Carriers Of Active Compounds Research Articles

Pickering Emulsions Based in Inorganic Solid Particles: From Product Development to Food Applications.

Pickering emulsions (PEs) have attracted attention in different fields, such as food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, mainly due to their good physical stability. PEs are a promising strategy to develop functional products since the particles' oil and water phases can act as carriers of active compounds, providing multiple combinations potentiating synergistic effects. Moreover, they can answer the sustainable and green chemistry issues arising from using conventional emulsifier-based systems. In this context, this review focuses on the applicability of safe inorganic solid particles as emulsion stabilisers, discussing the main stabilisation mechanisms of oil-water interfaces. In particular, it provides evidence for hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles as Pickering stabilisers, discussing the latest advances. The main technologies used to produce PEs are also presented. From an industrial perspective, an effort was made to list new productive technologies at the laboratory scale and discuss their feasibility for scale-up. Finally, the advantages and potential applications of PEs in the food industry are also described. Overall, this review gathers recent developments in the formulation, production and properties of food-grade PEs based on safe inorganic solid particles.

Soft Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) Based Aqueous Particles.

Soft nanoparticles are an important class of material with potential to be used as carriers of active compounds. Swollen, penetrable particles can act as a host for the active ingredients and provide stability, stimuli-responsiveness and recyclability for the guest. Thermoresponsive colloidal gel particles are especially attractive for such applications due to the extremely soft structure, size and responsiveness. Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) is a much studied, popular thermoresponsive polymer. The polymer has low toxicity and the phase transition temperature is close to body temperature. During the phase transition, the polymer becomes less soluble, the particle expels a large part of water and the particle collapses to a more compact form. The diffusion of material in and from the particles is largely affected by this transition. As the solubility of the polymer changes, so do the interactions with the loaded compound. This feature article focuses on the synthetic methods, properties and applications of soft PNVCL particles.

Polysaccharide-Based Edible Films Incorporated with Essential Oil Nanoemulsions: Physico-Chemical, Mechanical Properties and Its Application in Food Preservation-A Review.

Edible films with essential oils (EOs) are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to synthetic packaging due to their environmentally friendly properties and ability as carriers of active compounds. However, the required amounts of EOs to impart effective antimicrobial properties generally exceed the organoleptic acceptance levels. However, by nanoemulsifying EOs, it is possible to increase their antimicrobial activity while reducing the amount required. This review provides an overview of the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of polysaccharide-based edible films incorporated with EOs nanoemulsions and of their application to the preservation of different food types. By incorporating EOs nanoemulsions into the packaging matrix, these edible films can help to extend the shelf-life of food products while also improving the quality and safety of the food product during storage. It can be concluded that these edible films have the potential to be used in the food industry as a green, sustainable, and biodegradable method for perishable foods preservation.

A novel phenolic compounds delivery system: Oral films with extract from camu‐camu industrial residue

AbstractOral films perform promising alternatives to traditional oral delivery systems to carry and deliver bioactive compounds directly into the oral cavity. The objective of this work was to produce and evaluate oral films based on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and pregelatinized starch incorporated with ethanolic extract from camu‐camu industrial residue (EECCIR). Although all films can be ingested without causing irritation to the oral mucosa, due to near‐neutral surface pH, the starch‐based oral films with and without the addition of EECCIR showed reduced tensile strength (5.48 ± 0.97 MPa) indicating inferior mechanical properties to films based on CMC and HPMC. The CMC films, in addition to shorter disintegration time (50 ± 5 s), showed faster release, about 70% of phenolic compounds in 10 min and 100% in 30 min. As for the release profile, the application of the Korsmeyer and Peppas and Peppas and Sahlin models allowed to better understand the mechanisms involved in the release of phenolic compounds. Although all three oral film formulations can be used as carriers of active compounds from the ethanolic extract of the camu‐camu residue, the oral films based on CMC incorporated with EECCIR showed greater potential.

Emulsions Incorporated in Polysaccharide-Based Active Coatings for Fresh and Minimally Processed Vegetables.

The consumption of minimally processed fresh vegetables has increased by the consumer’s demand of natural products without synthetic preservatives and colorants. These new consumption behaviors have prompted research on the combination of emulsion techniques and coatings that have traditionally been used by the food industries. This combination brings great potential for improving the quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables by allowing the incorporation of natural and multifunctional additives directly into food formulations. These antioxidant, antibacterial, and/or antifungal additives are usually encapsulated at the nano- or micro-scale for their stabilization and protection to make them available by food through the coating. These nano- or micro-emulsions are responsible for the release of the active agents to bring them into direct contact with food to protect it from possible organoleptic degradation. Keeping in mind the widespread applications of micro and nanoemulsions for preserving the quality and safety of fresh vegetables, this review reports the latest works based on emulsion techniques and polysaccharide-based coatings as carriers of active compounds. The technical challenges of micro and nanoemulsion techniques, the potential benefits and drawbacks of their use, the development of polysaccharide-based coatings with natural active additives are considered, since these systems can be used as alternatives to conventional coatings in food formulations.

