Influence of soy protein's structural modifications on their microencapsulation properties: α-Tocopherol microparticle preparation

Biopolymer-Based Nanogel Approach in Drug Delivery: Basic Concept and Current Developments

Due to their increased surface area, extent of swelling and active substance-loading capacity and flexibility, nanogels made from natural and synthetic polymers have gained significant interest in scientific and industrial areas. In particular, the customized design and implementation of nontoxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable micro/nano carriers makes their usage very feasible for a range of biomedical applications, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, and bioimaging. The design and application methodologies of nanogels are outlined in this review. Additionally, the most recent advancements in nanogel biomedical applications are discussed, with particular emphasis on applications for the delivery of drugs and biomolecules.

Vegetable proteins as encapsulating agents: Recent updates and future perspectives

The use of proteinaceous material is desired as it forms a protective gelation around the active core, making it safe through temperature, pH, and O₂ in the stomach and intestinal environment. During the boom of functional food utilization in this era of advancement in drug delivery systems, there is a dire need to find more protein sources that could be explored for the potential of being used as encapsulation materials, especially vegetable proteins. This review covers certain examples which need to be explored to form an encapsulation coating material, including soybeans (conglycinin and glycinin), peas (vicilin and convicilin), sunflower (helianthins and albumins), legumes (glutenins and albumins), and proteins from oats, rice, and wheat. This review covers recent interventions exploring the mentioned vegetable protein encapsulation and imminent projections in the shifting paradigm from conventional process to environmentally friendly green process technologies and the sensitivity of methods used for encapsulation. Vegetable proteins are easily biodegradable and so are the procedures of spray drying and coacervation, which have been discussed to prepare the desired encapsulated functional food. Coacervation processes are yet more promising in the case of particle size formation ranging from nano to several hundred microns. The present review emphasizes the significance of using vegetable proteins as capsule material, as well as the specificity of encapsulation methods in relation to vegetable protein sensitivity and the purpose of encapsulation accompanying recent interventions.

Docosahexaenoic Acid Delivery Systems, Bioavailability, Functionality, and Applications: A Review

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), mainly found in microalgae and fish oil, is crucial for the growth and development of visual, neurological, and brain. In addition, DHA has been found to improve metabolic disorders associated with obesity and has anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anti-adipogenesis effects. However, DHA applications in food are often limited due to its low water solubility, instability, and poor bioavailability. Therefore, delivery systems have been developed to enhance the remainder of DHA activity and increase DHA homeostasis and bioavailability. This review focused on the different DHA delivery systems and the in vitro and in vivo digestive characteristics. The research progress on cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, visual, neurological/brain, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, food applications, future trends, and the development potential of DHA delivery systems were also reviewed. DHA delivery systems could overcome the instability of DHA in gastrointestinal digestion, improve the bioavailability of DHA, and better play the role of its functionality.

Potato protein: current review of structure, technological properties, and potential application on spray drying microencapsulation

Studies regarding spray drying microencapsulation are aplenty available; especially focusing on processing parameters, microparticle characteristics and encapsulation efficiency. Hence, there is a rising interest in tailoring wall materials aiming to improve the process's effectiveness. Reflecting a market trend in the food industry, plant-based proteins are emerging as alternative protein sources, and their application adaptability is an increasing research of interest related to consumers' demand for healthy food, product innovation, and sustainability. This review presents a perspective on the investigation of potato protein as a technological ingredient, considering it a nonconventional source obtained as by-product from starch industry. Furthermore, this piece emphasizes the potential application of potato protein as wall material in spray drying encapsulation, considering that this purpose is still limited for this ingredient. The literature reports that vegetal-based proteins might present compromised functionality due to processing conditions, impairing its technological application. Structural modification can offer a potential approach to modify potato protein configuration aiming to improve its utilization. Studies reported that modified proteins can perform as better emulsifiers and antioxidant agents compared to intact proteins. Hence, it is expected that their use in microencapsulation would improve process efficiency and protection of the core material, consequently delivering superior encapsulation performance.

