Quillaja Saponin Research Articles

Perspectives on Saponins: Food Functionality and Applications.

Saponins are a diverse group of naturally occurring plant secondary metabolites present in a wide range of foods ranging from grains, pulses, and green leaves to sea creatures. They consist of a hydrophilic sugar moiety linked to a lipophilic aglycone, resulting in an amphiphilic nature and unique functional properties. Their amphiphilic structures enable saponins to exhibit surface-active properties, resulting in stable foams and complexes with various molecules. In the context of food applications, saponins are utilized as natural emulsifiers, foaming agents, and stabilizers. They contribute to texture and stability in food products and have potential health benefits, including cholesterol-lowering and anticancer effects. Saponins possess additional bioactivities that make them valuable in the pharmaceutical industry as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antiparasitic agents to name a few. Saponins can demonstrate cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines and can also act as adjuvants, enhancing the immune response to vaccines. Their ability to form stable complexes with drugs further expands their potential in drug delivery systems. However, challenges such as bitterness, cytotoxicity, and instability under certain conditions need to be addressed for effective utilization of saponins in foods and related applications. In this paper, we have reviewed the chemistry, functionality, and application aspects of saponins from various plant sources, and have summarized the regulatory aspects of the food-based application of quillaja saponins. Further research to explore the full potential of saponins in improving food quality and human health has been suggested. It is expected that this article will be a useful resource for researchers in food, feed, pharmaceuticals, and material science.

Effects of Quillaja Saponin on Physicochemical Properties of Oil Bodies Recovered from Peony (Paeonia ostii) Seed Aqueous Extract at Different pH.

Peony seeds, an important oil resource, have been attracting much attention because of α-linolenic acid. Oil bodies (OBs), naturally pre-emulsified oils, have great potential applications in the food industry. This study investigated the effects of extraction pH and Quillaja saponin (QS) on the physicochemical properties of peony oil body (POB) emulsions. POBs were extracted from raw peony milk at pH 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 (named pH 4.0-, 5.0-, 6.0-, and 7.0-POBs). All POBs contained extrinsic proteins and oleosins. The extrinsic proteins of pH 4.0- and pH 5.0-POB were 23 kDa and 38 kDa glycoproteins, the unknown proteins were 48 kDa and 60 kDa, while the 48 kDa and 38 kDa proteins were completely removed under the extraction condition of pH 6.0 and 7.0. The percentage of extrinsic proteins gradually decreased from 78.4% at pH 4.0-POB to 33.88% at pH 7.0-POB, while oleosin contents increased. The particle size and zeta potential of the POB emulsions decreased, whereas the oxidative stability, storage stability, and pI increased with the increasing extraction pH. QS (0.05~0.3%) increased the negative charges of all the POB emulsions, and 0.1% QS significantly improved the dispersion, storage, and the oxidative stability of the POB emulsions. This study provides guidance for selecting the proper conditions for the aqueous extraction of POBs and improving the stability of OB emulsions.

Inclusion of Quillaja Saponin Clarity Q Manages Growth Performance, Immune Response, and Nutrient Transport of Broilers during Subclinical Necrotic Enteritis.

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an intestinal disease that results in poor performance, inefficient nutrient absorption, and has a devastating economic impact on poultry production. This study evaluated the effects of a saponin-based product (Clarity Q, CQ) during an NE challenge. A total of 1200 male chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (10 pens/treatment; 30 birds/pen): treatment 1 (NC), a non-medicated corn-soybean basal diet; treatment 2 (PC), NC + 50 g/metric ton (MT) of bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD); and treatments 3 (CQ15) and 4 (CQ30), NC + 15 and 30 g/MT, respectively. On the day (d) of placement, birds were challenged by a coccidia vaccine to induce NE. On d 8, 14, 28, and 42, performance parameters were measured. On d 8, three birds/pen were necropsied for NE lesions. On d 8 and d 14, jejunum samples from one bird/pen were collected for mRNA abundance of tight junction proteins and nutrient transporter genes. Data were analyzed in JMP (JMP Pro, 16), and significance (p ≤ 0.05) between treatments was identified by Fisher's least significant difference (LSD) test. Compared to PC and NC, CQ15 had higher average daily gain (ADG), while CQ30 had lower average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). NE lesions in the duodenum were lower in CQ15 compared to all other treatments. On d 8, mRNA abundance of CLDN1, CLDN5, AMPK, PepT2, GLUT2, and EAAT3 were significantly greater in CQ30 (p < 0.05) compared to both PC and NC. On d 14, mRNA abundance of ZO2 and PepT2 was significantly lower in PC when compared to all treatments, while that of ANXA1, JAM3, and GLUT5 was comparable to CQ15. In summary, adding Clarity Q to broiler diets has the potential to alleviate adverse effects caused by this enteric disease by improving performance, reducing intestinal lesions, and positively modulating the mRNA abundance of various tight junction proteins and key nutrient transporters during peak NE infection.

