Effect of oil unsaturation and wax composition on stability,properties and food applicability of oleogels

Oleogelation is emerging as one of the most exigent oil structuring technique. The main objective of this study was to formulate and characterize rice bran/sunflower wax-based oleogels using eight refined food grade oils such as sunflower oil, mustard oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, groundnut oil, rice bran oil, palm oil, and coconut oil. Stability and properties of these oleogels with respect to oil unsaturation and wax composition were explored. Sunflower wax exhibited excellent gelation ability even at 1%–1.5% (w/v) concentration compared to rice bran wax (8%–10% w/v). As the oleogelator concentration increased, peak melting temperature also increased with increase in strength of oleogels as per rheological studies. X-ray diffraction and morphological studies revealed that oleogel microstructure has major influence of wax composition only. Sunflower wax oleogels unveiled rapid crystal formation with maximum oil binding capacity of 99.46% in highly unsaturated sunflower oil with maximum polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Further, the applicability of this wax based oleogels as solid fat substitute in marketed butter products was also scrutinized. The lowest value of solid fat content (SFC) in oleogel was 0.20% at 25°C, resembling closely with the marketed butter products. With increase in oil unsaturation, oleogels displayed remarkable reduction in SFC. Depending upon prerequisite, oleogel properties can be modulated by tuning wax type and oil unsaturation. In conclusion, this wax-based oleogel can be used as solid fat substitute in food products with extensive applications in other fields too.     

Sunflower Oil–Beeswax Oleogels Are Promising Frying Medium for Potato Strips

Sunflower oil–beeswax oleogels at 3% (BWO-3) and 8% (BWO-8) organogelator concentration are prepared to evaluate oleogels as frying medium for potato strip frying against commercial sunflower oil (SO). Rheological and thermal analyses of oleogels prove that the samples are fully solid (20±3 °C) and totally liquid (180 °C), and thermoreversible. Fresh and used (after frying) fat analyses show that free fatty acidity (FFA), peroxide value (PV) and total polar materials (TPM) are enhanced in all samples at the 7th h, but the relative enhancement levels are lower in oleogel samples. Potato strips fried in oleogels absorb significantly less oil (11.97% and 12.07%) than the control sample (15.20%). Potatoes fried in oleogels are also more bright and yellower than the control sample. Textural profile of the fried potatoes indicates that the samples fried in oleogels are harder, springier, and gummier than that of the control sample. Sensory analysis shows that oleogel fried potatoes get higher sensory scores. Also, overall acceptability of potatoes fried in BWO-8 sample is the highest (8.50) among all. The prepared oleogels are found quite promising frying medium in this study. Further studies with other types of oleogels in extended period frying of various foods are suggested. Practical applications: The development of innovative frying techniques to produce healthier products with lower fat and calorie values are still a remarkable research area. Oleogelation is an emerging strategy used for solid-like oil designing and based on the formation of 3D networks by the addition of organogelators. Oleogelation is accepted as a healthy strategy to structure liquid oils into solid consistency, and oleogels have great edible applications in processed foods, and can be used as a frying medium. This work can guide the use of sunflower oil–beeswax oleogels as a frying medium and allow the development of more healthy fried snacks.     

Natural Gums as Oleogelators

The natural gums used as high molecular weight oleogelators are mainly polysaccharides that deliver a broad spectrum of possible utilization methods when structuring liquid fats to solid forms. The review discusses a natural gums’ structuring and gelling behavior to capture the oil droplets and form the water/oil gelling emulsions basing on their structural conformation, internal charge, and polymeric characteristics. The specific parameters and characteristics of natural gums based oleogels are also discussed. In the future, oleogels may eliminate saturated and trans fats from food products and allow the production of low-fat products, thus reducing the environmental damage caused by the excessive use of palm oil. The increasing knowledge of molecular interaction in polysaccharide chains of natural gums allows to apply more sustainable and wiser strategies towards product formulation. Innovative solutions for using oleogels based on natural polysaccharide biopolymers let incorporate them into the food matrix and replace fats completely or create blends containing the source of fats and the addition of the oleogel. The profound insight into molecular characteristics of natural gums in the function of being oleogelators is presented.     

