Effect of mechanical properties on in vitro dynamic digestion of starch contained in hydrogels.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the effect of mechanical properties on the in vitro dynamic gastrointestinal digestion of hydrogels containing starch (HCSs) as a model for studying the nutrient digestibility of solid foods. It provides a useful theoretical basis for the processing of specific foods. RESULT: Four types of HCSs with two levels of fracture stress (17.4-20.9 kPa and 55.5-57.6 kPa) and two levels of fracture strain (25.4-28.5% and 53.7-57.4%) were prepared. For these HCSs, the degree of gastric disintegration of hydrogels reduced significantly when fracture strain exceeded 30% (P < 0.05). The gastric emptying of HCS particles was also affected by mechanical properties. For example, even at the same level of fracture stress (ca. 20 kPa), the dry solids retention ratio decreased markedly from 0.90 to 0.43 with a decrease in fracture strain from 53.7% to 25.4% (P < 0.05). For the starch hydrolysis of HCSs after gastric digestion, more than 70% of starch in the particles of all types of HCSs emptied did not undergo digestion. The starch hydrolysis of HCSs during small intestinal digestion was also influenced by their mechanical properties. Fracture strains of HCSs, rather than their fracture stress, affected starch digestibility in hydrogels. CONCLUSION: The gastric disintegration, the gastric emptying, and the starch hydrolysis of HCSs are suppressed when fracture strain exceeded 30%. Even with the amount of nutritional components contained in hydrogels being the same, the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion behavior of HCSs depends on their mechanical properties. This behavior has the potential to be used in the design of processed foods with controlled bioaccessibility. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Essential-Oil-Loaded Nanoemulsion Lipidic-Phase Optimization and Modeling by Response Surface Methodology (RSM): Enhancement of Their Antimicrobial Potential and Bioavailability in Nanoscale Food Delivery System.

Nanoencapsulation is an attractive technique used for incorporating essential oils in foods. Thus, our main goal was to formulate a novel nanoemulsion (NE) with nanoscale droplet size and lowest interfacial tension in the oil-water interface, contributing positively to the stability and the enhancement of essential oil potential. Thereby, response surface methodology (RSM), with mixture design was used to optimize the composition of the NE lipid phase. The essential oil combinations were encapsulated through high-pressure homogenization (HPH) with the binary emulsifier system (Tween 80: Gum Arabic). Then, the electrophoretic and physical properties were evaluated. We also conducted a follow-up stability and antimicrobial study that examined the stabilization mechanism of optimal NE. Thereafter, the effect of nanoencapsulation on the essential oil composition was assessed. The RSM results were best fitted into polynomial models with regression coefficient values of more than 0.95. The optimal NE showed a nanometer-sized droplet (270 nm) and lower interfacial tension (~11 mN/m), favoring negative ζ-potential (-15 mV), showing good stability under different conditions-it synergistically enhances the antimicrobial potential. GC-MS analysis showed that the use of HPH affected the active compounds, consistent with the differences in linalool and 2-Caren-10-al content. Hence, the novel nanometric delivery system contributes to food industry fortification.

Chitosan-based film incorporated with essential oil nanoemulsion foreseeing enhanced antimicrobial effect.

Foodborne diseases are a huge problem that causes dramatic economic losses and threatens consumers' lives. Chitosan-based film incorporated with essential oil nanoemulsion would be an ideal solution to build smart food packaging. Thyme oil was formulated into nanoemulsion and checked for the droplet size, distribution, and physical stability. The prepared thyme oil nanoemulsion was incorporated with the chitosan-filmogenic mixture through continuous mixing. The filmogenic mixture was cast, dried, and assessed for their morphological, physical, mechanical, and molecular properties. In addition to investigating the antimicrobial activity against gram-negative (Escherichia coli spp.) and gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis spp.) bacteria. Thyme oil nanoemulsion showed a small droplet size (89-90 nm) with considerable stability. Incorporating thyme oil nanoemulsion with the chitosan-based film did not cause great change in the film appearance and transparency, while enhanced the light barrier property. It caused noticeable changes to the film physical (ex., moisture content, water vapor permeability, among others) and mechanical (Tensile strength and elongation at break) properties. On the other hand, it improved the film thermal stability without causing a structural alteration in the film matrix. Incorporation of chitosan-based film with thyme nanoemulsion remarkably improved the antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens. Chitosan-based film incorporated with thyme oil nanoemulsion would be considered a promising antimicrobial food packaging material with considerable packaging properties, and substantial growth inhibitor of foodborne pathogens.

