Encapsulated Ingredients Research Articles

Production of bioactive and functional frozen yogurt through easy-to-make microspheres incorporation.

In the food industry, the microencapsulation process is important to control the release of active encapsulated ingredients, mask unwanted flavors, colors, and unpleasant smells, increase shelf life, and protect encapsulated components from light, moisture, and nutritional loss. In this process, microspheres are formed using cross-linked polymer, which can incorporate aqueous or oily ingredients, using simple physicochemical methods of phase separation by coacervation, without the need for organic solvents. In this context, this study aimed to develop bioactive, functional frozen yogurt through the incorporation of microspheres loaded with ascorbic acid or omega 3. The process used resulted in small microspheres (15-80μm), imperceptible to the palate, and capable of swelling about 14 times, being suitable for incorporating omega 3, without altering the swelling, and extending the shelf life of the ascorbic acid for 6weeks, even in an acid medium. Also, the matrix does not affect the properties of frozen yogurt and acts as a stabilizer, contributing to reduce the melting rate. The sensory analysis proved that encapsulation was promising to mask the taste and odor of omega 3 and to protect the ascorbic acid, without altering the properties and quality of the frozen product.

Plant extracts and essential oils in the dairy industry: A review

Plants have been used as food additives worldwide to enhance the sensory qualities of foods and extend their shelf life by reducing or eliminating foodborne pathogens. They also serve as therapeutic agents due to their beneficial effects on human health through their anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulatory properties. 
 Plants can be added to food as a dry powder, grated material, paste, juice, or as an extract that can be produced by a variety of methods. Plant extracts and essential oils are concentrated sources of bioactive phytochemicals that can be added to food in small amounts in a variety of forms. These forms include liquid, semi-solid, or dry powder for easy and uniform diffusion. Encapsulation can protect bioactive compounds from temperature, moisture, oxidation, and light, as well as allow for controlling the release of the encapsulated ingredients. Nanoemulsions can enhance the bioactivity of active components. 
 This review explains how plant extracts and essential oils are used in the dairy industry as antimicrobial materials, analyzing their impact on starter bacteria; as natural antioxidants to prevent the development of off-flavors and increase shelf life; and as technological auxiliaries, like milk-clotting enzymes, stabilizers, and flavoring agents. Therefore, plant extracts and essential oils are a better choice for the dairy industry than plants or their parts due to a wide range of applications, homogeneous dispersion, and ability to control the concentration of the bioactive ingredients and enhance their efficiency.

Simultaneous encapsulation of probiotic and guaraná peel extract for development of functional peanut butter

The valorization of guaraná peel to recover carotenoids combined with probiotics could fortify food matrices as functional ingredients. This study focused on the co-encapsulation of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLC-1 and guaraná peel extract (GPE) for application in peanut butter. Also, the influence of free and encapsulated ingredients added in peanut butter was evaluated through the sensorial acceptance and stability of the product during storage. Co-encapsulation protected carotenoids and significantly improved probiotic viability. Incorporating microcapsules in peanut butter did not affect the product characteristics. Peanut butter containing microcapsules loaded with probiotic and GPE reached the highest viability of bifidobacteria, approximately 7.8 log CFU/g after 90 days of storage at 25 °C. On the other hand, peanut butter supplemented with free GPE and probiotic showed the lowest overall acceptability and purchase intention, which justifies the importance of encapsulation to mask the bitterness of GPE. Overall, simultaneous encapsulation provided excellent preservation of carotenoids and probiotic viability, even after their application in peanut butter, maintaining their characteristics.

Liposome Permeability to Essential Oil Components: A Focus on Cholesterol Content.

Encapsulation in liposomes has been an efficient strategy to improve the stability of sensitive bioactive compounds such as essential oils (EOs). However, the stability of liposomal formulations remains a key parameter controlling the delivery of encapsulated ingredients. Cholesterol (Chol) modulates the membrane properties conferring stability to the lipid bilayer. Thus, the Chol content in the liposome formulations encapsulating EO components should be carefully chosen. In this work, various liposome formulations differing by Chol content (DPPC:Chol 100:10; 100:25; 100:50; 100:75; 100:100) were exposed to a series of 22 EO components at DPPC/EO 100/25. The formulations were characterized for their final composition and their permeability to the hydrophilic fluorophore, sulforhodamine B (SRB), was monitored. Results showed that the Chol content experimentally determined for the various formulations (above 10% Chol) was below the theoretical weighed Chol. Among the tested components, 13 molecules displayed a significant permeabilizing effect on 10% Chol membranes. Most of these possess a hydroxyl group. The EO induced permeability was dependent on the Chol content which affects the membrane phase: their effect was reduced upon increasing Chol content keeping five EOs components effective at 40% Chol. The EO's effect was also linked to the hydrophobicity of the molecule. Hence, the DPPC:Chol ratio of the formulation is chosen considering the structure of the compound, its hydrophobicity and its effect on the permeability at different Chol content: a formulation comprising 40% Chol is suggested for highly hydrophobic molecules whereas a formulation with higher Chol content could be selected for less hydrophobic compounds.