Agar composites containing Zinc zeolite infused with Quillaja saponins exhibit improved structural properties and anti-Candida activity

Candida strains are opportunistic pathogens frequently responsible for severe and dangerous infections. Therefore, the need for biomaterials with antifungal properties is urgent. To obtain a safe environment, biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharide porous materials the agar foams were prepared. To provide antifungal properties, both zinc zeolite and saponins of Quillaja saponaria were applied. Moreover, the saponins, as surfactants, were chosen as foaming agents. The study includes zinc zeolite synthesis, foams preparation and spectral analysis of the obtained product. Finally, the foams toxicity against Candida albicans PCM 2566 strain was investigated. The results presented that the zeolite was successfully introduced in the agar structure. Saponins addition significantly increases the porosity and homogeneity of the foam, which was observed using scanning electron and infrared microscopy. The microbiological tests proved that foams containing zinc zeolite or saponins caused a 25% reduction in C. albicans cells viability. However, the foams containing both zinc zeolite and Q. saponaria saponins decreased yeast activity by over 80%. That confirmed that the agar-based foams with zinc zeolite and saponins can be valuable environmental-friendly biomaterials with antifungal properties.

Toward an Improved Triterpene 3-O-Glucuronidation: The Systematic Determination of the Relative Reactivities of Glucuronyl Donors and Acceptors.

3-O-β-Glucuronide triterpenes are plant-derived compounds. Some of them have been used as herbal medicine and in pharmaceuticals, such as chikusetsu saponins and Quillaja saponins. However, the demand for these materials has remained largely a challenge owing to their natural scarcity and low-yielding purification process. Therefore, a chemical triterpene 3-O-glucuronidation was conducted in this study to alleviate the surging demand on natural source. Various glucuronyl imidate donors and oleanane-type triterpene acceptors were synthesized, and the relative reactivity values (RRV) and acceptor nucleophilic constants (Aka) were systematically measured to study their influence on glucuronidation yield. As a result, applying donors in higher RRV value generally improved the production of 3-O-glucuronide triterpenes. Meanwhile, a bulky pivaloyl group was an ideal 2-O-protection to provide β-selectivity and prevented side reactions, including orthoester formation and acyl-transfer reaction. Collectively, a positive correlation was observed between reactive donors/acceptors and improved glucuronidation yields. These findings offered insights on the influence of donors' and acceptors' reactivities on 3-O-β-glucuronide triterpenes synthesis, and this knowledge would help to access saponins of interest to address future needs.

Fabrication and characterization of novel thermoresponsive emulsion gels and oleogels stabilizied by assembling nanofibrous from dual natural triterpenoid saponins.

Novel thermoresponsive emulsion gels and oleogels were fabricated by assembling nanofibrous from natural triterpenoid Quillaja saponin (QS) and glycyrrhizic acid (GA). The viscoelasticity of QS-coated emulsion was observed to be remarkably improved by GA and thus obtain the advantages of excellent gelatinous, thermoresponsive and reversible manner due to the viscoelastic texture from GA nanofibrous as scaffolds in continuous phase. In the gelled emulsions, the phase transition of the GA fibrosis network structure upon heating and cooling was attributed to a thermal sensitivity, whereas interface-induced fibrosis assembly of amphiphilic QS endowed the formation of stable emulsion droplets. Then these emulsion gels were further used as an effective template to fabricate soft-solid oleogels with high oil content of 96%. These findings open up new opportunities for the use of all-natural and sustainable ingredients to develop smart soft materials for replace trans and saturated fats in food industry and other fields.