Effect of radiofrequency heating of vacuum-packed nitrite-free sausage on quality properties and microorganism inactivation.

The effect of radiofrequency (RF) heating technology at 27 MHz and 8 kW on the quality properties of vacuum-packed nitrite-free sausages was investigated. One of the several advantages of RF heating technology is the use of less time compared to retort heating. RF heating at 125 °C for a holding time of 2 min and retort heating at 121 °C for 7 min reduced Bacillus subtilis to 7 log cfu/g. In addition, the textural properties of the RF-heated sausages were better than those of retort-heated samples. Furthermore, the growth of B. subtilis and general live bacteria at 25 °C were not detected after 42 days of shelf life in the sausages that underwent RF heating at 125 °C with a holding time of 2 min.

Spray technology applications of xanthan gum-based edible coatings for fresh-cut lotus root (Nelumbo nucifera).

In this study, the effect of spraying method as an application technique for xanthan gum-based edible coatings was investigated, based on its barrier and microbial properties on fresh-cut lotus root. Xanthan gum solutions (0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%) were prepared and incorporated with 2% (w/w) citric acid as an anti-browning agent and 1% (w/w) glycerol as plasticizer. The coatings were then sprayed using a pilot spray system to 5 mm-thick slices of fresh-cut lotus root for 20 s, packed in polyethylene bags, stored for 16 d at 5 °C and analyzed for color, pH, morphology and microbial counts. It was found that spray-coated fresh-cut lotus root samples had significant reduction in the total color changes as compared to non-coated samples. The experimental results suggested that the spray coating treatments were effective in decreasing the enzymatic browning of fresh-cut lotus root during storage which could potentially increase its shelf-life in the market. In addition, we have also found that the xanthan gum-based spray coated treatments were also effective against inhibiting the growth of Bacillus subtilis during 24 h of incubation which were indicated by the lower microbial counts recorded as compared to non-coated fresh-cut lotus root samples. In this part of the work, the author highlighted the spray coating technique of xanthan gum-based edible coatings as a promising strategy in improving the storage stability of fresh-cut lotus root during post-harvest storage. Overall, the application of edible coatings is a promising strategy in extending the shelf life of fresh-cut lotus root. In the future, the author aims to widen the scope of the application of these coatings to other agricultural products which are prone to degradation during storage in the market.

Oil-in-water emulsions containing tamarind seed gum during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion: rheological properties, stability, and lipid digestibility.

BACKGROUND: Polysaccharides may enhance/inhibit lipid digestibility of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions because of their emulsifying and/or stabilizing ability and can also affect the formation, stability, and viscosity of emulsions. Tamarind seed gum (TSG) was used as the sole emulsifier/stabilizer to stabilize an O/W emulsion prepared using high-speed homogenization. We investigated the effects of various TSG concentrations (50-150 g kg-1 ) on the lipid digestibility, rheological properties, and stability of O/W emulsions during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. RESULTS: A low concentration (50 g kg-1 ) and a high concentration (150 g kg-1 ) of TSG reduced lipid digestibility by about 33% and 45%, respectively, compared to the control sample (without TSG). However, the emulsion containing the intermediate TSG concentration at 100 g kg-1 was the most efficient in the inhibition of lipid digestion, reducing lipid digestibility by about 70% compared to that of the control sample. The stability of emulsion tended to enhance as the concentration of TSG increased. The size of oil droplets before passing through the intestinal phase and the viscosity of the intestinal digested system may be important factors for enhancing/inhibiting lipid digestibility of emulsions. The destabilization of the emulsion during digestion was not clearly detected by rheological analysis because rheological characteristics (e.g. flow behavior index) were mainly driven by TSG. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of TSG in O/W emulsions inhibited lipid digestibility. TSG at a concentration of 100 g kg-1 was the most efficient in the inhibition of lipid digestibility, suggesting that TSG is an attractive alternative ingredient for control of lipid digestibility of emulsion foods. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

