A Novel Functional Wrapping Design by Complexation of ε-Polylysine with Liposomes Entrapping Bioactive Peptides

An innovative edible wrapping with potential use for designing functional foods with antimicrobial capacity was developed by complexation of ε-polylysine with peptide-loaded liposomes. Unmarketable long-term frozen cooked shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) muscle was used as a source of both bioactive peptides and complex liposomal suspension carrier, producing a sustainable value-added protein wrapping material with desirable sensory properties. A <10-kDa peptide fraction (SH) with antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory capacity was encapsulated in partially purified phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes (LSH) with an entrapment efficiency of 85 %. The average size and zeta potential of LSH were 164?±?2 nm and –37.0?±?1.7 mV, respectively. The LSH surface changed from electronegative to electropositive upon adsorption of ε-polylysine (PL) with an optimal concentration of 0.5 %. The average diameter and zeta potential of the resulting complex ε-polylysine-adsorbed liposomes containing the peptide hydrolysate (PL-LSH) were 216?±?5 nm and +51.1?±?1.1 mV, respectively. The ε-PL proved to be effective as liposome stabilizing and antimicrobial agent. The PL-LSH suspension was incorporated in the formulation of the protein wrapping to provide it with both bioactive and antimicrobial properties. The wrapping showed low water solubility (≈30 %) and low mechanical resistance (tensile strength?=?0.23?±?0.06 MPa; elongation at break?=?0.91?±?0.19 %) properties that allowed it to be very versatile for varied food design and was effective against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia enterocolitica.     

α-生育酚壳聚糖纳米粒的制备、表征及体外缓释抗氧化性能

α-生育酚作为天然抗氧化剂和营养强化剂被广泛应用于食品领域,但由于其对氧气、光照、金属离子等环境敏感,易快速失活,且不溶于水,极大地限制了其应用范围。本研究采用乳化-离子凝胶两步法制备α-生育酚壳聚糖纳米粒,将α-生育酚进行包埋。以颗粒平均粒径、多分散系数、表面电位为参考指标,通过单因素及正交试验考察壳聚糖(chitosan,CS)质量浓度、α-生育酚质量浓度、CS与三聚磷酸钠(sodium tripolyphosphate,TPP)质量比、p H值、搅拌速率等因素对纳米颗粒平均粒径和包封率的影响,确定最优制备工艺。采用动态光散射仪、扫描电镜、傅里叶红外光谱对纳米颗粒进一步表征,并考察其体外释放性能和抗氧化效果,以期为α-生育酚在腌腊肉制品后期贮藏过中的脂质抗氧化应用提供理论基础。结果表明,α-生育酚壳聚糖纳米粒最优制备工艺条件为CS质量浓度1 mg/mL、α-生育酚质量浓度1 mg/mL、CS与TPP质量比7∶1、CS初始p H值为4.5、搅拌速率900 r/min。所得纳米颗粒平均粒径214 nm,包封率51.65%。红外光谱表明CS与三聚磷酸钠静电吸附,生育酚被包封。扫描电镜下形态学结构大小均匀,呈规则球形。体外释放实验和抗氧化实验表明α-生育酚壳聚糖纳米粒具有缓释抗氧化作用。     

Construction of a Biocompatible and Antioxidant Multilayer Coating by Layer-by-Layer Assembly of κ-Carrageenan and Quercetin Nanoparticles

The present work aimed at the construction and characterization of a multilayer coating based on κ-carrageenan and quercetin-loaded lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles (Np) by the layer-by-layer technique and the evaluation of its antioxidant capacity and potential cytotoxicity in vitro. The multilayered coating was successfully self-assembled, as confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, contact angle, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Multilayered coatings showed to have antioxidant capacity, with a DPPH? radical scavenging activity of 31.32?±?3.13% and a result of the FRAP assay of 799.41?±?95.39 μM of ferrous ion (Fe²⁺) equivalent. These coatings were also shown to be devoid of cell toxicity, as evaluated by determination of nitric oxide production and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test. The alveolar macrophages culture was tested in the presence of the κ-carrageenan/quercetin-Np multilayer coating and showed a cell viability of 91.3?±?9.6%. These results suggest that this multilayered coating is adequate for surfaces modification in view of biomedical and food industry applications.     

