Food Grade Polymers Research Articles

Development, characterization and underling mechanism of 3D printable quinoa protein emulsion gels by incorporating of different polysaccharides for curcumin delivery

Emulsion gels stabilized by food-grade polymers such as proteins and polysaccharides are edible 3D food printing inks with various applications in food industry. In this study, 3D printable quinoa protein emulsion gels with four polysaccharides incorporated were fabricated to delivery curcumin. The effect of inulin (INU), fucoidan (FU), dextran sulfate (DS), and sodium alginate (SA) on the microstructure, rheological properties, and 3D printing performance of quinoa protein emulsion gels were all investigated. The results showed that the incorporation of four polysaccharides promoted formation of tightly packed oil droplets within gel networks, along with enhanced hardness, water holding capacity, freeze-thaw stability and decreased swelling ratio of the QP emulsion gel. All samples exhibited shear thinning behavior and polysaccharides increased viscoelasticity of QP emulsion gel. The hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bond are the main chemical molecular force of emulsion gels, INU significantly increased the hydrogen bonds interactions, and anionic polysaccharide (FU, DS, and SA) significantly increased the electrostatic interactions. QP-INU exerted best printing performance as identified by preferable self-supporting capability and high line printing accuracy. The addition of polysaccharides improved the encapsulation efficiency of curcumin in QP emulsion gel. In vitro release property showed that FU increased the bioavailability of curcumin, DS and SA decreased bioavailability of curcumin with delayed digestion rate. This study demonstrated the potential of utilizing polysaccharides to improve the flexibility of QP emulsion gel for 3D printing functional food.

Food-grade polymers: A new vision in the controlled release of bioactive substances

Food-grade polymers are largely employed in food industry for a variety of purposes, including food preservation, texture modification and food packaging. They are considered safe for human consumption and are approved by regulatory bodies such as the FDA and EFSA. One of the most common uses of food-grade polymers is in food packaging. They are used to create packaging materials that are resistant to moisture, oxygen and to prevent contamination. Food- grade polymers are also used in the formulation of dietary supplements, fortified foods, and modified-release pharmaceuticals. They help improve the stability, shelf life and bioavailability of active ingredients. For example, specific polymers can be tailored to create controlled-release formulations, in which the active ingredient is released gradually over time, resulting in a more consistent and prolonged effect. In addition, food-grade polymers can be used to improve the texture and appearance of dietary supplements and oral pharmaceutical forms, mask unpleasant tastes and odors and making them more palatable to consumers. This paper overviews the application of food-grade polymers in the preparation of modified and targeted delivery systems for drugs and nutraceutical ingredients.

An Edible Humidity Indicator That Responds to Changes in Humidity Mechanically.

Elevated humidity levels in medical, food, and pharmaceutical products may reduce the products' shelf life, trigger bacterial growth, and even lead to complete spoilage. In this study, we report a humidity indicator that mechanically bends and rolls itself irreversibly upon exposure to high humidity conditions. The indicator is made of two food-grade polymer films with distinct ratios of a milk protein, casein, and a plasticizer, glycerol, that are physically attached to each other. Based on the thermogravimetric analysis and microstructural characterization, we hypothesize that the bending mechanism is a result of hygroscopic swelling and consequent counter diffusion of water and glycerol. Guided by this mechanism, we demonstrate that the rolling behavior, including response time and final curvature, can be tuned by the geometric dimensions of the indicator. As the proposed indicator is made of food-grade ingredients, it can be placed directly in contact with perishable products to report exposure to undesirable humidity inside the package, without the risk of contaminating the product or causing oral toxicity in case of accidental digestion, features that commercial inedible electronic and chemo-chromatic sensors cannot provide presently.

