Lactobacillus reuteri-fortified camel milk infant formula: Effects of encapsulation,in vitro digestion,and storage conditions on probiotic cell viability and physicochemical characteristics of infant formula

Lactobacillus reuteri fortified camel milk infant formula (CMIF) was produced. The effect of encapsulation in different matrices (sodium alginate and galacto-oligosaccharides) via spray drying, simulated infant gastrointestinal digestion (SIGID), and storage conditions (temperature and humidity) on the viability of L. reuteri in CMIF and the physicochemical properties of CMIF were evaluated. Compared with free cells, probiotic cell viability was significantly enhanced against SIGID conditions upon encapsulation. However, L. reuteri viability in CMIF decreased after 60 d of storage, predominantly at higher storage humidity and temperature levels. At the end of the storage period, significant changes in the color values were observed in all CMIF, with a reduction in their greenness, an increase in yellowness, and a wide variation in their whiteness. Moreover, pH values and caking behavior of all CMIF stored at higher temperature (40°C) and humidity [water activity (a_w) = 0.52] levels were found to be significantly higher than the samples stored under other conditions. Over 30 d of storage at lower humidity conditions (a_w = 0.11 and 0.33) and room temperature (25°C), no significant increase in CMIF lipid oxidation rates was noted. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that, compared with the other storage conditions, CMIF experienced fewer changes in functional groups when stored at a_w = 0.11. Microscopic images showed typical morphological characteristics of milk powder, with round to spherical-shaped particles. Overall, camel milk fortified with encapsulated L. reuteri can be suggested as a promising alternative in infant formula industries, potentially able to maintain its physicochemical characteristics as well as viability of probiotic cells when stored at low humidity levels (a_w = 0.11) and temperature (25°C), over 60 d of storage.     

Multilayer Si@SiOx@void@C anode materials synthesized via simultaneously carbonization and redox for Li-ion batteries

In the development of high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the composition and structure of electrode materials are of critical importance. Silicon has a theoretical specific capacity 10 times that of graphite, nonetheless, its application as an anode material confronts challenge as it undergoes huge volume change and pulverization amidst the alloying and dealloying processes. Herein, a novel method to prepare a multilayer Si-based anode was proposed. Three layers, SiO₂, nickel and triethylene glycol (TEG), were coated successively on Si nanoparticles, which served respectively as the sources of SiO_x, sacrificial templates and carbon. Nickel can not only serve as a hollow template, but also play a catalytic role, which makes carbonization and redox reactions occur synchronously under a mild condition. Amid the carbonization process of TEG at 450 °C, several-nm-thick SiO₂ layer can react with the as-derived carbon to form a silicon suboxides (SiO_x (0 < x < 2)) intermedium layer. After removing the nickel template, a micro-nano scaled Si@SiO_x@void@C with conformal multilayer-structure can be obtained. The BET specific surface area and pore volume of powders were increased dramatically because of the derivation of abundant voids, which can not only buffer the swelling effect of silicon, but also provide richer ionic conductivity. The as-assembled half-cell with Si@SiOx@void@C as the anode material possesses high capacity (～1000 mAh g^?1 at 3 A g^?1), long cycle life (300 cycles with 77% capacity retention) and good rate performance (558 mAh g^?1 at 5 A g^?1).     

Impact of β-glucan on debittering,bioaccessibility and storage stability of skim milk fortified with shrimp oil nanoliposomes

Shrimp oil was encapsulated in nanoliposomes and fortified into skim milk. Shrimp oil nanoliposomes (SONL) were thermodynamically stable when added into skim milk at 10 mL 100 mL⁻¹. Mild bitterness in fortified skim milk caused by the SONL was masked by adding β-glucan at various levels (0.05–0.2 g 100 mL⁻¹). With the addition of SONL, fortified skim milk appeared more reddish in colour due to the presence of astaxanthin. Addition of β-glucan resulted in the increase in viscosity of the fortified milk by forming network of junction zones. During the storage of skim milk fortified with SONL and 0.1 g 100 mL⁻¹ β-glucan at 4 °C for 15 days, no major quality changes took place. Simulated in vitro digestion studies revealed that 45.41 g 100 g⁻¹ eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 48.86 g 100 g⁻¹ docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from shrimp oil were bioaccessible for absorption in the gut after digestion.     

