Prosopis alba exudate gum as excipient for improving fish oil stability in alginate-chitosan beads

Enrichment of pasteurized skim milk with grape seed oil multilayer emulsions: Investigating the effect of emulsion layers on physicochemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics

Cow milk is a nutritionally valuable food, although it lacks essential UFA. Enriching milk with these fatty acids can reduce risks associated with cholesterol and saturated fats while meeting consumers' dietary needs. Grape seed oil (GSO), which is rich in n-6 and n-9 fatty acids, is one potential additive to replace milk fat and increase the unsaturated fat content. However, these essential UFA are hydrophobic, making them difficult to dissolve in water, and are prone to oxidation, which can negatively affect the aroma and flavor of the milk. The layer-by-layer emulsion method is a promising approach to mitigate these challenges. This study investigated the enrichment of pasteurized skim milk with optimized multilayer emulsions of GSO and evaluated the physicochemical, microbial, and sensory characteristics of the milk over a storage period of 7 d at 4°C. Results indicated that single- and triple-layer emulsions remained stable within the milk matrix, but the 2-layer emulsion became unstable by d 3 of storage. During storage, acidity increased in all samples (from 0.16 to 0.44, 0.24 to 0.48, and 0.2 to 0.36 for single-, double-, and triple-layer emulsions, respectively), as did viscosity (from 1.53 to 1.9, 1.55 to 2.2, and 1.46 to 1.78 mPa·s, respectively), total microorganism count, peroxide value (from 5.52 to 17.6, 4.7 to 19.38, and 3.09 to 10.3 mEq/kg oil, respectively), and thiobarbituric acid index (from 0.43 to 0.52, 0.44 to 0.63, and 0.39 to 0.47 mg malondialdehyde/kg of oil, respectively). The pH values decreased slightly across all samples (from 6.6 to 6.5). No mold, yeast, or coliforms were detected in any sample throughout the study. Overall, the use of bioactive compounds such as essential fatty acids through milk enrichment can greatly enhance the quality of widely consumed dairy products.

Fabrication and characterization of gum arabic- and maltodextrin-based microcapsules containing polyunsaturated oils

BACKGROUND

Polyunsaturated oils have various health-promoting effects, however, they are highly prone to oxidation. Encapsulation using biopolymers is one of the most effective strategies to enhance oil stability. This research examined the potential of gum arabic and maltodextrin for microencapsulation of omega-3 rich oils, aiming to enhance encapsulation efficiency and stability of encapsulated oil.

RESULTS

We encapsulated fish and flaxseed oils by emulsification-spray drying. Spray-dried microcapsules were prepared by oil-in-water emulsions consisting of 10 wt% oil and 30 wt% biopolymer (gum arabic, maltodextrin, or their mixture). Results showed that both microcapsules were spherical in shape with surface shrinkage, and exhibited amorphous structures. Gum arabic-based microcapsules had higher encapsulation efficiency as well as better storage stability for both types of oil. Flaxseed oil microcapsules generally had higher oxidative stability regardless of the type of wall material.

CONCLUSIONS

Through a comprehensive characterization of the physical and chemical properties of the emulsions and resulting microcapsules, we proved gum arabic to be a more effective wall material for polyunsaturated oil microencapsulation, especially flaxseed oil. This study provides a promising approach to stabilize oils which are susceptible to deterioration, and facilitates their wider uses as food and nutraceutical products. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

In vitro Digestion and Swelling Kinetics of Thymoquinone-Loaded Pickering Emulsions Incorporated in Alginate-Chitosan Hydrogel Beads

The present work aimed to investigate the swelling behavior, in vitro digestion, and release of a hydrophobic bioactive compound, thymoquinone (TQ), loaded in Pickering emulsion incorporated in alginate-chitosan hydrogel beads using a simulated gastrointestinal model. In this study, oil-in-water Pickering emulsions of uniform micron droplet sizes were formulated using 20% red palm olein and 0.5% (w/v) cellulose nanocrystals-soy protein isolate (CNC/SPI) complex followed by encapsulation within beads. FT-IR was used to characterize the bonding between the alginate, chitosan, and Pickering emulsion. 2% (w/v) alginate-1% (w/v) chitosan hydrogel beads were found to be spherical with higher stability against structural deformation. The alginate-chitosan beads displayed excellent stability in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) with a low water uptake of ~19%. The hydrogel beads demonstrated a high swelling degree (85%) with a superior water uptake capacity of ~593% during intestinal digestion in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). After exposure to SIF, the microstructure transformation was observed, causing erosion and degradation of alginate/chitosan wall materials. The release profile of TQ up to 83% was achieved in intestinal digestion, and the release behavior was dominated by diffusion via the bead swelling process. These results provided useful insight into the design of food-grade colloidal delivery systems using protein-polysaccharide complex-stabilized Pickering emulsions incorporated in alginate-chitosan hydrogel beads.