Production of Silver Nano-Inks and Surface Coatings for Anti-Microbial Food Packaging and Its Ecological Impact

Food spoilage is an ongoing global issue that contributes to rising carbon dioxide emissions and increased demand for food processing. This work developed anti-bacterial coatings utilising inkjet printing of silver nano-inks onto food-grade polymer packaging, with the potential to enhance food safety and reduce food spoilage. Silver nano-inks were synthesised via laser ablation synthesis in solution (LaSiS) and ultrasound pyrolysis (USP). The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) produced using LaSiS and USP were characterised using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectrophotometry and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. The laser ablation technique, operated under recirculation mode, produced nanoparticles with a small size distribution with an average diameter ranging from 7-30 nm. Silver nano-ink was synthesised by blending isopropanol with nanoparticles dispersed in deionised water. The silver nano-inks were printed on plasma-cleaned cyclo-olefin polymer. Irrespective of the production methods, all silver nanoparticles exhibited strong antibacterial activity against E. coli with a zone of inhibition exceeding 6 mm. Furthermore, silver nano-inks printed cyclo-olefin polymer reduced the bacterial cell population from 1235 (±45) × 106 cell/mL to 960 (±110) × 106 cell/mL. The bactericidal performance of silver-coated polymer was comparable to that of the penicillin-coated polymer, wherein a reduction in bacterial population from 1235 (±45) × 106 cell/mL to 830 (±70) × 106 cell/mL was observed. Finally, the ecotoxicity of the silver nano-ink printed cyclo-olefin polymer was tested with daphniids, a species of water flea, to simulate the release of coated packaging into a freshwater environment.

Rheological properties of emulsion templated oleogels based on xanthan gum and different structuring agents

Oleogel design based on emulsions using food grade polymers is a potential strategy for replacing saturated and trans fats. The aim of this paper is the characterization of sunflower oil-based oleogels structured by a non-surface-active polysaccharide, xanthan gum (XG), in combination with different structuring agents, through an emulsion template approach, which consists in the dehydration of the continuous phase of an oil/water emulsion. Four types of molecules with different origins were used: a synthetic one, polysorbate Tween 80, and other three from natural sources: a protein (whey protein, WP), a lipid (soy lecithin, SL) and a polysaccharide (locust bean gum, LBG).All the emulsions had a high shear thinning character (s = 0.45) and a weak gel behaviour (tanδ = 0.2). Only the LBG emulsions presented significant differences, with higher values of viscosity and viscoelastic moduli. The resulting oleogels showed high gel strength, exhibiting a marked elastic behaviour typical of structured solid systems (G′>G'′ and tanδ = 0.06). SL oleogels stood out for presenting the lowest firmness, although internal structure seems to be similar to the rest. Regarding to stability, measurements indicated a great oil binding capacity (90% approx.) after 24 h. It is concluded that obtaining stable and solid-like oleogels with liquid oil using a hydrophilic polymer (XG) combined with different food-grade structuring agents was possible. These systems have great potential in food reformulation, especially for saturated fat substitution.

Potential use of Janus structures in food applications

Janus surfaces present technological opportunities both for research and industry in which different chemical, physical and/or structural components need to coexist for a single purpose such as chemistry, textile and material science. Varying inorganic and organic (polymer‐based) materials are conventionally used however, utilizing nature‐derived polymers to fabricate Janus structures is a recent and attractive trend which makes them more applicable for bio‐based treatments with environmental concerns. Particularly, promising applications of Janus structures as being surfactants, drug delivery and micro/nano encapsulation vehicles for biomedical purposes successfully forward the interest on Janus concept to the food related practices. Producing Janus structures from nature‐derived and food grade polymers such as alginate, cellulose, chitosan, lipid nanocrystals, zein and some plant‐proteins and their usage stronger emulsions with higher stabilities, biosensing or antimicrobial practices as well as bioactive delivery and release control might be considered as a new era for food processing industry.

Increasing the Power of Polyphenols through Nanoencapsulation for Adjuvant Therapy against Cardiovascular Diseases

