Study of microencapsulation and controlled release of modified chitosan microparticles containing vitamin B12

Microencapsulation of vitamins: A review and meta-analysis of coating materials, release and food fortification

Vitamins are responsible for providing biological properties to the human body; however, their instability under certain environmental conditions limits their utilization in the food industry. The objective was to conduct a systematic review on the use of biopolymers and lipid bases in microencapsulation processes, assessing their impact on the stability, controlled release, and viability of fortified foods with microencapsulated vitamins. The literature search was conducted between the years 2013-2023, gathering information from databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and publishers including Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Springer and MDPI; a total of 49 articles were compiled The results were classified according to the microencapsulation method, considering the following information: core, coating material, solvent, formulation, process conditions, particle size, efficiency, yield, bioavailability, bioaccessibility, in vitro release, correlation coefficient and references. It has been evidenced that gums are the most frequently employed coatings in the protection of vitamins (14.04%), followed by alginate (10.53%), modified chitosan (9.65%), whey protein (8.77%), lipid bases (8.77%), chitosan (7.89%), modified starch (7.89%), starch (7.02%), gelatin (6.14%), maltodextrin (5.26%), zein (3.51%), pectin (2.63%) and other materials (7.89%). The factors influencing the release of vitamins include pH, modification of the coating material and crosslinking agents; additionally, it was determined that the most fitting mathematical model for release values is Weibull, followed by Zero Order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas; finally, foods commonly fortified with microencapsulated vitamins were described, with yogurt, bakery products and gummy candies being notable examples.

The Application of Protein Concentrate Obtained from Green Leaf Biomass in Structuring Nanofibers for Delivery of Vitamin B12

Nanofibers made of natural proteins have caught the increasing attention of food scientists because of their edibility, renewability, and possibility for various applications. The objective of this study was to prepare nanofibers based on pumpkin leaf protein concentrate (LPC) as a by-product from some crops and gelatin as carriers for vitamin B12 using the electrospinning technique. The starting mixtures were analyzed in terms of viscosity, density, surface tension, and electrical conductivity. Scanning electron micrographs of the obtained nanofibers showed a slight increase in fiber average diameter with the addition of LPC and vitamin B12 (~81 nm to 109 nm). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy verified the physical blending of gelatin and LPC without phase separation. Thermal analysis showed the fibers had good thermal stability up to 220 °C, highlighting their potential for food applications, regardless of the thermal processing. Additionally, the newly developed fibers have good storage stability, as detected by low water activity values ranging from 0.336 to 0.376. Finally, the release study illustrates the promising sustained release of vitamin B12 from gelatin-LPC nanofibers, mainly governed by the Fickian diffusion mechanism. The obtained results implied the potential of these nanofibers in the development of functional food products with improved nutritional profiles.

Recent Advances in Dietary Sources, Health Benefits, Emerging Encapsulation Methods, Food Fortification, and New Sensor-Based Monitoring of Vitamin B12: A Critical Review

In this overview, the latest achievements in dietary origins, absorption mechanism, bioavailability assay, health advantages, cutting-edge encapsulation techniques, fortification approaches, and innovative highly sensitive sensor-based detection methods of vitamin B12 (VB12) were addressed. The cobalt-centered vitamin B is mainly found in animal products, posing challenges for strict vegetarians and vegans. Its bioavailability is highly influenced by intrinsic factor, absorption in the ileum, and liver reabsorption. VB12 mainly contributes to blood cell synthesis, cognitive function, and cardiovascular health, and potentially reduces anemia and optic neuropathy. Microencapsulation techniques improve the stability and controlled release of VB12. Co-microencapsulation of VB12 with other vitamins and bioactive compounds enhances bioavailability and controlled release, providing versatile initiatives for improving bio-functionality. Nanotechnology, including nanovesicles, nanoemulsions, and nanoparticles can enhance the delivery, stability, and bioavailability of VB12 in diverse applications, ranging from antimicrobial agents to skincare and oral insulin delivery. Staple food fortification with encapsulated and free VB12 emerges as a prominent strategy to combat deficiency and promote nutritional value. Biosensing technologies, such as electrochemical and optical biosensors, offer rapid, portable, and sensitive VB12 assessment. Carbon dot-based fluorescent nanosensors, nanocluster-based fluorescent probes, and electrochemical sensors show promise for precise detection, especially in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Contemporary Aspects of Designing Marine Polysaccharide Microparticles as Drug Carriers for Biomedical Application