Material encapsulation in poly(methyl methacrylate) shell: A review

Material encapsulation is a relatively new technique for coating a micro/nanosize particle or droplet with polymeric or inorganic shell. Encapsulation technology has many applications in various fields including drug delivery, cosmetic, agriculture, thermal energy storage, textile, and self-healing polymers. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is widely used as shell material in encapsulation due to its high chemical stability, biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and good mechanical properties. The main approach for micro/nanoencapsulation of materials using PMMA as shell comprises emulsion-based techniques such as emulsion polymerization and solvent evaporation from oil-in-water emulsion. In the present review, we first focus on the encapsulation techniques of liquid materials with PMMA shell by analyzing the effective processing parameters influencing the preparation of PMMA micro/nanocapsules. We then describe the morphology of PMMA capsules in emulsion systems according to thermodynamic relations. The techniques to investigation of mechanical properties of capsule shell and the release mechanisms of core material from PMMA capsules were also investigated. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48039.     

Chemical Stability of α‐Tocopherol in Colloidal Lipid Particles with Various Morphologies

Colloidal lipid particles (CLPs) are promising encapsulation systems for lipophilic bioactives, such as oil‐soluble antioxidants that are applied in food and pharmaceutical formulations. Currently, there is no clear consensus regarding the relation between particle structure and the chemical stability of such bioactives. Using α‐tocopherol as a model antioxidant, it is shown that emulsifier type (Tween 20 or 40, or sodium caseinate) and lipid composition (tripalmitin, tricaprylin, or combinations thereof) modulated particle morphology and antioxidant stability. The emulsifier affects particle shape, with the polysorbates facilitating tripalmitin crystallization into highly ordered lath‐like particles, and sodium caseinate resulting in less ordered spherical particles. The fastest degradation of α‐tocopherol is observed in tripalmitin‐based CLPs, which may be attributed to its expulsion to the particle surface induced by lipid crystallization. This effect is stronger in CLPs stabilized by Tween 40, which may act as a template for crystallization. This work not only shows how the architecture of CLPs can be controlled through the type of lipid and emulsifier used, but also gives evidence that lipid crystallization does not necessarily protect entrapped lipophilic bioactives, which is an important clue for encapsulation system design. Practical Applications: Interest in enriching food and pharmaceutical products with lipophilic bioactives such as antioxidants through encapsulation in lipid particles is growing rapidly. This research suggests that for efficient encapsulation, the particle architecture plays an important role; to tailor this, the contribution of both the lipid carrier and the emulsifier needs to be considered.     

Effect of vinyl acetate content on the photovoltaic-encapsulation performance of ethylene vinyl acetate under accelerated ultra-violet aging

The vinyl acetate (VA) content in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) can significantly affect its performance as an encapsulant in photovoltaic modules under field conditions. EVA films of varying VA content (18, 24, 33, and 40%) have been prepared using twin screw extruder with the necessary additives and subsequently cured at 150 °C. All the EVA films have been subjected to UV radiation at a wavelength of 340 nm for 1000 and 2000 h to simulate accelerated field aging. The effects of accelerated aging on the gel content, mechanical properties, transmittance, Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectra, thermal stability, degree of crystallinity, and yellowness have been studied. The observations made in this study of UV aging up to 2000 h suggests that the optimum range of VA content in EVA should be between 18 and 33% by weight. VA content beyond 40% degrades almost all properties needed for an encapsulate material after aging of only 2000 h. VA content of around 18% is the most stable under UV aging conditions but has a slightly lower value of transmittance for the unaged sample although the difference in transmittance between different specimens decreases with UV aging. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48268.     

