Shelf-life Stability Research Articles

Perceptions, barriers and enablers of salt reduction in Malaysian out-of-home sectors (MySaltOH): from the point of view of policy-makers and food industries

BackgroundHigh salt intake is a major cause of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The out-of-home sectors have been identified as one of the contributors of high salt intake in the population. The National Salt Reduction Policy of Malaysia was initiated in 2015; however, out-of-home sectors are yet to be emphasized and perception by policy-makers and the food industries towards salt reduction are yet unknown. This study aimed to determine the perceptions, barriers and enablers towards salt reduction in the out-of-home sector in Malaysia, as well as among policy-makers and the food industries.MethodsThis is a qualitative study via semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD) involving several stakeholders consisting of policy-makers from five ministries, five nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and food science/food technology researchers from five regions (West, North, East, and South Peninsular and East Malaysia/Borneo), as well as the food industries. The IDI and FGD sessions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using Nvivo software version 12.ResultsAll participants agreed that salt intake in Malaysia is high and leads to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Lack of awareness, poor eating culture and behaviour and frequent eating out were among the causes of high salt intake. Awareness campaigns and education, sodium content labelling and product reformulation were strategies that have been implemented by the government; whilst for the food industries, some of them have tried to reduce salt and labelled the sodium content on their food products. However, there were several barriers including perceived poor consumer acceptance, lack of knowledge and resources, and challenges in reformulation, as well as unavailability of guidelines and salt targets. Hence, several enablers have been suggested, which include prioritizing the salt reduction strategy, creating more awareness, collaboration and engagement, research and technology particularly for reformulation and shelf-life stability, incentives and salt tax.ConclusionsSalt reduction efforts of the out-of-home sector in Malaysia could be achieved through several measures or enablers that can overcome the barriers currently faced by stakeholders, especially policy-makers, food industries and the consumers themselves. This study will benefit the policy-makers to improve the salt reduction policy of out-of-home sectors and highlight the concerns among the food industries on the policy.

Effects of thermal treatment on the microbial shelf-life and quality stability of wet instant cooked noodles during storage

Pasteurization, acidification followed by pasteurization, and autoclave extended the shelf-life of cooked noodles (groups S1, S2 and S3) to 3, 180 and 180 days, respectively. Pasteurization increased the hardness of cooked noodles from 53.60 to 58.01 N. However, the growth of thermoduric bacteria caused a decrease in pH, coloration, and hardness of group S1 during storage. Meanwhile, the pH and hardness of group S2 decreased to 4.42 and 39.22 N respectively, while hardness and chewiness increased during storage. In addition, physicochemical-textural characteristics of group S3 are maintained throughout storage. The hardness of groups S1 and S2 is related to the gluten structure. The compact gluten network formed after pasteurization. Meanwhile, acidification inhibited the polymerization of glutenin and gliadin. The starch melted after autoclave, masking the impact of the gluten network and decreasing hardness. During storage, hydrolysis of protein and starch by bacteria resulted in the deterioration of group S1. Recrystallization of starch resulted in the stiffening of group S2. The absence of metabolism of bacteria and presence of stable gluten in group S3 contributed to the stable starch structures, inducing its stable quality. Thermal treatment can be recommended as an effective additional treatment for producing shelf-stable wet instant cooked noodles.

Thermally Crosslinked Hole Conductor Enables Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with 23.9% Efficiency.

Poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA) represents the state-of-the-art hole transport material (HTM) in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, unsatisfied surface properties of PTAA and high energy disorder in the bulk film hinder the further enhancement of device performance. Herein, a simple small molecule 10-(4-(3,6-dimethoxy-9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-3,7-bis(4-vinylphenyl)-10H-phenoxazine (MCz-VPOZ) is strategically developed for in situ fabrication of polymer hole conductor (CL-MCz) via a facile and low-temperature cross-linking technology. The resulting polymer CL-MCz offers high energy ordering and improved electrical conductivity, as well as appropriate energy-level alignment, enabling efficient charge carrier collection in the devices. Meanwhile, CL-MCz synchronously provides satisfied surface wettability and interfacial functionalization, facilitating the formation of high-quality perovskite films with fewer bulk iodine vacancies and suppressed carrier recombination. Significantly, the device with CL-MCz yields a champion efficiency of 23.9% along with an extremely low energy loss down to 0.41 eV, which represents the highest reported efficiency for non-PTAA-based polymer HTMs in inverted PSCs. Furthermore, the corresponding unencapsulated devices exhibit competitive shelf-life stability under various operational stressors up to 2500 h, reflecting high promises of CL-MCz in the scalable PSC application. This work underscores the promising potential of the cross-linking approach in preparing low-cost, stable, and efficient polymer HTMs toward reliable PSCs.