Molecular Characterization and Quantification of Saponins from Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris var. altissima)

Consumer demand for sustainably and ecologically produced food has grown in recent years. However, for numerous reasons, this demand has not always been met. New solutions are still being sought, particularly in the area of emulsifiers, an integral ingredient of many food products. The biggest challenge is the limited scope of application offered by current alternatives. While some progress has been made using foam active quillaja saponins, they are neither pleasant‐tasting nor sustainably produced. Only very little is known about other alternatives, and especially the behavior of saponins, particularly on a molecular level, is not very well understood. Moreover, it is often not known which parts of a plant contain the highest levels of saponins and are therefore most suitable for extraction.To expand the current level of knowledge about emulsifying and foam active extracts, saponin extracts were made from oat bran, beetroot as well as sugar beet and characterized in close cooperation with the Department of Food Physics and Meat Science at the University of Hohenheim. Measurements conducted on these extracts showed that foam activity is a good indicator of their emulsifying ability. The most promising one ‐ sugar beet extract ‐ was examined in more detail using taste dilution analysis, which revealed saponin fractions with a slight off‐taste and high foam activity. A series of eight saponins was obtained from these fractions and further characterized, together with three commercially available ones that were identified using non‐targeted screening. The unequivocal identification and structure elucidation was performed using a combination of liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) and both one‐dimensional (1D) and two‐dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. For most substances, this was the first time that a complete assignment of 1H and 13C NMR signals had been made. All of these saponins possess taste recognition values above 1000 μmol/L, which is higher than most values for the taste‐ active saponins reported in the literature. The foam activity of these substances was measured using a self‐developed small‐scale foam activity assay. It was measured for different concentrations of saponins in a buffer solution. The foam activity of numerous other saponins was also determined, resulting in the most comprehensive overview of the foam activities of individual saponins.In addition to these isolation and characterization activities, an LC‐MS/MS method of performing simultaneous quantitative analyses of all the obtained sugar beet saponins was developed and validated. These were quantified in several sugar beet varieties (root and leaves), different sugar beet compartments, and side streams originating during the sugar beet converting process. Great variations in mass fractions were found in these materials, ranging from 862 mg/kg to 2,452 mg/kg for the various sugar beet root varieties and from 907 mg/kg to 5,398 mg/kg for the sugar beet leave varieties. Sugar beet fiber was identified as the best saponin source, with a total saponin quantity of 12.7 g/kg, followed by dried sugar beet pulp, with a total quantity of 10.3 g/kg. As a by‐product stream, dried sugar beet pulp is highly suitable for the sustainable manufacture of saponins.The results obtained are of key significance to the utilization of sugar beet saponins as well as saponins extracted from other plant materials or by‐product streams for use as food additives.

Physicochemical and In Vitro Digestion Properties of Curcumin-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles with Different Solid Lipids and Emulsifiers.

Curcumin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (Cur-SLN) were prepared using medium- and long chain diacylglycerol (MLCD) or glycerol tripalmitate (TP) as lipid matrix and three kinds of surfactants including Tween 20 (T20), quillaja saponin (SQ) and rhamnolipid (Rha). The MLCD-based SLNs had a smaller size and lower surface charge than TP-SLNs with a Cur encapsulation efficiency of 87.54-95.32% and the Rha-based SLNs exhibited a small size but low stability to pH decreases and ionic strength. Thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction results confirmed that the SLNs with different lipid cores showed varying structures, melting and crystallization profiles. The emulsifiers slightly impacted the crystal polymorphism of MLCD-SLNs but largely influenced that of TP-SLNs. Meanwhile, the polymorphism transition was less significant for MLCD-SLNs, which accounted for the better stabilization of particle size and higher encapsulation efficiency of MLCD-SLNs during storage. In vitro studies showed that emulsifier formulation greatly impacted on the Cur bioavailability, whereby T20-SLNs showed much higher digestibility and bioavailability than that of SQ- and Rha-SLNs possibly due to the difference in the interfacial composition. Mathematical modeling analysis of the membrane release further confirmed that Cur was mainly released from the intestinal phase and T20-SLNs showed a faster release rate compared with other formulations. This work contributes to a better understanding of the performance of MLCD in lipophilic compound-loaded SLNs and has important implications for the rational design of lipid nanocarriers and in instructing their application in functional food products.