The effect of radio-frequency heating on vacuum-packed saury (Cololabis saira) in water.

We characterized vacuum-packed whole saury (Cololabis saira) treated using radio-frequency (RF) heating and compared it with that treated using conventional retort heating. RF heating is electrical heating based on dielectric heating. In this study, the effect of RF heating on softening and collagen in backbone was analyzed. RF heating heated the center of fish faster than water. The backbone was softened to a chewable level, and the heating time was shortened to one-third. The amount of crude protein and collagen in backbone decreased with decreasing elasticity, although that heated using RF (131°C) still contained a higher amount than conventional heating. However, ß and γ collagen, and then α1 and α2 collagen chain in backbone disappeared with heating; therefore, collagen was degraded to collagen peptide. Results confirmed that RF heating provided wholly eatable fish containing low-molecular collagen peptide in a short heating time.

Microchannel emulsification: A promising technique towards encapsulation of functional compounds.

This review provides an overview of microchannel emulsification (MCE) for production of functional monodispersed emulsion droplets. The main emphasis has been put on functional bioactives encapsulation using grooved-type and straight-through microchannel array plates. MCE successfully encapsulates the bioactives like ß-carotene, oleuropein, γ-oryzanol, ß-sitosterol, L-ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid derivatives, vitamin D and quercetin. These bioactives were encapsulated in a variety of delivery systems like simple and multiple emulsions, polymeric particles, microgels, solid lipid particles and functional vesicles. The droplet generation process in MCE is based upon spontaneous transformation of interfaces rather than high energy shear stress systems. The scale-up of MCE can increase the productivity of monodispersed droplets >100 L h-1 and makes it a promising tool at industrial level.

Changes in biosynthesis of exopolysaccharide in Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris treated by moderate pulsed electric field treatment.

Metabolome analysis and physicochemical analyses were executed with cell extracts of a Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris strain treated by moderate pulsed electric field (PEF) to elucidate the mechanism of enhanced production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) by the treatment. Metabolome analysis by capillary electrophoresis time of flight mass spectrometry annotated 224 metabolites from the cytoplasmic extract of the strain, which, however, showed no significant changes in metabolites related to the EPS production. Electron microscopic observation and chemical analysis of undecaprenoids as carrier of EPS biosynthetic intermediates suggested that PEF treatment dissociated immature EPSs from the intermediates due to the focal electro-condensation of hydrogen ions at the cell surface. Thus, liberated undecaprenyl phosphates were recycled efficiently, which resulted in mass increase of EPS with smaller molecular weight. The study suggested the feasibility of moderate PEF treatment as a food processing technique and revealed the mechanism of enhanced production of EPS by the treatment.

Development of a radio frequency heating system for sterilization of vacuum-packed fish in water.

We developed equipment that quickly and uniformly heats packed whole fish in circulating tap water using radio frequency (RF) heating. Four vacuumed plastic-packed Pacific sauries in tap water were set in a radial arrangement between coaxial cylindrical electrodes in a closed vessel. For sterilization testing, Bacillus subtilis spores added in the center of the sauries were counted after treatment. For quality assurance, meat color and backbone hardness were measured after treatment. The temperature at the center of the sauries was increased up to 130 °C for 19 min using 9 kW RF heating, and up to 119 °C for 45 min using conventional heating (CH) at 120 °C. B. subtilis spores were decreased by five logarithmic orders using RF heating and by four logarithmic orders using CH. The RF-treated meat was brighter than the CH-treated meat, and the RF-treated backbone was softer than CH-treated one.