Crude Wax Extracted from Rice Bran Oil Improves Oleogel Properties and Oxidative Stability

Crude wax extracted from rice bran oil (RBO) is used to improve the oleogel properties and oxidative stability of RBO. The effect of crude rice bran wax (CrBW) on the formation characteristics and oxidative stability of oleogels is discussed. The results show that oleogels can be formed with 7.0 wt% CrBW at 20 °C. As the concentration of CrBW increases from 7.0 to 11.0 wt%, the hardness and solid fat content (SFC) of the oleogels increase significantly, and the oleogels are primarily β' crystals. Moreover, oleogel crystals formed with 5 and 7 wt% CrBW are flocculent; when the amount included is 9%, the oleogel crystals are transformed into long dendrites, and the density rises. After 90 days of storage at 20 °C, the peroxide value of oleogels formed with 9.0 wt% CrBW slowly rises from 3.21 to 6.52 mmol kg⁻¹. Practical Applications: Oleogels prepared here by CrBW and RBO are an innovative structural lipid without trans fats. Useful information on the rich fats and nutrients in CrBW is provided, which reduces the production cost and improves the industrial production capacity.     

Preparation and Characterization of Virgin Olive Oil‐Beeswax Oleogel Emulsion Products

Virgin olive oil and beeswax were used to prepare four oleogel emulsions (EM1–EM4) through simultaneous oleogelation emulsification, and these oleogels were compared with breakfast margarine (BM). The melting temperatures of the oleogel emulsions ranged from 52.29 to 57.52 °C, while it was 40.36 °C for the BM sample. Similarly, the solid fat content (SFC) of the oleogel emulsions was between 3.57 and 3.68 % at 20 °C, and that of BM was 7.70 %. Except the EM3 sample, all oleogel emulsions exhibited mechanical stability. The firmness and stickiness values of the oleogel emulsion samples were lower than those of the BM sample, but they remained almost constant through 90 days of storage. Furthermore, the fine water droplets and needle‐like beeswax crystals within the continuous oil phase were stable during the storage. The X‐ray diffraction patterns of the samples revealed that the oleogel emulsions contain crystals similar to β′ polymorphs, characterized by a homogenous, smooth and fine texture. The presence of inter and intramolecular hydrogen bonds was proved by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT‐IR) measurements. The developed oleogel emulsions were found to be stable in terms of texture, color and oxidation during 90 days of storage. In conclusion, these oleogel emulsion products can be used as margarine/spread stocks.     

Composition, Physical Properties and Drying Characteristics of Seed Oil of Momordica charantia Cultivated in Sri Lanka

Karawila (Momordica charantia), also known as bitter gourd, is widely used as a food and a medicine in Asian countries. Representative samples of the seeds of the most abundant cultivar (MC43) in Sri Lanka were collected. The kernel represented 60 ± 4.7% of the seed by dry weight basis. The oil content of the dry kernel was 40.45 ± 3.12%. The seed oil was rich in α-eleosteric acid (50.04 ± 4.80%) and three other geometrical isomers of 9,11,13-octadecatrienoic acid that constituted 6.55%. The acid value, the saponification value and the iodine value were 2.73 ± 0.876, 190.70 ± 1.82 mg/g and 115.96 ± 3.46 cg/g, respectively. The set-to-touch drying time of 3 h observed for the seed oil of MC43 was significantly less than that of linseed oil (13 h). The presence of a high amount of conjugated octadecatrienoic acids, low acid value, high saponification value, moderate iodine value and the low set-to-touch drying time are promising indicators of the potential of karawila seed oil as a good drying oil for the paint and coating industry.     