Exploring in vitro release and digestion of commercial DHA microcapsules from algae oil and tuna oil with whey protein and casein as wall materials

Microencapsulation is a promising technique to improve the bioavailability and mask the unpleasant smell of DHA oils. Yet, how the encapsulated DHA oils are 'released' and 'digested' within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and the effect of the wall material and source of DHA have been largely unknown. Here, two commercial DHA microcapsules from algae oil (A-DHA) and tuna oil (T-DHA) with 100% whey protein (WP) and 80% casein and 20% WP (C-WP) as wall materials were evaluated in vitro respectively. The release ratio was nearly linearly increased to 77.7% and 41.7% after the simulated gastric phase for T-DHA and A-DHA microcapsules, respectively. In contrast to A-DHA microcapsules for which the release of DHA approached equilibrium in the later intestinal phase, a decline in the release ratio was shown for T-DHA microcapsules perhaps due to the interaction of T-DHA with bile salts resulting in the formation of micelles. The more stable release behaviors might suggest a better performance of A-DHA coated by WP, which enables sustainable release during GIT digestion. This is supported by the better ability to resist gastric proteolysis for A-DHA microcapsules. Additionally, T-DHA (27.5%) showed a lower lipid digestibility than A-DHA (68.5%) in the end due to their structure difference. Significantly positive correlations were found for both microcapsules between DHA release ratio and protein hydrolysis. This study has provided quantitative information on the in vitro release and digestion of DHA microcapsules as influenced by the wall protein and DHA source. The findings are practically meaningful for future formulation of DHA microcapsules with controlled release rates at target sites of the GIT.

Extraction and Microencapsulation of Bioactive Compounds from Muicle (Justicia spicigera) and Their Use in the Formulation of Functional Foods

Bioactive compounds (BC) present in muicle leaves were extracted using the best extraction conditions obtained with a Box–Behnken experimental design, extracting 95% of BC. Microencapsulation of muicle BC was carried out by spray drying using DE10 maltodextrin (MD) and soy protein isolate (SPI) as encapsulating agents. The best conditions for the ethanolic extraction of BC from muicle were 30 °C, 40% aqueous ethanol, and one extraction for 1 h. The best spray drying encapsulating conditions for BC and antioxidant capacity (AC) using MD as an encapsulating agent were: 160–80 °C and 10% MD in the feeding solution, and for SPI: 180–70 °C and 5% SPI in the feeding solution. Microcapsules were added to yogurt and a sensory evaluation and retention of BC during 15-day storage at 4 °C was performed. Sensory evaluation showed that yogurt with added MD microcapsules had better acceptance than that with SPI microcapsules. Based on this, a jelly with added muicle MD microcapsules was also prepared which obtained better acceptance by the judges. At the end of the storage period, yogurt with SPI microcapsules showed better retention of BC and AC than yogurts with MD microcapsules; however, products with MD microcapsules had better acceptance.

Colloidal and vesicular delivery system for herbal bioactive constituents

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the present review is to explore and examine the effectiveness of currently developed novel techniques to resolve the issues which are associated with the herbal constituents/extract.

METHODS

A systematic thorough search and collection of reviewed information from Science direct, PubMed and Google Scholar databases based on various sets of key phrases have been performed. All the findings from these data have been studied and briefed based on their relevant and irrelevant information.

RESULT

Herbal drugs are gaining more popularity in the modern world due to their applications in curing various ailments with minimum toxic effects, side effect or adverse effect. However, various challenges exist with herbal extracts/plant actives such as poor solubility (water/lipid), poor permeation, lack of targeting specificity, instability in highly acidic pH, and liver metabolism, etc. Nowadays with the expansion in the technology, novel drug delivery system provides avenues and newer opportunity towards the delivery of herbal drugs with improved physical chemical properties, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic. Developing nano-strategies like Polymeric nanoparticles, Liposomes, Niosomes, Microspheres, Phytosomes, Nanoemulsion and Self Nano Emulsifying Drug Delivery System, etc. imparts benefits for delivery of phyto formulation and herbal bioactives. Nano formulation of phytoconstituents/ herbal extract could lead to enhancement of aqueous solubility, dissolution, bioavailability, stability, reduce toxicity, permeation, sustained delivery, protection from enzymatic degradation, etc. CONCLUSION: Based on the above findings, the conclusion can be drawn that the nano sized novel drug delivery systems of herbal and herbal bioactives have a potential future for upgrading the pharmacological action and defeating or overcoming the issues related with these constituents. The aims of the present review was to summarize and critically analyze the recent development of nano sized strategies for promising phytochemicals delivery systems along with their therapeutic applications supported by experimental evidence and discussing the opportunities for further aspects.