Impact of Wall Materials on Physicochemical Properties of Microencapsulated Fish Oil by Spray Drying

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of wall materials composition on physicochemical characteristics of fish oil microcapsules produced by spray drying (180 °C). Four different combination of coating materials (fish gelatin, chitosan, combination of gelatin and chitosan, and a mixture of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) with maltodextrin) were applied to two different fish oils to produce 40 % solid emulsions. Scanning electron microscopy and extraction of surface and encapsulated oils revealed that fish gelatin provided the highest preserving effect on the covering fish oil. Meantime, addition of MTGase to gelatin could also increase this ability and reveled less surface oil than chitosan treatment (2.63 and 2.80 % versus 4.66 and 5.23 %, respectively; P?<?0.05). Mixture of gelatin and maltodextrin with MTGase as wall material led to the highest encapsulation efficiency, being selected as the best microencapsulation condition; meantime, application of chitosan with maltodextrin provided the worse encapsulation efficiency (P?<?0.05). All indices of powders (encapsulation efficiency, surface morphology, and particle size) showed that powders prepared from gelatin and gelatin with MTGase increased the encapsulation efficiency and would increase the stability of microcapsule powders.     

两种凝聚法橙油纳米胶囊的性质比较

探讨复凝聚法(complex coacervation,CC)和单凝聚法(simple coacervation,SC)制备的纳米胶囊(nanocapsule,Nano)的差异,本文以橙油为芯材,采用CC和SC两种凝聚法分别以明胶、海藻酸钠和壳聚糖为壁材对其包埋制备纳米胶囊,并通过包埋率、粒径分布、缓释性能、红外特征、热重稳定性(TGA)及乳液稳定性等对两种纳米胶囊进行了表征和比较。结果表明,两种橙油纳米胶囊的平均粒径均服从正态分布,大小比较均匀。SC-Nano粒径分布窄,平均粒径更小(76.51±8.04)nm,CC-Nano包埋率(82.97±1.49)%和得率(82.31±0.67)%更高。场发射电镜(FESEM)显示纳米胶囊形貌独立且均匀,表面光滑。FT-IR结果证实橙油成功被包埋。缓释性能、TGA和乳化性能分析表明两种纳米胶囊均具有良好的缓释性、热稳定性和乳化稳定性,且SC-Nano耐热性和乳化活性更强。因此,两种凝聚法制备的橙油纳米胶囊可依据其特性应用在不同食品。     

Characteristics of cricket (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gryllus bimaculatus</Emphasis>) chitosan and chitosan-based nanoparticles

The field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) is commonly consumed as food in different parts of the world. This study was performed to characterize the chitosan extracted from crickets and to assess its potential use to the growing functional market. The degree of deacetylation (DA), Fourier-transform infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction patterns, molecular mass, scanning electron microscopy spectra, and color were measured. Cricket chitosan nanoparticles were prepared, and the optimal conditions were identified. The molecular mass of the cricket chitosan was lower than that of commercial chitosan; however, the DA, FTIR, and XRD spectra were similar. The particle size (208.27 ± 3.47 nm), zeta potential (35.72 ± 1.29 mV), and polydispersity index (PDI: 0.27 ± 0.03) of the cricket chitosan NPs were superior to the commercial. Addition of NaCl reduced the cricket chitosan NPs size up to 15.5%. This finding is a novel trial to prove the availability of the insect chitosan with a low molecular mass as an active carrier source.     