Enhanced physicochemical stability of ω-3 PUFAs concentrates-loaded nanoliposomes decorated by chitosan/gelatin blend coatings

To enhance the physicochemical stability of ω-3 PUFAs concentrates from fish oil, biopolymer coating based on chitosan (CH) and gelatin (GE) deposited on the surface of nanoliposomes (NLs) has been synthesized and characterized. The mean particle size of surface-decorated nanoliposomes (SDNLs) containing ω-3 PUFAs concentrates was found to be in the range of 209.5-454.3 nm. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed the spherical shape and smooth surface of the nanovesicles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction observations confirmed that the NLs have been successfully coated by biopolymeric blends. The highest entrapment efficiency of 81.6% was obtained in polymer-stabilized NLs with a concentration ratio of 0.3:0.1 (CH:GE). Differential scanning calorimetry results revealed enhanced thermal stability of vesicles after polymeric blend desorption. Finally, the oxidative stability assays demonstrated that the ω-3 PUFAs concentrates entrapped in SDNLs was protected against oxidation in comparison to the free ω-3 PUFAs concentrates.

Prosopis Plant Chemical Composition and Pharmacological Attributes: Targeting Clinical Studies from Preclinical Evidence

Members of the Prosopis genus are native to America, Africa and Asia, and have long been used in traditional medicine. The Prosopis species most commonly used for medicinal purposes are P. africana, P. alba, P. cineraria, P. farcta, P. glandulosa, P. juliflora, P. nigra, P. ruscifolia and P. spicigera, which are highly effective in asthma, birth/postpartum pains, callouses, conjunctivitis, diabetes, diarrhea, expectorant, fever, flu, lactation, liver infection, malaria, otitis, pains, pediculosis, rheumatism, scabies, skin inflammations, spasm, stomach ache, bladder and pancreas stone removal. Flour, syrup, and beverages from Prosopis pods have also been potentially used for foods and food supplement formulation in many regions of the world. In addition, various in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed interesting antiplasmodial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic and wound healing effects. The phytochemical composition of Prosopis plants, namely their content of C-glycosyl flavones (such as schaftoside, isoschaftoside, vicenin II, vitexin and isovitexin) has been increasingly correlated with the observed biological effects. Thus, given the literature reports, Prosopis plants have positive impact on the human diet and general health. In this sense, the present review provides an in-depth overview of the literature data regarding Prosopis plants' chemical composition, pharmacological and food applications, covering from pre-clinical data to upcoming clinical studies.

Properties of spray-dried fish oil with different carbohydrates as carriers

This study evaluated the application of cashew gum, Arabic gum and starch on physical and thermal properties, and fatty acid profiles of spray-dried fish oil. A completely randomized design was used to evaluate the influence of the type of material on the properties of the microparticles. Hygroscopicity and solubility was higher for particles produced using cashew gum and reached 15 g/100 g and 85 g/100 g, respectively. Analyzing the thermogravimetric curves, it was found that cashew gum bulk showed two steps of degradation. For the microcapsules containing encapsulated fish oil in cashew gum, an extra degradation step at 471 °C was found. It was possible to verify the occurrence of diffused and wide peaks in the X-ray diffractograms for all three carbohydrate polymers. The particles produced presented spherical shape with cavities. The fatty acid profile for the fish oil changed only when using modified starch as wall material, where a significant loss of omega-3 fatty acids was observed. The particles produced with cashew gum had physical properties similar to those when applying materials commonly used and this biopolymer has the potential for application as a carrier in spray drying processes .

Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) gum exudate as a potential excipient

Gum exudate was obtained from Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC., which is abundantly available in north-west, central, west and south India. It was analysed for its phytochemical composition in aqueous extract and as well as by LCMS, GCMS, TGDTA and SEM to validate it’s potential for use as an excipient (Fig. 1).

Alginate Biosynthesis inAzotobacter vinelandii: Overview of Molecular Mechanisms in Connection with the Oxygen Availability

The Gram-negative bacteriumAzotobacter vinelandiican synthetize the biopolymer alginate that has material properties appropriate for plenty of applications in industry as well as in medicine. In order to settle the foundation for improving alginate production without compromising its quality, a better understanding of the polymer biosynthesis and the mechanism of regulation during fermentation processes is necessary. This knowledge is crucial for the development of novel production strategies. Here, we highlight the key aspects of alginate biosynthesis that can lead to producing an alginate with specific material properties with particular focus on the role of oxygen availability linked with the molecular mechanisms involved in the alginate production.