The main goal of modern pharmaceutical technology is to create new drug formulations that are safer and more effective. These formulations should allow targeted drug delivery, improved drug stability and bioavailability, fewer side effects, and reduced drug toxicity. One successful approach for achieving these objectives is using polymer microcarriers for drug delivery. They are effective for treating various diseases through different administration routes. When creating pharmaceutical systems, choosing the right drug carrier is crucial. Biomaterials have become increasingly popular over the past few decades due to their lack of toxicity, renewable sources, and affordability. Marine polysaccharides, in particular, have been widely used as substitutes for synthetic polymers in drug carrier applications. Their inherent properties, such as biodegradability and biocompatibility, make marine polysaccharide-based microcarriers a prospective platform for developing drug delivery systems. This review paper explores the principles of microparticle design using marine polysaccharides as drug carriers. By reviewing the current literature, the paper highlights the challenges of formulating polymer microparticles, and proposes various technological solutions. It also outlines future perspectives for developing marine polysaccharides as drug microcarriers.

Co-Encapsulation of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate and Vitamin B12 in Zein Microstructures by Electrospinning/Electrospraying Technique

EGCG is a catechin known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin found in animal-derived products, and its deficiency may cause serious health problems such as anemia. The effectiveness of both catechin and vitamin B12 depends on their stability and bioavailability, which can be lost during industrial processes due to degradation when exposed to external factors. A potential solution to this issue is the microencapsulation, which protects the compounds from external agents. The current study aims to microencapsulate EGCG and vitamin B12 in a polymer matrix of biological origin, zein. Microencapsulation was performed using an electrospinning technique, and different concentrations of zein (1–30% w/v) and active compound (0.5–5% w/w) were tested, resulting in the production of micro/nanoparticles, fibers, or the mixture of both. The microstructures were analyzed and characterized in terms of morphology, release profile and kinetics, and encapsulation efficiency. High encapsulation efficiencies were obtained, and the highest were found in the samples with 1% w/w of active substance and 30% w/v of zein. Controlled release studies were conducted in deionized water and in an ethanolic solution, and five kinetic models were applied to the release profiles. The results indicated that the Weibull model was the best fit for the majority of results.

Vitamin B12 in Foods, Food Supplements, and Medicines-A Review of Its Role and Properties with a Focus on Its Stability

Vitamin B₁₂, also known as the anti-pernicious anemia factor, is an essential micronutrient totally dependent on dietary sources that is commonly integrated with food supplements. Four vitamin B₁₂ forms-cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin, and methylcobalamin-are currently used for supplementation and, here, we provide an overview of their biochemical role, bioavailability, and efficacy in different dosage forms. Since the effective quantity of vitamin B₁₂ depends on the stability of the different forms, we further provide a review of their main reactivity and stability under exposure to various environmental factors (e.g., temperature, pH, light) and the presence of some typical interacting compounds (oxidants, reductants, and other water-soluble vitamins). Further, we explore how the manufacturing process and storage affect B₁₂ stability in foods, food supplements, and medicines and provide a summary of the data published to date on the content-related quality of vitamin B₁₂ products on the market. We also provide an overview of the approaches toward their stabilization, including minimization of the destabilizing factors, addition of proper stabilizers, or application of some (innovative) technological processes that could be implemented and contribute to the production of high-quality vitamin B₁₂ products.

Microencapsulation for Food Applications: A Review

Food products contain various active ingredients, such as flavors, nutrients, unsaturated fatty acids, color, probiotics, etc., that require protection during food processing and storage to preserve their quality and shelf life. This review provides an overview of standard microencapsulation technologies, processes, materials, industrial examples, reasons for market success, a summary of recent applications, and the challenges in the food industry, categorized by active food ingredients: flavors, polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, antioxidants, colors, vitamins, and others. We also provide a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the most common microencapsulation technologies in the food industry such as spray drying, coacervation, extrusion, and spray cooling. This review ends with future perspectives on microencapsulation for food applications.