Polyphenols play a therapeutic role in vascular diseases, acting in inherent illness-associate conditions such as inflammation, diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and oxidative stress, as demonstrated by clinical trials and epidemiological surveys. The main polyphenol cardioprotective mechanisms rely on increased nitric oxide, decreased asymmetric dimethylarginine levels, upregulation of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes via the Nrf2-ARE pathway and anti-inflammatory action through the redox-sensitive transcription factor NF-κB and PPAR-γ receptor. However, poor polyphenol bioavailability and extensive metabolization restrict their applicability. Polyphenols carried by nanoparticles circumvent these limitations providing controlled release and better solubility, chemical protection, and target achievement. Nano-encapsulate polyphenols loaded in food grade polymers and lipids appear to be safe, gaining resistance in the enteric route for intestinal absorption, in which the mucoadhesiveness ensures their increased uptake, achieving high systemic levels in non-metabolized forms. Nano-capsules confer a gradual release to these compounds, as well as longer half-lives and cell and whole organism permanence, reinforcing their effectiveness, as demonstrated in pre-clinical trials, enabling their application as an adjuvant therapy against cardiovascular diseases. Polyphenol entrapment in nanoparticles should be encouraged in nutraceutical manufacturing for the fortification of foods and beverages. This study discusses pre-clinical trials evaluating how nano-encapsulate polyphenols following oral administration can aid in cardiovascular performance.

3D Printed Masks for Powders and Viruses Safety Protection Using Food Grade Polymers: Empirical Tests.

The production of 3D printed safety protection devices (SPD) requires particular attention to the material selection and to the evaluation of mechanical resistance, biological safety and surface roughness related to the accumulation of bacteria and viruses. We explored the possibility to adopt additive manufacturing technologies for the production of respirator masks, responding to the sudden demand of SPDs caused by the emergency scenario of the pandemic spread of SARS-COV-2. In this study, we developed different prototypes of masks, exclusively applying basic additive manufacturing technologies like fused deposition modeling (FDM) and droplet-based precision extrusion deposition (db-PED) to common food packaging materials. We analyzed the resulting mechanical characteristics, biological safety (cell adhesion and viability), surface roughness and resistance to dissolution, before and after the cleaning and disinfection phases. We showed that masks 3D printed with home-grade printing equipment have similar performances compared to the industrial-grade ones, and furthermore we obtained a perfect face fit by customizing their shape. Finally, we developed novel approaches to the additive manufacturing post-processing phases essential to assure human safety in the production of 3D printed custom medical devices.

Oral Controlled Delivery of Natural Compounds Using Food-Grade Polymer Microparticles

Background:: targeted drug delivery to colon is a strategical approach for the local cure of inflammation bowel diseases (IBD) and other syndromes like colon cancer. Research is actively focusing on possible alternative and safer therapies to conventional drugs, based on herbal remedies and other natural products. In particular, colon-targeted drug delivery systems (CDDS) offer the opportunity to protect the active compound along the way to the colon. Drug release and absorption, and even degradation should not occur in the stomach and small bowel, but a selective release should star once the system moves to the colonic area. Objective:: this work aims at evaluating the gastro-resistant properties of new food-grade methacrylic resins (Eudraguard®), used not as coating materials, but after the formation of microparticles, to achieve a delayed and targeted release of a model drug, resveratrol (RVT), to the ileo-colonic area. Methods:: microparticles were produced by an emulsion-solvent evaporation technique (ESE) and characterized by solid-state analytical methods. RVT release profiles were assessed in vitro using a pH-change procedure, able to simulate the transit of the carrier along the gastro-intestinal tract. Results:: Eudraguard® Biotic can form microparticles with a very high encapsulation efficiency for RVT; the polymeric matrix is able to limit the diffusion of the drug at gastric and gut pH conditions, while a higher release was achieved at pH 7.4. Conversely, using the Eudraguard® Control resin, alone or blended with the former polymer, did not allow to achieve a controlled release of RVT at the various pH values. Conclusion:: food-grade Eudraguard® matrices can be proposed, and would deserve further investigations, as polymeric materials for the preparation of micrometric matrices or pellets for the oral controlled release of natural active ingredients to the ileo-colonic area.