An Fe3O4 based hole transport bilayer for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Insertion of a thin inorganic Fe3O4 layer between perovskite and spiro-OMeTAD improves charge extraction and device efficiency and also boosts device shelf-life stability.

Quality assessment and shelf-life of processed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fish sticks: Laboratory based study

Customers prefer tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), one of the most popular freshwater fish species farmed in Bangladesh, because of its flavor and affordable market pricing. This study aimed to develop value-added tilapia fish sticks and evaluate the quality changes, shelf life, and storage stability of the developed tilapia fish sticks in order to investigate the possibilities of better utilizing low-value tilapia fish and to satisfy consumers' growing demand for quality ready-to-eat food products. For this regard, storage characteristics in room (28ºC) and refrigerator (5ºC) temperatures were assessed in terms of microbiological, chemical, proximate, and sensory attributes. The moisture, lipid, protein, and ash contents of the fish sticks were observed to be 56.23±0.62, 7.62±0.27, 26.01±0.39, and 2.93±0.23%, respectively, at fresh condition. As storage time increased, it was discovered that ash content at room temperature increased while moisture, lipid, and protein levels steadily declined. On the other hand, it was discovered that at refrigeration temperatures, ash and fat content increased while moisture and protein content decreased. Compared to fish sticks held at ambient temperature, changes in the proximate composition of fish sticks stored in a refrigerator were found to be more stable. TVB-N was initially measured as 12.38±0.45 mg/100 g. After 24 hours of room storage, the TVB-N value exceeded the acceptable level; however, after 72 hours of refrigeration, it did not exceed the acceptable limit and was deemed fit for consumption. TPC was observed in fresh fish sticks as 3.74±0.31 Log CFU/g. In 48 hours at room temperature, the bacterial load of tilapia fish sticks increased sharply (p<0.05) during the course of the storage period and went above the microbiological threshold for fishery products (7 Log CFU/g of flesh). The bacterial growth trend was slower and, after 72 hours, was within the permitted limit at refrigerated storage temperature. All fresh products had the highest initial sensory ratings. At ambient temperature, all of the products sensory qualities significantly declined with time (p<0.05), however at refrigeration temperature, the product was determined to be more stable. The overall acceptability score assessed for appearance, flavor, taste, and texture was within acceptable limits for up to 24 hours at room temperature, but not for 72 hours at refrigeration temperature. According to the study's findings, tilapia fish sticks have a very limited shelf life at room temperature (28°C), only lasting around 24 hours, whereas they can last up to 72 hours at 5°C in the refrigerator.

Antioxidant potential of Moringa stenopetala leaf extract on laagered beer stored at room temperature

Controlling beer oxidation using natural antioxidants for better shelf-life stability is the prominent objective of modern breweries. Flavour instability resulting from beer storage and oxidations are the most important quality problems in the brewing industry. This study evaluated the influence of the addition of 80% ethanol leaf extract of Moringa stenopetala to lager beer at 400, 600 and 800 ppm concentrations for 30-, 60- and 90-days storage at room temperature. The total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride method respectively. Antioxidant activity of each treatment was evaluated and compared by using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant using phosphomolybdate assay. The addition of the extract in beer showed a linear increment in the total phenolic content from 46.79 up to 88.30 milligrams of gallic acid equivalent per litre of beer (mg GAE/L) and total flavonoid contents from 123.36 up to 167.09 mg of catechin equivalent per litre of beer (mg CE/L). A similar increment was observed within the DPPH scavenging potential, from 46.55up to 67.16% and total antioxidant power from 139.12 up to 216.67 milligrams of butylated hydroxytoluene equivalent per litre of beer (mg BHTE/L). The result indicates a promising use of leaf extract of M. stenopetala as a functional ingredient in beer to reduce beer oxidation probability and keep its freshness for a period of storage time.

