A Critical Appraisal of the Most Recent Investigations on Ora-Pro-Nobis (Pereskia sp.): Economical, Botanical, Phytochemical, Nutritional, and Ethnopharmacological Aspects.

Pereskia aculeata Miller and Pereskia grandfolia Haw, known as 'ora-pro-nobis', are unconventional vegetables belonging to the Cactaceae family, native to the Americas and common in the northeast and southeast regions of Brazil. This review attempts to present a balanced account of both the methods used for obtaining extracts from the diverse parts of the plants and the results that were obtained in terms of their applicability to foods and other products with biological activities. Attention will also be devoted to the properties of their bioactives and their applications to real food products. Methods for obtaining extracts from the diverse parts of the plants will be analyzed, as well as the chemical nature of the bioactives that were hitherto identified. Next, the applicability of ora-pro-nobis in either its integral form or in the form of extracts or other products (mucilages) to the production of food and dietary supplements will be analyzed. The species have been extensively investigated during the last few decades. But, the determination of chemical structures is frequently incomplete and there is a need for new studies on texture determination and color evaluation. Further studies exploring the fruit and flowers of P. aculeata are also required.

Evaluation of berberine nanoparticles as a strategy to modulate acetylcholinesterase activity.

Researchers have concentrated efforts in the search for natural-based reversible inhibitors for cholinesterase enzymes as they may play a key role in the treatment of degenerative diseases. Diverse plant alkaloids can inhibit the action of acetylcholinesterase and, among them, berberine is a promising bioactive. However, berberine has poor water solubility and low bioavailability, which makes it difficult to use in treatment. The solid dispersion technique can improve the water affinity of hydrophobic substances, but berberine solid dispersions have not been extensively studied. Safety testing is also essential to ensure that the berberine-loaded solid dispersions are safe for use. This study investigated the effectiveness of berberine-loaded solid dispersions (SD) as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE). Docking simulation was used to investigate the influence of berberine on AChE, and in vitro assays were conducted to confirm the enzymatic kinetics of AChE in the presence of berberine. Berberine SD also showed improved cytotoxic effects on tumoral cells when dispersed in aqueous media. In vivo assays using Allium cepa were implemented, and no cytotoxicity/genotoxicity was found for the berberine solid dispersion. These results suggest that berberine SD could be a significant step towards safe nanostructures for use in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Use of Bio-Waste of Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. (Yerba mate) to Obtain an Extract Rich in Phenolic Compounds with Preservative Potential.

In this work, a comparison between the extracts of dehydrated yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and bio-waste of yerba mate leaves from the Brazilian industry was made. The incorporation of the functional extract as a preservative/functional ingredient in a pastry product (pancakes) was tested. The individual profile of phenolic compounds was determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS, and the bioactive potential was assessed using in vitro assays for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. The yerba mate extracts revealed a high antimicrobial potential against the tested strains and a very promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. Additionally, revealed a cytotoxic capacity for MCF-7, CaCo and AGS tumor cell-lines. In the three types of pancakes, after 3 days of storage, the chemical and nutritional characteristics remain unchanged, proving the preservative efficiency of the extract. This study showed the benefits of the use bio-waste from agro-industrial sector, focusing on sustainable production and the development of circular economy.

ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles protect against neuromotor damage, oxidative stress, and dopamine deficits in a model of Parkinson's disease in Drosophila melanogaster.

ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles improves absorption by increasing bioavailability. The Drosophila melanogaster model of Parkinson's disease must be helpful in investigating potential neuroprotective effects. Four groups of four-day-old flies were exposed to: (1) control; (2) diet containing rotenone (500 µM); (3) ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles (20 µM); (4) ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles and rotenone for 7 days. Then, the percentage of survival, geotaxis tests, open field, aversive phototaxis and food consumption were evaluated. At the end of the behaviors, the analyses of the levels of reactive species (ROS), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was carried out, as well as an evaluation of the levels of dopamine and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, in the head of flies. Nanoparticles loaded with ß-carotene were able to improve motor function, memory, survival and also restored the oxidative stress indicators (CAT, SOD, ROS and TBARS), dopamine levels, AChE activity after exposure to rotenone. Overall, nanoparticles loaded with ß-carotene showed significant neuroprotective effect against damage induced by the Parkinson-like disease model, emerging as a possible treatment. Overall, ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles presented significant neuroprotective effect against damage induced by model of Parkinson-like disease, emerging as a possible treatment.

