Encapsulation of pink pepper extract by SEDS technique: Phase behavior data and process parameters

Microencapsulation of bioactive compound extracts using maltodextrin and gum arabic by spray and freeze-drying techniques

Microencapsulation techniques establish a protective barrier around a sensitive compound, reducing vulnerability to external influences and offering controlled release. This work evaluates microencapsulation of Brazilian seed known as pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) extract incorporated with green propolis extract, (main propolis font from the South America native plant Baccharis dracunculifolia DC) to enhancement antioxidant activity through synergic interaction, comparing to the extracts individually. Four treatments were produced using maltodextrin and combined with gum arabic as encapsulating agent, employing two different microencapsulation technique applied (spray drying and freeze drying) to assess their impact on physicochemical properties. The incorporation of gum arabic into matrix yielded higher encapsulation efficiency values, exhibiting significant differences for both encapsulation techniques. Combining the two encapsulation agents afforded greater protection of the bioactive compounds, resulting in an increase of approximately 31 % in the inhibition of the DPPH● radical. In controlled release analysis, maltodextrin exhibits the best protective effect on total phenolic compounds during intestinal release, whereas combining maltodextrin and gum arabic enhanced protection during gastric phase. Microcapsules may contribute to the protection of important bioactive compound, possessing a wide range of applications such as flavors encapsulation in food industry, lipids, antioxidants and pharmaceutical industry for controlled drug release.

Novel Technologies Based on Supercritical Fluids for the Encapsulation of Food Grade Bioactive Compounds

In recent years, the demand for nutritive, functional and healthy foods has increased. This trend has induced the food industry to investigate novel technologies able to produce ingredients with enhanced functional and physicochemical properties. Among these technologies, one of the most promising is the encapsulation based on supercritical fluids. Thanks to the inherent absence of organic solvent, the low temperature of the process to reach a supercritical state and the capacity to dissolve lipid soluble bioactives, the encapsulation with supercritical carbon dioxide represents a green technology to produce several functional ingredients, with enhanced stability, high load and tailored protection from environmental factors. Furthermore, from the fine-tuning of the process parameters like temperature, pressure and flow rate, the resulting functional ingredient can be easily designed to tailor the controlled release of the bioactive, or to reach specific levels of taste, odor and color. Accordingly, the aim of the present review is to summarize the state of the art of the techniques based on supercritical carbon dioxide for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds of food interest. Pros and cons of such techniques will be highlighted, giving emphasis to their innovative aspects that could be of interest to the food industry.

Supercritical Antisolvent Process for Pharmaceutical Applications: A Review

The supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technique has been widely employed in the biomedical field, including drug delivery, to obtain drug particles or polymer-based systems of nanometric or micrometric size. The primary purpose of producing SAS particles is to improve the treatment of different pathologies and to better the patient’s compliance. In this context, many active compounds have been micronized to enhance their dissolution rate and bioavailability. Aiming for more effective treatments with reduced side effects caused by drug overdose, the SAS polymer/active principle coprecipitation has mainly been proposed to offer an adequate drug release for specific therapy. The demand for new formulations with reduced side effects on the patient’s health is still growing; in this context, the SAS technique is a promising tool to solve existing issues in the biomedical field. This updated review on the use of the SAS process for clinical applications provides useful information about the achievements, the most effective polymeric carriers, and parameters, as well as future perspectives.