Orally disintegrating films based on gelatin and pregelatinized starch: new carriers of active compounds from acerola

This study aimed to produce orally disintegrating films (ODFs) based on pregelatinized starch and gelatin with the incorporation of acerola powder and to evaluate the effect of the macromolecule concentration on the properties of the films. No ODFs had insoluble particles, and microstructure analysis by atomic force microscopy showed that higher starch concentrations led to greater surface heterogeneity and roughness. Starch inclusion in the films enhanced the hydrophilicity of the material (producing lower contact angle values). These factors, along with higher levels of starch, probably contributed to the favorable disintegration time, as observed by the lower values from in vitro and in vivo analyses. The FTIR spectra of the ODFs demonstrate predominant presence of carbohydrates and proteins, showing good interaction between them. In addition, the antioxidant capacity results showed that, after 50 days of storage under drastic conditions (75% relative humidity and 40 °C), the ODFs retained at least 60% of their antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the ODF containing acerola powder represents a promising system for use in active compound delivery.

Cosmetics and Cosmeceutical Applications of Chitin, Chitosan and Their Derivatives.

Marine resources are well recognized for their biologically active substances with great potential applications in the cosmeceutical industry. Among the different compounds with a marine origin, chitin and its deacetylated derivative—chitosan—are of great interest to the cosmeceutical industry due to their unique biological and technological properties. In this review, we explore the different functional roles of chitosan as a skin care and hair care ingredient, as an oral hygiene agent and as a carrier for active compounds, among others. The importance of the physico-chemical properties of the polymer in its use in cosmetics are particularly highlighted. Moreover, we analyse the market perspectives of this polymer and the presence in the market of chitosan-based products.

Effect of Orientation on the Morphology and Mechanical Properties of PLA/Starch Composite Filaments

Polylactic acid (PLA)/starch fibers were produced by twin screw extrusion of PLA with granular or gelatinized starch/glycerol followed by drawing through a set of winders with an intermediate oven. At 30% starch, fibers drawn 2–5x were highly flexible (elongation 20–100%) while undrawn filaments were brittle (elongation 2–9%). Tensile strength and moduli increased with increasing draw ratio but decreased with increasing starch content. Mechanical properties were better for composites made with gelatinized starch/glycerol than granular starch. In conclusion, orientation greatly increases the flexibility of PLA/starch composites and this may be useful not only in fibers but also possibly in molded articles. Other advantages of starch addition could include fiber softness without added plasticizer, moisture/odor absorbency and as a carrier for active compounds.

Polylactide containing nanoparticles - new carriers of active compounds

Two amphiphilic block copolymers poly(L-lactide)-b-polyglycidol-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX) were synthesized: PLA-b--PGly-b-PEOX(I) with M n equal_6260 (PLA), 510 (PGly) and 6600 (PEOX) and PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(II) with M n equal 3600 (PLA), 500 (PGly) and 5500 (PEOX). Polyglycidol segment in PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(II) was modified in reaction with succinic anhydride - the reaction leading to conversion of -CH 2 OH groups of polyglycidol monomeric units to -CH 2 OC(O)CH 2 CH 2 COOH moieties with carboxyl groups [modified PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(II) was denoted as PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(IIc)]. Molecules of all three copolymers did self assemble in water into polymeric nanoparticles with number average diameters equal 20.0′0.8 nm [PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(I)], 20.9′0.3 nm [PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(II)] and 33′1 nm [PLA-b-PGly-b--PEOX(IIc)]. Critical aggregation concentration (CAC - a concentration above which nanoparticles are formed) was equal 1.55. 10 - 2 , 7.0. 10 - 2 and 2.51. 10 - 1 g/L for PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(I), and PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(IIc), respectively. Nanoparticles were formed also in presence of pyrene and partition of pyrene between solution and nanoparticles was determined. For example, for concentrations of PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(II) and pyrene equal 1.95. 10 - 3 g/L and 4.94 . 10 - 7 g/L the fraction of encapsulated pyrene was ca. 10 % whereas for the same concentration of pyrene but for higher concentration of PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(II), above 2.50 10 - 1 g/L, the whole amount of pyrene was incorporated into nanoparticles. Profile of pyrene release from nanoparticles was bi-exponential with the rate constant for fast (k f ) component equal 9.5 10 - 2 , 3.8. 10 - 2 and 1.5. 10 - 1 L/h, for PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(I), PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(II) and PLA-b-PGly-b-PEOX(IIc), respectively, and with the rate constant for slow (k s ) component essentially the same for nanoparticles from all terpolymers equal (8.4′0.2). 10 - 3 L/h. It has been suggested that fast rate describes the release of pyrene from shells of nanoparticles whereas the slow one describes the release from their cores.