Characterization of ovalbumin-carvacrol inclusion complexes as delivery systems with antibacterial application

Contribution of Phosphorylation Modification to Stability and Antibacterial Activity of Egg White Protein Nanogels Loaded with Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil

This study evaluated the potential usage of phosphorylated egg white protein (P-EWP) nanogels fabricated via microwave-induced phosphorylation modification and gel process and further ultrasonic nanometrization as novel delivery systems for cinnamon bark essential oil (CBEO). Compared to EWP-CBEO nanogels without chemical phosphorylation, the obtained P-EWP-CBEO nanogels have shown smaller average hydrodynamic diameter (133.6 nm), relatively uniform size distribution (polydispersity index around 0.265), enhanced negative surface charge (-35.4 mV), and improved stability under the conditions of high temperature (up to 90 °C) and ionic strength (up to 200 mM NaCl). Moreover, P-EWP-CBEO nanogels, with hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds as the main intermolecular forces, exhibited a remarkable conformational change in microstructures. In addition, the results of the antibacterial experiments on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes showed that the MIC values of P-EWP-CBEO nanogels were two times lower than those of EWP-CBEO nanogels and could completely inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria within 108 h. Hence, we have suggested that P-EWP-CBEO nanogels are successfully fabricated with improved physicochemical properties as novel potential natural preservatives in the food industry.

Carvacrol as a food additive: Toxicological aspects and the role of nanotechnology in enhancing its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties

Carvacrol (CAR), a phenolic monoterpene found in essential oils, shows promise as a food additive due to its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Challenges like volatility and strong aroma necessitate innovative approaches for its use, with nanotechnology offering solutions through improved solubility and controlled release. CAR-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit enhanced antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, presenting a novel approach for food preservation. However, limited toxicological data, particularly for nanoencapsulated forms of CAR, highlights the need for comprehensive safety assessments. While studies indicate varying effects of CAR, with high concentrations showing cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, lower doses appear safe in animal models and human trials. This review highlights the multifaceted role of CAR in food applications and emphasizes the importance of understanding its toxicological profile for well-informed use in the food industry. Furthermore, the use of nanotechnology is explored to enhance the application of CAR in foods.

3D printing cassava starch-ovalbumin intelligent labels: Co-pigmentation effects of gallic acid on anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are often chosen as signal converters of intelligent labels. However, they are degraded by high-temperature oxidation in the process of intelligent label preparation. The color fading seriously affects the sensitivity of color development. In this study, a green 3D printing intelligent label preparation technique was developed, in which gallic acid (GA) was added to a blueberry anthocyanin (BA) solution to enhance the color of the co-pigment to ensure the color sensitivity. The combined effect of GA-BA reduced the fade rate of the anthocyanins from 35.13 % to 26.44 % at 90 °C. The printing ink has shear-thinning viscosity characteristics and yield stresses in the range of 500-600 MPa for high-quality printing. Structural analysis revealed that GA-BA co-pigmentation enhanced the interaction between ovalbumin and cassava starch. In addition, the method of 3D printing to prepare labels was conducive to solving the problem of waste in traditional labeling process. The results of freshness testing of sea shrimp proved that labels can be applied to fresh boxes to reflect the freshness of food. We provide a method for enhancing the color of 3D-printed smart ink to prepare intelligent labels with reproducible and customizable batch shapes.

Construction of fatty acid-ovalbumin binary complexes to improve the water dispersibility, thermal/digestive stability and bioaccessibility of lutein: A comparative study of different fatty acids

Lipids are increasingly being incorporated into delivery systems due to their ability to facilitate intestinal absorption of lipid-soluble nutrients through molecular solubilization and micellization. In this work, self-assembled complexes of ovalbumin (OVA) and nine dietary fatty acids (FAs) were constructed to improve the processability and absorbability of lutein (LUT). Results showed that all FAs could form stable hydrophilic particles with OVA under the optimized ultrasound-coupled pH conditions. Fourier infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that these binary complexes effectively encapsulated LUT with an encapsulation rate > 90.0 %. Stability experiments showed that these complexes protected LUT well, which could improve thermal stability and in vitro digestive stability by 1.66-3.58-fold and 1.27-2.74-fold, respectively. Besides, the bioaccessibility of LUT was also enhanced by 7.16-24.99-fold. The chain length and saturation of FAs affected the stability and absorption of LUT. Therefore, these results provided some reference for the selection of FAs for efficient delivery of lipid-soluble nutrients.

Apricot polysaccharides as new carriers to make curcumin nanoparticles and improve its stability and antibacterial activity

Apricot polysaccharides (APs) as new types of natural carriers for encapsulating and delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients can achieve high-value utilization of apricot pulp and improve the solubility, the stability, and the antibacterial activity of insoluble compounds simultaneously. In this research, the purified APs reacted with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by the Maillard reaction, and with d-α-tocopheryl succinate (TOS) and pheophorbide A (PheoA) by grafting to fabricate two materials for the preparation of curcumin (Cur)-encapsulated AP-BSA nanoparticles (CABNs) and Cur-embedded TOS-AP-PheoA micelles (CTAPMs), respectively. The biological activities of two Cur nano-delivery systems were evaluated. APs consisted of arabinose (22.36%), galactose (7.88%), glucose (34.46%), and galacturonic acid (31.32%) after the optimized extraction. Transmission electron microscopy characterization of CABNs and CTAPMs displayed a discrete and non-aggregated morphology with a spherical shape. Compared to the unencapsulated Cur, the release rates of CABNs and CTAPMs decreased from 87% to 70% at 3 h and from 92% to 25% at 48 h, respectively. The antioxidant capacities of CABNs and CTAPMs were significantly improved. The CTAPMs exhibited a better antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli than CABNs due to the synergistic photosensitive effect between Cur and PheoA.

Potential Application of Ovalbumin Gel Nanoparticles Loaded with Carvacrol in the Preservation of Fresh Pork

Plant essential oil has attracted much attention in delaying pork spoilage due to its safety, but its low antibacterial efficiency needs to be solved by encapsulation. Our previous research had fabricated a type of ovalbumin gel nanoparticles loaded with carvacrol (OCGn-2) using the gel-embedding method, which had a high encapsulation rate and antibacterial activity. The main purpose of this study was to further evaluate the stability and slow-release characteristics of OCGn-2 and potential quality effects of the nanoparticles on the preservation of fresh pork pieces during 4 °C storage. The particle test showed that the nanoparticles had better heat stability below 85 °C and salt stability below 90 mM. The in vitro release study indicated that the carvacrol in OCGn-2 followed a Fickian release mechanism. The pork preservation test suggested that the OCGn-2 coating treatments could remarkably restrict the quality decay of pork slices compared to free carvacrol or a physical mixture of ovalbumin and carvacrol treatment. Nano-encapsulation of ovalbumin is beneficial to the sustained release, enhanced oxidation resistance, and improved antibacterial activity of carvacrol. The study suggested that ovalbumin gel nanoparticles embedded with carvacrol could be applied as an efficient bacterial active packaging to extend the storage life of pork.

Synergistic antibacterial activity of carvacrol loaded chitosan nanoparticles with Topoisomerase inhibitors and genotoxicity evaluation

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria is a significant healthcare crisis with substantial socioeconomic impact on global community. The development of new antibiotics is both costly and time-consuming prompting the exploration of alternative solutions such as nanotechnology which represents opportunities for targeted drug delivery and reduced MIC. However, concerns have arisen regarding genotoxic effects of nanoparticles on human health necessitating an evaluation of nanoparticle induced DNA damage. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial potential of already prepared, characterized chitosan nanoparticles loaded with carvacrol and their potential synergism with Topoisomerase II inhibitors against S. aureus, E. coli and S. typhi using agar well diffusion, microdilution and checkerboard method. Genotoxicity was assessed through comet assay. Results showed that both alone and drug combinations of varying concentrations exhibited greater zones of inhibition at higher concentrations. Carvacrol nanoparticles combined with ciprofloxacin and doxorubicin significantly reduced MIC compared to the drugs used alone. The MIC50 values for ciprofloxacin were 35.8 µg/ml, 48.74 µg/ml, 35.57 µg/ml while doxorubicin showed MIC50 values of 20.79 µg/ml, 34.35 µg/ml, 25.32 µg/ml against S. aureus, E. coli and S. typhi respectively. The FICI of ciprofloxacin and doxorubicin with carvacrol nanoparticles found ≤ 0.5 Such as 0.44, 0.44,0.48 for ciprofloxacin and 0.45, 0.45, 0.46 for doxorubicin against S. aureus, E. coli and S. typhi respectively revealed the synergistic effect. The analysis of comet assay output images showed alteration of DNA at high concentrations. Our results suggested that carvacrol nanoparticles in combination with Topoisomerase inhibitors may prevent and control the emergence of resistant bacteria with reduced dose.

Preparation of an LZ-OEO Compound Antibacterial Gel and the Effect of Microwave Treatment on Its Structure and Stability

Composite gels prepared with ovalbumin (OVA) as basic materials have been gradually utilized in food and biological fields. However, the structure and function of gels made from natural materials are not perfect, especially the hardness, viscoelasticity and water-holding capacity of gels, which are easily affected by various factors (pH, NaCl, etc.). In order to improve the antibacterial effect and safety of gels, and on the basis of exploring the bacteriostatic formula of lysozyme-oregano essential oil (LZ-OEO), the influence of microwave treatment on the stability of the composite bacteriostatic material gel was emphatically investigated and discussed so as to develop a new bacteriostatic gel material. The results revealed that the LZ-OEO antibacterial gel prepared by adding 20% OEO, with a ratio of 3:2 between OVA and LZ, was more stable after microwave treatment, and the synergistic antibacterial effect was significantly improved. That is, the OVA and LZ-OEO composite gel processed using a 350 W microwave treatment for 1 min had the highest hardness, the water-holding capacity reached 78.05% and a dense and ordered network structure was formed. In addition, the compound gel displayed excellent antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The experimental findings in this study effectively expands the application scope of lysozyme antibacterial materials and provides a more favorable technical foundation for future development and utilization.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Carvacrol against Oral Pathogenic Bacteria

Faced with the current situation of high rates of microbial resistance, together with the scarcity of new antibiotics, it is necessary to search for and identify new antimicrobials, preferably natural, to alleviate this situation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of carvacrol (CAR), a phenolic compound of essential oils, against pathogenic microorganisms causing oral infections, such as Streptococcus mutans and S. sanguinis, never evaluated before. The minimum inhibitory and the minimum bactericidal concentration were 93.4 μg/mL and 373.6 μg/mL, respectively, for the two strains. The growth kinetics under different concentrations of CAR, as well as the bactericidal power were determined. The subinhibitory concentrations delayed and decreased bacterial growth. Its efficacy on mature biofilms was also tested. Finally, the possible hemolytic effect of CAR, not observable at the bactericidal concentrations under study, was evaluated. Findings obtained point to CAR as an excellent alternative agent to safely prevent periodontal diseases. In addition, it is important to highlight the use of an experimental methodology that includes dual-species biofilm and subinhibitory concentration models to determine optimal CAR treatment concentrations. Thus, CAR could be used preventively in mouthwashes or biomaterials, or in treatments to avoid existing antibiotic resistance.

Succinylation Modified Ovalbumin: Structural, Interfacial, and Functional Properties

In this study, ovalbumin (OVA) was succinylated with the addition of different levels of succinic anhydride, and the structural and functional properties of succinylated OVA (SOVA) were investigated. SDS−PAGE and FTIR spectrum confirmed the covalent attachment of the succinyl group to OVA. Thermal stability and the absolute value of zeta potential (pH 6.0) of SOVA were enhanced by 14.90% and 76.77% higher than that of the native OVA (NOVA), respectively. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra demonstrated that the succinylation decreased the α−helix and increased β−sheet content to 21.31% and 43.28%, respectively. The content of free sulfhydryl groups increased and intrinsic fluorescence spectra suggested the SOVA became more unfolded and flexible as the degree of succinylation enhanced. Furthermore, succinylation effectively enhanced the solubility and decreased the interface tension (oil−water and air−water interface) of OVA. Compared to NOVA, the emulsifying activity and stability of SOVA were increased by 1.6 times and 1.2 times, respectively, and foaming capacity and stability were enhanced by 2.7 times and 1.5 times, respectively.

Egg white protein-based delivery system for bioactive substances: a review

Some bioactive substances in food have problems such as poor solubility, unstable chemical properties and low bioavailability, which limits their application in functional food. Recently, many egg white protein-based delivery carriers have been developed to improve the chemical stability, biological activity and bioavailability of bioactive substances. This article reviewed the structure and properties of several major egg white proteins commonly used to construct bioactive substance delivery systems. Several common carrier types based on egg white proteins, including hydrogels, emulsions, micro/nanoparticles, aerogels and electrospinning were then introduced. The biological functions of common bioactive substances, the limitations, and the role of egg white protein-based delivery systems were also discussed. At present, whole egg white protein, ovalbumin and lysozyme are most widely used in delivery systems, while ovotransferrin, ovomucoid and ovomucin are less developed and applied. Egg white protein-based nanoparticles are currently the most commonly used delivery carriers. Egg white protein-based hydrogels, emulsions, and microparticles are also widely used. Future research on the application of various egg white proteins in developed new delivery systems will provide more choices for the delivery of various bioactive substances.

Bioactive compounds: Application of albumin nanocarriers as delivery systems

Enriched products with bioactive compounds (BCs) show the capacity to produce a wide range of possible health effects. Most BCs are essentially hydrophobic and sensitive to environmental factors; so, encapsulation becomes a strategy to solve these problems. Many globular proteins have the intrinsic ability to bind, protect, encapsulate, and introduce BCs into nutraceutical or pharmaceutical matrices. Among them, albumins as human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA), ovalbumin (OVA) and α-lactalbumin (ALA) are widely abundant, available, and applied in many industrial sectors, becoming promissory materials to encapsulate BCs. Therefore, this review focuses on researches about the main groups of natural origin BCs (namely phenolic compounds, lipids, vitamins, and carotenoids), the different types of nanostructures based on albumins to encapsulate them and the main fields of application for BCs-loaded albumin systems. In this context, phenolic compounds (catechins, quercetin, and chrysin) are the most extensively BCs studied and encapsulated in albumin-based nanocarriers. Other extensively studied subgroups are stilbenes and curcuminoids. Regarding lipids and vitamins; terpenes, carotenoids (β-carotene), and xanthophylls (astaxanthin) are the most considered. The main application areas of BCs are related to their antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Finally, BSA is the most used albumin to produced BCs-loaded nanocarriers.

Nanocomplexes based on egg white protein nanoparticles and bioactive compounds as antifungal edible coatings to extend bread shelf life

This work is aimed to obtain nanocomplexes based on egg white protein nanoparticles (EWPn) and bioactive compounds (BC), carvacrol (CAR), thymol (THY) and trans-cinnamaldehyde (CIN), and evaluate their application as antifungal edible coatings on preservative-free breads. The nanocomplex formation was studied through stoichiometry, affinity, colloidal behavior, morphology, and encapsulation efficiency (EE, %). Rounded-shape nanocomplexes with particle sizes < 100 nm were obtained. The EE values were similar for all BC (>83%). Furthermore, the in vitro antifungal activity of the nanocomplexes was verified using the Aspergillus niger species. The nanocomplexes were applied as coatings onto the crust of preservative-free breads, which were stored for 7 days (at 25 °C). The coatings had no impact on the physicochemical properties of the bread loaves (moisture, a_w, texture, and color). Finally, the coatings based on EWPn-THY and EWPn-CAR nanocomplexes showed higher antifungal efficacy, extending the bread shelf life after 7 days.

Preparation of Pickering emulsion based on soy protein isolate-gallic acid with outstanding antioxidation and antimicrobial

This study investigated a novel antioxidant and antimicrobial Pickering emulsion stabilized by soy protein isolate (SPI) and gallic acid (GA) as an excellent protective delivery medium for lipophilic functional food. SPI-GA complex nanoparticles were fabricated by a covalent cross-linking mechanism under alkaline conditions with a small particle size (42.93-24.91 nm) and high zeta potential (26.92-38.58 -mV), which led to improved stability at high GA concentrations. Without the addition of preservatives, it was found that SPI-GA complex nanoparticles have a certain antimicrobial ability. Using these nanoparticles as the only stabilizers, outstanding antioxidant and antimicrobial Pickering emulsions could be easily prepared, and they had a small droplet size (948.09-457.82 nm), great stability and inhibited lipid peroxidation and antibacterial ability. Oxidation and microbial protection proceeded in a GA concentration-dependent manner. This study provides a novel way to prepare functionalized Pickering emulsions as delivery media for functional lipophilic raw materials.