Studying the effect of various surfactants on the possibility and intensity of fine migration during low-salinity water flooding in clay-rich sandstones

In the majority, sandstone reservoirs contain clay particles. When such reservoirs are exposed to low-salinity water, multi-ion exchange (MIE) and electrical double layer (EDL) expansion result in fine migration, which sweeps residual oil in the porous media while imposing damage and permeability reduction.This research investigates the effect of surfactants on the possibility and intensity of fine migration in clay-rich sandstones. First, the impact of these surfactants on the surface charge of quartz and clay particles was investigated. The results showed that both CTAB (CetylTrimethylAmmonium Bromide) and QS (Quillaja Saponin) lower the magnitude of fine particles' zeta potential from −40 mv to 2 and -18 mv, respectively, The zeta potential compensation weakens the repulsive forces. However, SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate), and TX (Triton X-100) do not change the magnitude of zeta potential. The surfactants were injected at a concentration of 10 g/L into sandpacks containing 5 wt% of kaolin. SDS and TX couldn't prevent fine migration, and sandpack permeability decreased from 65 md to about 8. CTAB completely prevented fine migration (permeability reduction from 66 to 62md). Meanwhile, QS reduced the intensity of fine migration and the permeability decreased to 30 md. Post-flushing diluted surfactant solutions showed that CTAB loses its ability to control fine migration and the magnitude of permeability drops to 8 md. However, QS still controlled the intensity of fine migration.CTAB, QS, SDS, and TX-100 adsorption on oil-aged sandstone rocks lower the contact angle from 1290 to 21.20, 69.50, 52.70, and 62.10, respectively. It should be noted that the aging time for this experiment was 14 days, which was conducted at 60 °C. contact angel studies illustrated that EDL compaction by surfactants can cause wettability alteration toward water wet conditions, through adsorption in the stern layer, which results in oil desorption. BET analysis showed that the kaolinite particles are mesoporous with weak interaction, which are covered by CTAB or QS adsorption. However, after lowering the surfactant concentration in the bulk fluid, CTAB is desorbed, resulting in the revival of pores. In contrast, desorption in QS dilution was negligible. The behavior difference is related to the adsorption mechanism. CTAB is absorbed on the particle surface based on cation exchange and QS due to hydrogen bonding. In QS, the hydrophilic part is adsorbed on the particles, and the hydrophobic part forms the external surface, which prevents water from reaching the hydrophilic part.

Ga-Doped ZnO Microbelts Based Resistive-type Sensor for Detection of Acetylene Gas

Structural materials with shorter gas diffusion pathways, lower electrical resistance, and crystal size play a vital role in resistive-type gas sensors. In the present work, ZnO was doped with Ga to lower its electrical resistance and inhibit crystal growth for acetylene sensing. Ga-doped ZnO microbelts were synthesized by electrospinning a solution containing metal precursors and quillaja saponin as a template for the evolution of the belt structure, followed by calcination to achieve microbelts with a BET surface area of 68.5 m2 g–1, an average pore size of 4.6 nm, and ZnO crystals as small as 16.5 nm. The Ga-doped ZnO microbelts exhibited a response (Ra/Rg) of up to 21.0, and a fast response (7.6 s) to 20 ppm acetylene at 400 °C in dry conditions. The materials also showed outstanding repeatability of response of 10.04 ± 0.04 against 10 cycles of 5-ppm acetylene, a response of 2.0 to acetylene as low as 0.2 ppm, and excellent selectivity against 5 ppm of hydrogen, pentane, toluene, carbon monoxide, and methane. The results suggested that Ga doping could effectively improve the electrical conductivity and acetylene sensing performance of ZnO-based sensors.

Safe Subunit Green Vaccines Confer Robust Immunity and Protection against Mucosal Brucella Infection in Mice.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that causes significant negative impacts on the animal industry and affects over half a million people worldwide every year. The limited safety and efficacy of current animal brucellosis vaccines, combined with the lack of a licensed human brucellosis vaccine, have led researchers to search for new vaccine strategies to combat the disease. To this end, the present research aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a green vaccine candidate that combines Brucella abortus S19 smooth lipopolysaccharide (sLPS) with Quillaja saponin (QS) or QS-Xyloglucan mix (QS-X) against mucosal brucellosis in BALB/C mice. The results of the study indicate that administering two doses of either sLPS-QS or sLPS-QS-X was safe for the animals, triggered a robust immune response, and enhanced protection following intranasal challenge with S19. Specifically, the vaccine combinations led to the secretion of IgA and IgG1 in the BALF of the immunized mice. We also found a mixed IgG1/IgG2a systemic response indicating evidence of both Th1 and Th2 activation, with a predominance of the IgG1 over the IgG2a. These candidates resulted in significant reductions in the bioburden of lung, liver, and spleen tissue compared to the PBS control group. The sLPS-QS vaccination had conferred the greatest protection, with a 130-fold reduction in Brucella burdens in lung and a 55.74-fold reduction in the spleen compared to PBS controls. Vaccination with sLPS-QS-X resulted in the highest reduction in splenic Brucella loads, with a 364.6-fold decrease in bacterial titer compared to non-vaccinated animals. The study suggests that the tested vaccine candidates are safe and effective in increasing the animals' ability to respond to brucellosis via mucosal challenge. It also supports the use of the S19 challenge strain as a safe and cost-effective method for testing Brucella vaccine candidates under BSL-2 containment conditions.