Evaluating the Effect of Different Packaging Materials on the Shelf-Life Stability of Ground Melon Seed (Citrullus colocynthis lanatus)

Evaluating the Effect of Different Packaging Materials on the Shelf-Life Stability of Ground Melon Seed (Citrullus colocynthis lanatus)

Sensory properties, preference mapping and shelf life stability of linear programmed quelea meat based instant complementary food for children aged 6–23 months in Tanzania

Linear programming has been reported to be a good technique that can be used to develop and optimize complementary foods to curb children's malnutrition. Despite some studies using it to develop and assess the nutritional quality of linear programmed instant complementary foods based on high proteinous red-billed quelea bird meat, information on the sensory and shelf life stability of these foods is limited in the country. The objective of this study was to develop and assess the sensory properties, preference mapping and shelf life of the developed and optimized quale birds meat-based complementary flour and porridge. Four formulations; control containing birds meat only, banana mixed with meat (Banana_meat), potatoes mixed with meat (potatoes_meat) and rice mixed with meat (rice_meat) were developed by mixing with other ingredients and extruded separately using a barrel extrude to get flour. The extruded flours were assessed for shelf life and also used to develop porridge samples for sensory properties, consumer acceptance and preference mapping analyses using standard methods. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences in mean intensity scores between the formulation with potatoes mixed with meat samples having higher colour (7.5 ± 1.5), aroma (7.3 ± 1.6), viscosity (5.3 ± 3.0) and smoothness (7.65.3 ± 2.5) values than other samples with respective lower values of 4.4 ± 2.1–6.5 ± 1.5.2.6 ± 0.6–6.4 ± 2.4), 4.8 ± 0.2–5.2 ± 1.8 and 2.7 ± 0.6–6.3 ± 2.3. Rice mixed with meat sample had significantly highest whiteness (4.5 ± 1.5) and sweetness (7.5 ± 1.9) intensities scores while the control meat only samples had significantly highest oiliness intensity scores (5.0 ± 1.4) compared to other samples. Moreover, the potatoes mixed with meat sample was the most acceptable formulation (7.7 ± 0.3) compared to other samples with aroma, smoothness sweetness, colour and viscosity attributes being the main drivers for consumer liking of complementary porridge samples. The shelf life study revealed that the overall acceptability scores of complementary flour samples decreased progressively with storage days with the longest predicted shelf life of 140 days observed in rice mixed with meat sample followed by potatoes mixed with meat with 48 days and the shortest shelf life of 23.7 days in control samples. This suggests that quelea bird meat could be combined with cereal, tubers, and other minor ingredients like vegetables, optimized using the linear programming technique and extruded into complementary instant flour and porridge for children between the ages of 6 and 23 months with long shelf lives, appealing sensory properties, and consumer acceptance, respectively. Hence, it is advised to use the method and consume the developed formulations. • Linear programming resulted in complementary foods with appealing sensory properties and consumer acceptability. • The mean intensity score of sensory attributes differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the linear programmed complementary porridge samples. • Control (meat only) and potatoes_meat samples were the least and most acceptable formulations respectively. • Aroma, sweetness, smoothness, and colour were the main attributes driving consumers' acceptance of the porridge samples. • Rice_ meat and control samples had the longest and shortest shelf lives of 140 and 23.7 days respectively.

Shelf-life stability of Asparagopsis bromoform in oil and freeze-dried powder

The idea of delivering bromoform from Asparagopsis using edible oil has gained momentum recently due to the improved processing time and that it is already a feed that many livestock producers use. The stability of bromoform in oil compared to freeze-dried product is still not well understood. To fill this gap, a systematic study was carried out to determine the effects of storage temperatures (40 °C, 25 °C, 4 °C and -20 °C), fluorescent light and exposure to open air, on the retention of bromoform in freeze-dried Asparagopsis (FD-Asp) and Asparagopsis oil (Asp-Oil) over 24-week period. In the absence of fluorescent light, Asp-Oil was a more effective way to preserve bromoform compared to FD-Asp due to either no change or higher Asp-Oil bromoform content (storage temperature dependent) after 24-week storage. Under the same conditions, FD-Asp bromoform content decreased by 74% at 40 °C, 53% at 25 °C, 6% at 4 °C, and no change of FD-Asp bromoform content at -20 °C. The presence of fluorescent light negatively affected Asp-Oil bromoform content at both 25 °C and 40 °C while the effect was insignificant on FD-Asp. The exposure of Asp-Oil to open air resulted in the decrease of bromoform content to below quantification limit (0.18 mg g−1) on week 8 for 40 °C sample and on week 16 for 25 °C sample. This study provides empirical evidence on the stabilising effect of oil in preserving bromoform extracted from Asparagopsis, confirming it is a more attractive medium to deliver bromoform compared to the freeze-dried powder form.