Spray drying encapsulation of bioactive compounds within protein-based carriers; different options and applications

Spray-drying is known as a common and economical technique for the encapsulation of various nutrients and bioactive compounds. However, shear and thermal tensions during atomization and dehydration, as well as physicochemical instability during storage, result in a loss of these compounds. As a solution, bioactives are stabilized into different carriers, among which proteins and peptides are of particular importance due to their functional properties, surface activity, and film/shell formability around particles. Given the importance of stabilization of bioactive compounds during spray drying, this paper focuses on the role of composition and type of carriers, as well as the characteristics and efficiency of various protein-based carriers in the encapsulation and maintaining of physicochemical, structural, and functional properties, along with biological activity of bioactive compounds (e.g., oleoresins, sterols, polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, probiotics, and peptides), and nutrients (e.g., vitamins, fatty acids and minerals) alone or in combination with other biopolymers.

Effects of glycation and acylation on the structural characteristics and physicochemical properties of soy protein isolate

This study examined the effects of different sequential treatments of dextran glycation and succinic anhydride acylation on the structure and physicochemical properties of soy protein isolate (SPI). The tested properties included electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, endogenous fluorescence spectroscopy, surface hydrophobicity (H₀ ), free sulfhydryl (-SH), solubility, interfacial properties, rheological properties, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the two treatments significantly improved the structure and functional characteristics of the SPI. The order of the methods had an important effect on the SPI. The lowest H₀ (231.76 ± 11.92), the highest free -SH content (3.09 ± 0.09 µmol/g), and the highest solubility at pH = 7 (77 ± 3.97%) were obtained when the acylation treatment was followed by the glycation treatment. Emulsification, emulsion stability, foaming, and foam stability were also the highest. Glycation and acylation caused the viscosity coefficient (k) of the SPI solution to decrease compared with SPI alone, but the flow index (n) value increased, and the sum G' value of the conjugate system decreased as gel time increased. SEM showed that its microstructure has changed significantly. Therefore, this research provided an effective method for improving the functional characteristics of SPI and had potential industrial application prospects. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Glycation and acylation of soybean protein isolate improved the chemical modification method of protein, improved the functional properties of soybean protein, widened its application in food and materials, and provided a new idea for the further development and utilization of soybean protein.

Proteins from leguminous plants: from structure, property to the function in encapsulation/binding and delivery of bioactive compounds

Leguminous proteins are important nutritional components in leguminous plants, and they have different structures and functions depending on their sources. Due to their specific structures and physicochemical properties, leguminous proteins have received much attention in food and nutritional applications, and they can be applied as various carriers for binding/encapsulation and delivery of food bioactive compounds. In this review, we systematically summarize the different structures and functional properties of several leguminous proteins which can be classified as ferritin, trypsin inhibitor, β-conglycinin, glycinin, and various leguminous proteins isolates. Moreover, we review the development of leguminous proteins as carriers of food bioactive compounds, and emphasize the functions of leguminous protein-based binding/encapsulation and delivery in overcoming the low bioavailability, instability and low absorption efficiency of food bioactive compounds. The limitations and challenges of the utilization of leguminous proteins as carriers of food bioactive compounds are also discussed. Possible approaches to resolve the limitations of applying leguminous proteins such as instability of proteins and poor absorption of bioactive compounds are recommended.

Legume proteins are smart carriers to encapsulate hydrophilic and hydrophobic bioactive compounds and probiotic bacteria: A review

Encapsulation is a promising technological process enabling the protection of bioactive compounds against harsh storage, processing, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions. Legume proteins (LPs) are unique carriers that can efficiently encapsulate these unstable and highly reactive ingredients. Stable LPs-based microcapsules loaded with active ingredients can thus develop to be embedded into processed functional foods. The recent advances in micro- and nanoencapsulation process of an extensive span of bioactive health-promoting probiotics and chemical compounds such as marine and plant fatty acid-rich oils, carotenoid pigments, vitamins, flavors, essential oils, phenolic and anthocyanin-rich extracts, iron, and phytase by LPs as single wall materials were highlighted. A technical summary of the use of single LP-based carriers in designing innovative delivery systems for natural bioactive molecules and probiotics was made. The encapsulation mechanisms, encapsulation efficiency, physicochemical and thermal stability, as well as the release and absorption behavior of bioactives were comprehensively discussed. Protein isolates and concentrates of soy and pea were the most common LPs to encapsulate nutraceuticals and probiotics. The microencapsulation of probiotics using LPs improved bacteria survivability, storage stability, and tolerance in the in vitro GIT conditions. Moreover, homogenization and high-pressure pretreatments as well as enzymatic cross-linking of LPs significantly modify their structure and functionality to better encapsulate the bioactive core materials. LPs can be attractive delivery devices for the controlled release and increased bioaccessibility of the main food-grade bioactives.