INFLUENCE OF MICROENCAPSULATION PARAMETERS ON THE SIZE AND MORPHOLOGY OF MICROCAPSULES BY ECO-FRIENDLY SOLVENT EVAPORATION METHOD ORIENTED TO MEDICAL TEXTILES

Application of microcapsules in medical textile has been studied and commercially developed widely in recent years. The aim of this work was to propose an eco-friendly microencapsulation by solvent evaporation method that can contribute to the manufacture of medical textile products using microcapsules. Quillaja saponin was used as bio-sourced surfactant and ethyl acetate was used as the less toxic, non-halogenated organic solvent. The influences of saponin concentration, stirring speed during emulsification step and the volume of ethyl acetate used to saturate the aqueous phase before emulsification on the microcapsule size and morphology were investigated. The results showed that eudragit microcapsules of ibuprofen with diameter in range from 17 to 34 µm, which were suitable for medical textile applications, were successfully elaborated. The saponin concentration varied from 0.025 to 0.1 wt%. The stirring speed was changed from 700 to 600 rpm. The volume of ethyl acetate used in saturation step was 0, 8 and 12 ml. In the scope of investigation, the saponin concentration and the volume of ethyl acetate used in saturation step did affect the microcapsule size and morphology while the stirring speed did not. The saturation step really helped to reduce the formation of irregular microparticles and to narrow the size distribution, but the microcapsules became more porous, weaker and were deformed significantly by drying in the fabric treatment process.

Recent advances in biosurfactant-based association colloids—Self-assembly in water

Recent studies of self-assembly in binary systems of bio-surfactants, either of microbial origin or saponins extracted from plants, are reviewed. Saponins in water reported in the first section include aescin, glycyrrhizin, and quillaja saponins, while rhamnolipids are discussed in the second section on microbial surfactants. Studies of surface activities are a natural starting point of the characterization of surfactants, but here we focus mainly on physico-chemical and structural properties of self-assembled bulk structures in solution, often characterized by scattering techniques. When quantitative modelling is performed, self-assembly parameters like aggregation numbers, head group areas, and resulting shapes can be followed as a function of physical-chemical parameters like concentration, composition, temperature, or pH. Morphologies include micelles and their structural evolution with addition of other bio- or synthetic surfactants, co-surfactants, proteins or phospholipids.

Edible HIPE-Gels and oleogels formed by synergistically combining natural triterpenoid saponin and citrus dietary fiber

High-internal-phase emulsion gels (HIPE-Gels) and oleogels were successfully fabricated through synergistically combination of natural triterpenoid Quillaja saponin (QS) and citrus dietary fiber (CDF). The amphiphilic QS significantly lowered the oil-water interface tension; whereas CDF could form compact structure at the interface as well as in the bulk under a hydrogen-bonding interaction with saponin. The combination endowed the emulsion gels with enhanced performance, such as decreasing droplet size, strengthening gel network structure and better viscoelastic. At a very low QS of 0.045 %, stable HIPE-Gels can be produced with 0.3 % CDF, which mainly attributing to the highly viscoelastic fiber networks in continuous phase and thus actively trap the QS-coated emulsion droplets. Consequently, the robust HIPE-Gels were applied as soft template to fabricate oleogels with controlled by QS and CDF loading. These findings proved an effective strategy towards structuring edible liquid oil into healthy gels for alternating saturated and trans fats in foods.