Safety and Quality Assessment of Milk Before and After Pasteurization Collected from Different Regions of Punjab

Milk is an excellent source of proteins, fats and carbohydrates along with minerals and vitamins. It is the balanced diet for all age groups. In Pakistan consumption of milk is increasing day by day. Milk from different animal sources has quality and nutritional differences. Pasteurization found to be increased the milk quality and shelf-life stability by reducing microbial load. The objective of study is to evaluate the differences among the raw and pasteurized milk in terms of safety and microbial distribution. The proximate and quality analysis including moisture, crude protein, crude fat, total soluble solid, pH, acidity, lactose composition, solid-not-fat (SNF) and specific gravity were done for the milk samples. The microbial tests were performed for Total Plate Count and Total Coliform Count before and after pasteurization process. The collected data was analysed statistically to estimate the level of significance. Pasteurized milk of buffalo showed high value for pH 6.65, lactose composition 5.964, crude fat 7.974%, crude protein 6.453%, SNF 6.672%, Total solids 12.646% while pasteurized cow milk showed low value as compare to buffalo milk samples as pH 6.60, lactose composition 4.732, crude fat 4.744%, crude protein 4.353%, SNF 6.128%, Total solids 10.872%. Total Coliform count (TCC) for raw and pasteurized milk of cow was 3.320 CFU/ml and 1.2600 CFU/ml respectively, whereas for buffaloes it was 2.604 CFU/ml and 1.0900 CFU/ml respectively. In case of TPC it was 2.834CFU/ml and 1.132 CFU/ml for raw to pasteurized milk of cow while it was 2.0320 CFU/ml and 1.0720 CFU/ml in buffaloes. Result revealed that pasteurized milk is safer to use and pasteurized milk has low microbial count as well as authenticity in safety and quality when compared with unpasteurized milk.

Quality changes of edible oils during vacuum and atmospheric frying of potato chips

Demand for safe and nutritionally rich fried products is gaining a momentum among consumers, leading to the increased consumption of vacuum fried products. The impact of vacuum frying (VF)(110 °C, 40 kPa) on chemical composition of food, fatty acid profile, microstructure, oxidative stability and sensory attributes was assessed and differentiated with that of atmospheric frying(AF) (180 °C). The potato slices were fried in mustard and soyabean oil used repetitively for 25 h. The oil content of VF potato chips was lower (15.18%) than AF chips (18.98%), however water loss in AF chips was higher than VF chips by 1.63-fold. VF significantly prevented the PUFA degradation, minimizes transfatty acid (TFA) formation and maintain a low C18:2/C16:0 ratio as compared to AF. VF Chips fried in soyabean oil show an increase in TFA content from 2.15 to 2.63% and a decrease in PUFA from 51.57 to 45.16% as compared to AF chips where TFA content increased from 2.15 to 3.72% and PUFA shows a higher reduction from 51.57 to 37.69% at the end of 25 h of frying. This indicate that in AF, oil is safe for use upto 10 cycles of frying, while as in VF, the same oil can be used for upto 40 cycles of frying without quality deteoriation. Sensorial analysis revealed that VF chips retain a better colour, taste and flavour but were less crispy than that of AF chips. These findings validate the application of vacuum frying technology for the production of high-quality foods with lesser degradation of frying oil. Industrial relevanceFood manufacturers are now impelled by the health-conscious consumer base for the production of healthy food products. The toxic effect of foods fried in degraded oils on human health is now widely known and thus the production of safe fried foods is the need of hour globally. In this context, vacuum frying is the most feasible approach for the production of quality fried products retaining the natural colour, flavour, sensory and nutritional properties better than that of atmospheric frying. Vacuum frying causes the least degradation of fatty acid of the frying oil and the fried potatoes, producing healthy potato chips. Therefore, the oil used for vacuum frying have a greater shelf life and oxidative stability than atmospheric frying. However, the higher installation cost of vacuum fryer still limits its use in the street fried food market, where degradation of oil is more likely. Thus, for its widespread commercialisation in developing countries, steps should be taken both by government and manufacturing companies to reduce the installation costs.