Effect of nanoliposomal entrapment on antioxidative hydrolysates from goose blood protein

In this study, the encapsulation of goose blood hydrolysate (GBH) was performed within nanoliposomes. We investigated the physicochemical properties, stability, antioxidant indices, the morphology of nanoparticles, the digestion stability in simulated gastrointestinal fluid, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. GBH was successfully encapsulated into nanoliposomes using reverse-phase evaporation method. The entrapment efficiency of GBH-loaded nanoliposomes was about 70.99 ± 2.85%, the average particle size was 93.3 ± 2.45 nm, the zeta-potential of GBH-loaded nanoliposomes was −30 mV, and the morphology of GBH-loaded nanoliposomes was characterized by transmission electron microscope. Moreover, the results of DSC and FTIR showed that the GBH nanoliposome was more stable than the empty liposomes due to hydrogen bond complexation between liposome and GBH. The release of GBH from nanoliposomes could be significantly controlled, and the release ratios were 48.9 ± 2.96% in simulated gastric fluid and 59.9 ± 5.30% in simulated intestinal fluid, respectively, proving that degradation rate of antioxidant activities of GBH encapsulated in nanoliposomes was decreased. In conclusion, nanoliposomes embedding is a promising and effective way to increase the stability of hydrolysates from GBH and produce various types of functional food.     

人参皂苷Rh2-壳聚糖纳米粒子制备及对A549细胞的抑制作用

人参皂苷Rh2是一种具有抑制肿瘤生长功效的生物活性物质。本实验采用离子交联的方法制备壳聚糖纳米粒子包载人参皂苷Rh2,以解决Rh2的水溶性差、生物相容度低的问题。以纳米粒子的粒径、Zeta-电位为评价指标,对制备条件（m（壳聚糖）∶m（三聚磷酸钠）、壳聚糖分子质量以及Rh2投药量）进行探究,筛选纳米粒子最佳成球条件;通过透射电子显微镜、原子力显微镜对纳米粒子形态进行观察,采用X射线衍射考察晶型变化;最后通过体外实验探究载药纳米粒子对人非小细胞肺癌A549细胞增殖的影响以及细胞对其的摄取行为。结果表明,最优条件（m（壳聚糖）∶m（Rh2）∶m（三聚磷酸钠）为8∶1.5∶2、壳聚糖分子质量为50 kDa）下制备得到的载药纳米粒子粒径和Zeta-电位分别为（222.70±17.34）nm和（46.50±2.57）mV,载药量和包封率分别为7.89%和49.54%,载药纳米粒子分布均一、性能稳定,适用于药物递送。细胞实验结果显示载药纳米粒子能够被A549细胞摄取,较游离药物抑制A549细胞的增殖作用增强。研究表明离子交联法制备而成的壳聚糖纳米粒子是一种具有应用前景的Rh2递送载体。     

Double Layer Coatings: A New Technique for Maintaining Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Antioxidant Properties of Dragon Fruit During Storage

A double layer coating was evaluated for maintenance of quality of dragon fruit during storage at 10?±?2 °C and 80?±?5 % RH for 28 days. Significant differences (p?<?0.05) were observed between control and the treated fruit. However, a double layer coating with 600 nm droplet size?+?1.0 % conventional chitosan showed promising results in all the tested parameters, while the fruit treated with 1,000 nm droplet size?+?1.0 % conventional chitosan showed some negative effects on fruit surface. Increase in weight loss was 12.0 % in fruit treated with 600 nm droplet size and 1.0 % conventional chitosan as compared to the control. Antioxidants and gaseous analysis also proved the efficacy of double layer coatings with 600 nm droplet size?+?1.0 % conventional chitosan. Thus it can be concluded from the present investigation that double layer coating could be used for maintaining quality in dragon fruit for up to 28 days without any off-flavours.     

Shelf life and delivery enhancement of vitamin C using chitosan nanoparticles

Chitosan with different molecular masses was reacted with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) to prepare different size nanoparticles, in which vitamin C was encapsulated. The effect of molecular weight (Mw) on nanoparticles efficiency, nanoparticles yield, size, and zeta potential was investigated in detail. Low Mw chitosan generated nanoparticles with better size, morphology, and delivery rate. In addition, the shelf life of encapsulated vitamin C increased as compared with its non-encapsulated counterpart. The release of vitamin C from the nanoparticles was pH-dependent. Quick release took place in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 7.4), while the release was slow in 0.1 M HCl. In addition, in vivo release rate in digestive tract of rainbow trout nearly showed the same trend as the in vitro one.     