Nanoliposome Powder Containing Shrimp Oil Increases Free Flowing Behavior and Storage Stability

Shrimp oil nanoliposomes dried by freeze‐drying and spray‐drying are characterized, in which carboxy methyl cellulose and fumed silica (SiO₂) at various proportions are used as wall material and anti‐caking agent. Spray‐dried powder (SDP) is spherical in shape with average particle size of 5.33 ± 2.55 µm, while the freeze‐dried powder (FDP) having average size of 240.8 ± 237.4 µm is irregular. SDP shows better flowability than FDP, which is more porous with much lower bulk density. Encapsulation efficiency (68.52 ± 1.85%) and solubility (85.22 ± 1.4) of SDP are greater than FDP (51.18 ± 3.81% and 71.25 ± 1.3, respectively) (p < 0.05). However, the wettability of FDP is higher with shorter reconstitution time. FDP exhibits lower oxidation of total encapsulated oil and better retention of n‐3 fatty acids (p < 0.05). Overall, both FDP and SDP are thermodynamically stable and the aforementioned powders have the prolonged storage time of six weeks. Practical Applications: Oil from shrimp cephalothorax, a byproduct from shrimp processing industries, is one of the rich sources of omega‐3 fatty acids and astaxanthin. Encapsulation of shrimp oil in nanoliposomes is a promising technology, which can be utilized to protect the oil against oxidation and mask the off‐odors. Shrimp oil nanoliposome powder prepared using spray‐drying and freeze‐drying processes and added with the anticaking agents offers numerous advantages such as good flowability, better solubility, and enhanced encapsulation efficiency in addition to the improved oxidative stability and no significant loss of bioactive PUFAs. The shrimp oil nanoliposome powder could be used in the fortification of number of food products, particularly beverages. Moreover, due to the powdered form, the shelf stability is increased, handling and transportation becomes easier, and the cost is significantly reduced.     

Superhydrophobic/superoleophilic micro/nanostructure nickel particles for oil/water mixture and emulsion separation

Nowadays, developing reusable and highly efficient materials for separating nano/micro-sized oil droplets from oil/water mixture and emulsion remains very challenging. Herein, hedgehog-like micro/nanostructure nickel particles were fabricated via a hydrothermal route. Thanks to its unique morphology, the octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS)-modified nickel particles show suitable superhydrophobicity/superoleophilicity properties with water contact angle, oil contact angle, and contact angle hysteresis values of 169.17° ± 2.13°, 0°, and 2.32°± 0.34°, respectively, making the potential sorbent for oil/water separation. The dense narrow thorns of superhydrophobic/superoleophilic nickel particles help the maximum scattering of particles on the surface and in the solutions. Hence, superhydrophobic/superoleophilic nickel particles demonstrated outstanding sorption capacity ranging from 3.86 to 5.27 (g/g) for a wide range of organic solvents and oils. Also, sorption capacities were retained even after 10 sorption cycles. Additionally, sorption capacities remain steady under acidic, alkaline, and high-saline conditions, indicating the high resistance in the harsh media. More importantly, ODTS-modified particles could also be used in oil/water emulsion separation with efficiencies of higher 99%. The appropriate resistance of hedgehog-like micro/nanostructure nickel particles to various environmental conditions as well as reusability and recyclability provides good opportunities for industrial applications of oil uptake from the oil/water mixture and emulsion.     

Krill Lecithin as Surfactant for Preparation of Oil/Water Nanoemulsions as Curcumin Carriers

