The antimicrobial and bioactive properties of lactobionic acid

Nondairy food applications of whey and milk permeates: Direct and indirect uses

Permeates are generated in the dairy industry as byproducts from the production of high-protein products (e.g., whey or milk protein isolates and concentrates). Traditionally, permeate was disposed of as waste or used in animal feed, but with the recent move toward a "zero waste" economy, these streams are being recognized for their potential use as ingredients, or as raw materials for the production of value-added products. Permeates can be added directly into foods such as baked goods, meats, and soups, for use as sucrose or sodium replacers, or can be used in the production of prebiotic drinks or sports beverages. In-direct applications generally utilize the lactose present in permeate for the production of higher value lactose derivatives, such as lactic acid, or prebiotic carbohydrates such as lactulose. However, the impurities present, short shelf life, and difficulty handling these streams can present challenges for manufacturers and hinder the efficiency of downstream processes, especially compared to pure lactose solutions. In addition, the majority of these applications are still in the research stage and the economic feasibility of each application still needs to be investigated. This review will discuss the wide variety of nondairy, food-based applications of milk and whey permeates, with particular focus on the advantages and disadvantages associated with each application and the suitability of different permeate types (i.e., milk, acid, or sweet whey).

Carbohydrate ligands-directed active tumor targeting of combinatorial chemotherapy/phototherapy-based nanomedicine: A review

Phototherapies or light mediated therapies, including mutually photothermal and photodynamic therapy that encompass irradiation of the target organs with light, have been widely employed as minimally invasive approach associated with negligible drug resistance for eradicating multiple tumors with minimal hazards to normal organs. Despite all these advantages, many obstacles in phototherapy hinder progress toward clinical application. Therefore, researchers have developed nano-particulate delivery systems integrated with phototherapy and therapeutic cytotoxic drugs to overcome these obstacles and achieve maximum efficacy in cancer treatment. Active targeting ligands were integrated into their surfaces to improve the selectivity and tumor targeting ability, enabling easy binding and recognition by cellular receptors overexpressed on the tumor tissue compared to normal ones. This enhances intratumoral accumulation with minimal toxicity on the adjacent normal cells. Various active targeting ligands, including antibodies, aptamers, peptides, lactoferrin, folic acid and carbohydrates, have been explored for the targeted delivery of chemotherapy/phototherapy-based nanomedicine. Among these ligands, carbohydrates have been applied due to their unique features that ameliorate the bioadhesive, noncovalent conjugation to biological tissues. In this review, the up-to-date techniques of employing carbohydrates active targeting ligands will be highlighted concerning the surface modification of the nanoparticles for ameliorating the targeting ability of the chemo/phototherapy.