Formulation and characterization of esterified xylo-oligosaccharides-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions using microchannel emulsification.

A series of amphiphilically esterified xylo-oligosaccharides (xylo esters) with different fatty acids residues - decanoic acid (C-10), lauric acid (C-12) and palmitic acid (C-16) - were enzymatically modified at 60°C for 4h. These xylo esters were used as emulsifiers to formulate oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions by microchannel emulsification (MCE). Grooved and straight-through MCE was used to investigate the droplet generation and/or emulsion stability. Xylo ester-stabilized oil droplets were generated smoothly from microchannels arranged linearly or two dimensionally, while xylo ester-stabilized emulsions were less monodispersed owing to low surface activity of the xylo esters. The combined use of xylo esters (2.5% (w/w)) and Tween series (0.1% (w/w)) in the continuous phase can improve the monodispersity of the resultant oil. Successful droplet generation was achieved with the straight-through MCE using 2.5% (w/w) xylo laurate and 0.1% (w/w) Tween 20. The optimized combination of xylo laurate and Tween 20 inhibited coalescence and oiling off more efficiently than the droplets solely stabilized by Tween 20 during 30days of storage.

Microchannel emulsification study on formulation and stability characterization of monodisperse oil-in-water emulsions encapsulating quercetin.

The study used microchannel emulsification (MCE) to encapsulate quercetin in food grade oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. A silicon microchannel plate (Model WMS 1-2) comprised of 10,300 discrete 10×104µm microslots was connected to a circular microhole with an inner diameter of 10µm. 1% (w/w) Tween 20 was used as optimized emulsifier in Milli-Q water, while 0.4mgml(-1) quercetin in different oils served as a dispersed phase. The MCE was carried by injecting the dispersed phase at 2mlh(-1). Successful emulsification was conducted below the critical dispersed phase flux, with a Sauter mean diameter of 29µm and relative span factor below 0.25. The O/W emulsions remained stable in terms of droplet coalescence at 4 and 25°C for 30days. The encapsulation efficiency of quercetin in the O/W emulsions was 80% at 4°C and 70% at 25°C during the evaluated storage period.

Effect of esterified oligosaccharides on the formation and stability of oil-in-water emulsions.

Hydrophobically modified oligosaccharides were prepared by an enzyme-catalyzed reaction of maltodextrin/xylo-oligosaccharide and palmitic acid. Maltodextrin with dextrose equivalent (DE) of 16 palmitate (DE16_P) and 9 palmitate (DE9_P), as well as xylo-oligosaccharide palmitate (Xylo_P), were used. The effect of the concentration (10-50% (w/w)) and type of esterified oligosaccharides on the Sauter mean diameter and droplet-size distribution, the rate of coalescence (Kc), and the creaming properties of O/W emulsions were investigated. Esterified oligosaccharides (EO) adsorbed to the surface of the oil droplets. EO formed polydisperse O/W emulsions with particle sizes between 12 and 70 µm, depended on concentration of EO. The Sauter mean diameter, Kc, and the creaming index decreased markedly, with increasing concentration of EO. The type of ester minimally affected the Sauter mean diameter at each ester concentration. DE9_P inhibited coalescence and creaming more efficiently than other EO, mainly due to the higher viscosity of the continuous phase.

Simulation of oleuropein structural conformation in vacuum, water and triolein-water systems using molecular dynamics.