Recent development in nanoencapsulation and delivery of natural bioactives through chitosan scaffolds for various biological applications

Nowadays, nano/micro-encapsulation as a pioneering technique may significantly improve the bioavailability and durability of Natural bioactives. For this purpose, chitosan as a bioactive cationic natural polysaccharide has been frequently used as a carrier because of its distinct chemical and biological properties, including polycationic nature, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Moreover, polysaccharide-based nano/micro-formulations are a new and extensive trend in scientific research and development in the disciplines of biomedicine, bioorganic/ medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, agrochemistry, and the food industry. It promises a new paradigm in drug delivery systems and nanocarrier formulations. This review aims to summarize current developments in approaches for designing innovative chitosan micro/nano-matrix, with an emphasis on the encapsulation of natural bioactives. The special emphasis led to a detailed integrative scientific achievement of the functionalities and abilities for encapsulating natural bioactives and mechanisms regulated in vitro/in vivo release in various biological/physiological environments.

Bioprocess Strategies for Vitamin B12 Production by Microbial Fermentation and Its Market Applications

Vitamin B₁₂ is a widely used compound in the feed and food, healthcare and medical industries that can only be produced by fermentation because of the complexity of its chemical synthesis. For this reason, finding better producer strains and optimizing their bioprocesses have been the main focus of industrial producers over the last few decades. In this review, we initially provide a historical overview of vitamin B₁₂ research and the main biosynthetic characteristics of the two microorganism families typically used for its industrial production: several strains of Propionibacterium freudenreichii and strains related to Pseudomonas denitrificans. Later, a complete summary of the current state of vitamin B₁₂ industrial production as well as the main advances and challenges for improving it is detailed, with a special focus on bioprocess optimization, which aims not only to increase production but also sustainability. In addition, a comprehensive list of the most important and relevant patents for the present industrial strains is provided. Finally, the potential applications of vitamin B₁₂ in different markets are discussed.

Recent Advances in Water-Soluble Vitamins Delivery Systems Prepared by Mechanical Processes (Electrospinning and Spray-Drying Techniques) for Food and Nutraceuticals Applications-A Review

Water-soluble vitamins are essential micronutrients in diets and crucial to biochemical functions in human body physiology. These vitamins are essential for healthy diets and have a preventive role against diseases. However, their limitations associated with high sensitivity against external conditions (temperature, light, pH, moisture, oxygen) can lead to degradation during processing and storage. In this context, microencapsulation may overcome these conditions, protecting a biomolecule’s bioavailability, stability, and effectiveness of delivery. This technique has been used to produce delivery systems based on polymeric agents that surround the active compounds. The present review focuses on the most relevant topics of water-soluble vitamin encapsulation using promising methods to produce delivery vehicles—electrohydrodynamic (electrospinning and electrospraying) and spray-drying techniques. An overview of the suitable structures produced by these processes is provided. The review introduces the general principles of the methods, advantages, disadvantages, and involved parameters. A brief list of the used physicochemical techniques for the systems’ characterization is discussed in this review. Electrospinning and spray-drying techniques are the focus of this investigation in order to guarantee vitamins’ bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Recent studies and the main encapsulating agents used for these micronutrients in both processes applied to functional food and nutraceutical areas are highlighted in this review.

Chitosan/Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Complexes for Microencapsulation of Vitamin E and Its Release Profile-Understanding the Effect of Anionic Surfactant

Microencapsulation of bioactive substances is a common strategy for their protection and release rate control. The use of chitosan (Ch) is particularly promising due to its abundance, biocompatibility, and interaction with anionic surfactants to form complexes of different characteristics with relevance for use in microcapsule wall design. In this study, Ch/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) microcapsules, without and with cross-linking agent (formaldehyde (FA) or glutaraldehyde (GA)), were obtained by the spray drying of vitamin E loaded oil-in-water emulsion. All of the microcapsules had good stability during the drying process. Depending on the composition, their product yield, moisture content, and encapsulation efficiency varied between 11-34%, 1.14-1.62%, and 94-126%, respectively. SEM and FTIR analysis results indicate that SDS as well as cross-linkers significantly affected the microcapsule wall properties. The profiles of in vitro vitamin E release from the investigated microcapsules fit with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model (r² > 0.9). The chemical structure of the anionic surfactant was found to have a significant effect on the vitamin E release mechanism. Ch/SDS coacervates may build a microcapsule wall without toxic crosslinkers. This enabled the combined diffusion/swelling based release mechanism of the encapsulated lipophilic substance, which can be considered favorable for utilization in food and pharmaceutical products.

