Thermal stabilization of probiotics by adsorption onto porous starches

Differential impacts of porous starch versus its octenyl succinic anhydride-modified counterpart on naringin encapsulation, solubilization, and in vitro release

The aim of this work was to evaluate the potentials of porous starch (PS) and its octenyl succinic anhydride modified product (OSAPS) as efficient carriers for loading naringin (NA), focusing on encapsulation efficiency (EE, the percentage of adsorbed naringin relative to its initial amount), drug loading (DL, the percentage of naringin in the complex), structural alterations, solubilization and in vitro release of NA using unmodified starch (UMS) and NA as controls. Both the pore diameter and SBET value of PS decreased after esterification with OSA, and a thinner strip-shaped NA (∼145 nm) was observed in the OSAPS-NA complex and (∼150 nm) in the PS-NA complex. OSAPS exhibited reduced short-range ordered structure, as indicated by a lower R1047/1022 (0.73) compared to PS (0.77). Meanwhile, lowest crystallinity (12.81 %) of NA was found in OSAPS-NA. OSAPS-NA exhibited higher EE and DL for NA than PS-NA and a significant increase in NA saturated solubility in deionized water (by 11.63-fold) and simulated digestive fluids (by 24.95-fold) compared to raw NA. OSAPS contained higher proportions of slowly digestible starch and exhibited a lower digestion rate compared to PS, resulting in a longer time for NA release from its complex during the digestion.

Porous Starch-inulin Loaded Quercetin Microcapsules: Characterization, Antioxidant Activity, in-vitro Release, and Storage Stability

Quercetin (Q) has many potential health benefits, but its low stability limits its use in functional foods and pharmaceuticals. The low stability of quercetin is a challenge that needs to be addressed to fully realize its therapeutic potential. The purpose of this study was therefore to design a proper carrier based on porous starch (PS) and inulin (IN) in order to improve the stability of Q. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images denoted that the Q molecules were adsorbed in the PS pores and partially adhered to the surface of the granules. Both types of the wall material could remarkably enhance the protection of Q against thermal and light degradation. The retention index of Q under different environmental conditions was higher for the PS:IN-Q than PS-Q. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed that Q interacted with the wall materials through non-covalent bonds. X-ray diffraction (XRD) also confirmed the encapsulation of Q in the wall materials. The bonding between Q and the hydrogen groups of starch compacted the crystalline regions and increased the relative crystallinity in PS-Q and PS:IN-Q. The DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities of the microcapsules containing the PS and IN were higher than those of free Q. Examination of the in-vitro release profile indicated that the Q release rate was lower from the PS:IN-Q microcapsules (21.6%) than from the PS-Q ones (33.7%). Our findings highlight the significant potential of this novel biopolymer mixture (PS/IN) as a promising wall material for the protection and delivery of bioactive compounds.

Bioactive delivery systems based on starch and its derivatives: Assembly and application at different structural levels

Starch and modified starch, spanning various structural levels, are comprehensively reviewed, with a special emphasis on the advancement of starch and its derivative-based delivery systems for bioactive substances. The pivotal aspect highlighted is the controlled release of active ingredients by starch-based delivery systems with distinct hierarchical structures. At the molecular level, diverse categories of starch degradation products, such as dextrin and highly branched starch, serve as versatile amphiphilic carriers for encapsulating active ingredients. At the level of helical structure, the distinctive configuration of the starch-guest complex partly determines the mechanism of controlled release for diverse active components. At the crystal and particle structural level, starch assumes the role of a carrier, effectively modulating the release of active substances, and enhances the innate physiological activity of different active components. As a natural polymer molecule, starch can also generate hydrogel materials in polymer form, expanding its utility in the fields of food, materials, and even medicine.

Expanded porous-starch matrix as an alternative to porous starch granule: Present status, challenges, and future prospects

Exposing the hydrated-soft-starch matrix of intact grain or reconstituted flour dough to a high-temperature-short-time (HTST) leads to rapid vapor generation that facilitates high-pressure build-up in its elastic matrix linked to large deformation and expansion. The expanded starch matrix at high temperatures dries up quickly by flash vaporization of water, which causes loss of its structural flexibility and imparts a porous and rigid structure of the expanded porous starch matrix (EPSM). EPSM, with abundant pores in its construction, offers adsorptive effectiveness, solubility, swelling ability, mechanical strength, and thermal stability. It can be a sustainable and easy-to-construct alternative to porous starch (PS) in food and pharmaceutical applications. This review is a comparative study of PS and EPSM on their preparation methods, structure, and physicochemical properties, finding compatibility and addressing challenges in recommending EPSM as an alternative to PS in adsorbing, dispersing, stabilizing, and delivering active ingredients in a controlled and efficient way.

Advances in polysaccharides for probiotic delivery: Properties, methods, and applications

Probiotics are essential to improve the health of the host, whereas maintaining the viability of probiotics in harsh environments remains a challenge. Polysaccharides have non-toxicity, excellent biocompatibility, and outstanding biodegradability, which can protect probiotics by forming a physical barrier and show a promising prospect for probiotic delivery. In this review, we summarize polysaccharides commonly used for probiotic microencapsulation and introduce the microencapsulation technologies, including extrusion, emulsion, spray drying, freeze drying, and electrohydrodynamics. We discuss strategies for better protection of probiotics and introduce the applications of polysaccharides-encapsulated probiotics in functional food, oral formulation, and animal feed. Finally, we propose the challenges of polysaccharides-based delivery systems in industrial production and application. This review will help provide insight into the advances and challenges of polysaccharides in probiotic delivery.

Colon targeted releases and uptakes of paclitaxel loaded in modified porous starch

Hyaluronic acid can modify porous starch through cross-linking and hydrogen bonding, effectively achieving a paclitaxel entrapment efficiency of ∼92 % and drug loading of ∼23 %. In this study, the pores and intergranular gaps of porous starch were filled with paclitaxel under solvent volatilization, and the enrichment process and its characteristics were recorded using a microscope. The paclitaxel-loaded particles were coated with chitosan-phytic acid to target the colon. In vivo imaging in mice showed that the capsule released paclitaxel in the colon rather than in the upper digestive tract, and the paclitaxel distribution in the main organs at 24 h was significantly lower than that of raw paclitaxel. Hyaluronic acid-modified porous starch can target cancer cells. Cell internalization of paclitaxel mediated by hyaluronic acid was approximately 1.97 times that of raw paclitaxel, higher than that of receptor-shielded cells and cells incubated with unmodified carriers, as evidenced by the accumulation of fluorescent paclitaxel in the nucleus and marked cell apoptosis. The hyaluronic acid-modified porous starch system is an effective method for the high-load and targeted release of hydrophobic anticancer drugs.

Pulsed Electric Field-Assisted Enzymatic and Alcoholic-Alkaline Production of Porous Granular Cold-Water-Soluble Starch: A Carrier with Efficient Zeaxanthin-Loading Capacity

In this study, porous starch was modified using pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment and alcoholic-alkaline treatment to prepare porous granular cold-water-soluble starch (P-GCWSS). The soluble porous starch has high adsorption capability and high cold water solubility, allowing effective encapsulation of zeaxanthin and improving zeaxanthin's water solubility, stability, and bioavailability. The physical and chemical properties of GCWSS and complex were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the cold water solubility of the pulsed electric field-treated porous granular cold-water-soluble starch (PEF-P-GCWSS) increased by 12.81% compared to granular cold-water-soluble starch (GCWSS). The pulsed electric field treatment also increased the oil absorption of PEF-P-GCWSS was improved by 15.32% compared to porous granular cold-water-soluble starch (P-GCWSS). PEF-P-GCWSS was effective in encapsulating zeaxanthin, which provided a good protection for zeaxanthin. The zeaxanthin-saturated solubility in water of PPG-Z was increased by 56.72% compared with free zeaxanthin. The zeaxanthin embedded in PEF-P-GCWSS was able to be released slowly during gastric digestion and released rapidly during intestinal digestion.

Artemisinin hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex loaded with porous starch for enhanced bioavailability

The current work aimed to enhance the oral bioavailability of water-insoluble drug Artemisinin (ART) by the inclusion of ART with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and then loaded with porous starch (PS). The preparation conditions of ART HP-β-CD inclusion complex loaded with PS (AHPS) were optimized according to drug loading (DL) and entrapment efficiency (EE). The properties of AHPS were characterized by optical and thermodynamic methods. ART was linked by hydrogen bond to HP-β-CD to form hydrophilic supramolecules, which are loaded into PS under the action of hydrogen bond. The maximum DL and EE of AHPS were about 16.51% and 67.26%, respectively. Then we investigated the physicochemical properties and antimalarial activity of AHPS. The solubility and bioavailability of AHPS at 48 h were higher than ART and market ART piperaquine tablets (APT), and showed better antimalarial activity in vitro and vivo. It provides a new idea for the development and application of fat-soluble drug.

Emerging Technologies and Coating Materials for Improved Probiotication in Food Products: a Review

From the past few decades, consumers' demand for probiotic-based functional and healthy food products is rising exponentially. Encapsulation is an emerging field to protect probiotics from unfavorable conditions and to deliver probiotics at the target place while maintaining the controlled release in the colon. Probiotics have been encapsulated for decades using different encapsulation methods to maintain their viability during processing, storage, and digestion and to give health benefits. This review focuses on novel microencapsulation techniques of probiotic bacteria including vacuum drying, microwave drying, spray freeze drying, fluidized bed drying, impinging aerosol technology, hybridization system, ultrasonication with their recent advancement, and characteristics of the commonly used polymers have been briefly discussed. Other than novel techniques, characterization of microcapsules along with their mechanism of release and stability have shown great interest recently in developing novel functional food products with synergetic effects, especially in COVID-19 outbreak. A thorough discussion of novel processing technologies and applications in food products with the incorporation of recent research works is the novelty and highlight of this review paper.

In vitro digestion of sodium alginate/pectin co-encapsulated Lactobacillus bulgaricus and its application in yogurt bilayer beads

The purpose of this study was to prepare sodium alginate (SA)/pectin (PE) hydrogel microspheres using the extrusion method to encapsulate Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Microscopic observation showed that the beads were spherical with a smooth and uniform surface. For microspheres with a diameter range of 140-156 μm, the encapsulation efficiency reached 85.67%. After simulating saliva, gastric juice, and intestinal juice, the activity of the microcapsules was estimated to be 5.78 × 10⁴ log colony forming unit (CFU)/mL. These data show that the use of SA and PE encapsulated probiotics exhibit enhanced viability. In addition, double-layer beads containing probiotic microspheres and yogurt were prepared, and physical and chemical analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Texture and sensory property analysis revealed that the beads had good elasticity, chewiness, and high commercial value. Collectively, these findings indicate that SA and PE can be used for the encapsulation, protection, and gastrointestinal delivery of probiotics. Moreover, these microcapsules exhibit good stability in vitro and improve yogurt characteristics by increasing the survival rate of encapsulated probiotics, thus demonstrating their commercial application potential.

Phloretin loaded porous starch (Ph-PS): Preparation, characterization, in vitro release and protective effect against oxidative stress in vivo zebrafish model

Phloretin loaded porous starch (Ph-PS) were prepared for its application in food. The effects of Ph-PS in vitro release and its ability against AAPH-induced oxidative stress in vivo zebrafish model were investigated. Ph-PS was prepared by absorption method, the physical and chemical characterization showed that PS decreased the crystallinity of Ph obviously. Ph-PS exhibited higher release amount and faster release rate of Ph compared to free Ph in vitro release study. What's more, the effect of Ph-PS reduced ROS generation and lipid peroxidation was better than that of free Ph in zebrafish model. These findings suggest Ph-PS is a new and simple strategy to improve dissolution rate and antioxidant ability of Ph.

