Antimutagenic and Antiproliferative Activity of the Coccoloba uvifera L. Extract Loaded in Nanofibers of Gelatin/Agave Fructans Elaborated by Electrospinning.

BACKGROUND: The Coccoloba uvifera L. species is currently considered an important source of compounds of high biological value such as lupeol. This is related to different and important biological activities to human health. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to encapsulate the C. uvifera extract in nanofibers made with the biopolymers gelatin (G)/high-grade polymerization agave fructans (HDPAF) in the proportions 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 0:1, through the electrospinning process, in addition to evaluating the antimutagenic and antiproliferative properties of the encapsulated extract. METHODS: The physicochemical characteristics of the nanofibers were evaluated, as well as the antiproliferative and antimutagenic activities of the encapsulated and unencapsulated extract. SEM evaluation shows nanofibers of smooth, continuous morphology and nanometric size (50-250 nm). The TGA, FTIR-ATR, HPLC-MS analyses reveal the presence of the extract in the nanofibers. RESULTS: The extract did not show a mutagenic effect during the development of the Ames test, on the other hand, the MTT test showed the antiproliferative effect at the concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/mL of extract. CONCLUSION: The extract of C. uvifera loaded in nanofibers elaborated by electrospinning with the G/HDPAF biopolymers conserves its antimutagenic and antiproliferative properties.

Micro- and Nanostructures of Agave Fructans to Stabilize Compounds of High Biological Value via Electrohydrodynamic Processing.

This study focuses on the use of high degree of polymerization agave fructans (HDPAF) as a polymer matrix to encapsulate compounds of high biological value within micro- and nanostructures by electrohydrodynamic processing. In this work, ß-carotene was selected as a model compound, due to its high sensitivity to temperature, light and oxygen. Ultrafine fibers from HDPAF were obtained via this technology. These fibers showed an increase in fiber diameter when containing ß-carotene, an encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 95% and a loading efficiency (LE) of 85%. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed a 90 °C shift in the ß-carotene decomposition temperature with respect to its independent analysis, evidencing the HDPAF thermoprotective effect. Concerning the HDPAF photoprotector effect, only 21% of encapsulated ß-carotene was lost after 48 h, while non-encapsulated ß-carotene oxidized completely after 24 h. Consequently, fructans could be a feasible alternative to replace synthetic polymers in the encapsulation of compounds of high biological value.

Use of Electrosprayed Agave Fructans as Nanoencapsulating Hydrocolloids for Bioactives.

High degree of polymerization Agave fructans (HDPAF) are presented as a novel encapsulating material. Electrospraying coating (EC) was selected as the encapsulation technique and ß-carotene as the model bioactive compound. For direct electrospraying, two encapsulation methodologies (solution and emulsion) were proposed to find the formulation which provided a suitable particle morphology and an adequate concentration of ß-carotene encapsulated in the particles to provide a protective effect of ß-carotene by the nanocapsules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed spherical particles with sizes ranging from 440 nm to 880 nm depending on the concentration of HDPAF and processing parameters. FTIR analysis confirmed the interaction and encapsulation of ß-carotene with HDPAF. The thermal stability of ß-carotene encapsulated in HDPAF was evidenced by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The study showed that ß-carotene encapsulated in HDPAF by the EC method remained stable for up to 50 h of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Therefore, HDPAF is a viable option to formulate nanocapsules as a new encapsulating material. In addition, EC allowed for increases in the ratio of ß-carotene:polymer, as well as its photostability.