Encapsulation in the Food Industry: A Brief Historical Overview to Recent Developments

Encapsulation in food industry serves several functions including masking of undesirable color/flavor/taste, preservation of unstable constituents, incorporation of additional functional and nutritional components and site-specific release of encapsulated ingredients at a controlled time and rate. The knowledge of microencapsulation in other sectors like pharmaceutical industry is well advanced; however, more understanding is required to harvest the maximum benefits from food industry. This paper started with highlighting the gradual progress of microencapsulation process in food industry and ended up with some invaluable suggestions for future works. In the body, the paper reviews the major techniques of food encapsulation, choices of coating materials and the performance measurement methods of food encapsulation. Future trends, scopes and aspects of microencapsulation process in food manufacturing sector are also presented as the necessary recommendations for future researches. The article would help the microencapsulated food manufacturers to choose the target oriented encapsulates and suitable encapsulation technique.

Microcapsules with Distinct Dual-Layer Shells and Their Applications for the Encapsulation, Preservation, and Slow Release of Hydrophilic Small Molecules.

Microcapsules with two distinct layers of shells were fabricated using an approach combining microfluidics and photopolymerization. Unlike conventional microcapsules with a single shell, a fluorinated oil layer was introduced between the lumen and the outer polymer shell. The fluorinated oil layer significantly suppresses the leakage of the encapsulated ingredients in the lumen and consequently gives the microcapsules remarkable slow release capability for hydrophilic small molecule-based payloads, such as Rhodamine 6G. The release period of Rhodamine 6G can be up to 4 months when using a photocurable resin as the shell material, and the release of Rhodamine 6G can be regulated via the osmolality of the incubation solution for porous hydrogel microcapsules. Even under maximum hypotonic conditions, the release period of Rhodamine 6G in the hydrogel microcapsules is at least 10 days. The slow release capability can be significantly enhanced (6 weeks or longer) by increasing the thicknesses of the hydrogel shell and fluorinated oil layer.

A Fluorescence-based Method for Estimation of Oxygen Barrier Properties of Microspheres.

In this study, we developed a fluorescence method to quantify oxygen barrier properties for wall materials used in microencapsulation of oxygen-sensitive compounds. We used a reversible, oxygen quenching dye, tris (4,7-diphenyl-1, 10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) dichloride complex, as a marker to monitor oxygen transport across spray-dried and freeze-dried Hi-cap100 and maltodextrin microspheres. We fit the rate of oxygen transport to Fick's second law and extrapolated an effective oxygen diffusion coefficient Deff. Results show that the Deff for spray-dried maltodextrin and Hi-cap100 formulations were in the range of 6.46 × 10-15 to 7.45 × 10-15 m2 /s and 16.0 × 10-15 to 22.4 × 10-15 m2 /s, respectively. Results also show an increasing trend in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances reaction rate constants, with an increasing Deff for each formulation. Additionally, freeze-dried maltodextrin formulations had significantly higher Deff (31.1 × 10-15 to 36.0 × 10-15 m2 /s) compared to spray-dried matrices due to a more porous morphology. This new method provides a framework for the in situ estimation of Deff for wall materials in microspheres. Potential applications include the design and selection of wall materials for maximum oxidative stability of encapsulated ingredients. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Currently, the selection of wall materials used in microencapsulation of lipids takes a trial-and-error approach, which can be time consuming and prone to error. In this study, we developed a new methodology to directly assess the oxygen barrier properties of wall materials in microspheres. This method can be used by food scientists to screen wall materials in order to optimize the oxidative stability of encapsulated lipids.

ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSING TO REDUCE SALT IN MEAT PRODUCTS

The world trends in table salt reduction in meat products contemplate the use of different methods for preservation of taste and consistency in finished products as well as shelf life prolongation. There are several approaches to a sodium chloride reduction in meat products. The paper presents a review of the foreign studies that give evidence of the possibility to maintain quality of traditional meat products produced with the reduced salt content. The studies in the field of salty taste perception established that a decrease in a salt crystal size to 20 µm enabled reducing an amount of added table salt due to an increase in the salty taste intensity in food products. Investigation of the compatibility of different taste directions is also interesting as one of the approaches to a sodium chloride reduction in food products. The use of water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) double emulsions allows controlling a release of encapsulated ingredients (salt), which enables enhancement of salty taste. The other alternative method of technological processing of meat raw material for reducing salt in meat products is the use of high pressure processing. This method has several advantages and allows not only an increase in the salty taste intensity, but also formation of a stable emulsion, an increase in water binding capacity of minced meat and extension of shelf-life.

Dissolution of Lipid-Based Matrices in Simulated Gastrointestinal Solutions to Evaluate Their Potential for the Encapsulation of Bioactive Ingredients for Foods.

