Effect of Biodegradable Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Emulsifiers on the Oleogels Containing Sunflower Wax and Sunflower Oil

Phase inversion regulable bigels co-stabilized by Chlorella pyrenoidosa protein and beeswax: In-vitro digestion and food 3D printing

Algal proteins are an emerging source of functional foods. Herein, Chlorella pyrenoidosa protein (CPP)/xanthan gum-based hydrogels (HG) and beeswax-gelled oleogels (OG) are adopted to fabricate bigels. The phase inversion of bigels can be regulated by the ratio of OG and HG: As the OG increased, bigels turn from OG-in-HG (OG/HG) to a semicontinuous state and then HG-in-OG (HG/OG). In OG/HG bigels (OG ≤ 50 %), hydrophilic CPP acts as the emulsifier at the interface of OG and HG, while beeswax emulsifies the system in HG/OG bigels (OG = 80 %). A semicontinuous bigel appears during the transition between HG/OG and OG/HG. The increase of OG can enhance the viscoelasticity, hardness, adhesiveness, chewiness, and thermal stability. OG/HG bigels exhibit stronger thixotropic recovery and oil-holding capacity than HG/OG bigels. In the in-vitro digestion and food 3D printing, the high specific surface area and the highest thixotropic recovery caused by the emulsion structure of the OG/HG bigel (OG = 50 %) are conducive to the release of free fatty acids and molding of 3D-printed objects, respectively. This study provides a new approach to structure the gelled water-oil system with CPP and helps to develop edible algal proteins-based multiphase systems in food engineering or pharmacy.

Characterization and molecular docking of sustainable wine lees and gelatin-based emulsions: innovative fat substitution

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to determine how various amounts (0.00, 0.58, 1.52 and 4.50 g 100 g-1) of wine lees (WL), which contains numerous essential components, impact the emulsifying properties of fish gelatin (FG) at a low concentration (0.5 g 100 g-1) in the high-fat phase (65 g 100 g-1). This study conducted rheology, physicochemical technical and characterization analyses on the emulsions to provide sustainable and innovative approaches for spreadable oils.

RESULTS

The addition of WL to FG emulsions improved oxidative stability, emulsion stability and bioactive compounds. The zeta potential (-101 ± 5.62 mV) of 0.58 g 100 g-1 WL-containing emulsion (PE1) was found to be high, whereas particle size (347.6 ± 5.25 nm) and polydispersity index (0.50) were statistically low. It was also found that the addition of WL improved the intermolecular interactions, crystallinity and microstructural properties of the emulsions. All these results were supported by simulating the molecular configuration between FG and WL. The compounds gallic acid, caffeic acid, myricetin, quercetin and resveratrol showed a strong affinity to FG, with free binding energies of -5.50, -5.88, -6.53, -6.68 and -6.66 kcal mol-1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

As a result, WL-supported FG has the potential to be used as an alternative to egg proteins to develop sustainable low-cost spreadable emulsions. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Storage stability of Asian seabass oil-in-water Pickering emulsion packed in pouches made from electrospun and solvent casted bilayer films from poly lactic acid/chitosan-gelatin blend containing epigallocatechin gallate

Bilayer pouches were fabricated with chitosan (CS)-fish gelatin (FG) mixture containing epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) deposited over the poly lactic acid (PLA) film through solvent casting and electrospinning techniques. Pickering emulsions (PE) of Asian seabass depot fat oil stabilized by zein colloidal particles were packed in bilayer pouches and stored at 28 ± 2 °C. The PE packed in pouch containing EGCG had higher emulsion and oxidative stability after 30 days of storage as witnessed by the smaller droplet size and lower values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, peroxide, conjugated diene and volatile compounds in comparison with control (PE packed in monolayer PLA pouch) (P < 0.05). EGCG incorporated pouch retained more linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6) and linolenic acid (C18:3 n-9) in emulsion than PLA pouch. Therefore, pouch from bilayer PLA/CS-FG films comprising EGCG could serve as active packaging and extended the shelf life of Pickering emulsion.