Microencapsulation Enhances the in vitro Antibacterial Activity of a Citrus Essential Oil

Essential oils (EOs) have become a promising alternative to antibiotic use in animal breeding because of their biological properties. Citrus EOs, a by-product of citrus processing industries, could be a feasible alternative due to their vast production worldwide. Encapsulation techniques, such as microencapsulation, could enable EO application in animal feed, preserving EO bioactivity. This study analyzes the use of foodgrade polymers, chitosan and modified starch, for microencapsulation of a commercial citrus EO, Brazilian orange terpenes (BOT), by spray-drying. Physical properties characterization showed that the microencapsulated BOT (MB-OT) had a moisture content = 5.39 %, aw = 0.40 and bulk density = 0.42 g/mL. Overall, microparticles presented a slight irregular-spherical shape, with a mean diameter of 2.77 μm and high polydispersity. Encapsulation efficiency reached 61.17 %. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity results showed that MBOT exerted a higher activity on enterotoxigenic E. coli U21 (isolated from pig gut) than on Lactobacillus rhamnosus, thus presenting a selective antibacterial activity between the pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. Moreover, MBOT exerted a higher selective antibacterial performance than the raw BOT, meaning the antibacterial performance of the raw BOT was enhanced by encapsulation. This is probably because wall material besides protects the raw BOT against volatilization; it could have interacted in synergism with the raw BOT enhancing the antibacterial effect of the MBOT powder. Finally, limonene was detected as the major compound in BOT by polar/non-polar GC-MS. Therefore, the modified starch-chitosan matrix could result in advantageous to encapsulate BOT and turn feasible its application in animal feed.

Acclimatization of a newly isolated bacteria in monomer tere-phthalic acid (TPA) may enable it to attack the polymer poly-ethylene tere-phthalate(PET)

Environmental persistence of polyethylene terephthalate(PET) has become a vexing problem. PET is a very popular polymer for many desirable properties, especially as a food grade polymer. It is being produced in large quantities and the entire production is not recycled. A large quantity of PET is finding its way to the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) dumps and even to rivers as microplastics. There are various methods for PET degradation, among which bio-degradation is most environmentally friendly and technologically suitable. Some metagenomic studies have been conducted for isolation of PET degrading bacteria/enzymes. However, all previous studies deal with bacteria directly isolated from contaminated sites. We have isolated one such bacteria Rhococcus sp. SSM1 from a PET rich MSW dump of New Delhi. However, we did not use the bacteria directly for PET degradation. We forced the bacteria to grow on the monomer terephpthalic acid(TPA),the monomer, as the only carbon source for generations. Surprisingly, the Rhococcus sp. SSM1 acclimatized to grow on TPA, was able to attack PET flims, the polymer, resulting in some degradation of the material. This was evidenced by presence of more TPA concentration than supplied at certain time of fermentation and many heavy molecules (heavier than TPA) in the fermentation media which can only come only by degradation of PET. This is a new paradigm in biodegradation research, where acclimatization in the monomer enables a bacteria to attack the polymer. However, we are not claiming that the bacteria can biodegrade bulk PET. It is perhaps surviving on TPA and attacking the surface of the polymer, which is microscopically rough. Bacteria may be recognizing some protruding fingers di, tri or n-mers of TPA from polymer surface and attacking them.

Improvement of stability and release of (-)-epicatechin by hot melt extrusion

Abstract Besides its poor dissolution in polymers, the stability, and bitterness of (-)-epicatechin present challenges for additional developments. Polymer formulations rich in flavonoids or other antioxidants can be developed by hot melt extrusion (HME) for enhancement of stability, release, and taste masking. The formulations are extruded at a temperature substantially below the melting point of (-)-epicatechin to avoid its degradation. The corresponding compound consists of about 50% wt. of an active nutraceutical ingredient, in this case (-)-epicatechin, and food grade polymers (GRAS: generally recognized as safe). In order to identify possible chemical or physical changes in the formulations, they were characterized using various techniques, such as differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, polarized optical microscopy, in vitro release profile, sensory analysis, high-performance liquid chromatography, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The crystallinity of (-)-epicatechin was reduced after melt extrusion, but its chemical structure remained unchanged. The main contribution of this research is to shed light on the preparation of polymeric formulations based on (-)-epicatechin using HME as an encapsulation technique to improve stability, release, and taste masking, which may be scaled up and commercially launched as nutraceutical products.