Encapsulation of Vitamins A and E as Spray-Dried Additives for the Feed Industry

Encapsulated fat-soluble powders containing vitamin A (VA) and E (VE) were prepared as a feasible additive for extruded feed products. The effect of the encapsulating agents (Capsul-CAP®, sodium caseinate-SC) in combination with Tween 80 (TW) as an emulsifier and maltodextrin (MD) as a wall material on the physicochemical properties of emulsions and powders was evaluated. First, nanoemulsions containing MD:CAP:TW:VA/VE and MD:SC:TW:VA/VE were prepared and characterized. Then, powders were obtained by means of spray-drying and analyzed in terms of the product yield, encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, porosity, surface morphology, chemical structure, and thermal properties and thermo-oxidative/thermal stability. Results showed that although nanoemulsions were obtained for all the compositions, homogeneous microcapsules were found after the drying process. High product yield and encapsulation efficiency were obtained, and the presence of the vitamins was corroborated. The characteristics of the powders were mainly influenced by the encapsulating agent used and also by the type of vitamin. In general, the microcapsules remained thermally stable up to 170 °C and, therefore, the proposed encapsulation systems for vitamins A and E were suitable for the preparation of additives for the feed manufacturing through the extrusion process.

Bioavailability Enhancement of Poorly Soluble Drugs: The Holy Grail in Pharma Industry

Background:

Bioavailability, one of the prime pharmacokinetic properties of a drug, is defined as the fraction of an administered dose of unchanged drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is used to describe the systemic availability of a drug. Bioavailability assessment is imperative in order to demonstrate whether the drug attains the desirable systemic exposure for effective therapy. In recent years, bioavailability has become the subject of importance in drug discovery and development studies.

Methods:

A systematic literature review in the field of bioavailability and the approaches towards its enhancement have been comprehensively done, purely focusing upon recent papers. The data mining was performed using databases like PubMed, Science Direct and general Google searches and the collected data was exhaustively studied and summarized in a generalized manner.

Results:

The main prospect of this review was to generate a comprehensive one-stop summary of the numerous available approaches and their pharmaceutical applications in improving the stability concerns, physicochemical and mechanical properties of the poorly water-soluble drugs which directly or indirectly augment their bioavailability.

Conclusion:

The use of novel methods, including but not limited to, nano-based formulations, bio-enhancers, solid dispersions, lipid-and polymer-based formulations which provide a wide range of applications not only increases the solubility and permeability of the poorly bioavailable drugs but also improves their stability, and targeting efficacy. Although, these methods have drastically changed the pharmaceutical industry demand for the newer potential methods with better outcomes in the field of pharmaceutical science to formulate various dosage forms with adequate systemic availability and improved patient compliance, further research is required.

Spray-Dried Succinylated Soy Protein Microparticles for Oral Ibuprofen Delivery

The potential value of succinylated soy protein (SPS) as a wall material for the encapsulation of ibuprofen (IBU), a model hydrophobic drug, by spray-drying was investigated. A succinylation rate of 93% was obtained for soy protein isolate, with a molar ratio of 1/1.5 (NH₂/succinic anhydride). The solubility profile at 37°C showed that this chemical modification decreased the solubility of the protein below its isoelectric point, whereas solubility increased in alkaline conditions. Various SPS/IBU ratios (90/10, 80/20, and 60/40) were studied and compared with the same ratio of soy protein isolate (SPI/IBU). High encapsulation efficiency was achieved (91-95%). Microparticles were spherical and between 4 and 8 μm in diameter. The spray-drying of protein/IBU solutions appeared to be beneficial, as it resulted in an amorphous solid dispersion of IBU within the microparticles, coupled with an increase in the thermal stability of IBU. In vitro release was evaluated in acidic (pH 1.2 in the presence of pepsin) and neutral (pH 6.8) conditions similar to those in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. IBU was released significantly more slowly at pH 1.2, for both proteins. However, this slowing was particularly marked for SPS, for which rapid (within 2 h) and complete release was observed at pH 6.8. These results validate the hypothesis that SPS is suitable for use as a coating material for hydrophobic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) due to its pH sensitivity, which should delay IBU release in the gastrointestinal tract.