Curcumin is a component in Curcuma longa L. with documented bioactive properties but has low bioavailability. To overcome this problem, curcumin nanoemulsions are prepared employing omega-3-rich phospholipids from krill oil as a surfactant and serve as curcumin carrying systems. The phospholipids are obtained through aqueous (LAD) and ethanolic (LED) degumming processes. The data obtained shows that LAD has a recovery of 70.7 ± 0.51% (w/w) phospholipids, being more efficient than LED with 45.97 ± 1.27% (w/w). Also, a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids is found in LAD with 36 ± 2.14% (w/w). From the critical micellar concentration (CMC) as an assessment of emulsifying capability, it is found that the krill oil (KO), LAD, and LED has a CMC in the range 0.666–0.700 g L⁻¹. Two formulations with different surfactant levels are developed: experiment A with 9.5% and experiment B with 4.75% (w/w) of krill lecithin are obtained by aqueous degumming. In the formulation of nanoemulsions average particle sizes of 139 ± 2.5 and 142 ± 5.3 nm are produced for experiments A and B, respectively. These results indicate that krill lecithin is an omega-3 rich good surfactant which can be employed to encapsulate curcumin. Practical applications: An interest has emerged in the food industry to develop surfactants with nutritional value. Phospholipids are natural emulsifiers that are widely used to form nanoemulsions because of their elevated interfacial activity. Krill oil has been reported to be an important source of phospholipids and omega-3 fatty acids, which are mainly esterified to phospholipid moieties. Because of these properties, krill oil phospholipids could form micelles and function as carrier systems for bioactive compounds, thus increasing their permeability in the intestine. Consequently, the present work focused on obtaining a nanostructure using a natural surfactant that possesses fatty acids with nutritional value such as omega-3 fatty acids. This will provide an added value to the product obtained, as well as improve the bioavailability of non-polar bioactive compounds. The results obtained could justify the use of krill oil as a useful functional food additive.     

Characterization of Fatty Oil of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zizyphi spinosi semen</Emphasis> Obtained by Supercritical Fluid Extraction

Zizyphi spinosi semen (ZSS) has been widely used for treatment of insomnia in oriental countries. The aim of this study is to characterize the fatty oil of ZSS obtained by supercritical fluid extraction in terms of chemical composition and physicochemical properties. The chemical composition, including fatty acids and unsaponifiable constituents, was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometer (GC–MS). The results revealed that 9-octadecenoic acid (43.38 ± 0.03%) and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (40.58 ± 0.03%) were the main fatty acids, and β-sitosterol (37.39 ± 0.02%) and squalene (30.79 ± 0.01%) were the key unsaponifiables. Furthermore, four indexes were assayed according to Chinese Pharmacopeia (2005) to reflect the physicochemical properties of ZSS oil, their values being determined as follows: acid value (10.3 ± 0.1 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (0.05 ± 0.01 g/100 g), saponification value (194.4 ± 0.5 mg KOH/g) and iodine value (109.7 ± 0.8 g I/100 g). The basic information obtained provides data support for quality evaluation and efficacy research of ZSS oil, and suggests its prospects for development in pharmaceutical and food industries.     

Polyisoprene modified poly(alkyl acrylate) foam as oil sorbent material

Biorenewable polyisoprene latex obtained from natural rubber, Hevea brasiliensis, was used to prepare the reusable polyisoprene–poly(alkyl acrylate) foam for petroleum‐based liquid absorption. The foam was produced via latex vulcanization and cured by steaming. The effect of various types of poly(alkyl acrylate) such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA), and poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) on oil sorption capacity of the foam were studied. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed interconnected open‐cell macrostructure with the foam porosity greater than 75% and good compression set. The oil sorption capacity of the foam was in the range of 2.0–16.6 g g^?1. The addition of poly(alkyl acrylate) enhanced hydrophobicity and oil sorption capacity of the foam. The absorbed oil was easily recovered by squeezing and the foam can be reused up to 30 sorption–desorption cycles and still preserve high quality sorption. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42688.     

A storage study of encapsulated gac (Momordica cochinchinensis) oil powder and its fortification into foods

This study investigated the effects of different storage conditions, temperatures of −20, 10, room temperature (RT), 40 and 63 °C for up to 12 months in the presence or absence of air and light, on the stability of an encapsulated gac (Momordica cochinchinensis) oil powder. A stability trial of the encapsulated oil powder incorporated into yoghurt, pasteurised milk and cake mix stored at 4 ± 0.5 °C and RT for different storage times was also carried out. The results showed that a progressive degradation of colour, β-carotene and lycopene, and a progressive increase in surface oil content and peroxide value (PV) occurred in the encapsulated powders with increasing storage temperatures and storage times. However, the degradation was much less when the encapsulated powder was stored at low temperature in the absence of air and light. The degradation of β-carotene and lycopene in all samples during storage fitted a first-order reaction. The sorption curves of the encapsulated powders at 10, 30 and 40 °C were fitted with BET and GAB models. The results also showed that the encapsulated gac oil powder could be successfully incorporated into food products in terms of retention of colour, β-carotene and lycopene, and low PV.     