Simple microencapsulation of plant essential oil in porous starch granules: Adsorption kinetics and antibacterial activity evaluation

In this work, corn porous starch was used as a food grade polymer to microencapsulate essential oil (EO), the effects of temperature on adsorption of EO were investigated, and adsorption kinetics curves were plotted. Using this approach, the sustained-release antibacterial effects of porous starch microcapsules containing EOs (PSM-EOs) against Penicillium roqueforti and Aspergillus niger were explored under accelerated volatilization under high temperature conditions, and microencapsulation was successfully applied to bread preservation. The results showed that temperature had a significant effect on the adsorption capacity, and adsorption rate was controlled by both liquid film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion. The activation energy (Ea) of the adsorption process was 7.96 K J/mol as calculated using the Arrhenius equation. The results of antibacterial experiments showed that PSM-EOs exhibited superior sustained-release antibacterial effects and significantly prolonged the shelf life of bread, compared with controls. Practical applications The spoilage caused by mold contamination is a serious challenge for the bread industry. At present, the main preservative used in baking products is calcium propionate, a chemical preservative. However, calcium propionate can be decomposed to produce propionic acid under the action of intestinal microorganisms. Propionic acid is an important factor in inducing diabetes mellitus. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new preservation techniques rather than bread with calcium propionate. In this paper, porous starch microcapsules containing essential oil were prepared, and the adsorption kinetics curve of porous starch to essential oil was plotted. On this basis, the inhibition effect of porous starch microcapsules containing essential oil in high temperature accelerated volatilization on the main mold (P. roqueforti and A. niger) causing bread corruption was investigated. The aim is to provide new ideas for bread preservation.

Non-target screening of (semi-)volatiles in food-grade polymers by comparison of atmospheric pressure gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight and electron ionization mass spectrometry

Atmospheric pressure gas chromatography (APGC) coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) and electron ionization mass spectrometry together with commercial library search are two complementary techniques for non-target screening of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Optimization was first conducted to achieve easier search of correspondent peaks between the two systems. Analytical strategy for the determination of volatile and semi-volatile compound with different identification confidence levels was then proposed and applied to food contact grade polypropylene (PP) samples. Identification was found to be much easier and less time-consuming especially when correspondent peak was found in the two systems with the help of library search, exact mass of precursor and fragment ions as well as Kovats Index (KI). The behavior of APGC-QTOF-MS was also further investigated. Apart from the M+. ion and the well-known adduct [M+H]+ others such as [M-3H + O]+, [M-3H+2O]+ and [M-H+3O]+ were also observed for n-alkanes. Besides, new reaction products were found, formed by diol compounds (1-Monostearoylglycerol, 2-Monostearoylglycerol and NX 8000K) and silanediol dimethyl, which would be a transformation product of the silicone base septum or the methyl 5% phenyl polysiloxane based column. These new compounds were only detected in APGC-MS-QTOF as EI-GC-MS was not enough sensitive for this purpose.

Microencapsulation and antimicrobial activity of carvacrol in a pectin-alginate matrix

Carvacrol is a natural phenolic compound that has received great attention for its high antimicrobial activity. However, the applications of this compound are limited due to its high volatility and low water solubility. In this research, the use of food grade polymers for microencapsulation of carvacrol in a pectin-alginate matrix using a spray drying method was studied. The physical properties, encapsulation efficiency, stability, and the microstructure of the microcapsules were analyzed as well as the products’ antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.The microcapsules were regularly spherical particles with 4.51% moisture content, 0.33 g cm−3 bulk density, 4.55 min wettability, and a hygroscopicity of 34.44 g 100 g−1. The microcapsules also showed high encapsulation efficiency (76.98%) and stability. The microencapsulation process did not significantly affect the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli K12 (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 0.25 mg mL−1) and antioxidant activity (DPPH percentage inhibition (PI) = 89.96%) of carvacrol. The results indicated that the carvacrol microcapsule product can potentially be used as a controlled-release decontaminator in food and nutraceutical processing industries.

Effect of inlet air temperature and gum Arabic concentration on encapsulation of probiotics by spray drying

Encapsulation of probiotics using food grade polymers as wall material can be a good alternative for the development of any probiotic food. The current study details about the effect of processing conditions on physico-chemical and flow properties of microencapsulated probiotic powder by spray drying. Maltodextrin and gum Arabic (GA) are used as wall material where 20% MD is kept constant. Varied concentration of GA (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10%) with respect to total solid content and inlet air temperature (130, 140 and 150 °C) was chosen as independent variables to produce the spray dried probiotic powder. The moisture content, water activity, and encapsulation efficiency of probiotic powder was in the range of 4.59–9.05% (w.b.), 0.52 to 0.33, and 65–89.15%, respectively. The loose bulk density, tapped density, true density, porosity and color L∗ ranged from 0.47 to 0.53 g/cm3, 0.56–0.68 g/cm3, 0.6–1.06 g/cm3 0.17–0.55, and 91.35–95.68, respectively. The handling properties i.e., flowability was “possible” and “fair” according to Hausner ratio and Carr's index values.

Polymers and Biopolymers with Antiviral Activity: Potential Applications for Improving Food Safety.

Gastroenteritis and hepatitis, caused by human noroviruses (HuNoVs) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), respectively, are the most common illnesses resulting from the consumption of food contaminated with human enteric viruses. Food-grade polymers can be tailor designed to improve food safety, either as novel food-packaging materials imparting active antimicrobial properties, applied in food contact surfaces to avoid cross-contamination, or as edible coatings to increase fresh produce's shelf life. The incorporation of antimicrobial agents into food-grade polymers can be used to control the food microbiota and even target specific foodborne pathogens to improve microbiological food safety and to enhance food quality. Enteric viruses are responsible for one fifth of acute gastroenteritis cases worldwide and the development of food-grade polymers and biopolymers with antiviral activity for food applications is a topic of increased interest, both for academia and the food industry, even though developments are still limited. This review compiles existing studies in this widely unexplored area and highlights the potential of these developments to improve viral food safety.

Facile microencapsulation of olive oil in porous starch granules: Fabrication, characterization, and oxidative stability

In this study, starch with porous structures derived from purple sweet potato was prepared and used as a food-grade polymer for the microencapsulation of olive oil. The optimal reaction conditions for preparing porous starch were determined to improve its adsorption capacity as effective microcapsule-wall materials. Olive oil was then impregnated in microspheres, and loading ratio was optimized by investigating the restrictive factors, including the mass ratio of olive oil to porous starch, as well as the embedding temperature and time. The presence of olive oil in the starch matrix was confirmed by SEM, FTIR, and TGA. Results demonstrated that the porous starch-based microencapsulation exhibit a stable olive oil loading ratio and a significant improvement in oxidative stability compared with free olive oil. The newly-proposed process used in this work was easy to scale up for developing a new and attractive method for oil protection in the food industry.

Encapsulation of Listeria Phage A511 by Alginate to Improve Its Thermal Stability.

Microencapsulation is a versatile method for enhancing the stability of bacteriophages under harsh conditions, such as those which occur during thermal processing. For food applications, encapsulation in food-grade polymer matrices is desirable owing to their nontoxicity and low cost. Here, we describe the encapsulation of Listeria phage A511 using sodium alginate, gum arabic, and gelatin to maximize its viability during thermal processing.

Oil stabilization of natural peanut butter using food grade polymers

The application of freeze dried hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and methylcellulose (MC) as stabilizers in peanut butter were investigated. These cellulose derivatives were dispersed in water and subsequently freeze dried and chopped to produce a stabilizer that is able to absorb high amounts of oil. Without this templating approach, HPMC and MC had no effect on peanut butter stability and texture. An alternative spray drying approach was attempted, however, it was found that high incorporation levels were required to have any stabilizing effect, which is undesirable. Centrifugal accelerated stability testing showed a significant reduction in oil leakage for samples stabilized with freeze dried HPMC and MC at addition levels as low as 0.2 wt% in peanut butter, while at addition levels of 2.2 wt%, no oil loss was observed. With the addition of >1 wt% HPMC/MC, peanut butters were shelf stable for 6 months or longer. Textural quality of the peanut butter was investigated using a penetration test. Addition of freeze dried HPMC/MC increased sample firmness and adhesiveness which mimicked the properties of traditional peanut butter products stabilized with hydrogenated vegetable oils. Light and scanning electron micrographs showed morphology differences among the stabilizer preparation methods and minimal structural changes in stabilized peanut butter samples. These experiments helped gain insight into the mechanism of oil entrapment and demonstrated the potential of these food-grade polymers as stabilizers in food systems.