Encapsulation effects on the structure-dynamics on drug carriers revealed by neutron scattering

Water Dynamics in Cancer Cells: Lessons from Quasielastic Neutron Scattering

The severity of the cancer statistics around the globe and the complexity involving the behavior of cancer cells inevitably calls for contributions from multidisciplinary areas of research. As such, materials science became a powerful asset to support biological research in comprehending the macro and microscopic behavior of cancer cells and untangling factors that may contribute to their progression or remission. The contributions of cellular water dynamics in this process have always been debated and, in recent years, experimental works performed with Quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) brought new perspectives to these discussions. In this review, we address these works and highlight the value of QENS in comprehending the role played by water molecules in tumor cells and their response to external agents, particularly chemotherapy drugs. In addition, this paper provides an overview of QENS intended for scientists with different backgrounds and comments on the possibilities to be explored with the next-generation spectrometers under construction.

Cod Liver Oil’s Encapsulation into Sodium Alginate/Lupin Protein Beads and Its Application in Functional Meatballs’ Preparation

Cod liver oil (CLO) is an essential source of healthy ω-3 fatty acids to be employed in functional meals. However, its autoxidation sensitivity, solubility, and odour present it as challenging to handle. Its encapsulation might mitigate these problems. This research studied using alginate/lupine protein as a wall material for CLO encapsulation as well as to characterise CLO microcapsules for their size, sphericity factor, encapsulation efficiency, morphology (scanning electron microscopy), in vitro release, and thermal stability. In this study, the oxidative stability, quality parameters, and sensory attributes of meatballs enriched with free CLOs and encapsulated CLOs throughout storage at 4 ± 1 °C for 16 days were assessed. The CLO microspheres had a homogeneous round shape, a diameter of 0.82 ± 0.06 mm, a sphericity factor of 0.092 ± 0.01, an encapsulation efficiency of 95.62% ± 1.13%, and an accumulative release rate of 87.10% after 270 min in the stimulated gastrointestinal conditions. Additionally, it was discovered that encapsulated oil was more stable than free CLOs to heat treatments (70–100 °C, 24 h). pH, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, peroxide value, conjugated dienes value, and carbonyl content of meatballs enriched with microencapsulated CLOs were significantly lower when compared to free CLOs and/or control samples. CLO microcapsules improved the sensory characteristics of meatballs throughout storage; however, meatballs directly containing CLOs were rejected. Thus, the viability of alginate/LPI complex microcapsules containing CLOs to enrich meat products subjected to storage with refrigeration could be indicated without any change in the characteristics.