Fish Protein Hydrolysates: Bioactive Properties, Encapsulation and New Technologies for Enhancing Peptides Bioavailability.

Fish protein hydrolysates (FPHs) can be obtained from substrates such as fish muscle, skin, and wastes and assign value to these fish by-products. Proteolytic enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of these fish substrates' peptide bonds resulting in smaller peptides that present several bioactive properties. Hydrolysates' bioactive properties are a function of the fish species used as the substrate, the enzyme selectivity or specificity, pH and temperature applied in the reaction, etc. Furthermore, many pre-treatment methods are being applied to fish protein substrates to improve their enzyme susceptibility and increase the number of smaller bioactive peptides. This review addresses the production of FPHs and the main bioactive properties evaluated recently in the literature and emphasizes the substrate treatments by high-pressure processing, microwave, ultrasound, and thermal treatments to achieve better bioactivity making essential amino acids more available in peptides. The bioactive properties most found in FPHs were antioxidants, antimicrobials, anticancer, and antihypertensive. These bioactivities may vary depending on the conditions of hydrolysis, fish species, and fractionation and isolation of specific peptides.New technologies for the treatment of by-products can reduce process losses and achieve better results by cleavage of proteins. Conversely, encapsulation and film utilization can improve bioactivity, bioavailability, and controlled release when applied to foods, resulting in improved health.

Biopreservatives against foodborne bacteria: combined effect of nisin and nanoncapsulated curcumin and co-encapsulation of nisin and curcumin.

Nisin, a bacteriocin widely used in the food industry, and curcumin, the yellow pigment extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) stand out among the numerous natural preservatives that have antimicrobial activity. The conversion of these compounds into nanoparticles could be interesting as an alternative to improve technological aspects (such as the low water solubility of curcumin) and to evaluate how synergism could take place in the case of co-encapsulation. The main objective of the present work was to evaluate the combination of nisin (Nis) with nanoencapsulated curcumin (NCur, nanoencapsulated to promote water solubility), as well as the co-encapsulated curcumin and nisin (NCurNis), against the foodborne bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. Minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were evaluated for NCur and Nis, as well as their combination with the fractional inhibitory concentration assay. High effectiveness was found against S. aureus and the combination of both compounds resulted in Nis- nisin; synergism against the same microorganism. The co-encapsulation of curcumin and nisin was carried out based on the synergism tests and the characterization analyses demonstrated that a solid dispersion of the components in the PVP matrix was formed. The inhibitory effect of the curcumin and nisin co-encapsulate was improved when compared to the curcumin nanoparticles or nisin alone. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05641-8.

Antibacterial efficacy of Enterococcus microencapsulated bacteriocin on Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua and Listeria ivanovi.

This study focused on the microencapsulation of enterocin from Enterococcus durans (E. durans MF5) in whey powder (WP) using a spray-drying technique followed by the evaluation of how complexation can preserve the enterocin structure and antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens. Crude enterocin samples (1 and 5%) were microencapsulated in 10% WP. The antimicrobial activity of unencapsulated (crude) enterocin and microencapsulated enterocin was tested against the target bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, and Listeria ivanovi. The microencapsulation yields were 31.66% and 34.16% for concentrations of 1 and 5% enterocin, respectively. There was no significant difference between these concentrations. Microencapsulated enterocin was efficient for up to 12 h of cocultivation with Listeria sp., and the concentration required to inhibit the growth of target bacteria presented values of 6400 AU/mL (arbitrary unit). Microencapsulated enterocin demonstrated enhanced efficacy against Listeria species and E. coli when compared with crude enterocin (p < 0.05). Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry results confirmed the presence of enterocin in the microparticles. Scanning electron microscopy showed cell damage of the target bacteria. The results showed that complexation with WP preserved enterocin antimicrobial activity during spray-drying, indicating its potential use as a food preservative.