A novel formulation of cyclosporine A/phosphatidylserine-containing liposome using remote loading method: Potential product for immunosuppressive effects

In this study, two PEGylated and non-PEGylated liposomal formulations of Cyclosporine A (CsA) were prepared by remote loading procedure to improve the tissue distribution profile of CsA and the therapeutic efficacy thereof. DOPE/DOPS/Chol/α-Tocopherol/mPEG2000 (35/40/19.5/0.5/5) and DOPE/DOPS/Chol/α-Tocopherol (40/40/19.5/0.5) were examined in terms of their physicochemical stability, immunosuppressive efficiency, and pharmacokinetic profiles. Besides, the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) was studied from sheep red blood cells (SRBC) injection to male Wistar rats and skin allograft rejection transplanted from male C57BL into BALB/c mouse. Both liposomes had a size of about 162.2 ± 75 nm with a polydispersity index of <0.14, exhibited a high drug encapsulation efficacy (49.9–61.3%), and showed a long-term (6 months) shelf-life stability. Moreover, the liposomes enhanced the delivery of CsA and the improved immunosuppressive efficiency in vitro compared to non-liposomal CsA. In the animal studies, the liposomes also enhanced the drug half-life in the serum of the rat and improved the tissue distribution of CsA compared to non-liposomal CsA. Besides, the liposomes minimized the DTH and delayed the skin allograft rejection up to 17 days compared to CsA. To sum up, the liposomal formulations of CsA improved both the delivery profile and therapeutic efficacy of CsA. However, further studies need to be done to translate this formulation into the clinics.

Effect of Bacteria Content in Wheat Flour on Storage Stability of Fresh Wet Noodles.

The effect of bacteria content in wheat flour on shelf life and storage stability of fresh wet noodles (FWNs) was evaluated in this study. Nine kinds of wheat flour with different bacterial contents were selected to make FWNs. With the increase in total plate count (TPC) from 120 CFU/g to 5500 CFU/g in flour, the shelf life of FWNs decreased from 23 d to 9 d at 4 °C. During storage, the acidity increased, which was significantly correlated with the change of TPC (p < 0.05), and the pH value and L* value of FWNs decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Changes in viscosity characteristics of starch components were also detected, the higher the TPC in flour, the more obvious the viscosity decreased. Moreover, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that with the deterioration of FWNs, some low molecular weight protein subunits increased; texture analysis showed that the hardness of noodles increased firstly and then decreased, the adhesiveness increased and the springiness decreased during storage. In summary, choosing flour with low TPC to prepare FWNs can extend the shelf life and slow down the quality deterioration of FWNs during storage at 4 °C.

Unravelling mechanisms of protein and lipid oxidation in mayonnaise at multiple length scales

In mayonnaise, lipid and protein oxidation are closely related and the interplay between them is critical for understanding the chemical shelf-life stability of mayonnaise. This is in particular the case for comprehending the role of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles acting as a main emulsifier. Here, we monitored oxidation and the concomitant aggregation of LDLs by bright-field light microscopy and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. We further probed the formation of protein radicals and protein oxidation by imaging the accumulation of a water-soluble fluorescent spin trap and protein autofluorescence. The effect of variation of pH and addition of EDTA on the accumulation of the spin trap validated that protein radicals were induced by lipid radicals. Our data suggests two main pathways of oxidative protein radical formation in LDL particles: (1) at the droplet interface, induced by lipid free radicals formed in oil droplets, and (2) in the continuous phase induced by an independent LDL-specific mechanism.

