Whey Protein Isolate Microgel Properties Tuned by Crosslinking with Organic Acids to Achieve Stabilization of Pickering Emulsions.

Whey protein isolate (WPI) can be used effectively to produce food-grade particles for stabilizing Pickering emulsions. In the present study, crosslinking of WPI microgels using organic acids (tannic and citric acids) is proposed to improve their functionality in emulsions containing roasted coffee oil. It was demonstrated that crosslinking of WPI by organic acids reduces the microgels' size from ≈1850 nm to 185 nm and increases their contact angle compared to conventional WPI microgels, achieving values as high as 60°. This led to the higher physical stability of Pickering emulsions: the higher contact angle and smaller particle size of acid-crosslinked microgels contribute to the formation of a thinner layer of particles on the oil/water (O/W) interface that is located mostly in the water phase, thus forming an effective barrier against droplet coalescence. Particularly, emulsions stabilized by tannic acid-crosslinked WPI microgels presented neither creaming nor sedimentation up to 7 days of storage. The present work demonstrates that the functionality of these crosslinked WPI microgels can be tweaked considerably, which is an asset compared to other food-grade particles that mostly need to be used as such to comply with the clean-label policy. In addition, the applications of these particles for an emulsion are much more diverse as of the starting material.

Influence of nanoencapsulated lutein on acetylcholinesterase activity: In vitro determination, kinetic parameters, and in silico docking simulations.

Lutein is a bioactive found in dark leafy vegetables that may be used as a nutraceutical agent in foodstuff and an inhibitor of key enzymes of the human body such as those involved in the cholinergic system. However, its high hydrophobicity leads to low bioavailability and must be overcome if lutein is to be added in foods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of nanoencapsulated lutein in the activity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. The in vitro study was carried out using water in order to evaluate the impact of encapsulation on the hydrophilicity of lutein. In vitro assays showed that lutein, both free and nanoencapsulated, presented a mixed-type inhibition behavior, and encapsulated lutein was able to inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity even in an aqueous medium. Inhibition was also showed by the in silico docking results which show that lutein interacted with the pocket region of the enzyme.

SPI microgels applied to Pickering stabilization of O/W emulsions by ultrasound and high-pressure homogenization: rheology and spray drying.

Soybean Protein Isolate (SPI) is a by-product from soybean oil industries with good nutritional and functional properties. Denaturation of hydrated SPI can change its properties, allowing the formation of gel-like particles, which can be used to stabilize emulsions without addition of surfactants. SPI microgel particles were produced by denaturation of hydrated SPI, followed by high pressure homogenization or sonication, with different NaCl or NaF contents, aiming the formation of small particles capable to stabilize O/W emulsions and acting as wall material for microencapsulation of soybean oil by spray drying. The presence of NaF in the suspensions decreased the charge intensity of SPI microgels, leading to formation of significantly bigger SPI microgel particles. Based on Creaming Index (CI), all the emulsions were stable for, at least, 21 days at room temperature. The presence of salt affected minimally the droplet size of the emulsions, though there has been an increase in flocculation. All the emulsions presented shear-thinning behavior and a strong shear rate dependence when salt was present in the system. The microspheres produced by spray drying of the emulsions were spherical and showed few aggregate formation. In addition, they presented high values of oil retention (> 80 wt%) and acceptable values of moisture content (< 4 wt%). SPI microgel particles produced by high-pressure homogenization or sonication may be used to stabilize emulsions with low oil contents. These emulsions can be further spray dried to microencapsulate lipophilic compounds using SPI microgels as wall material.

Nanoencapsulation of lutein and its effect on mice's declarative memory.

Lutein is a xanthophyll carotenoid widely known by its biological properties and low toxicity. When located in the brain, lutein may inhibit damage mechanisms, acting in neural cells maintenance. However, this carotenoid is very sensitive to external agents such as heat, light, pH and oxidation, besides presenting low absorption in gastrointestinal tract due its low solubility in water. Encapsulation procedures have shown promising results to increase lutein stability and bioavailability. In this work, lutein was encapsulated in polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) matrix by the dissolution in common solvent method. Nanoparticles were characterized in respect to morphology, water solubility, and interactions between PVP and lutein. In vivo tests were carried out in order to investigate the influence of lutein encapsulation on mice's declarative memory. Ex vivo tests were also carried out to determine if nanoparticles may cause any inflammatory process per se. Results indicated that lutein was successfully encapsulated in PVP while nanoparticles presented spherical shape and uniform size. Encapsulation was able to increase water solubility of lutein by more than 43 times, which may be attributed to the formation of soluble complexes trough hydrogen bonds between lutein hydroxyl group and PVP carbonyl group. In vivo studies showed that the administration of free lutein at 100mg·kg-1 and lutein-loaded PVP nanoparticles at 10 and 1.5mg·kg-1 significantly increased mice's object recognition index, meaning that significant lower doses of lutein were needed to achieve the same effect when lutein was encapsulated. Ex vivo studies showed that lutein-loaded nanoparticles administration did not alter inflammatory parameters in plasma, liver and brain of mice. In this sense, lutein-loaded PVP nanocapsules showed to be an advantageous alternative to increase water solubility and to improve the memory of mice without causing inflammatory damage per se.