Phenolic Fraction from Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) By-product: Innovative Extraction Techniques and New Encapsulation Trends for Its Valorization.

Peanut skin is a by-product rich in bioactive compounds with high nutritional and pharmaceutical values. The phenolic fraction, rich in proanthocyanidins/procyanidins, is a relevant class of bioactive compounds, which has been increasingly applied as functional ingredients for food and pharmaceutical applications and is mostly recovered from peanut skins through low-pressure extraction methods. Therefore, the use of green high-pressure extractions is an interesting alternative to value this peanut by-product. This review addresses the benefits of the phenolic fraction recovered from peanut skin, with a focus on proanthocyanin/procyanidin compounds, and discusses the improvement of their activity, bioavailability, and protection, by methods such as encapsulation. Different applications for the proanthocyanidins, in the food and pharmaceutical industries, are also explored. Additionally, high-pressure green extraction methods, combined with micro/nanoencapsulation, using wall material derived from peanut industrial processing, may represent a promising biorefinery strategy to improve the bioavailability of proanthocyanidins recovered from underutilized peanut skins.

Lutein-loaded nanoparticles reverse oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors induced by prenatal valproic acid exposure in female rats.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and repetitive behaviors. In this study, we assessed the effect of lutein-loaded nanoparticles on ASD-like behaviors induced by prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure in female offspring rats and the possible involvement of oxidative stress and apoptosis. Pregnant female Wistar rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of VPA (600 mg/kg), on the gestational day 12.5. The VPA-exposed female offspring rats were divided into two subgroups and received either lutein-loaded nanoparticles (5 mg/kg) or saline by oral gavage, for 14 days. The animals were submitted to the three-chamber test and open field to evaluate ASD-like behaviors. The hippocampus was removed for the determination of oxidative stress indicators (ROS; TBARS; SOD and Nrf2) and apoptosis biomarkers (Hsp-70; p38-MAPK; Bax and Bcl-2). The exposure to lutein-loaded nanoparticles reversed sociability deficit, social memory deficit, and anxiety-like and repetitive behaviors induced by VPA, and restored the oxidative stress indicators and apoptosis biomarkers in the hippocampus. This neurochemical effect must be associated with the reversal of ASD-like behaviors. These results provide evidence that lutein-loaded nanoparticles are an alternative treatment for VPA-induced behavioral damage in female rats and suggest the involvement of oxidative stress.

Development and characterization of trans-anethole-containing solid lipid microparticles: antiinflammatory and gastroprotective effects in experimental inflammation.

The present study prepared, optimized, and characterized solid lipid microparticles that contained trans-anethole (SLMAN), evaluated their antiinflammatory activity in acute and chronic inflammation models, and investigated their effects on the gastric mucosa in arthritic rats. The microparticles were obtained by a hot homogenization process and characterized by physicochemical analyses. The acute inflammatory response was induced by an intradermal injection of 0.1 ml of carrageenan solution (200 µg) in the hind paw. The rats were treated orally with a single dose of SLMAN 1 h before induction of the inflammatory response. The chronic inflammatory response was induced by the subcutaneous application of 0.1 ml of complete Freund's adjuvant suspension (500 µg) in the hind paw. SLMAN was orally administered, starting on the day of arthritis induction, and continued for 21 days. The results showed that SLMAN was obtained with good encapsulation efficiency. Treatment with SLMAN at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg was as effective as trans-anethole (AN) at a dose of 250 mg/kg on acute and chronic inflammatory responses. Histological analyses showed that treatment with SLMAN did not aggravate lesions in the gastric mucosa in arthritic rats. These results indicated that treatment with SLMAN at a dose that was 5-10 times lower than non-encapsulated AN exerted an inhibitory effect on acute and chronic inflammatory responses, suggesting the better bioavailability and efficacy of microencapsulated AN without aggravating lesions in the gastric mucosa in arthritic rats.