Characterization of the Composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Caesalpinia bonducella</Emphasis> Seed Grown in Temperate Regions of Pakistan

Caesalpinia bonducella is an oilseed that is indigenous to Pakistan. The hexane-extracted oil content from the seed kernel was 17.3 ± 1.0% DM (dry matter). The proximate analysis of C. bonducella seed estimated protein, fiber and ash contents to be 20.8 ± 1.4, 5.3 ± 1.0 and 4.6 ± 0.8%, respectively. Trace metals were determined comparable to commonly consumed legume seeds. α-Tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol ranging from 345.10 to 460.21 mg/kg of oil, followed by γ- and δ-tocopherol. The major sterols were β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, Δ5-avenasterol, Δ7-stigmastenol and Δ7 avenasterol. The kernel oil was found to contain a high level of linoleic acid (72.7 ± 1.0%) followed by oleic, stearic and palmitic acids. The high percentage of linoleic acid revealed that this oil is a potential source for the manufacture of cosmetics, paints, varnishes, soaps, liquid soaps and other products including biodiesel. These investigations suggest that C. bonducella oil is potentially an important dietary source of essential fatty acids and protein which could be employed for edible and commercial applications in various industries of Pakistan.     

Active packaging gelatin films based on chitosan/Arabic gum/coconut oil Pickering nano emulsions

This investigation intended at fabricating gelatin active packaging films based on nano-sized droplets of coconut oil emulsified by Pickering emulsion (PE) using chitosan/Arabic gum (CH/AG) nanoparticles (NPs) as a stabilizer and in the presence of titanium dioxide NP (TiO₂ NPs) as an extra antimicrobial agent. The developed films were characterized by attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transmittance infrared, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, water vapor sorption isotherm, and mechanical properties of the prepared films were assessed. The (CH/AG) NPs weight ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 2:1) impact on particle size (PS), zeta potential, wettability, morphology, and in vitro cumulative release was investigated. The (CH/AG) NPs (1:2) exhibits the small PS (246.4 nm). (CH/AG) NPs and PE exhibit spherical and oval morphologies. The CH/AG (1:2) exhibits the higher water contact angle (85.7^o). At the oil volume fraction (α) = 1.0, nearly 81% of the entrapped oil released from the NPs. Gelatin films enriched with P at α = 1.0 exhibits two-fold increasing scavenging activity % (35.69 ± 0.56) compared with control film (14.8 ± 0.25). The films have a considerable antibacterial and antifungal activity for all test microorganism. However, control sample did not show antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans.     

Preparation and characterization of biocompatible spongy cryogels of poly(vinyl alcohol)–gelatin and study of water sorption behaviour

Porous biocompatible spongy hydrogels of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–gelatin were prepared by the freezing–thawing method and characterized by infrared and differential scanning calorimetry. The prepared so‐called ‘cryogels’ were evaluated for their water‐uptake potential and the influence of various factors, such as the chemical architecture of the spongy hydrogels, pH and the temperature of the swelling bath, on the degree of water sorption by the cryogels was investigated. It was found that the water sorption capacity constantly decreased with increasing concentration of PVA while initially an increase and thereafter a decrease in swelling was obtained with increasing amounts of gelatin in the cryogel. The water sorption capacity decreased with an increase in the number of freeze–thaw cycles. The hydrogels were also swollen in salt solutions and various simulated biological fluids and a fall in swelling ratio was noticed. The effect of the drying temperature of the cryogel on its water sorption capacity was also investigated, and a decrease in swelling was obtained with increasing temperature of drying. The biocompatibility of the prepared materials was assessed by in vitro methods of blood‐clot formation, platelet adhesion, and per cent haemolysis. It was noticed that with increasing concentration of PVA and gelatin the biocompatibility increased, while a reduced biocompatibility was noted with an increasing number of freeze–thaw cycles. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chemical Characteristics and Fatty Acid Profile of Foxtail Millet Bran Oil