Barley β-d-glucan - modified starch complex as potential encapsulation agent for fish oil

The aim of the study was to examine physicochemical characteristics of fish oil microcapsules produced at different temperatures and estimate the optimal ratio of BG, CS and spray drying temperature. Only the interaction between spray drying and β-d-glucan content played a significant role in influencing the encapsulation efficiency and spray drying itself (p ≤ 0.001 and p ≤ 0.05). Temperature played a significant role in increasing particle size as well, but the coefficient for this parameter was lower (0.179). The observed differences in particle size of microcapsules could be caused by the differences in glass transition temperature of the polymers (β-d-glucan and modified starch) used as wall material. It could be seen that the lowest TBARS content was observed when the β-d-glucan in the wall material was at relatively high level (85%) with moderate temperature applied (154 °C) - 0.56 mg of malonaldehyde/kg of powder. The highest amount of EPA was present in the sample with 50% share of β-d-glucan and spray dried in 150 °C (10.22 ± 0.24). After examination of all runs of the experiment, we have made optimization study to obtain the wall material composition and spray drying temperature values which will be most appropriate for fish oil encapsulation.

Encapsulation of omega 3-6-9 fatty acids-rich oils using protein-based emulsions with spray drying

With an increased awareness of the link between the consumption of omega 3-6-9 fatty acid-rich oils and health, the food industry has been developing innovative strategies for raising their levels within the diet. Microencapsulation is one approach used to protect those oils from oxidative deterioration and to improve their ingredient properties (e.g., handling and sensory). Spray drying is the most commonly used technique to develop microcapsules. The preparation of protein-stabilized emulsions is a fundamental step in the process in order to produce microcapsules with good physical properties, effective protection and controlled release behaviors. This review describes types of emulsions prepared by animal and plant proteins, discusses the relationship between emulsion properties and microcapsule properties, and identifies key parameters to evaluate physical properties (e.g., moisture content, water activity, particle size, surface oil and entrapment efficiency), oxidative stability and release behavior of spray-dried microcapsules for industrial application.

Microencapsulation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with four wall materials including pea protein-modified starch complex

Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 carbons and 6 double bonds) are fundamental compounds for a healthy diet. However, due to their unsaturated nature, omega fatty acid-rich oils are chemically unstable and susceptible to oxidative deterioration. The oxidation results in production of free radicals and unpleasant tastes, negatively impacting the shelf-life, sensory properties, and acceptability of food products. This study was conducted to examine the effect of wall materials on protection of DHA in canola oil against oxidation. A total of 4 wall materials including pea protein isolate (PPI), pea protein isolate - modified starch complex (PPI-MS), Tween 20, and SDS were used for microemulsion preparation with canola oil containing DHA. The freeze-dried powders were analyzed with respect to physicochemical characteristics, oxidative stability, and release properties. The results showed that the PPI-MS as a natural polymeric wall material exhibited similar or better encapsulation efficiency and acceptable level of peroxide value compared to the synthetic surfactants (Tween 20 and SDS). The utilization of protein-polysaccharide complexes enabled the incorporation of specific properties of each biopolymer to further improve emulsion stability for the production of capsules with improved oxidative stability.

Protein-Based Delivery Systems for the Nanoencapsulation of Food Ingredients

Many proteins possess functional attributes that make them suitable for the encapsulation of bioactive agents, such as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. This article reviews the state of the art of protein-based nanoencapsulation approaches. The physicochemical principles underlying the major techniques for the fabrication of nanoparticles, nanogels, and nanofibers from animal, botanical, and recombinant proteins are described. Protein modification approaches that can be used to extend their functionality in these nanocarrier systems are also described, including chemical, physical, and enzymatic treatments. The encapsulation, retention, protection, and release of bioactive agents in different protein-based nanocarriers are discussed. Finally, some of the major challenges in the design and fabrication of protein-based delivery systems are highlighted.

Soy Protein Microparticles for Enhanced Oral Ibuprofen Delivery: Preparation, Characterization, and In Vitro Release Evaluation

The objective of this work was to evaluate soy protein isolate (SPI) and acylated soy protein (SPA) as spray-drying encapsulation carriers for oral pharmaceutical applications. SPI acylation was performed by the Schotten-Baumann reaction. SPA, with an acylation rate of 41%, displayed a decrease in solubility in acidic conditions, whereas its solubility was unaffected by basic conditions. The drug encapsulation capacities of both SPI and SPA were tested with ibuprofen (IBU) as a model poorly soluble drug. IBU-SPI and IBU-SPA particles were obtained by spray-drying under eco-friendly conditions. Yields of 70 to 87% and microencapsulation efficiencies exceeding 80% were attained for an IBU content of 20 to 40% w/w, confirming the excellent microencapsulation properties of SPI and the suitability of the chemical modification. The in vitro release kinetics of IBU were studied in simulated gastrointestinal conditions (pH 1.2 and pH 6.8, 37°C). pH-sensitive release patterns were observed, with an optimized low rate of release in simulated gastric fluid for SPA formulations, and a rapid and complete release in simulated intestinal fluid for both formulations, due to the optimal pattern of pH-dependent solubility for SPA and the molecular dispersion of IBU in soy protein. These results demonstrate that SPI and SPA are relevant for the development of pH-sensitive drug delivery systems for the oral route.

Preparation of keratin-based microcapsules for encapsulation of hydrophilic molecules

The interest towards microcapsules based on non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, such as proteins, is increasing considerably. In this work, microcapsules were prepared using water soluble keratin, known as keratoses, with the aim of encapsulating hydrophilic molecules. Keratoses were obtained via oxidizing extraction of pristine wool, previously degreased by Soxhlet. In order to better understand the shell part of microcapsules, pristine wool and obtained keratoses were investigated by FT-IR, gel-electrophoresis and HPLC. Production of the microcapsules was carried out by a sonication method. Thermal properties of microcapsules were investigated by DSC. Microencapsulation and dye encapsulation yields were obtained by UV-spectroscopy. Morphological structure of microcapsules was studied by light microscopy, SEM, and AFM. The molecular weights of proteins analyzed using gel-electrophoresis resulted in the range of 38-62kDa. The results confirmed that the hydrophilic dye (Telon Blue) was introduced inside the keratoses shells by sonication and the final microcapsules diameter ranged from 0.5 to 4µm. Light microscope investigation evidenced the presence of the dye inside the keratoses vesicles, confirming their capability of encapsulating hydrophilic molecules. The microcapsule yield and dye encapsulation yield were found to be 28.87±3% and 83.62±5% respectively.

Modification of proteins and polysaccharides using dodecenyl succinic anhydride: Synthesis, properties and applications-A review

Proteins and polysaccharides are among the biopolymers produced by living organisms for their structural integrity, protection, physiological functions, or as reserve energy. These biopolymers are extracted from their natural matrices by humans to fulfil basic as well as convenience needs. The inquisitive human nature, ever-growing demands and resources at disposal have led to copious research in the field of biopolymer modifications. The availability of reactive sites on these biopolymers make them suitable substrates for esterification, etherification, oxidation, epoxidation, N-acylation, alkylation, etc. Dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA) is an esterifying agent that introduces a 12-carbon hydrophobic chain in the structure of the substrate containing suitable reactive sites. The use of DDSA as a modifying agent for biopolymers dates back to the mid-twentieth century. Even today, many biopolymers are explored for modification with DDSA for improved functionality. These modifications are aimed at catering the needs of the paint, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and textile industries. This review attempts to systematically compile reported research on the use of DDSA as a biopolymer modifying agent, the various reaction techniques, properties and applications thereof.

α-Tocopherol-loaded niosome prepared by heating method and its release behavior

α-Tocopherol-loaded niosome was developed using modified heating method. The influence of surfactants (Span60 and Tween60) in different mole ratios, presence or absence of cholesterol (Chol) and dicetyl phosphate (DCP) as well as different concentration of α-tocopherol (α-TOC) on mean size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency (EE) was evaluated. The results showed that α-TOC loaded niosomes exhibited a small mean size (73.85±0.6-186±0.58nm), narrow size distribution and high EE (61.13±0.52-98.92±0.92). By decreasing the HLB, the EE and stability of the niosomes increased. The DCP and Chol improved the physicochemical properties of niosomes. 3:1 mole ratio of Span 60:Tween 60, 4mg/ml of α-TOC and 25:12.5:2.5 mole ratio of surfactant:Chol:DCP was the optimum formulation in the encapsulation of α-TOC applying niosome system. The niosomes had sustained release profile in the simulated gastric and intestinal fluid.

Modification of pea protein isolate for ultrasonic encapsulation of functional liquids

This study reports on the ultrasonic processing of pea protein isolate (PPI) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) and Tris/HCl (pH 8) buffer systems in order to modify its properties for use in the encapsulation of functional liquids.