3D printing of microencapsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus for oral delivery

Potential of 3D printing in development of foods for special medical purpose: A review

Nutritional management has emerged as an effective strategy to mitigate the risks of malnutrition and disease-related mortality among patients. The emergence of novel food types, particularly foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs), has garnered increasing attention from researchers and businesses. 3D printing (3DP) technology, alternatively known as food additive manufacturing, has gained popularity among novel food developers due to its distinct capabilities in tailoring nutrition, appearance, texture, and enhancing overall edible quality. This review examines current market trends, product forms, and unique characteristics of FSMPs, highlighting the progress made in applying 3DP to the development of functional foods and drugs. Despite its potential medical benefits, there are limited instances of direct utilization of 3DP in the production of such specialized food type. Currently, the FSMP market faces several challenges, including limited product diversity, inadequate formula design, and a lack of product appeal. 3DP offers significant advantages in catering to the unique needs of special patients, encompassing both physiological medical benefits and enhanced sensory as well as psychological eating experiences. It holds great promise in promoting precision medicine and personalized home-based FSMPs preparations. This review will delve into the development strategies and feasibility of 3DP in creating specialized medical food for patients with unique conditions and across different age groups. Additionally, it explores the potential challenges of applying 3DP to the FSMP sector, such as regulatory frameworks, patient acceptance, cost of 3D-printed FSMPs, and the improvement of 3DP.

Development and Evaluation of Bioconverted Milk with Anti-Microbial Effect against Periodontal Pathogens and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity

To decrease periodontal pathogens and increase the number of beneficial bacteria, probiotics and bioactive compounds made via microbial bioconversion are recently used. In addition, the interest regarding probiotics-mediated bioconversion with popular medicinal plants is increasing. Artemisia herba-alba, a type of wormwood, has recently been attention as a medicinal plant due to its various bioactive compounds. Therefore, we developed bioconverted milk containing A. herba-alba that effectively inhibited periodontal pathogens and α-glucosidase. To select the appropriate lactic acid bacteria for the probiotic candidate strain, 74 strains of lactic acid bacteria were screened. Among them, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SMFM2016-RK was chosen as the probiotic due to its beneficial characteristics such as high acid and bile tolerance, antioxidant activity, and α-glucosidase inhibition. Based on the minimal bactericidal concentration against three periodontal pathogens, the following appropriate concentrations of Artemisia herba-alba extract were added to milk: 5 mg/mL of A. herba-alba ethanol extract and 25 mg/mL of A. herba-alba hot-water extract. Four bioconverted milks (BM), BM1, BM2, BM3, and BM4, were produced by combining L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK alone, L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK and ethanol extract, L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK and hot-water extract, and L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK with both extracts. As a result of antimicrobial activity, BM3 inhibited the growth of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis the most, and BM4 suppressed the growth of Fusobacterium nucleatum the most. In addition, bioconverted milk containing A. herba-alba (BM2, BM3, and BM4) inhibited α-glucosidase more effectively than BM1. The whole genome of L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK was obtained, and 3135 CDS, 67 tRNA, and 16 RNA were predicted. The genome annotation of L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK revealed 11 CDS related to proteolysis and amino acid metabolism and 2 CDS of phenolic acid-metabolizing enzymes. In conclusion, A. herba-alba-added milk bioconverted by L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK displayed both the growth inhibitory effect on periodontal pathogens and the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity; thus, it necessitates to evaluate the effects on the alleviation of periodontal diseases and glycemic control through future animal experiments.

Emerging Multiscale Biofabrication Approaches for Bacteriotherapy

Bacteriotherapy is emerging as a strategic and effective approach to treat infections by providing putatively harmless bacteria (i.e., probiotics) as antagonists to pathogens. Proper delivery of probiotics or their metabolites (i.e., post-biotics) can facilitate their availing of biomaterial encapsulation via innovative manufacturing technologies. This review paper aims to provide the most recent biomaterial-assisted strategies proposed to treat infections or dysbiosis using bacteriotherapy. We revised the encapsulation processes across multiscale biomaterial approaches, which could be ideal for targeting different tissues and suit diverse therapeutic opportunities. Hydrogels, and specifically polysaccharides, are the focus of this review, as they have been reported to better sustain the vitality of the live cells incorporated. Specifically, the approaches used for fabricating hydrogel-based devices with increasing dimensionality (D)-namely, 0D (i.e., particles), 1D (i.e., fibers), 2D (i.e., fiber meshes), and 3D (i.e., scaffolds)-endowed with probiotics, were detailed by describing their advantages and challenges, along with a future overlook in the field. Electrospinning, electrospray, and 3D bioprinting were investigated as new biofabrication methods for probiotic encapsulation within multidimensional matrices. Finally, examples of biomaterial-based systems for cell and possibly post-biotic release were reported.