Amperometric Determination of Quercetin in Some Foods by Magnetic Core/Shell Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@ZnO Nanoparticles Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

In this paper, Fe₃O₄@ZnO core/shell magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been synthesized by a simple method, to modify carbon paste/glassy carbon electrode and improve its efficiency for determination of quercetin. The synthesized MNPs were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electronic microscope (TEM), and scanning electronic microscope (SEM). SEM and TEM results show that the prepared Fe₃O₄@ZnO MNPs are made of the spherical shape particles with an average size of about 15 nm. The electrochemical behavior of quercetin at the surface of modified electrode was investigated. Under the optimal conditions, a linearity range of quercetin was 7.9?×?10^?7 to 6.1?×?10^?5 mol/L (0.24–18.44 mg/L) with detection limit (S/N?=?3) and sensitivity of 0.16 μmol/L (0.048 mg/L) and 0.04 μA/μM, respectively. The validated method was applied successfully for determination of quercetin in some foods and human breast milk.     

Effects of Wall Materials and Operating Parameters on Physicochemical Properties,Process Efficiency,and Total Carotenoid Content of Microencapsulated Banana Passionfruit Pulp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima</Emphasis>) by Spray-Drying

Banana passionfruit is an edible fruit widespread in the Andean highlands of Colombia and Ecuador, which has a high content of carotenoids. The microencapsulation process is used to improve the stability of this bioactive compound. The encapsulation agents, core/wall material ratio, and operational parameters influence the efficiency of the process. In this study, Maltodextrin (MD) and Gum Arabic (GA) were used as wall materials to assess the influence of inlet temperature and different MD:GA and core/encapsulating material (Core:EM) ratios on moisture, water activity, color, particle size, process yield (PY), encapsulation efficiency (EE), and total carotenoid content (TCC) of microencapsulated banana passionfruit pulp (MBP) by spray-drying. The lowest moisture (1.12?±?0.01%) of MBP was at a temperature of 150 °C; the water activity (Aw) for all samples was less than 0.4, and the Hue angle indicated a coloration between orange and yellow. The increase in temperature produced an increase in the particle size. However, the MBP showed a uniform particle diameter (1.25?±?0.21 μm). The treatment T2A1B2 (T?=?150 °C, Core:EM?=?1:1, MD:GA?=?4:6) showed the highest EE (50.79?±?0.29%) and the best PY (60.84?±?0.07%). The stability of MBP was carried out at temperatures of 4, 20, and 40 °C. The predicted shelf life can be up to 215 days on storage at 4 °C. The encapsulation improved the stability of TCC in banana passionfruit pulp. Therefore, the MBP can be considered as a potential ingredient for use in functional beverages.     

Nanoencapsulation Approach to Improve Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity of Thyme Essential Oil in Beef Burgers During Refrigerated Storage

In this study, thyme essential oil (TEO) loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NP-TEO) are prepared by a two-step process including oil/water emulsion and ionic gelation. Five batches of burgers were prepared by following formulation: control (without any TEO), F-0.05-TEO (0.05 % of free TEO), F-0.1-TEO (0.1 % of free TEO), E-0.05-TEO (0.05 % of encapsulated TEO), E-0.1-TEO (0.1 % of encapsulated TEO), and AA-0.05 (0.05 % of ascorbic acid). All samples treated with TEO significantly reduced the population of investigated microbial counts (P?<?0.05) compared to the control during 8 days of storage. At the end of storage, E-0.05-TEO and E-0.1-TEO, presented, respectively, 2.2 and 3 log cycles reduction of Enterobacteriaceae, along with 3.1 and 3.7 log cycles reduction of Staphylococcus aureus. Oxymyoglobin content and redness values reduced with the increase of storage time for all samples. However, AA-0.05 and E-0.1-TEO samples were more efficient at inhibiting discoloration in comparison with E-0.05-TEO and burgers treated with free TEO after 6th day of storage. A significant improvement (P?<?0.05) in the reduction of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) amount was found for all TEO treated burgers in comparison to control samples after 8 days chilled storage. According to the results of sensory analyses, F-0.1-TEO and AA-0.05 samples at 4 days and F-0.05-TEO sample at 8 days of storage were rejected by assessors and considered as an unacceptable case. On the basis of our results, the encapsulation of TEO in chitosan nanoparticles may be a promising technology for the control of undesirable microbial, chemical, and sensorial changes in meat products.     