Chemometric evaluation of enzymatic hydrolysis in the production of fish protein hydrolysates with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity.

Fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) obtained from industrial processing residues are sources of bioactive peptides. The enzymatic hydrolysis process is essential in obtaining specific bioactivities such as inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In this study the effect of different hydrolysis conditions on the properties of FPH to inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. A chemometric evaluation, based on a central composite rotatable design and principal component analysis, was applied to select hydrolysis conditions with best yield, degree of hydrolysis and acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Experimental design results for AChE inhibition were between 10.51 and 40.45% (20, 30 and 50 mg.mL-1 of FPH), and three hydrolysis conditions were selected based on PCA evaluation. The amino acids profile, FTIR and AChE inhibition kinetics were evaluated. Results showed a mixed type of inhibition behavior and, the docking molecular analyzes suggest that the inhibition AChE occurred due to the basic amino acids, mainly by arginine.

Bioactivity screening of pinhão (Araucaria Angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze) seed extracts: the inhibition of cholinesterases and α-amylases, and cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities.

The objective of this work was to determine the potential bioactive properties of extracts from bio-residues of pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze) seeds, namely the α-amylase and cholinesterase inhibition, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory properties. The pinhão extracts evaluated were obtained from cooking water (CW) and as an ethanolic extract from residual pinhão seed shells (PS). Catechin was the major compound found in both extracts. The PS extract presented higher antioxidant levels and the better inhibition of human salivary and porcine pancreatic α-amylases when compared to the CW extract. Also, based on in vivo evaluations, the PS extract did not differ significantly from acarbose when compared to a control group. The most potent inhibitor of cholinesterases was the CW extract. No cytotoxicity toward normal cells was detected, and neither extract showed anti-inflammatory activity. The PS extract presented cytotoxic activity toward non-small-cell lung, cervical, hepatocellular and breast carcinoma cell lines. Overall, the results demonstrated the potential bioactivity of extracts obtained from pinhão bio-residues.

Use of nanoencapsulated curcumin against vegetative cells and spores of Alicyclobacillus spp. in industrialized orange juice.

Pathogenic and deteriorating bacteria are a great concern to food safety. In this sense, the present study evaluated the fight against microbial contamination through the use of nanoparticles containing curcumin, in addition to analyzing the physical properties of these nanoparticles. Efficient curcumin encapsulation was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectra evaluation and differential scanning calorimetry. Transmission electron microscopy images showed irregular shaped nanoparticles with broad size distribution (20-250 nm). The antibacterial activity was considered satisfactory, since curcumin in the form of nanoparticles demonstrated antimicrobial and antibacterial activity superior to curcumin in its free form, against both pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 125 µg/mL), and deteriorates, such as Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (MIC 62.5 µg/mL). Since curcumin nanoparticles may be consumed as a food additive, the bioactive properties of the nanoencapsulated curcumin were also evaluated in relation to antioxidant capacity (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and oxidative hemolysis inhibition assays) and cytotoxicity against four carcinoma cell lines, as well as two non-tumor cells. As a proof of concept, nanoparticles were incorporated in orange juice, with the juice maintaining satisfactory pH, °Brix, and color stability, during three days of storage (8 °C).

Analytical validation of an ultraviolet-visible procedure for determining vitamin D3 in vitamin D3-loaded microparticles and toxigenetic studies for incorporation into food.