Development of microemulgel formulations with varied permeation enhancers for transungual delivery of luliconazole in onychomycosis management

Luliconazole-loaded microemulgels containing different permeation enhancers were formulated for transungual drug delivery for the management of onychomycosis, onychomycosis, which affects nails. The physicochemical properties like droplet size, zeta potential, pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, oil binding capacity, drug content, and microscopic study were evaluated. The Pseudo-ternary phase diagram was constructed for the formulation of microemulsions (MEs) by keeping the Km ratio constant at 3:1 and characterized for clarity, mean droplet size, zeta potential, viscosity, pH, transmittance, refractive index, and stability. The ME mean droplet size and zeta potential were found in the range of 38.78 to 171.4 nm, and 0.00 to - 6.6 mV, respectively. Prepared MEs were converted into microemulgel by adding a 2.5% gelling agent (Carbapol 934) in the external phase, and a drug release study was conducted. Formulation E3 showed better drug release and was chosen as the control. Four different penetration enhancers were added separately within E3 and further evaluated for pH, viscosity, spreadability, extrudability, oil binding capacity, drug content, microscopic study, Compatibility study, XRD, and DSC. A favorable docking score was observed between luliconazole and Lanosterol 14-alpha-demethylase. In-vitro cumulative drug release at the end of 24 h from E3-SS, containing sodium sulfide as a penetration enhancer, was found to be 94.70% and was 2 times more than the control formulation. Ex-vivo transungual permeation studies through cutting nail clippings were found to be in the range of 28.18 - 36.52 µg/mm2. The microemulgels tagged as E3, E3-SS, and E3-SL showed a significant zone of inhibition against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus as compared to the marketed formulation.

Study of the Physical, Chemical, and Structural Properties of Low- and High-Methoxyl Pectin-Based Film Matrices Including Sunflower Waxes

The development of bio-based materials remains one of the most important alternatives to plastic materials. Although research in this field is growing, reporting various materials and methodologies, it is still necessary to increase exploration. The aim of this work was to expand and complement previous research on the preparation and characterization of high- and low-methoxyl pectin films obtained by casting, with the addition of commercial and recovered sunflower waxes. The results showed that the addition of sunflower waxes to the pectin matrix generated some discontinuity in the aggregate, increasing the thickness and roughness of the film. However, due to their hydrophobic nature, the waxes contributed to lower vapor transmission rate values of the films. On the other hand, the low-methoxyl pectin films had a more crystalline structure, which could help to diminish water vapor permeability values, mechanical resistance and rigidity, and improve their elongation. Regarding chemical characteristics, most of the raw materials' chemical groups were found in the resulting films, and the presence of C-H bending due to pectin gelation was observed. Finally, the compatibility and contribution of pectin and sunflower waxes to the production of the films were demonstrated, as well as the possibility of using materials from industrial waste in food packaging applications.

Structuring of Cold Pressed Oils: Evaluation of the Physicochemical Characteristics and Microstructure of White Beeswax Oleogels

The aim of the study was to characterize the gelling effect of beeswax (BW) using different types of cold pressed oil. The organogels were produced by hot mixing sunflower oil, olive oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil and hemp seed oil with 3%, 7% and 11% beeswax. Characterization of the oleogels was done using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the chemical and physical properties of the oleogels were determined, the oil binding capacity was estimated and the SEM morphology was studied. The color differences were highlighted by the CIE Lab color scale for evaluating the psychometric index of brightness (L*), components a and b. Beeswax showed excellent gelling capacity at 3% (w/w) of 99.73% for grape seed oil and a minimum capacity of 64.34%for hemp seed oil. The value of the peroxide index is strongly correlated with the oleogelator concentration. Scanning electron microscopy described the morphology of the oleogels in the form of overlapping structures of platelets similar in structure, but dependent on the percentage of oleogelator added. The use in the food industry of oleogels from cold-pressed vegetable oils with white beeswax is conditioned by the ability to imitate the properties of conventional fats.

