Likewise, encapsulated pomegranate formulations with high levels of punicic acid have shown an increase in the antioxidant PON1 activity in HDL. Because of the limited brain permeability of punicic acid, diverse delivery formulations have been developed to enhance the biological activity of punicic acid in the brain, diminishing neurological disorders symptoms. Punicic acid is an important nutraceutical compound in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease.