Contribution of response surface methodology to the modeling of naringin hydrolysis by naringinase Ca-alginate beads under high pressure

Influence of Sodium Alginate Concentration on Microcapsules Properties Foreseeing the Protection and Controlled Release of Bioactive Substances

To understand the abilities of Ca-alginate microcapsules and their specific applications in different fields, it is necessary to determine the physicochemical and structural properties of those formulated microcapsules. In this work, we aimed to study the effect of alginate concentration in the improvement of the encapsulation efficiency (EE) and on the release of phenolic and flavonoid substances. The relationship between the structure of the encapsulated bioactive substance and Ca-alginate network and their effect on the EE and release kinetics have been investigated. The incorporation, structure, morphology, and phase properties of all elaborated materials were characterized by UV-spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (DRX). The results indicate that increasing the polymer concentration increases the EE and decreases the loading capacity (LC), whereas the effect of alginate polymer concentration on the release was not observed. The release study of bioactive substances showed that the release kinetics is relatively dependent on the structure and the physicochemical characteristics of the bioactive substance, which became clear when the encapsulated compounds were released from the core of calcium alginate microcapsules. Thus, it could be concluded that the pores size of the Ca-alginate network is smaller than the volume of the crocin molecule (2794.926 Å3) and higher than the volume of the gallic acid molecule (527.659 Å3). For the same microcapsules system, the release mechanism is affected by the structure and physicochemical properties of the encapsulated molecules.

Immobilization of Naringinase from Aspergillus Niger on a Magnetic Polysaccharide Carrier

Naringinase is an enzymatic complex used in the deglycosylation of compounds with a high application potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of the study was to immobilize naringinase from Aspergillus niger KMS on a magnetic carrier obtained on the basis of carob gum activated by polyethyleneimine. Response surface methodology was used to optimize naringinase immobilization taking into account the following factors: pH, immobilization time, initial concentration of naringinase and immobilization temperature. The adsorption of the enzyme on a magnetic carrier was a reversible process. The binding force of naringinase was increased by crosslinking the enzyme with the carrier using dextran aldehyde. The crosslinked enzyme had better stability in an acidic environment and at a higher temperature compared to the free form. The immobilization and stabilization of naringinase by dextran aldehyde on the magnetic polysaccharide carrier lowered the activation energy, thus increasing the catalytic capacity of the investigated enzyme and increasing the activation energy of the thermal deactivation process, which confirms higher stability of the immobilized enzyme in comparison with free naringinase. The preparation of crosslinked naringinase retained over 80% of its initial activity after 10 runs of naringin hydrolysis from fresh and model grapefruit juice.

Quality changes in high hydrostatic pressure and thermal pasteurized grapefruit juice during cold storage

This study evaluated the effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and thermal pasteurization (TP) on microbial counts, physicochemical properties, antioxidant characteristics, naringin and naringenin contents, and naringinase activity of grapefruit juice during 21 days cold storage period. Results showed that HHP and TP significantly decreased the total microbial, coliform, and yeast counts. No significant differences between HHP-treated grapefruit juice (600 MPa/5 min) and untreated fruit juice with respect to physicochemical properties such as total titratable acidity, pH, and total soluble solids was observed after 21 days of storage. Although HHP affected the colour and antioxidant characteristics of grapefruit juice, the extent of effect was significantly lower than that for TP-treated fruit juice. This demonstrated that HHP could better maintain the original flavour and quality of grapefruit juice compared to TP. In addition, 92% naringinase activity was maintained in HHP-600 group on Day 21, which increased the degradation of bitter naringin into non-bitter naringenin during the cold storage of grapefruit juice. In summary, HHP can simultaneously maintain the microbiological safety of grapefruit juice along with its original quality characteristics. HHP can effectively extend the storage period and safety during cold chain transport, and hence highly applicable in the grapefruit juice industry.

Physicochemical Characterization of Alginate Beads Containing Sugars and Biopolymers

Alginate hydrogels are suitable for the encapsulation of a great variety of biomolecules. Several alternatives to the conventional alginate formulation are being studied for a broad range of biotechnological applications; among them the addition of sugars and biopolymers arises as a good and economic strategy. Sugars (trehalose and β-cyclodextrin), a cationic biopolymer (chitosan), an anionic biopolymer (pectin), and neutral gums (Arabic, guar, espina corona, and vinal gums) provided different characteristics to the beads. Here we discuss the influence of beads composition on several physicochemical properties, such as size and shape, analyzed through digital image analysis besides both water content and activity. The results showed that the addition of a second biopolymer, β-CD, or trehalose provoked more compact beads, but the fact that they were compact not necessarily implies a concomitant increase in their circularity. Espina corona beads showed the highest circularity value, being useful for applications which require a controlled and high circularity, assuring quality control. Beads with trehalose showed lower water content than the rest of the system, followed by those containing galactomannans (espina corona, vinal, and guar gums), revealing polymer structure effects. A complete characterization of the beads was performed by FT-IR, assigning the characteristics bands to each individual component.

Monitoring simultaneous photocatalytic-ozonation of mixture of pharmaceuticals in the presence of immobilized TiO2 nanoparticles using MCR-ALS: Identification of intermediates and multi-response optimization approach

The present study has focused on the degradation of a mixture of three pharmaceuticals, i.e. methyldopa (MDP), nalidixic acid (NAD) and famotidine (FAM) which were quantified simultaneously during photocatalytic-ozonation process. The experiments were conducted in a semi-batch reactor where TiO2 nanoparticles (crystallites mean size 8nm) were immobilized on ceramic plates irradiated by UV-A light in the proximity of oxygen and/or ozone. The surface morphology and roughness of the bare and TiO2-coated ceramic plates were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). An analytical methodology was successfully developed based on both recording ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra during the degradation process and a data analysis using multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). This methodology enabled the researchers to obtain the concentration and spectral profiles of the chemical compounds which were involved in the process. A central composite design was used to study the effect of several factors on multiple responses namely MDP removal (Y1), NAD removal (Y2) and FAM removal (Y3) in the simultaneous photocatalytic-ozonation of these pharmaceuticals. A multi-response optimization procedure based on global desirability of the factors was used to simultaneously maximize Y1, Y2 and Y3. The results of the global desirability revealed that 8mg/L MAD, 8mg/L NAD, 8mg/L FAM, 6L/h ozone flow rate and a 30min-reaction time were the best conditions under which the optimized values of various responses were Y1=95.03%, Y2=84.93% and Y3=99.15%. Also, the intermediate products of pharmaceuticals generated in the photocatalytic-ozonation process were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.

Optimization of Process Parameters by Statistical Experimental Designs for the Production of Naringinase Enzyme by Marine Fungi

Naringinase has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years due to its hydrolytic activities which include the production of rhamnose and prunin and debittering of citrus fruit juices. Screening of fifteen marine-derived fungi, locally isolated from Ismalia, Egypt, for naringinase enzyme production, indicated thatAspergillus nigerwas the most promising. In solid state fermentation (SSF) of the agroindustrial waste, orange rind was used as a substrate containing naringin. Sequential optimization strategy, based on statistical experimental designs, was employed to enhance the production of the debittering naringinase enzyme. Effects of 19 variables were examined for their significance on naringinase production using Plackett-Burman factorial design. Significant parameters were further investigated using Taguchi’s (L1645) orthogonal array design. Based on statistical analysis (ANOVA), the optimal combinations of the major constituents of media for maximal naringinase production were evaluated as follows: 15 g orange rind waste, 30 mL moisture content, 1% grape fruit, 1% NaNO3, 0.5% KH2PO4, 5 mM MgSO4, 5 mM FeSO4, and the initial pH 7.5. The activity obtained was more than 3.14-fold the basal production medium.

High-affinity water-soluble system for efficient naringinase immobilization in polyvinyl alcohol-dimethyl sulfoxide lens-shaped particles

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a water-soluble, biocompatible and biodegradable synthetic polymer whose application in the immobilization of biological agents for use in biocatalysis has shown promising results. This study aimed to investigate and optimize the immobilization of naringinase from Penicillium decumbens in PVA networks, targeting for the hydrolysis of naringin. Variables such as the most suitable cross-linker, catalyst, inorganic salt, co-solvents and solidification process were identified as key issues for PVA-based methods to form lens-shaped particles, while retaining high enzyme activity and stability. Major improvements were established for better and more reproducible immobilization conditions, namely, by designing a new immobilization apparatus to produce uniform lens-shaped particles. The common problems of PVA-based entrapment were significantly mitigated, through the use of selected cross-linker, glutaraldehyde (GA), and co-solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which decreased the toxicity of the immobilization process and allowed the control of membrane porosity, respectively. The relevance of DMSO and GA and their interaction and effect on the swelling ratio, encapsulation efficiency and residual activity of PVA biocatalysts were established. The immobilization of naringinase in PVA under a DMSO concentration of 60%, cross-linked with 1% GA, and particle lens size of 3.5-4.0 mm, width of 100-300 µm and average particle volume of 12.5 ± 0.92 µL, allowed an encapsulation efficiency of 98.6% and an average residual activity of 87% ± 3.6%. The kinetic characterization of the immobilized naringinase showed no changes in pH profile, whereas hydrolytic activity increased up to 60 °C. Immobilization in PVA/DMSO/GA lens-shaped particles enhanced the storage stability of naringinase. Moreover, these naringinase bio-immobilizates retained a conversion rate higher than 78% after 23 runs.

Cross-linked enzyme aggregates of naringinase: novel biocatalysts for naringin hydrolysis

Cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) have emerged as interesting biocatalyst design for immobilization. These new generation enzyme biocatalysts, CLEAs, in addition to exhibiting good mechanical stability, can be highly active, since they do not include large amounts of foreign particulate nonenzymatic material and may have increased stability. Naringinase (NGase) is an enzyme complex with high potential in pharmaceutical and food industries. In fact, NGase can be used in the biotransformation of steroids, of antibiotics and mainly on glycosides hydrolysis. In this paper, the formation of CLEAs was tried using ammonium sulphate, polyethylene glycol 6000 and tert-butyl alcohol as precipitant agents and glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent, at different pH, time, and temperature conditions. However, among the precipitant agents tested, only tert-butyl alcohol cross-linked with glutaraldehyde allowed the formation of CLEAs, at pH 4.0 and at temperature between 7 and 10°C. Different enzyme loadings were tested. The NGase-CLEAs were highly effective in naringin hydrolysis. The operational stability of the NGase-CLEAs aggregates was studied through six successive reutilizations.

Assessment of Clostridium perfringens spore response to high hydrostatic pressure and heat with nisin

The elimination of spores from low-acid foods presents food-processing and food-safety challenges to high-pressure processing (HPP) developers as bacterial spores are extremely resistant to pressure. Therefore, the effects of pressure (400-800 MPa), temperature (35-95 °C), and nisin (0-496 IU/mL) on the inactivation of Clostridium perfringens AS 64701 spores at various pressure-holding times (7.5-17.5 min) were explored. A second-order polynomal equation for HPP- and nisin-induced inactivation of C. perfringens spores was constructed with response surface methodology. Experiment results showed that the experimental values were shown to be significantly in agreement with the predicted values because the adjusted determination coefficient (R (Adj)²) was 0.9708 and the level of significance was P < 0.0001. The optimum process parameters (obtained by solving the quadratic polynomal equation) for a six-log cycle reduction of C. perfringens AS 64701 spores were pressure of 654 Mpa, temperature of 74 °C, pressure-holding time of 13.6 min, and nisin concentration of 328 IU/mL. The validation of the model equation for predicting the optimum response values was verified effectively by ten test points that were not used in the establishment of the model. Compared with conventional HPP techniques, the main process advantages of HPP-nisin combination sterilization in the UHT milk are, lower pressure, temperature, natural preservative (nisin), and in a shorter treatment time. The synergistic inactivation of bacteria by HPP-nisin combination is a promising and natural method to increase the efficiency and safety of high-pressure pasteurization.