The Production,Characterization, and the Stability of Carotenoids Loaded in Lipid-Core Nanocapsules

The use of carotenoids in foods is limited due to their poor solubility in water-rich matrices, and the nanoencapsulation emerges as an alternative to allowing the solubilization and to protect the carotenoids against degradation. The aims of this study were to produce, by the interfacial deposition of the preformed polymer, to characterize, and evaluate the stability of nanocapsules obtained from a blend of β-carotene, α-carotene, and lutein (BALNs) and nanocapsules of synthetic β-carotene (BNs). The encapsulation efficiency, transmission electron microscopy, and the logarithm of the distribution of the coefficient of the BALNs and BNs, with 26 μg/mL of carotenoids, were performed after preparation. During 100 days of storage (4 °C) for the BALNs and BNs, the carotenoids retention, hydrogen potential, color, particle diameter, and the zeta potential were analyzed. The z-average and zeta potential after 100 days of storage for the BALNs and BNs were, respectively, 166.53?±?4.71 nm/?18.37?±?2.06 mV and 190.90?±?7.87 nm/?9.08?±?1.23 mV. At the end of storage, the β-carotene content was 67.62?±?7.77 % (BALNs) and 11.69?±?1.65 % (BNs). The β-carotene retention in the BALNs was higher than in the BNs probably due to the synergism that occurs among the compounds. Regardless of the decrease in the pH values and the b* coordinate, the formulations of the BALNs and BNs were considered physically stable during the storage. Nevertheless, beyond the physical stability, the BALNs presented a satisfactory carotenoid retention at end of storage.     

Fatty acids,tocopherols, phenolic and antioxidant properties of six citrus fruit species: a comparative study

Citrus fruit is a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals. Information on the fatty acid and tocopherol composition of locally grown citrus fruits in Korea is elusive. This work was aimed to study fatty acid, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, antioxidant potential, and selected phenolics from peel and pulp of six citrus species. The most dominant fatty acid was linoleic acid (15–45%), followed by linolenic, palmitic, and oleic acid. Stearic acid was highly abundant in yuzu peel (14.45%) and pulp (15.88%) compared to the other fruits. Unsaturated fatty acids (54–74%) contributed higher composition than saturated fatty acids (25–46%). Peel exhibited better antioxidant potential and contained higher phytochemicals than pulp. The concentrations of α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol were ranged from 22.96 (yuzu) to 86.93 (cheonhyeyang) and 38.59 (yuzu) ~83.03 (tangerine) μg/g DW, respectively. J-Redhyeyang peel exhibited highest total flavonoids (4.17?±?0.10 mgQE/g DW) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (6.17?±?0.03 mgTE/g DW). FRAP values were highest (20.05?±?0.64 mgTE/g DW) in yuzu peel, while peel of cheonhyeyang was superior in total phenolic contents. Tangerine (3.02?±?0.05 mg/g DW) and yuzu (7.49?±?0.38 mg/g DW) had higher hesperidin concentrations in pulp and peel, respectively. Naringin was found in an appreciable amount in yuzu pulp (2.04?±?0.09 mg/g DW) and peel (6.30?±?0.19 mg/g DW) but not detected in all other fruit species. Our results indicate that citrus fruit peel is the rich source of antioxidant compounds, which can be used to prepare antioxidant rich food product.     