Effects of coating layers chitosan/pectin on lipid stability and in vitro digestion of astaxanthin-loaded multilayer emulsions

Astaxanthin (Ax), a hydrophobic carotenoid from marine animals and microalgae, is claimed to exhibit various beneficial biological activities. In this study, quillaja saponin, chitosan and pectin were employed to formulate Ax-loaded primary, secondary, and tertiary multilayer emulsions using a layer-by-layer electrostatic deposition technique. The effects of the coating layers on the antioxidation of lipid, in vitro digestion properties, and Ax bioaccessibility were investigated. The results showed that the coating layers improved the lipid stability during the storage process and gastrointestinal digestion of lipid droplets effectively. In particular, the release of free fatty acids was reduced by nearly 20% in tertiary multilayer emulsions coated by chitosan and pectin. Meanwhile, the coating layers postponed the release of Ax effectively. The multilayer emulsions developed in this study could be used to load, protect, and deliver astaxanthin, which may contribute to the development of more effective functional foods, supplements, and pharmaceutical products.

Stability mechanism of Pickering emulsions co-stabilized by protein nanoparticles and small molecular emulsifiers by two-step emulsification with different adding sequences: From microscopic to macroscopic scales

Pickering emulsions are increasingly being explored for their potential applications within the food industry. However, the stability of these emulsions is often limited when stabilized by single colloidal particles. Herein, we examined the possibility of improving the performance of Pickering emulsions by using a combination of colloidal particles (zein nanoparticles, Z) and small molecular emulsifiers (quillaja saponin, Q). The stability mechanism of Pickering emulsions was explored from microscopic to macroscopic scales using QCM-D, microrheology, and Cyro-SEM, et. Corn oil-in-water Pickering emulsions were prepared by adding the Z and Q in different sequences: (i) mix Z and Q and then homogenize (“ZQ-P”); (ii) add Z, homogenize, and then add Q (“Z-QP”); (iii) add Q, homogenize, and then add Z (“Q-ZP”). The sequence significantly influenced the interfacial structure and properties of Pickering emulsions. Macroscopic rheology and microrheology showed that the Pickering emulsions formed an elastic-like structure (G′>G″) and their viscoelastic properties increased over time. QCM-D analysis showed that the properties of the interfacial layers depended on the emulsifier addition sequence used to form the Pickering emulsions. The interfacial membranes formed using the Q-ZP sequence were the thickest (5.8 nm). Cyro-SEM imaging showed that nanoparticle bridges formed between neighboring droplet surfaces, which led to the formation of a 3D network that provided mechanical strength. Overall, this study showed that the Q-ZP addition sequence was the most effective at forming stable Pickering emulsions. It provides new insights that may facilitate the formation of plant-based Pickering emulsions with improved functional performance in food applications.

Synergy in Aqueous Systems Containing Bioactive Ingredients of Natural Origin: Saponin/Pectin Mixtures.

Biocompatible and biodegradable ingredients of natural origin are widely used in the design of foam and emulsion systems with various technological applications in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The determination of the precise composition of aqueous solution formulations is a key issue for the achievement of environmentally-friendly disperse systems with controllable properties and reasonable stability. The present work is focused on the investigation of synergistic interactions in aqueous systems containing Quillaja saponins and Apple pectins. Profile analysis tensiometer (PAT-1) is applied to study the surface tension and surface dilational rheology of the adsorption layers at the air/solution interface. The properties and the foam films (drainage kinetics, film thickness, disjoining pressure isotherm, critical pressure of rupture) are investigated using the thin-liquid-film (TLF) microinterferometric method of Scheludko–Exerowa and the TLF-pressure-balance technique (TLF-PBT). The results demonstrate that the structure and stability performance of the complex aqueous solutions can be finely tuned by changing the ratio of the bioactive ingredients. The attained experimental data evidence that the most pronounced synergy effect is registered at a specific saponin:pectin ratio. The obtained information is essential for the further development of aqueous solution formulations intended to achieve stable foams based on mixtures of Quillaja saponins and Apple pectins in view of future industrial, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Effects of dietary supplementation of quillaja saponin or fructooligosaccharide and a mixture of both on the growth performance, nutrient utilisation, faecal microbial and faecal noxious gas emissions in growing pigs

