Bioactive Ingredients Obtained from Agro-industrial Byproducts: Recent Advances and Innovation in Micro- and Nanoencapsulation

Coffee oligosaccharides and their role in health and wellness

Coffee oligosaccharides (COS) are novel sources of prebiotics comprising manno-oligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides, arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides, and cello-oligosaccharides. These oligosaccharides function as prebiotics, antioxidant-dietary fiber owing to important physicochemical and physiological properties, adjuvants, pharma, nutraceutical food, gut health, immune system boosting, cancer treatment, and many more. Research suggests COS performs prebiotic action, as it enhances gut health by promoting beneficial bacteria in the colon and releasing functional metabolites such as SCFAs. However, research on COS concerning other metabolic illnesses is still lacking. Among various production strategies, pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis are preferred for the production of COS. Functional oligosaccharides can add value to coffee waste and reduce the environmental impact of coffee manufacturing, besides providing more options for healthy and active ingredients. This review updates COS, production, bio-activity, their role as a functional food, food supplements/natural food additives, prebiotics and many applications of health sectors. Research is desirable to extend information on COS and their bio-activity, besides in vivo and clinical trials, to assess their effects in prior human formulations into the food and therapeutic arena.

Specific surface modification of liposomes for gut targeting of food bioactive agents

Liposomes have become a research hotspot in recent years as food delivery systems with attractive properties, including the bilayer structure assembled like the cell membrane, reducing the side-effect and improving environmental stability of cargos, controlling release, extending duration of functional ingredients, and high biodegradable and biocompatible abilities in the body. However, the conventional liposomes lack stability during storage and are weak in targeted absorption in the gastrointestinal track. At present, surface modification has been approved to be an effective platform to shield these barricades and help liposomes deliver the agents safely and effectively to the ideal site. In this review, the gastrointestinal stability of conventional liposomes, cargo release models from liposomes, and the biological fate of the core materials after release were emphasized. Then, the strategies in both physical and chemical perspectives to improve the stability and utilization of liposomes in the gastrointestinal tract, and the emerging approaches for improving gut targeting by specifically modified liposomes and the intestinal receptors relative to liposomes/cargos absorption were highlighted. Last but not the least, the safety, challenges, and opportunities for the improvement of liposomal bioavailability were also discussed to inspire new applications of liposomes as oral carriers.

Encapsulated plant growth regulators and associative microorganisms: Nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change on plants

Over the past decades, the atmospheric CO₂ concentration and global average temperature have been increasing, and this trend is projected to soon become more severe. This scenario of climate change intensifies abiotic stress factors (such as drought, flooding, salinity, and ultraviolet radiation) that threaten forest and associated ecosystems as well as crop production. These factors can negatively affect plant growth and development with a consequent reduction in plant biomass accumulation and yield, in addition to increasing plant susceptibility to biotic stresses. Recently, biostimulants have become a hotspot as an effective and sustainable alternative to alleviate the negative effects of stresses on plants. However, the majority of biostimulants have poor stability under environmental conditions, which leads to premature degradation, shortening their biological activity. To solve these bottlenecks, micro- and nano-based formulations containing biostimulant molecules and/or microorganisms are gaining attention, as they demonstrate several advantages over their conventional formulations. In this review, we focus on the encapsulation of plant growth regulators and plant associative microorganisms as a strategy to boost their application for plant protection against abiotic stresses. We also address the potential limitations and challenges faced for the implementation of this technology, as well as possibilities regarding future research.

Valorisation of Micro/Nanoencapsulated Bioactive Compounds from Plant Sources for Food Applications Towards Sustainability

The micro- and nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds has resulted in a large improvement in the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and agriculture industries. These technologies serve, on one side, to protect, among others, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, polyphenols, flavours, antimicrobials, colorants, and antioxidants, and, on the other hand, to control the release and assure the delivery of the bioactive compounds, targeting them to specific cells, tissues, or organs in the human body by improving their absorption/penetration through the gastrointestinal tract. The food industry has been applying nanotechnology in several ways to improve food texture, flavour, taste, nutrient bioavailability, and shelf life using nanostructures. The use of micro- and nanocapsules in food is an actual trend used mainly in the cereal, bakery, dairy, and beverage industries, as well as packaging and coating. The elaboration of bio capsules with high-value compounds from agro-industrial by-products is sustainable for the natural ecosystem and economically interesting from a circular economy perspective. This critical review presents the principal methodologies for performing micro- and nanoencapsulation, classifies them (top-down and/or bottom-up), and discusses the differences and advantages among them; the principal types of encapsulation systems; the natural plant sources, including agro-industrial by-products, of bioactive compounds with interest for the food industry to be encapsulated; the bioavailability of encapsulates; and the main techniques used to analyse micro- and nanocapsules. Research work on the use of encapsulated bioactive compounds, such as lycopene, hydroxytyrosol, and resveratrol, from agro-industrial by-products must be further reinforced, and it plays an important role, as it presents a high potential for the use of their antioxidant and/or antimicrobial activities in food applications and, therefore, in the food industry. The incorporation of these bioactive compounds in food is a challenge and must be evaluated, not only for their nutritional aspect, but also for the chemical safety of the ingredients. The potential use of these products is an available economical alternative towards a circular economy and, as a consequence, sustainability.

Effects of Spray Drying and Freeze Drying on Physicochemical Properties, Antioxidant and ACE Inhibitory Activities of Bighead Carp (Aristichthys nobilis) Skin Hydrolysates

The physicochemical, structural properties, antioxidant, and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of fish skin protein hydrolysate (SPH) that were freeze-dried (SPH-FD) and spray-dried (SPH-SD) were investigated. SPH-SD showed abundant volatile compounds, higher DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferrous iron chelating activity than SPH-FD, while the ABTS radical scavenging activity and ACE inhibitory activity were not influenced by the drying method. Amino acid compositions showed a higher proportion of proline and hydroxyproline residues in SPH-FD. The major molecular weights were both distributed below 1000 Da. SPH-SD had spherical structures, while SPH-FD had glass shard-like structures. The results indicated that the drying method could affect the physicochemical properties of hydrolysates, and SPH-SD showed potential prospects in developing functional fortified foods.