Novel hesperetin loaded nanocarriers for food fortification: Production and characterization

The objective of this research was to encapsulate hesperetin as a natural antioxidant in order to enhance its functionality for food fortification. Hesperetin loaded nanostructure lipid carriers (NLC) were coated with different biopolymers (chitosan, alginate, and low methoxypectin) and some features of the developed nanocarriers, including size, zeta potential, morphology, release kinetics, stability, thermal behaviour, chemical structure, and sensory properties were studied. The developed nano size carries showed high zeta potential and excellent stability against aggregation. Thermal analysis indicated that hesperetin was well incorporated into nanoparticles. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed no chemical reaction between encapsulating materials and hesperetin. Sensory analysis also showed that developed nanoparticles could be applied for milk fortification to mask bitterness, inhibit colour change and enhance its solubility.     

Antioxidant activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition of field and in vitro grown <Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa</Emphasis> L. species

Bananas and plantains (Musa L. species) have medicinal applications against diseases such as hypoglycemia, hypertension, and neurological disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease. The demand for these plants is growing very fast, resulting in a relatively heavy load on Musaceae genetic resources. The study evaluated and compared the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and antioxidant activity of field and in vitro plant materials of nine accessions of Musa spp. consisting of Tropical Musa banana (TMb: TMb 106, TMb 145, TMb 8, TMb 82, TMb 55) and Tropical Musa plantain (TMp: TMp 116, TMp 24, TMp 36) from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Musa sapientum (MS) from the University of Ibadan Botanical garden, Nigeria. Musa accessions were estimated onto Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.18 mg/L indole acetic acid (IAA) and 4.5 mg/L benzyl amino purine (BAP). The in vitro grown accessions behaved differently with TMb 8 having the highest average shoot length of 5.03?±?0.66 cm, and average number of leaves of 5.65?±?0.38 cm at the end of 6 weeks. Leaf extracts provide more quantity of phenolics, flavonoids and higher 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity than the fruit extracts. The AChEI activity of the field plants ranged from 60.54?±?0.54 to 98.46?±?0.09?% and in vitro plants from 61.88?±?0.11 to 76.60?±?0.34?% at 200 µg/mL. Crude methanol extract (CME) of the in vitro plants showed higher DPPH antioxidant activity than the field plants with IC₅₀ (extract concentration providing 50?% inhibition) values ranging from 9.57?±?0.24 to 48.37?±?0.62 µg/mL compared with CME of the field samples, which had IC₅₀ ranging from 75.86?±?1.76 to 162.20?±?3.77 µg/mL. Plant tissue culture can be a reliable alternative cultivation method for mass propagation and conservation of Musa species for the production of antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase metabolites.     

Spray-Drying Microencapsulation of Polyphenol Bioactives: A Comparative Study Using Different Natural Fibre Polymers as Encapsulants

This research explores the spray-drying microencapsulation of polyphenols (PPs), quercetin and vanillin, using four different fibre polymers as encapsulants (sodium alginate, methyl β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) and inulin). The microstructure, physico-chemical properties, PP content and reconstitution properties in water of the spray-dried powders were systematically evaluated and compared. Techniques used for powder characterisation were scanning electron microscopy, N₂ physisorption, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and water activity measurements. High-performance liquid chromatography and viscosity measurements were used to characterise the solutions obtained by reconstitution of the spray-dried powders in methanol or water, respectively. Results show that the type of encapsulant strongly influenced powder morphology, powder surface area and encapsulation efficiency of PPs. Powders prepared using sodium alginate and MβCD possessed more spherical particle shape, smaller average particle size and higher specific surface area than those using HPMC or inulin as encapsulants. For each encapsulant, higher encapsulation efficiencies were achieved for vanillin (37–53 %) than quercetin (9–19 %). Encapsulation efficiencies were inulin?>?MβCD?>?HPMC?>?sodium alginate for vanillin-containing powders. Inulin, MβCD and sodium alginate all gave similar encapsulation efficiencies for quercetin-containing powders. All powders possessed low water activity and excellent dissolution properties in water. Therefore, spray-drying microencapsulation using natural fibre encapsulants is a feasible approach for delivering the dual health benefits of PPs and dietary fibre to consumers. Spray-drying yields a product in a convenient powder form, which can be reconstituted in water or other beverages for direct consumption or used as a functional additive in solid food systems.     