Chemical characteristics of a sample of foxtail millet bran and its oil, focusing on the approximate composition of foxtail millet bran and the fatty acid profile, physicochemical properties and tocopherol composition of foxtail millet bran oil, are presented in this work. The results indicate that the millet bran constituted 9.39 ± 0.17% crude oil, 12.48 ± 0.41% crude protein, and 51.69 ± 2.14% crude fiber. The specific gravity, refractive index, saponification value, and unsaponifiable matter content of millet bran oil were 0.9185 ± 0.0003 g/cm³ ( d₂₀²⁰ ) \left( {d_{20}^{20} } \right) , 1.4676 ± 0.0002 ( n_D⁴⁰ ) \left( {n_{D}^{40} } \right) , 186.29 ± 0.51 mg KOH/g, and 3.62 ± 0.19 g/100 g, respectively. The tocopherol content was 64.83 ± 0.83 mg/100 g oil, which consisted mainly of γ-tocopherol (48.79 ± 0.46 mg/100 g oil) and α-tocopherol (15.53 ± 0.31 mg/100 g oil). The millet bran oil was rich in linoleic acid (66.5%) and oleic acid (13.0%). The saturated fatty acids included palmitic acid (6.4%) and stearic acid (6.3%). The major fatty acid in the sn-2 position of the millet oil was linoleic acid (71.2%). The dominant triacylglycerols, calculated according to the 1,3-random-2-random hypothesis, were trilinoleate (LLL, 29.3%) and dilinoleoyl-monoolein (LLO, 17.2%). This work might be useful for developing applications for millet bran and its oil.     

Microfibrillated cellulose reinforced poly(vinyl imidazole) cryogels for continuous removal of heavy metals

Interconnected macro-porous cryogels with robust mechanical structure and high adsorption capacity are desirable for the wastewater clean-up. However, some functional alkenyl-based monomer such as vinyl imidazole (VIM) could not be individually polymerized to form the cryogel with a robust structure for applications. Herein, a strategy has been developed to fabricate the poly(VIM) cryogel using microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) as reinforcing agent. Structural characterizations indicated that the poly(VIM)/MFC showed interconnected macropores of 12 ± 10 μm and high VIM contents. Underwater compression experiments displayed that the hysteresis loops changed slightly and the energy loss coefficients were less than 23% during loading-unloading 200 cycles, highlighting the excellent shape recovery and fatigue resistance. Batch adsorption indicated that the adsorption capacities of the poly(VIM)/MFC cryogel to Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Ni(II), and Co(II) were 87.4, 53.9, 48.6, 44.3, 23.8, and 20.1 mg/g, respectively. The pseudo second-order kinetic and Langmuir model can fit the adsorption process well, confirming the single-layer homogeneous chemisorption. Dynamic adsorption displayed that the loaded Cu(II) ions could be rapidly adsorbed and hardly flow through the poly(VIM)/MFC cryogel, indicating the extremely fast adsorption at the flow mode. This study shows a novel strategy to fabricate the robust cryogel for environmental remediation.     