Oleuropein, the main phenolic compound of olive leaves, exhibits a unique blend of biological activities and has been shown to locate itself at the oil-water (O/W) interface. This behavior could influence the physico-chemical properties of dispersed systems such as emulsions. In this work, we study the effect of the microenvironment (vacuum, water, and triolein-water) on the conformational preferences of oleuropein using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at 300K for at least 30ns. The seven torsions that describe the flexible skeleton of oleuropein were monitored together with the distance between the glucose (Glu) and hydroxytyrosol (Hyd) moieties (dglu-hyd) of the molecule. The obtained trajectories demonstrated that oleuropein adopts different conformations that depend on the environment. The preferential conformers in each system were analyzed for their molecular geometry and internal energy. In vacuum, the oleuropein preferential conformation is tight with the glucose moiety in close proximity with the hydroxytyrosol moiety. In water, oleuropein preferential conformers presented large differences in their structural properties, varying from a close like U form, and a semi-opened form, to an opened form characterized by high fluctuations in dglu-hyd values. In a triolein-water system, oleuropein tends to adopt a more open form where the glucose moiety could be approximately aligned with the hydroxytyrosol and elenolic acid moieties. Based on a calculation at the HF/6-31G* level, these flexibilities of oleuropein required energy of 19.14kcal/mol in order to adopt the conformation between water and triolein-water system. A radial distribution function (RDF) analysis showed that specific hydroxyl groups of Hyd and Glu interact with water molecules, enabling us to understand the amphiphilic character of oleuropein at the triolein-water interface. MD calculations together with interfacial tension measurements revealed that the oleuropein binding at O/W interface is an enthalpy driven mechanism.

Preparation of monodisperse aqueous microspheres containing high concentration of l-ascorbic acid by microchannel emulsification.

Monodisperse aqueous microspheres containing high concentrations of l-ascorbic acid with different concentrations of sodium alginate (Na-ALG) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) were prepared by using microchannel emulsification (MCE). The continuous phase was water-saturated decane containing a 5% (w/w) hydrophobic emulsifier. The flow rate of the continuous phase was maintained at 10 mL h(-1), whereas the pressure applied to the disperse phase was varied between 3 and 25 kPa. The disperse phase optimized for successfully generating aqueous microspheres included 2% (w/w) Na-ALG and 1% (w/w) MgSO4. At a higher MgSO4 concentration, the generated microspheres resulted in coalescence and subsequent bursting. At a lower MgSO4 concentration, unstable and polydisperse microspheres were obtained. The aqueous microspheres generated from the MCs under optimized conditions had a mean particle diameter (dav) of 14-16 µm and a coefficient of variation (CV) of less than 8% at the disperse phase pressures of 5-15 kPa.

Monodisperse aqueous microspheres encapsulating high concentration of l-ascorbic acid: insights of preparation and stability evaluation from straight-through microchannel emulsification.

Stabilization of l-ascorbic acid (l-AA) is a challenging task for food and pharmaceutical industries. The study was conducted to prepare monodisperse aqueous microspheres containing enhanced concentrations of l-AA by using microchannel emulsification (MCE). The asymmetric straight-through microchannel (MC) array used here constitutes 11 × 104 µm microslots connected to a 10 µm circular microholes. 5-30% (w/w) l-AA was added to a Milli-Q water solution containing 2% (w/w) sodium alginate and 1% (w/w) magnesium sulfate, while the continuous phase constitutes 5% (w/w) tetraglycerol condensed ricinoleate in water-saturated decane. Monodisperse aqueous microspheres with average diameters (dav) of 18.7-20.7 µm and coefficients of variation (CVs) below 6% were successfully prepared via MCE regardless of the l-AA concentrations applied. The collected microspheres were physically stable in terms of their dav and CV for >10 days of storage at 40°C. The aqueous microspheres exhibited l-AA encapsulation efficiency exceeding 70% during the storage.

PIV and CFD studies on analyzing intragastric flow phenomena induced by peristalsis using a human gastric flow simulator.

