Ferulated Pectins and Ferulated Arabinoxylans Mixed Gel for Saccharomyces boulardii Entrapment in Electrosprayed Microbeads

Improving the emulsifying capacity of brewers' spent grain arabinoxylan by carboxymethylation

Arabinoxylan derived from brewers' spent grain was carboxymethylated, and the emulsifying capacity of carboxymethylated arabinoxylans (CMAX) with different degrees of substitution (DS) was investigated. Results showed that carboxymethylation greatly enhanced the emulsifying capacity and emulsion stability of CMAX compared to the initial arabinoxylan. CMAX developed decreased ζ-potential, higher hydrophilicity, and improved interfacial adsorption capacity. Consequently, the denser and stronger interface on the oil droplet was formed, and the stabilizing mechanism was altered. Moreover, CMAX with lower DS could effectively stabilize emulsions during storage at a concentration of 0.5 % and pH between 6 and 7. Higher DS, however, led to poorer emulsion stability and greater flocculation as a result of the fragile interface formed by excess intermolecular ionic force. The research found CMAX potential in emulsion stabilizing and further applications in food processing.

Injectable Living Probiotic Dressing Built by Droplet-Based Microfluidics and Photo-Cross-Linking to Prevent Pathogenic Infection and Promote Wound Repair

The treatment of infected wounds faces great challenges due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance and the lack of persistence in drug release. Here, a living probiotic dressing is constructed by integrating droplet-shearing and photo-cross-linking. Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii), the only probiotic used clinically, is encapsulated and attached to a wound under light irradiation. A double-layer hydrogel provides a protective barrier for cell growth and proliferation while preventing the escape of S. boulardii. The living probiotic dressing shows superior biosafety with fibroblast cells. Strikingly, in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that the living probiotic dressing not only inhibits bacterial survival and colonization, but also alleviates inflammation and accelerates wound closure. More significantly, the living probiotic dressing promotes collagen deposition and neovascularization, which accelerates wound healing. This work can provide new ideas for clinical wound treatment and widen the application of probiotics in tissue engineering.

Production and Characterization of Cellulosic Pulp from Mango Agro-Industrial Waste and Potential Applications

The growing demand for cellulosic pulp presents an opportunity to explore alternatives to this material, focusing on utilizing agro-industrial residues. Mango's tegument is a rich source of cellulose, making it a valuable raw material for manufacturing single-use articles or blends with biopolymers. In this sense, employing conventional alkaline and acid chemical treatments, the mango's tegument was treated to obtain cellulosic pulp. The teguments were subjected to treatment with alkaline solutions (2% and 4% NaOH w/v) at 80 °C for 1 or 2 h or with an acetic acid solution (1:1 or 1:2 CH3COOH:H2O2) at 60-70 °C for 1 or 2 h. After treatment, an evaluation was conducted to assess the yield, color, chemical analysis, and structural, thermal, and morphological properties. The alkali treatments produced cellulosic pulps with a light color with 37-42% yield and reduced hemicellulose content. The acid treatments produced orange-brown cellulosic pulp with 47-48% yield and higher hemicellulose content. The acid pulps were thermally more stable (maximum decomposition at 348-357 °C) than the alkali pulps (maximum decomposition at 316-321 °C). The crystallinity index demonstrated that both treatments increased the crystallinity of the cellulose pulps compared with the untreated tegument. The thermal stability of cellulosic pulp at the processing temperatures of disposable tableware (50-120 °C) revealed that plates, bowls, trays, and cups could be produced. Another potential application is as a component of blends with biopolymers to make straws or rigid food packaging (trays) with reinforced structures.

Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12 in pectin and sodium alginate: A comparative study on viability, stability, and structure

The present study aimed at examining whether the microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12 inside hydrogels could prolong their survival in freeze-drying conditions, stored at 4℃ and in the gastrointestinal medium. Microencapsulation was performed by emulsion with a syringe, while sodium alginate and high methoxyl pectin were used as a carrier material. A relatively high efficiency of encapsulation was obtained (>92%). Z-Average and pdI in samples were not significant (p < .05). In different treatments, changes in the number of bacteria after freeze-drying, 30 days of storage, and gastrointestinal conditions, compared to each other, were significant (p < .05). However, the survival rate after a reduction during storage was higher than 106 cfu/g, indicating the suitability of the microencapsulation process. The surface of microcapsules observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed the success of encapsulation. Finally, a lower decrease in the count of microencapsulated was observed in comparison to the free cells.