Reuse of waste cooking oil (WCO) as diluent in green emulsion liquid membrane (GELM) for zinc extraction

Zinc (Zn) was identified as one of the most toxic heavy metals and often found contaminating the water sources as a result of inefficient treatment of industrial effluent. A green emulsion liquid membrane (GELM) was proposed in this study as a method to minimize the concentration of Zn ions in an aqueous solution. Instead of the common petroleum-based diluent, the emulsion is reformulated with untreated waste cooking oil (WCO) collected from the food industry as a sustainable and cheaper diluent. It also includes Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (D2EHPA) as a carrier, Span 80 as a surfactant, sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as an internal phase, and ZnSO4 solution as an external phase. Such formulation requires a thorough understanding of the oil characteristics as well as the interaction of the components in the membrane phase. The compatibility of WCO and D2EHPA, as well as the external phase pH, was confirmed via a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method. To obtain the best operating conditions for Zn extraction using GELM, the extraction time and speed, carrier, surfactant and internal phase concentrations, and W/O ratio were varied. 95.17% of Zn ions were removed under the following conditions; 0.001 M of H2SO4 in external phase, 700 rpm extraction speed for 10 min, 8 wt% of carrier and 4 wt% of surfactant concentrations, 1:4 of W/O ratio, and 1 M of internal phase concentration.

The Influence of Emulsifiers on the Physiochemical Behavior of Soy Wax/Rice Bran Oil-Based Oleogels and Their Application in Nutraceutical Delivery

This research evaluated the influence of stearic acid, sunflower lecithin, and sorbitan monooleate on soy wax (SYW)/rice bran oil (RBO)-based oleogels. The physiochemical behavior of oleogel samples was evaluated using colorimetry, microscopy, FTIR, mechanical, crystallization kinetics, X-ray diffraction, and a drug release investigation. The prepared oleogels were light yellow, and adding emulsifiers did not change their appearance. All oleogels showed an oil binding capacity of >98%, independent of emulsifier treatment. The surface topography revealed that emulsifiers smoothed the surface of the oleogels. Bright-field and polarized micrographs showed the presence of wax grains and needles. FTIR spectra indicated that oleogel samples had the same functional group diversity as the raw materials. The oleogel samples lacked a hydrogen-bonding peak. Hence, we postulated that non-covalent interactions were involved in the oleogel preparation. According to stress relaxation studies, the firmness and elastic component of oleogels were unaffected by emulsifiers. However, EML3 (oleogel containing sorbitan monooleate) showed lower relaxing characteristics than the others. EML3 exhibited the slowest crystallization profile. Due to its low d-spacing, EML3 was found to have densely packed crystal molecules and the largest crystallite size. The in vitro drug release studies showed that emulsifier-containing oleogels dramatically affected curcumin release. These results may help customize oleogels properties to adjust bioactive component release in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Walnut Oil Oleogels as Milk Fat Replacing System for Commercially Available Chocolate Butter

A breakfast spread named chocolate butter exists on the market. For economic and technological reasons, cream in the original recipe is replaced with vegetable oils such as palm oil or by partially hydrogenated sunflower oil. The study aims to reformulate chocolate flavor butter, using cold pressed walnut oil (WO) oleogels (OGs) structured with 10% waxes and monoglyceride (MG), as a milk fat replacing system. The rheological, textural and microscopic characteristics of the oleogels and the spreads were compared. Oil binding capacity (OBC) and colorimetry were also assessed. Fourier transform infrared studies were used to monitor the composition of the samples. Oleogels and oleogel based chocolate butter behaved like strong gels (G’ > G”). The use of candelilla wax (CW) led to the formation of a much firmer spread (S-CW), with a hardness of 3521 g and G’LVR of 139,920 Pa, while the monoglyceride-based spread (S-MG) registered a hardness of 1136 g and G’LVR 89,952 Pa. In the spreadability test, S-CW registered a hardness of 3376 g and hardness work of 113 mJ, comparable to the commercially available chocolate butter. The formulated spreads exhibited shear thinning effects, and increased viscosity with decreasing temperature. A large round peak at 3340 cm−1 was present in the spectra of the candelilla wax-based oleogel (OG-CW) and the reference spreads due to hydrogen bonding, but was absent in S-CW or S-MG. The FTIR spectra of the alternative spreads exhibited the same peaks as the WO and the oleogels, but with differences in the intensities. S-CW exhibited a dense crystal network, with spherulitic crystals of 0.66−1.73 µm, which were statistically similar to those of the reference made from cream (S-cream). S-MG exhibited the lowest stability upon centrifugation, with an OBC of 99.76%. Overall, both oleogel-based chocolate spreads can mimic the properties of the commercially existing chocolate butter references.

