Exploring the efficacy of Basella alba mucilage towards the encapsulation of the hydrophobic antioxidants for their better performance

The Renaissance of Plant Mucilage in Health Promotion and Industrial Applications: A Review

Plant mucilage is a renewable and cost-effective source of plant-based compounds that are biologically active, biodegradable, biocompatible, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly. Until recently, plant mucilage has been of interest mostly for technological purposes. This review examined both its traditional uses and potential modern applications in a new generation of health-promoting foods, as well as in cosmetics and biomaterials. We explored the nutritional, phytochemical, and pharmacological richness of plant mucilage, with a particular focus on its biological activity. We also highlighted areas where more research is needed in order to understand the full commercial potential of plant mucilage.

Nanonization of a chemically synthesized flavone HMDF (3-hydroxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavone) by entrapping within calcium phosphate nanoparticles and exploring its antioxidant role on neural cellsin vitroand zebrafishin vivo

The chemical synthesis of 3-hydroxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavone (HMDF) was reported to generate a modified flavone of potent antioxidant activity with significant neuropharmacological properties. In this study, HMDF was nanonized by entrapping within calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CPNPs). HMDF-CPNPs were of (i) size 25 nm, (ii) zeta potential (-) [22 ± 3] mV and (iii) entrapment efficiency 67%. HMDF-CPNPs, but not HMDF alone, inhibited thein vitroactivity of acetylcholinesterase enzymes to break down the major neurotransmitter compound acetylcholine. Moreover, nanonized HMDF had more antioxidant activity than bulk HMDF, as observed from its ability to protect mouse neural (N2A) cells from oxidative damage caused by H₂O₂exposure at the levels of cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell cycle stages, nuclear integrity and neural connectivity. Anin vivostudy on zebrafish larvae (Denio rerio) also demonstrated that H₂O₂-mediated larval death was checked by HMDF-CPNP treatment. These results, therefore, suggest that HMDF-CPNPs may be developed as a potential antioxidant, particularly as a neuroprotectant.

Mucilages: sources, extraction methods, and characteristics for their use as encapsulation agents

The increasing interest in the use of natural ingredients has driven keen research and commercial interest in the use of mucilages for a range of applications. Typically, mucilages are polysaccharide hydrocolloids with distinct physicochemical and structural diversity, possessing characteristic functional and health benefits. Apart from their role as binding, thickening, stabilizing, and humidifying agents, they are valued for their antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antiasthmatic, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities. The focus of this review is to present the range of mucilages that have been explored as encapsulating agents. Encapsulation of food ingredients, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical ingredients is an attractive technique to enhance the stability of targeted compounds, apart from providing benefits on delivery characteristics. The most widely adopted conventional and emerging extraction and purification methods are explained and supplemented with information on the key criteria involved in characterizing the physicochemical and functional properties of mucilages. The unique traits and benefits of using mucilages as encapsulation agents are detailed with the different methods used by researchers to encapsulate different food and bioactive compounds.

Mucilage Extracted from Dragon Fruit Peel (Hylocereus undatus) as Flocculant for Treatment of Dye Wastewater by Coagulation and Flocculation Process

Dye wastewater from textile industries shows very low biodegradability due to high molecular weight and complex structures of dyes. So far, the most simple method for treatment of this type of wastewater has been coagulation and flocculation. This study determined the removal of turbidity and other pollutants from dye wastewater by mucilage extracted from the peel of dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) and its effect in reducing synthetic chemical polyaluminum chloride (PACl) used in coagulation and flocculation (CF) process. The removal of turbidity in a sequent CF process using PACl and dragon fruit mucilage was investigated based on Jar tests. Maximum coagulation efficiencies of PACl were typically observed at pH 4.0-6.0 and PACl concentrations of about 100-150 mg/L depending on types of wastewater, whereas optimal settling times were 30-60 minutes, respectively. The addition of dragon fruit mucilage (0.5-50 mg/L) after PACl (75-245 mg/L) resulted in turbidity removal efficiencies up to 95%. The addition of mucilage extracted from dragon fruit peels was proven to increase turbidity removal efficiency and decrease PACl use. The increase of turbidity removal was often estimated at 10-32%, whereas PACl used was about 3-10% less compared to total PACl needed for obtaining comparable efficiency when used alone. The flocculation activity of mucilage was also compared to polyacrylamide (PAM)—a synthetically organic flocculant. Since the peel of a dragon fruit is an abundant agriculture waste in Vietnam, using its extracted mucilage as a flocculant is an environmentally friendly method.

Curry Leaf and its Antioxidant Potential: A Systematic Study to Enhance its Activity in Aqueous Medium

Background:

We have done a systematic study on the antioxidant activity of the methanol and petroleum ether (60-80°C) extracts (MEC and PEC respectively) of Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii Spreng. Family: Rutaceae) using various in-vitro chemical methods.

Methods:

Both of these two extracts were found to be highly efficient in the formation of Ag and Au nanoparticles. So, we have explored their ability to form the nanoparticles to study their antioxidant activity. In all the assay systems, MEC showed higher activity over PEC in aqueous medium. This may be due to the higher solubility of MEC and its active components, like polyphenols and flavonoids in the aqueous medium. PEC contains lesser amount of these water soluble active components but PEC was rich in carbazole types of alkaloids which are hydrophobic in nature. So, to enhance the antioxidant activity of PEC and its carbazole constituents, like 2-hydroxy carbazole and mahanimbine, we have encapsulated these in the biopolymeric matrix of the mucilage isolated from an edible vegetable, Abelmoschus esculentus L. (commonly known as Lady's finger, family: Malvaceae).

Results:

It was interesting to note that, PEC and its carbazole compounds showed better antioxidant activity (ferrous ion chelation and ferric reducing antioxidant activity) in aqueous medium after this encapsulation process.

Conclusion:

The protocols used in the present study were very simple and can be implemented in any lab set-up. In future, this work can be extended to evaluate antioxidant potentials of other plant based materials.