Enhancing the Backbone Coplanarity of n-Type Copolymers for Higher Electron Mobility and Stability in Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

Electron-transporting (n-type) conjugated polymers have recently been applied in numerous electrochemical applications, where both ion and electron transport are required. Despite continuous efforts to improve their performance and stability, n-type conjugated polymers with mixed conduction still lag behind their hole-transporting (p-type) counterparts, limiting the functions of electrochemical devices. In this work, we investigate the effect of enhanced backbone coplanarity on the electrochemical activity and mixed ionic-electronic conduction properties of n-type polymers during operation in aqueous media. Through substitution of the widely employed electron-deficient naphthalene diimide (NDI) unit for the core-extended naphthodithiophene diimide (NDTI) units, the resulting polymer shows a more planar backbone with closer packing, leading to an increase in the electron mobility in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) by more than two orders of magnitude. The NDTI-based polymer shows a deep-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level, enabling operation of the OECT closer to 0 V vs Ag/AgCl, where fewer parasitic reactions with molecular oxygen occur. Enhancing the backbone coplanarity also leads to a lower affinity toward water uptake during cycling, resulting in improved stability during continuous electrochemical charging and ON–OFF switching relative to the NDI derivative. Furthermore, the NDTI-based polymer also demonstrates near-perfect shelf-life stability over a month-long test, exhibiting a negligible decrease in both the maximum on-current and transconductance. Our results highlight the importance of polymer backbone design for developing stable, high-performing n-type materials with mixed ionic-electronic conduction in aqueous media.

Studies on the Production of Cream Liqueur Using Whiskey and Milk Cream

The quality of the liqueurs and their organoleptic properties depend on the characteristics of spirits or milk cream used as well as on the preparation procedures, including maceration and maturation processes. Hence the aim of this study is to produce a cream liqueur using whiskey as the spirit base and observe its shelf life stability. The specific objectives of this study were to produce cream liqueurs of different concentrations using whisky and milk cream, to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the cream liqueurs, to determine the shelf stability of the produced cream liqueur after three months of storage, to carry out sensory evaluation on the cream liqueurs in comparison with a commercial cream liqueur and to determine the acceptance of the liqueurs statistically based on parameters tested using One-Way ANOVA at P≤0.05. Ten (10) samples of cream liqueur were produced using standard method with different concentrations of sodium caseinate and were labelled Samples A to J. The cream liqueur samples were kept and stored at 30oC for 3 months for shelf study. The result of organoleptic evaluation showed that there was no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference in taste, aroma, appearance and overall acceptability between the cream liqueur samples and a commercial cream liqueur. The presence of alcohol in the cream liqueur helps in the preservation of the liqueur and ensures maximum microbial stability and extended shelf life. It can be concluded therefore, that whiskey and cream milk are good raw materials for cream liqueur production.

Albumin microbubbles conjugated with zinc and aluminum phthalocyanine dyes for enhanced photodynamic activity

Gas-liquid interfaces are reaching a particular interest in biomedicine. Microbubbles, ultrasound contrast agents of clinical routine, gained increasing attention as theranostic platforms due to the preserved acoustic response, drug conjugation capabilities, and applicability in biological barrier opening. A combination of microbubbles and photodynamic therapy agents can enhance the photodynamic effect, yet the evaluation of agent conjugation on microbubble stabilization and photodynamic effect is needed. Hence, two commercially available phthalocyanine photosensitizers — Holosens® (ZnPc) and Photosens® (AlPc) — were coupled with bovine serum albumin before microbubble synthesis. We demonstrated an albumin: phthalocyanine ratio of 1:1 and covalent attachment for ZnPc, a ratio of 1:3 with electrostatic binding for AlPc. Submicron-sized microbubbles (air- and SF6- filled) had a diameter of 0.8 µm. Albumin-phthalocyanine conjugates increased the microbubble concentration and shelf-life stability compared to plain ones. We hypothesized that phthalocyanine fluorescence lifetime values decreased after conjugation with microbubbles due to narrow distance between conjugates in the shell. Agents based on AlPc demonstrated higher photodynamic activity than agents based on ZnPc, and microbubbles preserved acoustic stability in human blood plasma. The biodistribution of AlPc-conjugated microbubbles was evaluated. We conclude that our microbubble platforms demonstrate greater photodynamic activity and prolonged stability for further applications in photodynamic therapy.