Fabrication of fish gelatin / sodium alginate double network gels for encapsulation of probiotics

BACKGROUND

To improve the environmental resistance of probiotics, and particularly their survival in the gastrointestinal environment, a fish gelatin (FG) / sodium alginate (SA) double network gelation (FSDN) was developed to encapsulate them. Thermal treatment and calcium ion inducement were adopted to fabricate fish gelatin and sodium alginate gels. It was feasible to scale up this process. The effects of FG concentration (0-60 g/L) on FSDN properties, including morphology, water-holding capacity, and encapsulation efficiency were evaluated.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the addition of FG could improve the transparency, rehydration, and water-holding capacity of FSDN. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) images revealed that FSDN had a denser and more complete structure than SA. Encapsulation efficiency improved from 15.85% to 91.91% as the FG concentration ranged from 0 to 50 g/L. Bifidobacterium longum embedded by FSDN showed better thermal stability than when it was free. Compared with bare probiotics (1.7%), the encapsulated ones exhibited higher viability (above 15%) in simulated gastric fluid.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, interpenetrating FSDN is an effective barrier constituent and could achieve the targeted delivery of probiotics. It is a potential new delivery carrier for the oral administration of probiotics. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Applications of Biopolymers for Drugs and Probiotics Delivery

Research regarding the use of biopolymers has been of great interest to scientists, the medical community, and the industry especially in recent years. Initially used for food applications, the special properties extended their use to the pharmaceutical and medical industries. The practical applications of natural drug encapsulation materials have emerged as a result of the benefits of the use of biopolymers as edible coatings and films in the food industry. This review highlights the use of polysaccharides in the pharmaceutical industries and as encapsulation materials for controlled drug delivery systems including probiotics, focusing on their development, various applications, and benefits. The paper provides evidence in support of research studying the use of biopolymers in the development of new drug delivery systems, explores the challenges and limitations in integrating polymer-derived materials with product delivery optimization, and examines the host biological/metabolic parameters that can be used in the development of new applications.

Starch-based materials encapsulating food ingredients: Recent advances in fabrication methods and applications

Encapsulation systems have gained significant interest in designing innovative foods, as they allow for the protection and delivery of food ingredients that have health benefits but are unstable during processing, storage and in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Starch is widely available, cheap, biodegradable, edible, and easy to be modified, thus highly suitable for the development of encapsulants. Much efforts have been made to fabricate various types of porous starch and starch particles using different techniques (e.g. enzymatic hydrolysis, aggregation, emulsification, electrohydrodynamic process, supercritical fluid process, and post-processing drying). Such starch-based systems can load, protect, and deliver various food ingredients (e.g. fatty acids, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, flavors, essential oils, irons, vitamins, probiotics, bacteriocins, co-enzymes, and caffeine), exhibiting great potentials in developing foods with tailored flavor, nutrition, sensory properties, and shelf-life. This review surveys recent advances in different aspects of starch-based encapsulation systems including their forms, manufacturing techniques, and applications in foods.

Insights into the microstructure and interconnectivity of porosity in porous starch by hyperpolarized 129Xe NMR

For the first time, hyperpolarized (HP) ¹²⁹Xe NMR measurements are utilized to explore porous structures of porous starch (PS) successfully. Some micropores resided inside the mesopore walls of PS were detected by variable temperature (VT) HP ¹²⁹Xe NMR, and the pore sizes of micropores were also estimated using the empirical relationship. Furthermore, the interconnectivity of pores was investigated in detail by two-dimensional (2D) exchange spectroscopy (EXSY). The exchange process of xenon from microporosity within pore walls to the free gas space was occurred at the mixing time of ≥12 ms at 173 K, which indicated the well interconnectivity between micropores and mesopores. This study not only exhibits a new approach for investigation of pores and hollows of PS, but also provides a better understanding of porous structures for rational design in adsorbing functional compounds.

Dual modification of various starches: Synthesis, properties and applications

The problems associated with native starches (NSs) and single modified starches were stated in order to justify dual modification of various starches. Broadly, there are two types of dual modification, i.e., homogeneous dual modification and heterogeneous dual modification. The combination of two physical modifications, e.g., (extrusion/annealing); two chemical modifications, e.g., (succinylation/cross-linking) and two enzymes modification (α-amylase/pullulanase) falls under the former classification and the latter classification is the combination of two of each of the differently stated modifications, e.g., acetylation/annealing, extrusion/succinylation, and microwave-assisted phosphorylation, etc. The classification, synthesis, properties and applications of dually modified starches were discussed. There is an attempt to elucidate the problems of each of the single modification in order to justify dual modifications. In dual modifications, the order of reactions, the reaction conditions, the medium of reaction, and the botanical sources of the various starches are very important parameters.