Advancements in liposome technology: Preparation techniques and applications in food, functional foods, and bioactive delivery: A review.

Liposomes play a significant role in encapsulation of various bioactive compounds (BACs), including functional food ingredients to improve the stability of core. This technology can be used for promoting an effective application in functional food and nutraceuticals. Incorporation of traditional and emerging methods for the developments of liposome for loading BACs resulted in viable and stable liposome formulations for industrial applications. Thus, the advance technologies such as supercritical fluidic methods, microfluidization, ultrasonication with traditional methods are revisited. Liposomes loaded with plant and animal BACs have been introduced for functional food and nutraceutical applications. In general, application of liposome systems improves stability, delivery, and bioavailability of BACs in functional food systems and nutraceuticals. This review covers the current techniques and methodologies developed and practiced in liposomal preparation and application in functional foods.

Chitosan - Whey protein as efficient delivery system for squalene: Characterization and functional food application.

Squalene, a triterpenoid compound possessing excellent bioactivities, is not being utilized as a functional food ingredient due to its high susceptibility to oxidation. In the present study, the feasibility of chitosan-whey protein as an efficient wall material for squalene encapsulation using spray drying technique was attempted for functional food applications. The encapsulation efficiency of the squalene powder was found to be 75.4 ±â€¯0.22% whereas other physico-chemical properties such as moisture content, flowability, solubility, peroxide value, etc. have shown satisfactory results. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that chitosan-whey protein was able to retain the thermal stability of squalene up to a temperature of 422 °C. Furthermore, the functional food application of the encapsulated squalene in a bakery product (cake) exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) better properties in terms of oxidative stability, sensory attributes than that of cake with pure squalene and control treatment. Hence, it can be concluded that emulsification of squalene in chitosan-whey protein and its subsequent encapsulation by spray drying can be a potential process to produce oxidatively stable encapsulates for the development of functional foods.

Proteoglycans isolated from the bramble shark cartilage show potential anti-osteoarthritic properties.

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes articular cartilage destruction, initiating pain and inflammation in the joints, resulting in joint disability. Medications are available to manage these symptoms; however, their effects on the disease progression are limited. Loss of proteoglycans (PGs) was reported to contribute articular cartilage destruction in OA. Therapeutics approaches were previously studied in the animal models of OA. In the present study, we investigated the oral efficacy of four dosages of PGs (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg), isolated from the bramble shark cartilage, in an animal model of OA. Indomethacin was used as a bioequivalent formulation. Primarily, the mass spectrum analysis of the purified PGs obtained from bramble shark cartilage revealed the presence of two unique peptides including AGWLSDGSVR and LDGNPINLSK, that showed sequence similarity with aggrecan core-protein and epiphycan, respectively. The levels of C-reactive protein and uric acid in the OA rats were reduced when treated with PGs. Histopathology analysis displayed less cartilage erosion and neovascularization in OA rats treated with PGs. The X-ray imaging presented higher bone density with 200 mg/kg dosage of PG treatment in OA rats. The expressions of the inflammatory modulators including TNF-α, IL-1ß, MMP13, NOS2, IL-10 and COX-2 were found to be moderated with PG treatment. In addition, PG treatment maintained the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD and catalase in the joint tissues with a higher GSH content, in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, our preliminary findings report the anti-osteoarthritic properties of PGs and recommend to evaluate its efficacy and safety in randomized trials.