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of an alone or in combination quillaja saponin (QS) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on the growth performance, nutrient utilisation, faecal microbial and faecal noxious gas emissions in growing pigs. A total of 100 pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc); weighted 23.83 ± 1.95 kg, were selected and randomly allocated to 4 treatments with 5 replicates per group and 5 pigs per replicate according to the initial body weight and sex. The experimental treatments were as follows: (1) basal diet (Ctrl); (2) Ctrl + 0.2% QS; (3) Ctrl + 0.10% FOS; (4) Ctrl + 0.2% QS + 0.10% FOS (QSFOS). The experiment period lasted for 56 days. Pigs fed a diet supplemented with QS, FOS and QSFOS resulted in an increase (p < 0.05) in body weight (BW) on days 28 and 56, (p < 0.05) average daily gain and average daily feed intake during days 28–56 and 50–56, as well as improved apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of DM (dry matter) and N (Nitrogen) during day 56 compared with Ctrl. The faecal Lactobacillus counts were increased and a reduction (p < 0.05) in faecal Escherichia coli (E. coli) counts and ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from the faeces was observed from pigs fed QS, FOS and QSFOS supplemented diets compared with those fed a Ctrl diet. In conclusion, dietary QS, FOS and QSFOS supplementation have beneficial effects on growth performance, nutrient utilisation, faecal microbial and noxious gas emissions in growing pigs. HIGHLIGHTS Dietary supplementation of QS, FOS and QSFOS increased body weight, average daily gain and average daily feed intake of growing pigs. Dietary supplementation of QS, FOS and QSFOS could improve ATTD of dry matter and nitrogen of growing pigs Dietary supplementation of QS, FOS and QSFOS increased Lactobacillus counts and reduced E. coli counts of growing pigs. Dietary supplementation of QS, FOS and QSFOS could reduce faecal NH3 and CO2 emissions of growing pigs.

DETERMINATION OF PHYSICAL STABILITY OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID NANOEMULSIONS AT DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

Bu çalışmada, omega-3 yağ asitlerince zengin balık yağı (%5) ve Tween 80 (T80), Quillaja Saponin (QS), Gam Arabik (GA) sürfaktanları (%1) kullanılarak mikroakışkanlaştırıcı yardımı ile su içinde yağ (Y/S) nanoemülsiyonları hazırlanmıştır. Nanoemülsiyonların fiziksel stabiliteleri; pH (4-7), sıcaklık (40-80oC) ve iyonik şiddet (0-500 mM NaCl) etkisi ile belirlenmiştir. Nanoemülsiyonların partikül boyutlarının 125±0.40 ile 542±0.45 nm ve partikül yüklerinin −12.80±0.63 ile −69.1±0.14 mV aralığında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. T80 ve QS ile stabilize edilen nanoemülsiyonların farklı pH, sıcaklık ve iyonik şiddet koşullarında fiziksel stabilitelerinin değişmediği görülmüştür. GA ile stabilize edilmiş nanoemülsiyonların ise pH, sıcaklık ve iyonik şiddet etkisine nispeten hassas olduğu ancak fiziksel stabilitesinde önemli bir değişiklik olmadığı görülmüştür. Sonuç olarak, omega-3 ile zenginleştirilmiş fiziksel olarak stabil nanoemülsiyonlar hem sentetik (T80) hem de doğal (QS ve GA) sürfaktanlar kullanılarak üretilmiştir. Elde edilen bu sonuçların omega-3 yağ asidi ile zenginleştirilmiş gıda üretimi ile ilgili çalışmalara katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Comparison between Quinoa and Quillaja saponins in the Formation, Stability and Digestibility of Astaxanthin-Canola Oil Emulsions

Saponins from Quillaja saponaria and Chenopodium quinoa were evaluated as natural emulsifiers in the formation of astaxanthin enriched canola oil emulsions. The aim of this study was to define the processing conditions for developing emulsions and to evaluate their physical stability against environmental conditions: pH (2–10), temperature (20–50 °C), ionic strength (0–500 mM NaCl), and storage (35 days at 25 °C), as well as their performance in an in vitro digestion model. The emulsions were characterized, evaluating their mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential. Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions were effectively produced using 1% oil phase and 1% emulsifier (saponins). Emulsions were stable over a wide range of pH values (4–10), but exhibited particle aggregation at lower pH, salt conditions, and high temperatures. The emulsion stability index (ESI) remained above 80% after 35 days of storage. The results of our study suggest that saponins can be an effective alternative to synthetic emulsifiers.