Comprehensive Identification of Principal Lipid Classes and Tocochromanols in Silkworm (Antheraea pernyi and Bombyx mori) Pupae Oils

A comprehensive identification of lipid compositions and tocochromanols in Antheraea pernyi (A. pernyi) and Bombyx mori (B. mori) pupae oil is reported in the present study. Fatty acid profiling shows that both oils contain high levels (79.67% vs 71.11%) of unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Moreover, linolenic acid is preferentially enriched at the sn‐2 positions of triacylglycerols (TAGs). Liquid chromatograph‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) analysis demonstrates that POO (TAG with one palmitoyl and two oleoyls) is the primary TAG form with percentages of 20.18% in A. pernyi and 15.00% in B. mori. The dominating phospholipid species are phosphatidylcholine (PC, 30.40% vs 54.61%) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE, 34.82% vs 20.39%). Four sterol constituents with total contents of 382.56 ± 3.12 and 371.65 ± 2.98 µg g^?1 are identified and analyzed quantitatively. Additionally, the levels of tocochromanols (20.15 ± 0.89 vs 17.15 ± 0.71 mg g^?1) are quantified in both silkworm pupae oils. Overall, silkworm oil acts as an enriched source of functional lipids and tocochromanols. Practical Applications: A systematic investigation on the principal lipid classes and tocochromanols of Antheraea pernyi pupae and Bombyx mori pupae oil is reported in this study. The informative data provide supporting evidence for comprehensive utilization of silkworm oil for production of nutritional and healthy products.     

Doping polyvinyl alcohol can improve the injectability of biological ceramics in 3D printing and influence the adhesion of cells to the scaffolds after sintering

β tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) is a common biological ceramic in bone tissue engineering due to its excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, owing to its inherent properties of poor injectability and forming ability, the application of TCP in extrusion 3D printing is quite limited. To solve this problem, we innovatively printed gelatin and PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol) binary systems by taking advantage of the ability of gelatin to solidify rapidly at low temperatures and the ability of PVA to effectively improve phase separation during extrusion. Here, we fabricated a series of novel Gel-PVA-TCP scaffolds by incorporating different concentrations of PVA (5%, 10%, 15%) through 3D printing. Collectively, the addition of PVA made differences in three ways. First, compared to the PVA-free system, the novel printing system significantly improved the printability of TCP paste. The printing temperature was decreased to 35–45 °C by doping different concentrations of PVA. Next, the novel printing system maintained the excellent forming ability and printing precision of the scaffolds. Compared to the macropores of scaffolds without doping PVA (456.1 ± 11.2 μm), the macropores of Gel-PVA-TCP were 486.1 ± 26.5, 446.1 ± 15.2, and 443.7 ± 26.3 μm. Last, after sintering, the scaffolds with different concentrations of PVA exhibited similar compressive strength (3.82 ± 0.22, 3.34 ± 0.23, 3.74 ± 0.38, 3.47 ± 0.48 Mpa) and distinct micropores (4.44 ± 0.7, 1.54 ± 0.3, 2.59 ± 0.6, 3.59 ± 1.0 μm) on the surfaces of the scaffolds. Moreover, it was found that differences in the microstructure significantly facilitate the adhesion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to scaffolds. Hence, the methods we provided hold a great promise for application in 3D printing techniques.     

Screening of factors influencing the extraction of gelatin from the skin of cuttlefish using supersaturated design

Supersaturated design (SSD) was used for screening the key parameters influencing gelatin extraction yield from cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) skin. Results indicated that among a list of 17 factors only five parameters, namely, alkali (NaOH) concentration, acid reagent (acetic acid), enzyme, thermal treatment temperature and centrifugation time, were factors influencing gelatin yield. The optimal conditions for gelatin extraction were found to be: pretreatment with NaOH 0.03 M for 1 h; treatment with pepsin for 24 h at 4 °C in acetic acid 100 mM; extraction for 14 h at 40 °C. The yield of gelatin extraction was 54.6%. Cuttlefish skin gelatin (CSG) contained protein as the major compound (90.95%) and low fat (0.3%) and ash (0.05%) contents. The physico-chemical properties of the CSG were characterized and compared with those of bovine gelatin (BG). The result of textural properties showed that hardness, elasticity and cohesiveness of CSG were lower than those of BG. Further, the gel strength of CSG (192.01 g) was lower than that of BG (259.65 g), possibly due to lower imino-acid content. The functional properties, including emulsion activity index and foam stability were similar to those of BG. The CSG showed stronger ability of apple juice clarification, than BG without affecting its nutritional values.