Antioxidant Activity and Determination of Phenolic Compounds from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eugenia involucrata</Emphasis> DC. Fruits by UHPLC-MS/MS

Fruits have been the focus of several studies aimed at finding new antioxidant sources for protection against the damage caused by reactive species. In this study, the antioxidant activity and the presence of phenolic compounds in all parts (peel, pulp, and seeds) of Eugenia involucrata DC. fruits were evaluated. DPPH^·, ABTS^·+, and ORAC methods were used to determine the antioxidant activity, and an UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed for determining the phenolic compounds (gallic, chlorogenic, ferulic, p-coumaric and ellagic acids, quercetin, and myricetin). In the determination of both antioxidant activity and phenolic composition, the efficiency of solvents with different polarities—methanol/H₂O (80:20, v/v), ethanol/H₂O (80:20, v/v), methanol/acidified water with phosphoric acid pH 3.00 (80:20, v/v), and ethyl acetate—for the extraction of the phenolic compounds, was also evaluated. All parts of E. involucrata fruits showed antioxidant activity, in the range of 36.68 ± 1.44 to 873.87 ± 18.24 μmol TE g^?1, being the highest values found in the seeds and peel when more polar extraction solvents were used. Six, five, and three phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in the pulp, peel, and seeds, respectively, with the highest abundance as p-coumaric acid (14 ± 2 mg kg^?1) in the pulp, quercetin (47 ± 5 mg kg^?1) in the peel, and gallic acid (74 ± 4 mg kg^?1) in the seeds, also when more polar solvents were used. Although antioxidant activity methods suggested that the peel and seeds have more antioxidant potential, a wider variety of compounds were determined in the pulp.     

Fabrication of nanoparticles using partially purified pomegranate ellagitannins and gelatin and their apoptotic effects

Scope: Nanoparticles possess unique chemical and biological properties compared to bulk materials. Bioactive food components encapsulated in nanoparticles may have increased bioavailability and bioactivities. Methods and results: Self‐assembled nanoparticles made of partially purified pomegranate ellagitannins (PPE) and gelatin were fabricated using three PPE‐to‐gelatin mass ratios (1:5, 5:5, and 7:5). The PPE contained 16.6% (w/w) of punicalagin A, 32.5% (w/w) of punicalagin B, and a small amount of ellagic acid‐hexoside and ellagic acid (1%, w/w). Nanoparticles fabricated using the ratio 5:5 had a particle size of 149.3±1.8 nm, positive zeta‐potential of 17.8±0.9 mV, production efficiency 53.0±4.2%, and spherical morphology under scanning electron microscopy. Loading efficiency of punicalagin A and punicalagin B in these particles were 94.2±0.4% and 83.8±0.5 %, respectively. Loading capacity was 14.8±1.5% and 25.7±2.2%, respectively. Only punicalagin anomers were able to bind with gelatin to form nanoparticles, whereas ellagic acid‐hexoside or ellagic acid could not. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that the interactions between ellagitannins and gelatin were hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. PPE‐gelatin nanoparticle suspension was less effective than PPE in inducing the early stage of apoptosis on human promyelocytic leukemia cells HL‐60. But they had similar effects in inducing late stage of apoptosis and necrosis. Conclusion: Pomegranate ellagitannins bind with gelatin to form self‐assembled nanoparticles. Ellagitannins encapsulated in nanoparticles had decreased apoptotic effects on leukemia cells HL‐60.