Edible oleogels stabilized solely by stigmasterol: effect of oil type and gelator concentration

BACKGROUND

Phytosterols are considered to be one of the most promising gelators for obtaining oleogel because of their additional health benefits and natural coexist with vegetable oils. Previous studies have confirmed that individual phytosterols are not capable of structuring vegetable oils unless they act synergistically with other components. However, based on the self-assembly properties of stigmasterol (ST) in organic solvents, we speculate that it can also structure vegetable oils as a gelator alone.

RESULTS

For the first time, the present study confirmed the feasibility of using ST alone as a gelator for structuring of vegetable oils, including rapeseed oil (RSO), olive oil (OLO) and flaxseed oil (FSO). RSO had the lowest ST gelation concentration (4%, w/w), and the oil-binding capacity and firmness value of the oleogels were the highest. The rheological results showed that all the samples were gelatinous (G' > G″). The results of differential scanning calorimeter and X-ray diffraction further confirmed that the properties of RSO-based oleogels are superior to those prepared by OLO and FSO. The microscopic results also confirmed that the crystal structure of RSO oleogels was more uniform, smaller and more densely distributed.

CONCLUSION

The structural properties of the oleogels were positively correlated with the ST concentration, and various analysis indicators showed that the performance of the oleogel based on RSO was better than that of OLO and FSO. In summary, the present study used ST as a gelator to successfully prepare oleogels with excellent properties, which provides a feasible reference for researchers in related fields. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Preparation and Characterization of Novel Oleogels Using Jasmine Floral Wax and Wheat Germ Oil for Oral Delivery of Curcumin

Oleogels (OGs) have gained a lot of interest as a delivery system for a variety of pharmaceuticals. The current study explains the development of jasmine floral wax (JFW) and wheat germ oil (WGO)-based OGs for oral drug (curcumin) delivery application. The OGs were made by dissolving JFW in WGO at 70 °C and cooling it to room temperature (25 °C). The critical gelation concentration of JFW that induces the gelation of WGO was found to be 10% (w/w). The OGs were characterized using various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), microscopic analysis, and mechanical test. XRD data indicated that JFW influences the crystallinity of the OGs. Among the prepared OGs, OG 17.5 showed higher crystallization in the series. Optical microscopic studies demonstrated the formation of fiber structures due to the entanglement of crystals whereas, polarized light micrographs suggested the formation of spherulites or clustered crystallite structures. The mechanical properties of the OGs increased linearly with the increase in the JFW concentration. Curcumin-loaded OGs were examined for their controlled release applications. In summary, the developed OGs were found to have the necessary features for modulating the oral delivery of curcumin.

Effects of Sorbitan Monostearate and Stearyl Alcohol on the Physicochemical Parameters of Sunflower-Wax-Based Oleogels