Study of vitamin E microencapsulation and controlled release from chitosan/sodium lauryl ether sulfate microcapsules

Potential benefit of microencapsulation is its ability to deliver and protect incorporated ingredients such as vitamin E. Microcapsule wall properties can be changed by adding of coss-linking agents that are usually considered toxic for application. The microcapsules were prepared by a spray-drying technique using coacervation method, by depositing the coacervate formed in the mixture of chitosan and sodium lauryl ether sulfate to the oil/water interface. All obtained microcapsules suspensions had slightly lower mean diameter compared to the starting emulsion (6.85 ± 0.213 μm), which shows their good stability during the drying process. The choice and absence of cross-linking agents had influence on kinetics of vitamin E release. Encapsulation efficiency of microcapsules without cross-linking agent was 73.17 ± 0.64 %. This study avoided the use of aldehydes as cross-linking agents and found that chitosan/SLES complex can be used as wall material for the microencapsulation of hydrophobic active molecules in cosmetic industry.

Modeling the release of food bioactive ingredients from carriers/nanocarriers by the empirical, semiempirical, and mechanistic models

The encapsulation process has been utilized in the field of food technology to enhance the technofunctional properties of food products and the delivery of nutraceutical ingredients via food into the human body. The latter application is very similar to drug delivery systems. The inherent sophisticated nature of release mechanisms requires the utilization of mathematical equations and statistics to predict the release behavior during the time. The science of mathematical modeling of controlled release has gained a tremendous advancement in drug delivery in recent years. Many of these modeling methods could be transferred to food. In order to develop and design enhanced food controlled/targeted bioactive release systems, understanding of the underlying physiological and chemical processes, mechanisms, and principles of release and applying the knowledge gained in the pharmaceutical field to food products is a big challenge. Ideally, by using an appropriate mathematical model, the formulation parameters could be predicted to achieve a specific release behavior. So, designing new products could be optimized. Many papers are dealing with encapsulation approaches and evaluation of the impact of process and the utilized system on release characteristics of encapsulated food bioactives, but still, there is no deep insight into the mathematical release modeling of encapsulated food materials. In this study, information gained from the pharmaceutical field is collected and discussed to investigate the probable application in the food industry.

Improving stability of vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) using microencapsulation by spray chilling technique

Vitamin-B12 or cyanocobalamin is an essential micronutrient, so it must be supplied by diet. However, vitamin-B12 is found just in foods derived from animals and it is sensitive of many factors. Due to the unrelenting increase of people with deficiency in vitamin-B12 and easy degradation of this vitamin when subjected to adverse conditions, the aim of this research was to produce solid lipid microparticles (SLM) loaded with vitamin-B12 using the spray chilling technique. It was produced 6 SLM (with 0.1 and 1% vitamin and 0, 2.5 and 5% of lecithin) that were analyzed for optical and scanning electron microscopy, size and particles size distribution, water activity, instrumental color, X-ray diffraction, yield and encapsulation efficiency, release profile, besides free and encapsulated vitamin stability for 120 days. It was reported that the SLM presented a spherical shape and smooth surfaces, medium size values varying from 13.28 to 26.99 μm. The yield and encapsulation efficiency values within the range of 80.7 to 99.7% and from 76.7 to 101.1%, respectively. The encapsulation promoted better protection of vitamin-B12 (>91.1% for all formulations after 120 days of storage) when compared to the free one (75.2%). In addition, it was observed a good effect of the presence of soya lecithin in formulations; it promoted a more controlled release of vitamin-B12 in fluids and also shown better stability results. The spray chilling encapsulation technique proved to be a promising alternative, since it protected vitamin-B12 without the necessity of using high temperatures or organic solvents to encapsulate it, besides having a low cost.