Vitamin D is a water-insoluble compound presented in two main forms (D2 and D3), susceptible to environmental conditions. Microencapsulation is an alternative to supplements and preserve vitamin D properties in foods. Entrapment efficiency (EE) is the main property to evaluate the encapsulation effectiveness and therefore it is of interest the study of analytical methods for the identification and quantification of this compound within the particle. This paper describes a low cost UV-Vis methodology validation to the identification and quantification of vitamin D3 in microparticles produced by hot homogenization. The method was validated following the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. To guarantee safe application in foodstuff, microparticles toxigenicity was evaluated with Allium cepa L. in vivo model, showing no cytotoxic nor genotoxic potential. High entrapment efficiency was obtained, the results also demonstrated that the concentration of vitamin D3 in microparticles can be safely accessed by the validated method.

Exposure to lutein-loaded nanoparticles attenuates Parkinson's model-induced damage in Drosophila melanogaster: Restoration of dopaminergic and cholinergic system and oxidative stress indicators.

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, cholinergic alterations and oxidative damages. Lutein is widely known by its antioxidants properties. In the present study, we investigated whether lutein-loaded nanoparticles protects against locomotor damage and neurotoxicity induced by Parkinson's disease model in Drosophila melanogaster, as well as possible mechanisms of action. First, the nanoparticles were characterized by physicochemical methods, demonstrating that water affinity was improved by the encapsulation of lutein into the polymeric encapsulant matrix. The fruit flies of 1-4 days old were divided into four groups and exposed to a standard diet (control), a diet containing either rotenone (500 µM), lutein-loaded nanoparticles (6 µM) or rotenone (500 µM) and lutein-loaded nanoparticles (6 µM) for 7 days. The survival percentage was assessed, the flies were submitted to negative geotaxis, open field tasks and the determination of dopamine levels, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and acetylcholinesterase activities and oxidative stress indicators (superoxide dismutase, catalase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and glutathione S-transferase) were carried out. The exposure to lutein-loaded nanoparticles protected against locomotor damage and the decrease survival rate induced by rotenone, besides, it restored the dopamine levels, TH and acetylcholinesterase activities and oxidative stress indicators. These results provide evidence that lutein-loaded nanoparticles are an alternative treatment for rotenone-induced damage, and suggest the involvement of dopaminergic and cholinergic system and oxidative stress.

Endogenous antioxidant properties of curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. obtained by a single-step extraction/nanoencapsulation approach.

Curcuminoids found in turmeric have attracted attention due to their remarkable biological activity. Nanoencapsulation may improve their technological properties, but extraction and encapsulation procedures could be time-consuming and expensive when carried out separately. This work aimed to combine extraction and nanoencapsulation steps to obtain curcuminoids-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanoparticles directly from plant rhizomes. This single-step procedure was evaluated by a Rotatable Central Composite Design (RCCD) and optimized using desirability functions, resulting in the optimal conditions of temperature (29.9°C), ethanol (99%), and PVP (15.38 mg). Nanoencapsulation allowed curcuminoids to exert scavenging activity against superoxide anions donors and hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous medium, despite their poor water solubility. Curcuminoids-PVP nanoparticles could be used to formulate nutraceutical foods as an adjuvant to the endogenous antioxidant defense systems protecting against cellular damage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Simultaneous extraction and nanoencapsulation of curcuminoids from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) was studied in this work. The combination of two processes in one single step reduces production time and costs, enhancing the feasibility of curcuminoids microparticles application into foodstuff. Moreover, since most foodstuff presents water in their composition, increase of curcuminoids water dispersibility could facilitate their incorporation into food matrices and improve the use of their health benefits, as results from this research demonstrated that encapsulated curcuminoids were able to scavenge reactive oxygen species in aqueous medium, even though they are lipophilic compounds.

Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze extract as a source of phenolic compounds in TPS/PBAT active films.

