Probiotic Ayran development by incorporation of phytosterols and microencapsulated Lactobacillus casei L26 in sodium caseinate–gellan mixture

Characterization of the Ayran Made with Commercial Probiotic Cultures for Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Folic Acid Levels, and Anti-Oxidative Potential

Ayran is a salted drinkable fermented milk food which consumed in many countries around the world. In this study, some chemical parameters were determined to evaluate the healthy properties of ayran prepared using various commercial probiotic cultures. Four treatments of ayran were made from cow's milk and using classic yogurt culture (L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) [T1], ABT-5 culture (L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium and S. thermophilus) [T2], exopolysaccharide producing culture (EPS-producing, L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus) [T3], and EPS-producing culture + Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB12 (mixture culture) [T4]. Treatment 1 had the highest acidity, acetaldehyde, and diacetyl values. Using probiotic [T2] or mixture cultures [T4] reduced saturated fatty acids by 1.97% and increased monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids of ayran by 4.94 and 5.72%, respectively. Also, the levels of oleic acid (omega-9), linoleic acid (omega-6), and α-linolenic acid (omega-3) increased in ayran produced using probiotic or mixture cultures. Sample T4 was highly richer in the value of antioxidant activity (27.62%) and folic acid (0.1566 mg/100 g) whereas possessed the lowest cholesterol amount (8.983 mg/100 g). Mixture culture (EPS-producing culture + Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB12) is a good starter to improve the healthy and nutritional characteristics of bio-ayran.

Co-sonicated coacervation for high-efficiency green nanoencapsulation of phytosterols by colloidal non-biotoxic solid lipid nanoparticles

Plant sterols are used as a supplement or an additive to reduce LDL cholesterol. The poor dispersibility and instability of phytosterols are the main limitations of their application. So, we tried to overcome these problems through nanoencapsulation of them with colloidal natural RSs (SLNs) using an effective approach to achieve higher efficiency and less intrinsic coagulation. Phytosterols extracted from flax seeds oil with caffeine by a new method were encapsulated with a stable colloid of sheep fat and ostrich oil (1:2), soy lecithin, and glucose through co-sonicated coacervation. Characterization of the obtained SLNs was conducted using FTIR, UV-Vis, SEM, DLS, and GC analysis. The three-factor three-level Behnken design (BBD) was used to prioritize the factors affecting the coacervation process to optimize particle size and loading capacity of SLNs. Operational conditions were examined, revealing that the size of SLNs was below 100 nm, with a phytosterols content (EE %) of 85.46% with high positive zeta potential. The nanocapsules' anti-microbial activity and drug-release behavior were then evaluated using the CFU count method and Beer-Lambert's law, respectively. The controlled release of nanocapsules (below 20%) at ambient temperature has been tested. The stability of nano-encapsulated phytosterols was investigated for six months. All results show that this green optimal coacervation is a better way than conventional methods to produce stable SLNs for the nanoencapsulation of phytosterols.

Encapsulation of tannins and tannin-rich plant extracts by complex coacervation to improve their physicochemical properties and biological activities: A review

As a major class of dietary polyphenols, tannins are demonstrated to have various health-promoting properties. Although tannins have been widely utilized in food, pharmaceutical and many other industries, the applications of tannins are quite limited due to their poor stability, sensory attributes and bioavailability. Encapsulation helps improve all of these properties. Complex coacervation, one of the most effective encapsulation techniques, is known for its simplicity, low cost, scalability and reproducibility in encapsulation of functional components. In recent years, complex coacervation has been successfully used for encapsulation of tannins and tannin-rich plant extracts. In this article, the research progress in encapsulating tannins and tannin-rich plant extracts by complex coacervation to improve their physicochemical properties and biological activities is critically reviewed for the first time. Encapsulation of tannins and tannin-rich plant extracts can effectively improve their sensory characteristics, stabilities, bioavailability, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial activities. In particular, the enhancement of biological activities of tannins and tannin-rich plant extracts is usually correlated to their improved physicochemical properties imparted by the encapsulation technique. Moreover, we introduce the issues that need to be further resolved in future studies on encapsulation of tannins and tannin-rich plant extracts by complex coacervation.

Probiotics and plant extracts: a promising synergy and delivery systems

There is a current interest in healthy diets and supplements, indicating the relevance of novel delivery systems for plant extracts rich in bioactive compounds and probiotics. This simultaneous delivery system can be prospective for health. In this sense, investigating foods rich in bioactive compounds or supplemented by them for incorporating probiotics and some approaches to improve probiotic survivability, such as the choice of resistant probiotic strains or microencapsulation, is valuable. This review addresses a brief discussion about the role of phenolic compounds, chlorophyll and carotenoids from plants and probiotics in gut health, indicating the benefits of this association. Also, an overview of delivery systems used in recent studies is shown, considering their advantages for incorporation in food matrices. Delivery systems containing compounds recovered from plants can reduce probiotic oxidative stress, improving survivability. However, investigating the beneficial concentration of some bioactive compounds from plant extracts is relevant due to their antimicrobial potential. In addition, further clinical trials and toxicological studies of plant extracts are pertinent to ensure safety. Thus, the recovery of extracts from plants emerges as an alternative to providing multiple compounds with antioxidant potential, increasing the preservation of probiotics and allowing the fortification or enrichment of food matrices.