This study quantitatively analyzed the flow phenomena in model gastric contents induced by peristalsis using a human gastric flow simulator (GFS). Major functions of the GFS include gastric peristalsis simulation by controlled deformation of rubber walls and direct observation of inner flow through parallel transparent windows. For liquid gastric contents (water and starch syrup solutions), retropulsive flow against the direction of peristalsis was observed using both particle image velocimetry (PIV) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The maximum flow velocity was obtained in the region occluded by peristalsis. The maximum value was 9 mm s(-1) when the standard value of peristalsis speed in healthy adults (UACW = 2.5 mm s(-1)) was applied. The intragastric flow-field was laminar with the maximum Reynolds number (Re = 125). The viscosity of liquid gastric contents hardly affected the maximum flow velocity in the applied range of this study (1 to 100 mPa s). These PIV results agreed well with the CFD results. The maximum shear rate in the liquid gastric contents was below 20 s(-1) at UACW = 2.5 mm s(-1). We also measured the flow-field in solid-liquid gastric contents containing model solid food particles (plastic beads). The direction of velocity vectors was influenced by the presence of the model solid food particle surface. The maximum flow velocity near the model solid food particles ranged from 8 to 10 mm s(-1) at UACW = 2.5 mm s(-1). The maximum shear rate around the model solid food particles was low, with a value of up to 20 s(-1).

Industrial lab-on-a-chip: design, applications and scale-up for drug discovery and delivery.

Microfluidics is an emerging and promising interdisciplinary technology which offers powerful platforms for precise production of novel functional materials (e.g., emulsion droplets, microcapsules, and nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles- and drug molecules) as well as high-throughput analyses (e.g., bioassays, detection, and diagnostics). In particular, multiphase microfluidics is a rapidly growing technology and has beneficial applications in various fields including biomedicals, chemicals, and foods. In this review, we first describe the fundamentals and latest developments in multiphase microfluidics for producing biocompatible materials that are precisely controlled in size, shape, internal morphology and composition. We next describe some microfluidic applications that synthesize drug molecules, handle biological substances and biological units, and imitate biological organs. We also highlight and discuss design, applications and scale up of droplet- and flow-based microfluidic devices used for drug discovery and delivery.

Preparation and characterization of water-in-oil-in-water emulsions containing a high concentration of L-ascorbic acid.

This study sought to encapsulate a high concentration of L-ascorbic acid, up to 30% (w/v), in the inner aqueous phase of water-in-oil-water (W/O/W) emulsions with soybean oil as the oil phase. Two-step homogenization was conducted to prepare W/O/W emulsions stabilized by a hydrophobic emulsifier and 30% (v/v) of W/O droplets stabilized by a hydrophilic emulsifier. First-step homogenization prepared W/O emulsions with an average aqueous droplet diameter of 2.0 to 3.0 µm. Second-step homogenization prepared W/O/W emulsions with an average W/O droplet diameter of 14 to 18 µm and coefficients of variation (CVs) of 18% to 25%. The results indicated that stable W/O/W emulsions containing a high concentration of L-ascorbic acid were obtained by adding gelatin and magnesium sulfate in the inner aqueous phase and glucose in both aqueous phases. L-Ascorbic acid retention in the W/O/W emulsions was 40% on day 30 and followed first-order kinetics.

Preparation, characterization, and in vitro gastrointestinal digestibility of oil-in-water emulsion-agar gels.

Soybean oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion-agar gel samples were prepared and their digestibility evaluated by using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model. Emulsion-agar sols were obtained by mixing the prepared O/W emulsions with a 1.5 wt % agar solution at 60 °C, and their subsequent cooling at 5 °C for 1 h formed emulsion-agar gels. Their gel strength values increased with increasing degree of polymerization of the emulsifiers, and the relative gel strength increased in the case of droplets with an average diameter smaller than 700 nm. Flocculation and coalescence of the released emulsion droplets depended strongly on the emulsifier type; however, the emulsifier type hardly affected the ζ-potential of emulsion droplets released from the emulsion-agar gels during in vitro digestion. The total FFA content released from each emulsion towards the end of the digestion period was nearly twice that released from the emulsion-agar gel, indicating that gelation of the O/W emulsion may have delayed lipid hydrolysis.