There is growing interest in the development of biodegradable packaging materials containing natural antioxidant extracts. In this sense, the use of extracts obtained from agro-industrial byproducts has proved to be a sustainable alternative. In this study, Pinhão extract, a byproduct of Pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze) seed consumption, was characterized by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, demonstrating the presence of eight phenolic compounds, (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin being the most abundant molecules. TPS/PBAT films containing Pinhão extract were produced by blown extrusion and their properties (tensile properties, thermal characteristics and microstructure) were evaluated in order to determine the effect of the presence of extracts. Results suggested that the interaction between the phenolic compounds of the extract and the polymeric matrix caused the reduction in the crystallinity degree, and an increase in the starch glass transition temperature. The presence of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze extract significantly (p < 0.05) affected the color and opacity of the film. Regarding water vapor permeation, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was detected. However, the water solubility and the contact angle with water (polar solvent) and diiodomethane (non-polar solvent) significantly changed due to the extract addition. Moreover, the Pinhão extract conferred significant antioxidant capacity to the TPS/PBAT films as determined by DPPH, suggesting that this material can be applied as an active packaging material.

Substitution of synthetic antioxidant by curcumin microcrystals in mortadella formulations.

This research was to compare mortadella elaborated with synthetic antioxidant and microcrystals of curcumin in relation to its physicochemical and sensorial characteristics for a period of 90 days. It was detect no differences between the three evaluated treatments in relation to the pH, color, and texture profile features. The mortadella with curcumin microcrystals showed significantly lower TBARS values at the end of the storage when compared to the other treatments. In the sensory analysis, the addition of curcumin decreased the acceptance of color's sample and the purchase intention, but no significant difference was observed among the other attributes. The color of the sample containing curcumin also became worse than its day-of-production standard during storage. The results obtained suggest the potential of curcumin in replacing synthetic antioxidants in cooked meat sausage, since it practically does not modify its physicochemical characteristics, besides preventing the oxidation of the food.

Tailoring swelling of alginate-gelatin hydrogel microspheres by crosslinking with calcium chloride combined with transglutaminase.

Alginate-based hydrogels can find uses in a wide range of applications, including in the encapsulation field. This type of hydrogels is usually ionically crosslinked using calcium sources giving rise to products with limited internal crosslinking. In this work, it is hypothesized that the combination of alginate crosslinked by calcium chloride (external crosslinking; ionic mechanism) with gelatin crosslinked by transglutaminase (internal crosslinking; enzymatic induced mechanism) can be used to tailor the swelling behavior of alginate-based hydrogel microspheres. A systematic study was conducted by covering process variables such as gelatin content, TGase concentration, and CaCl2 contact time, added by statistic tools as central composite rotatable design (CCRD), principal component analysis (PCA) and multiobjective optimization, to map their effect on the resulting water content after production (expressed as swelling ratio), and swelling properties at pH 3 and 7. Among the studied variables, particle's swelling was mostly affected by the gelatin content and transglutaminase concentration.

The nanoencapsulation of curcuminoids extracted from Curcuma longa L. and an evaluation of their cytotoxic, enzymatic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin are the main curcuminoids present in Curcuma longa L. and are known for their bioactivity. However, their low water solubility results in poor bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. This work aimed to investigate the in vitro modulation capacity on the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), as well as the in vitro antioxidant (OxHLIA and TBARS) and anti-inflammatory activities (RAW 264.7 test) of nanoencapsulated curcuminoids. Cytotoxicity on tumor and non-tumor cell lines was also investigated. Curcuminoid nanoparticles significantly inhibited the in vitro activity of AChE (12% inhibition at 50 µM) and GST (30% inhibition at 5 µM). They presented antioxidant activity and toxic effects against breast adenocarcinoma, lung, cervical and hepatocellular carcinoma cells when dispersed in water. Encapsulated curcuminoids exhibited bioactive properties in aqueous medium (no hydrophobic solvent added), exerting antioxidant and cytotoxic effects and acting on the cholinergic and endogenous antioxidant systems.