A rising health concern with saturated fatty acids allowed researchers to look into the science of replacing these fats with unsaturated fatty acids. Oleogelation is a technique to structure edible oil using gelators. The present study looked for the effect of solid emulsifiers; namely, sorbitan monostearate (SP) and stearyl alcohol (SA), on the physicochemical parameters of oleogels. All the oleogels were formulated using 5% sunflower wax (SW) in sunflower oil (SO). The formulated oleogels displayed irregular-shaped wax crystals on their surface. The bright-field and polarized microscopy showed the fiber/needle network of wax crystals. Formulations consisting of 10 mg (0.05% w/w) of both the emulsifiers (SA10 and SP10) in 20 g of oleogels displayed the appearance of a dense wax crystal network. The SP and SA underwent co-crystallization with wax molecules, which enhanced crystal growth and increased the density and size of the wax crystals. The XRD and FTIR studies suggested the presence of a similar β’ polymorph to that of the triacylglycerols’ arrangement. The incorporation of SA and SP in wax crystal packing might have resulted in a lower crystallization rate in SA10 and SP10. Evaluation of the thermal properties of oleogels through DSC showed better gel recurrence of high melting enthalpy. These formulations also displayed a sustained release of curcumin. Despite the variations in several properties (e.g., microstructures, crystallite size, thermal properties, and nutrient release), the emulsifiers did not affect the mechanical properties of the oleogel. The meager amounts of both the emulsifiers were able to modulate the nutrient release from the oleogels without affecting their mechanical properties in comparison to the control sample.

Development of Bigels Based on Date Palm-Derived Cellulose Nanocrystal-Reinforced Guar Gum Hydrogel and Sesame Oil/Candelilla Wax Oleogel as Delivery Vehicles for Moxifloxacin

Bigels are biphasic semisolid systems that have been explored as delivery vehicles in the food and pharmaceutical industries. These formulations are highly stable and have a longer shelf-life than emulsions. Similarly, cellulose-based hydrogels are considered to be ideal for these formulations due to their biocompatibility and flexibility to mold into various shapes. Accordingly, in the present study, the properties of an optimized guar gum hydrogel and sesame oil/candelilla wax oleogel-based bigel were tailored using date palm-derived cellulose nanocrystals (dp-CNC). These bigels were then explored as carriers for the bioactive molecule moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MH). The preparation of the bigels was achieved by mixing guar gum hydrogel and sesame oil/candelilla wax oleogel. Polarizing microscopy suggested the formation of the hydrogel-in-oleogel type of bigels. An alteration in the dp-CNC content affected the size distribution of the hydrogel phase within the oleogel phase. The colorimetry studies revealed the yellowish-white color of the samples. There were no significant changes in the FTIR functional group positions even after the addition of dp-CNC. In general, the incorporation of dp-CNC resulted in a decrease in the impedance values, except BG3 that had 15 mg dp-CNC in 20 g bigel. The BG3 formulation showed the highest firmness and fluidity. The release of MH from the bigels was quasi-Fickian diffusion mediated. BG3 showed the highest release of the drug. In summary, dp-CNC can be used as a novel reinforcing agent for bigels.

Date-Palm-Derived Cellulose Nanocrystals as Reinforcing Agents for Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Guar-Gum-Based Phase-Separated Composite Films

The current study delineates the use of date-palm-derived cellulose nanocrystals (dp-CNCs) as reinforcing agents. dp-CNCs were incorporated in varying amounts to poly(vinyl alcohol)/guar-gum-based phase-separated composite films. The films were prepared by using the solution casting method, which employed glutaraldehyde as the crosslinking agent. Subsequently, the films were characterized by bright field and polarizing microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and mechanical study. The microscopic techniques suggested that phase-separated films were formed, whose microstructure could be tailored by incorporating dp-CNCs. At higher levels of dp-CNC content, microcracks could be observed in the films. The transparency of the phase-separated films was not significantly altered when the dp-CNC content was on the lower side. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the presence of hydrogen bonding within the phase-separated films. dp-CNCs showed reinforcing effects at the lowest amount, whereas the mechanical properties of the films were compromised at higher dp-CNC content. Moxifloxacin was included in the films to determine the capability of the films as a drug delivery vehicle. It was found that the release of the drug could be tailored by altering the dp-CNC content within the phase-separated films. In gist, the developed dp-CNC-loaded poly(vinyl alcohol)/guar-gum-based phase-separated composite films could be explored as a drug delivery vehicle.