Facile non-aqueous synthesis of high color rendering C@ZrSiO4 encapsulation pigment with carbon-containing precursors as in-situ carbon sources

A zircon encapsulated carbon black (C@ZrSiO₄) pigment with high color rendering was synthesized via facile non-aqueous acetic acid (NAA) assisted sol-gel method using carbon-containing precursors (zirconium n-propoxide and tetraethoxysilane) as in-situ carbon sources. The effects of the NAA amount and heat treatment temperature on the structure and properties of the synthesized encapsulation pigments were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, EDS, XPS and CIELAB colorimeter, respectively. The results showed that the C@ZrSiO₄ encapsulated pigments heating at 1000?°C for 2?h in N₂ atmosphere presented a dense and stable encapsulation structure as well as deep dark hue when the mole ratio of NAA and Zr (NAA/Zr) was 3:1, and the chromaticity values were L*?= 21.20, a*?= 0.56, b*?= ?0.09 and C_ab =?0.57, respectively, which were contributed to the high homogeneity at atomic level in ZrSiO₄ sol and the tight bonding between carbon black carbonized by carbon containing group and zircon matrix. In addition, the pigment exhibited excellent chemical stability, thermal stability and tinctorial strength when it was used in water, acid, alkali, organic solvents and ceramic glaze. Especially, these pigments improved the utilization of raw materials and avoided the use of heavy metals or transition metals as coloring agent, which was an environment-friendly black ceramic pigment.     

Protein Encapsulation Using Complex Coacervates: What Nature Has to Teach Us

Protein encapsulation is a growing area of interest, particularly in the fields of food science and medicine. The sequestration of protein cargoes is achieved using a variety of methods, each with benefits and drawbacks. One of the most significant challenges associated with protein encapsulation is achieving high loading while maintaining protein viability. This difficulty is exacerbated because many encapsulant systems require the use of organic solvents. By contrast, nature has optimized strategies to compartmentalize and protect proteins inside the cell—a purely aqueous environment. Although the mechanisms whereby aspects of the cytosol is able to stabilize proteins are unknown, the crowded nature of many newly discovered, liquid phase separated “membraneless organelles” that achieve protein compartmentalization suggests that the material environment surrounding the protein may be critical in determining stability. Here, encapsulation strategies based on liquid–liquid phase separation, and complex coacervation in particular, which has many of the key features of the cytoplasm as a material, are reviewed. The literature on protein encapsulation via coacervation is also reviewed and the parameters relevant to creating protein‐containing coacervate formulations are discussed. Additionally, potential opportunities associated with the creation of tailored materials to better facilitate protein encapsulation and stabilization are highlighted.     

Vitamin A fortification: Recent advances in encapsulation technologies

Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient whose deficiency is still a major health concern in many regions of the world. It plays an essential role in human growth and development, immunity, and vision, but may also help prevent several other chronic diseases. The total amount of vitamin A in the human diet often falls below the recommended dietary allowance of approximately 900–1000 $\mu$g/day for a healthy adult. Moreover, a significant proportion of vitamin A may be degraded during food processing, storage, and distribution, thereby reducing its bioactivity. Finally, the vitamin A in some foods has a relatively low bioavailability, which further reduces its efficacy. The World Health Organization has recommended fortification of foods and beverages as a safe and cost-effective means of addressing vitamin A deficiency. However, there are several factors that must be overcome before effective fortified foods can be developed, including the low solubility, chemical stability, and bioavailability of this oil-soluble vitamin. Consequently, strategies are required to evenly disperse the vitamin throughout food matrices, to inhibit its chemical degradation, to avoid any adverse interactions with any other food components, to ensure the food is palatable, and to increase its bioavailability. In this review article, we discuss the chemical, physical, and nutritional attributes of vitamin A, its main dietary sources, the factors contributing to its current deficiency, and various strategies to address these deficiencies, including diet diversification, biofortification, and food fortification.