Harnessing Monocytes for a Liposomal Rosiglitazone-Mediated Anti-Inflammatory Effect

&lt;img src=” https://s3.amazonaws.com/production.scholastica/article/38312/large/prnano_842022.jpg?1663092842”&gt; Rosiglitazone, an anti-diabetic drug used for treating type Ⅱ diabetes mellitus with known anti-inflammatory properties, was withdrawn from the European market. The United States Food and Drug Administration has restricted its use due to its severe cardiovascular adverse effects. We hypothesized that rosiglitazone could be repurposed to provide safe anti-inflammatory therapy. By encapsulating the drug in liposomes internalized preferentially by circulating monocytes, monocytes’ inhibition can be achieved while avoiding the inherent systemic side effects. Rosig-litazone was loaded into empty liposomes by an active loading method. The formulation (LipRosi) was developed with desirable physicochemical properties promoting preferential monocyte internalization via membrane surface negative charge. Appropriate physicochemical properties include nano-size, low polydispersity index (PDI), high drug loading capacity, high encapsulation yield, and shelf-life stability. Further, these liposomes exhibited time- and con-centration-dependent uptake in a murine monocyte/macrophage cell line (RAW264.7). In addi-tion, LipRosi was found to be significantly more effective in depleting monocytes than drug-free liposomes and free drugs in solution. A cytotoxic effect on smooth muscle cells was only ob-served at the highest concentration examined and after an extended exposure time. In vivo stud-ies in rats demonstrated a time-dependent uptake by intact circulating white blood cells (WBC), primarily monocytes. Administration of 20 mg/kg LipRosi, injected on two consecutive days, achieved a therapeutic window of monocyte depletion after 24 hr. Of note, only a dismal dispo-sition of the formulation was detected in the heart. Since monocytes play a central role in the progression of inflammatory related-disorders, LipRosi could be found therapeutic for multiple disorders.

Effect of dual-functional coating of chicken fillet with pectin-curcumin-lemongrass oil emulsion on the shelf-life stability and fat uptake during frying

Abstract This study aims to formulate the optimal pectin-curcumin-lemongrass oil emulsion (PE) for coating of chicken fillet at 50:50%, 70:30%, and 90:10%, based on microbial growth inhibition, freshness consistency, and fat absorption during frying. Throughout the 7 days of storage, chicken fillet coated with 70:30% PE showed significant (P &lt; 0.05) suppressive activity against psychrophilic bacteria (8.09 ± 0.00 log10 CFU g−1) compared to non-coated sample (8.27 ± 0.06 log10 CFU g−1). In contrast, 90:10% PE coating inhibited the growth of yeasts or moulds on chicken fillet at 8.24 ± 0.28 log10 CFU g−1, compared to non-coated sample (9.16 ± 0.14 log10 CFU g−1). The 70:30% PE coating showed a better fillet's toughness (18.30 ± 1.32 N mm−1 s−1) and firmness (1.49 ± 0.22 N mm−1) when compared to fillet without coating. After 7 days of storage, coated and uncoated samples showed the same total colour difference (E value) indicating PE coating preserved the texture of fillet and colour. Both coated samples (70:30% and 90:10%) reduced fat uptake during frying by 13.70%–14.25%. The application of PE coating at 90:10% was effectively functioned as an excellent coating to preserve the quality and safety of fillet.

Production and Quality Evaluation of MASA Made From Maize, Rice and Millet Fortified With Soybean and Tigernut

This work was aimed to evaluate the quality of masa produced from rice, maize, millet fortified with soybean and tigernut. The proximate and sensory evaluation analyses were carried out on the masa samples for the whole grains and as well as the enriched masa samples. While functional properties were carried out on the flour produced. The result of the proximate composition showed that lowest moisture value (14.00%) was recorded for sample A among the enriched ‘masa’ samples while 12.75% was recorded for sample E among the whole samples which is good for shelf life stability. Sample C had the highest crude protein (7.87%), sample B had the highest fat content (32.03%), and sample A had the highest fibre (0.16%) and carbohydrate (57.56%). The bulk density, water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling capacity and gelation concentration were within the range; 0.64-0.81g/ml, 123.33-180.57%, 93.57-142.21%, 47.67-125.33%, 0.20-0.60g respectively. The sensory evaluation showed that with regards to taste, texture, colour, appearance, aroma and overall acceptability sample B was more preferred among the enriched ‘masa’ samples and sample E was more preferred among the whole samples. Enrichment of ‘masa’ could contribute to improvement of nutritional status if promoted as a nutritious, health indigenous snack not only where ‘masa’ is already widely consumed, but also in other parts of Nigeria where it has not found wide acceptance.