Microencapsulation of a Commercial Food-Grade Protease by Spray Drying in Cross-Linked Chitosan Particles

Sodium tripolyphosphate is a non-toxic and economic alternative to glutaraldehyde for preparation of L-asparaginase CLEAs to reduce acrylamide in potato fries

L-Asparaginase CLEAs were prepared utilizing sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as a crosslinker (TA-CLEA). Under optimized conditions (pH 3, 0.3% TPP concentration, and a crosslinking time of 1 h), an 85% activity recovery was achieved. TA-CLEAs demonstrated superior pH stability (pH 3-8) compared to GA (glutaraldehyde)-CLEA but lost structural integrity at pH 9. TA-CLEAs were thermally more stable (concerning activity) and structurally less stable than GA-CLEA owing to the presence of weaker ionic bonds. TA-CLEAs reported an increase in apparent Km (reduced substrate affinity) and apparent Vmax values and displayed excellent reusability after 10 cycles of use (> 75%). The increase in β-sheet and random coil structures indicated a trade-off between structure stability and flexibility of the protein. TA-CLEAs reduced the acrylamide content in potato fries by 79% after 40 min of treatment time. Thus, the use of TPP as a non-toxic, economical, and biocompatible alternative to the conventionally used toxic crosslinker glutaraldehyde was demonstrated.

Exploring oral drug delivery: In vitro release and mathematical modeling of hydrophobic drug (Na-L-thyroxine) and its cyclodextrin inclusion complex in chitosan microparticles

Na-l-Thyroxine (Na-l-Thy) is a frequently prescribed synthetic hormone for hypothyroidism treatment. Despite its efficacy, its hydrophobic nature poses a challenge for achieving optimal bioavailability. To address this, researchers explored various delivery methods, including micro-formulations and nano-formulations, for precise and prolonged release of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs. In this study, we developed micro-formulations with cyclodextrin and chitosan. Docking studies identified γ-cyclodextrin as the preferred option for forming a stable complex with Na-l-Thyroxine compared to α, and β-cyclodextrins. Two micro-formulations were prepared compared: Na-l-Thyroxine loaded on chitosan (CS + Na-l-Thy) and Na-l-Thyroxine and γ-cyclodextrin inclusion complex (IC) loaded on chitosan (CS + IC). CS + IC exhibited superior encapsulation efficiency (91.25 %) and loading capacity (18.62 %) compared to CS + Na-l-Thy (encapsulation efficiency: 70.24 %, loading capacity: 21.18 %). Characterization using FTIR, SEM, and TGA validated successful encapsulation of Na-l-Thy in spherical microparticles with high thermal stability. In-vitro release studies at pH 1.2 and 7.4 showed that the CS + IC microparticles displayed gradual, consistent drug release compared to CS + Na-l-Thy -Thy. Both formulations showed faster release at pH 1.2 than at pH 7.4. Reaction kinetics analysis of release studies of CS + Na-l-Thy and CS + IC were best described by Higuchi kinetic model and Korsemeyer-Peppas kinetic model respectively. This study suggests that the CS + IC microparticles are an effective and stable delivery system for sustained release of hydrophobic Na-l-Thy.

Recent Advances in Encapsulation for Food Applications

Food-related research is closely related to health [...].