Improved Storage Properties and Cellular Uptake of Casticin-Loaded Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Whey Protein-Lactose Conjugate

Physicochemical Quantitative Analysis of the Oil-Water Interface as Affected by the Mutual Interactions between Pea Protein Isolate and Mono- and Diglycerides

As a commercially available ingredient, the mono- and diglycerides (MDG) were widely used in a plant protein-based emulsion to provide effective, functional, emulsifying properties. The simultaneous addition of the MDG and pea protein isolate (PPI) was investigated by the methods of interfacial rheology and quantitative protein proteomics. The physicochemical quantitative analysis of the oil-water interface revealed an interfacial stability mechanism for the protein adsorption layer. For a low MDG concentration, the interfacial quantities of vicilin and albumin were increased, which could be attributed to the adsorption rate. For a high MDG concentration, both vicilin and albumin were displaced by MDG and desorbed from the interface, while legumin was more difficult to displace due to its slow adsorption and the complex structure of protein molecules. The protein molecules with the structural rearrangement interacted with MDG, exhibiting potential effects on the interfacial film structure. Combined with some nanotechnologies, the new comprehension of protein-emulsifier interactions may promote food delivery systems. The research aims to develop an in-depth analysis of interfacial proteins, and provide more innovative and tailored functionalities for the application of the plant protein emulsion.

Systematic Study of Paeonol/Madecassoside Co-Delivery Nanoemulsion Transdermal Delivery System for Enhancing Barrier Repair and Anti-Inflammatory Efficacy

Sensitive skin is defined as skin with low tolerance and high reactivity. Natural products, such as paeoniflorin and madecassoside, have unique skin care functionality. However, because they are hampered by the skin barrier, paeoniflorin and madecassoside have difficulty penetrating the stratum corneum, resulting in weakened skin barrier repair and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, there is a lack of detailed studies on the efficacy of paeonol and madecassic in human skin, especially in 3D skin models and clinical trials. To overcome the low transdermal delivery issue, we developed nanoemulsions (PM-NEs) loaded with paeonol and madecassoside to improve their delivery efficiency and promote sensitive skin repair and anti-inflammation effects. Furthermore, systematic evaluations of the efficacy in cell line models, 3D skin models, and clinical trials were conducted. The PM-NEs effectively improved the efficacy of paeonol and madecassoside glucoside transdermal penetration and retention and enhanced cellular uptake. Cellular assays and 3D epidermal models showed that the PM-NEs significantly promoted the secretion of filamentous protein, aquaporin 3, Claudin-1, and hyaluronic acid, and considerably inhibited the secretion of interleukin 1α, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and prostaglandin E₂ compared to free components. Notably, clinical trial data showed that the PM-NEs significantly reduced transepidermal water loss, a* values, erythropoietin, the amount of non-inflammatory acne, and the amount of inflammatory acne in the facial skin. Three levels of systematic studies suggest that co-delivery of paeoniflorin and madecassoside via nanoemulsions is a promising strategy to improve topical delivery efficiency and anti-inflammatory repair efficacy in sensitive skin.

Biopolymer- and Lipid-Based Carriers for the Delivery of Plant-Based Ingredients

Natural ingredients are gaining increasing attention from manufacturers following consumers’ concerns about the excessive use of synthetic ingredients. However, the use of natural extracts or molecules to achieve desirable qualities throughout the shelf life of foodstuff and, upon consumption, in the relevant biological environment is severely limited by their poor performance, especially with respect to solubility, stability against environmental conditions during product manufacturing, storage, and bioavailability upon consumption. Nanoencapsulation can be seen as an attractive approach with which to overcome these challenges. Among the different nanoencapsulation systems, lipids and biopolymer-based nanocarriers have emerged as the most effective ones because of their intrinsic low toxicity following their formulation with biocompatible and biodegradable materials. The present review aims to provide a survey of the recent advances in nanoscale carriers, formulated with biopolymers or lipids, for the encapsulation of natural compounds and plant extracts.

Effect of Fibril Entanglement on Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Whey Protein Fibrils for Nobiletin Delivery

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of whey protein isolate (WPI) fibrils entanglement on the stability and loading capacity of WPI fibrils-stabilized Pickering emulsion. The results of rheology and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed the overlap concentration (C*) of WPI fibrils was around 0.5 wt.%. When the concentration was higher than C*, the fibrils became compact and entangled in solution due to a small cross-sectional radius of gyration value (1.18 nm). The interfacial behavior was evaluated by interfacial adsorption and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). As the fibril concentration increased from 0.1 wt.% to 1.25 wt.%, faster adsorption kinetics (from 0.13 to 0.21) and lower interfacial tension (from 11.85 mN/m to 10.34 mN/m) were achieved. CLSM results showed that WPI fibrils can effectively absorb on the surface of oil droplets. Finally, the microstructure and in vitro lipolysis were used to evaluate the effect of fibrils entanglement on the stability of emulsion and bioaccessibility of nobiletin. At C* concentration, WPI fibrils-stabilized Pickering emulsions exhibited excellent long-term stability and were also stable at various pHs (2.0–7.0) and ionic strengths (0–200 mM). WPI fibrils-stabilized Pickering emulsions after loading nobiletin remained stable, and in vitro digestion showed that these Pickering emulsions could significantly improve the extent of lipolysis (from 36% to 49%) and nobiletin bioaccessibility (21.9% to 62.5%). This study could provide new insight into the fabrication of food-grade Pickering emulsion with good nutraceutical protection.