The goal of the study was to compare the dissolution of chocolate to other lipid-based matrices suitable for the microencapsulation of bioactive ingredients in simulated gastrointestinal solutions. Particles having approximately 750 μm or 2.5 mm were prepared from the following lipid-based matrices: cocoa butter, fractionated palm kernel oil (FPKO), chocolate, beeswax, carnauba wax, and paraffin. They were added to solutions designed to simulate gastric secretions (GS) or duodenum secretions (DS) at 37°C. Paraffin, carnauba wax, and bees wax did not dissolve in either the GS or DS media. Cocoa butter, FPKO, and chocolate dissolved in the DS medium. Cocoa butter, and to a lesser extent chocolate, also dissolved in the GS medium. With chocolate, dissolution was twice as fast as that with small particles (750 μm) as compared to the larger (2.5 mm) ones. With 750 μm particle sizes, 90% dissolution of chocolate beads was attained after only 60 minutes in the DS medium, while it took 120 minutes for 70% of FPKO beads to dissolve in the same conditions. The data are discussed from the perspective of controlled release in the gastrointestinal tract of encapsulated ingredients (minerals, oils, probiotic bacteria, enzymes, vitamins, and peptides) used in the development of functional foods.

Solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS): A novel approach for controlling drug release from various lipids based drug delivery systems

Solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS) are reverse micelles containing lecithin and a triglyceride, for example, SOFTISAN ® 142, which is hydrogenated coco glyceride. SRMS transform into a lamellar mesophase after melting on contact with water; this transformation enables controlled release of solubilized drugs. They offer potentials for sustained drug delivery of both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. SRMS have the advantage of providing more flexibility in controlling the drug release and protecting the encapsulated ingredients from chemical degradation. SRMS based systems influence the absorption of active ingredients through different mechanisms to modify the release of active ingredients, and improve drugs bioavailability. The types of SRMS-based drug delivery systems include solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), solid lipid microparticles (SLM), tablets and suppositories amongst others. The work exhaustively reviews the advances in SRMS based carriers. Its formulation methods, characterisation and delivery systems were discussed in details. Key words : Solidified reverse micellar solutions (SRMS), lipids, wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis (WAXD), small angle X-ray diffraction analysis (SAXD), lipid absorption.

Production of biological nanoparticles from α- lactalbumin for drug delivery and food science application

In recent years, the concept of controlled release of encapsulated ingredients at the right place and the right time has become of more interest to the food and pharmaceutical industry. Whey proteins are valuable by-products from the cheese industry. The physicochemical properties of the whey proteins suggest that they may be suitable for novel food and drug delivery system. The objective of this study was to characterize the two step desolvation process of
-lactalbumin for preparation of its nanoparticles. Following the desolvation of the protein with acetone, the produced nanoparticles were stabilized and cross linked by addition of glutaraldehyde. Nanoparticle sample was subsequently purified by 3 cycle’s centrifugation (15000 ×g, 20 min). Three process parameters were examined to achieve a suitable size of nanoparticles including the pH value, temperature and desolvating agent type. In addition, fabricated nanoparticles were analyzed by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The smallest size of the nanoparticles achieved was 102 nm while the largest size was 454 nm.

Functional properties of milk constituents: Application for microencapsulation of oils in spray-dried emulsions – A minireview

Microencapsulation is the entrapment of a component (i.e. the ‘core’) within a secondary material (encapsulant matrix). Encapsulation isolates the core from its environment until its release in response to an external stimulus or trigger. It protects the core against degradation during storage and against stresses that are encountered during processing. Encapsulation can be used to prevent/decrease the oral release of components that have undesirable taste properties and it has the potential to enable the targeted delivery of bioactives within the gastrointestinal tract. Food-grade cores and encapsulant matrices are desired for designing encapsulated ingredients that are intended for incorporation into food products. Milk constituents are widely used as encapsulant matrices because they possess many of the properties that are required to make encapsulated ingredients functional. This includes their ability to build viscosity, gel and emulsify. This paper discusses the functional properties of milk constituents that are capitalised upon in the design of ingredients that contain encapsulated components. Selected examples of the application of milk constituents for the encapsulation of oils are used to demonstrate (a) the effect of the type of milk protein that is used alone or in combination with other matrix constituents on encapsulation efficiency and (b) glycation to modify the functionality of milk proteins for encapsulating oils.

Formulation of poorly water-soluble substances using self-assembling spider silk protein

In nature self-assembly of soluble monomeric proteins to defined supramolecular structures is an essential process in the formation of morphologically distinct biological materials like cells, tissues, diatoms or mollusk shells. Using these proteins, complex structures in the nanometer and micrometer scale can be generated that are hardly obtainable by other methods. The engineered ADF4(C16) spider silk protein is mimicking the sequence of the dragline silk protein ADF4 of the spider Araneus diadematus and can be synthesized by a biotechnological production process using Escherichia coli ( E. coli) as host organism. From the soluble ADF4(C16) monomers assembly of nanofibers, microbeads and films is possible. The purified monomeric ADF4(C16) strongly interacts with hydrophobic surfaces and particles of poorly water-soluble substances. Based on this effect ADF4(C16) could be used for colloidal stabilization of hydrophobic particles in aqueous environment. Poorly water-soluble substances can also be encapsulated in ADF4(C16) microbeads during self-assembly. The release of the encapsulated ingredients was induced by proteolytic cleavage of the microbead structure. These results show that ADF4(C16) protein microbeads have a high potential as a storage and delivery system for poorly water-soluble active ingredients in several application fields like cosmetics, pharma or nutrition.