Microencapsulation of Banana Passion Fruit (<i>Passiflora tripartita Var. Mollissima</i>): A New Alternative as a Natural Additive as Antioxidant

Banana passion fruit (P. tripartita var. Mollissima) is one of the most promising tropical fruits giving its antioxidant activity (AOA) to replace synthetic additives. Despite this property, there are no studies about the metabolites responsible for its biological function or proposals for the application of technologies, such as microencapsulation by spray drying, to improve its properties and ease its incorporation in several food matrices. The aim of this study is to microencapsulate the pulp of banana passion fruit with several mixtures of encapsulants and identify which one of these mixtures is better to preserve its AOA. The antioxidant activity values for the banana passion fruit pulp were as follows: DPPH: 6630.2 ± 91 μMtrolox/100g;ABTS: 18764.3 ± 270.4 μMtrolox/100g;FRAP: 1703.6± 938.2 mgAA/100g, ORAC: 8105.4 ± 424.2 μmol TEAC/100g of sample;Total phenols: 8862.2 ± 451.4 gallic ac. mg/100g. The concentrations of the bioactive compounds expressed in mg of gallic acid per 100 g of the pulp on a dry base were 13.9 ± 0.004;5.9 ± 0.001 and 126.3 ± 0.004 for caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids, respectively. The best shelf-life followed by ABTS in eight assays was between 28.8 and 31.5 weeks using maltodextrin and modified starch, MD:MS (1/4:3/4) and MD:MS (0:1), respectively. In conclusion, ABTS is the best method to measure the AOA in banana passion fruit because it correlated with the phenolic compounds better than DPPH and FRAP methods. Additionally, two options were found to protect the AOA and to extent the shelf-life of the passion fruit by spray-drying, with mixtures of encapsulants widely used in the food industry.

Microencapsulation improves inhibitory effects of transplanted olfactory ensheathing cells on pain after sciatic nerve injury

Olfactory bulb tissue transplantation inhibits P2X2/3 receptor-mediated neuropathic pain. However, the olfactory bulb has a complex cellular composition, and the mechanism underlying the action of purified transplanted olfactory ensheathing cells（OECs） remains unclear. In the present study, we microencapsulated OECs in alginic acid, and transplanted free and microencapsulated OECs into the region surrounding the injured sciatic nerve in rat models of chronic constriction injury. We assessed mechanical nociception in the rat models 7 and 14 days after surgery by measuring paw withdrawal threshold, and examined P2X2/3 receptor expression in L4–5 dorsal root ganglia using immunohistochemistry. Rats that received free and microencapsulated OEC transplants showed greater withdrawal thresholds than untreated model rats, and weaker P2X2/3 receptor immunoreactivity in dorsal root ganglia. At 14 days, paw withdrawal threshold was much higher in the microencapsulated OEC-treated animals. Our results confirm that microencapsulated OEC transplantation suppresses P2X2/3 receptor expression in L4–5 dorsal root ganglia in rat models of neuropathic pain and reduces allodynia, and also suggest that transplantation of microencapsulated OECs is more effective than transplantation of free OECs for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Microencapsulation by Spray Drying of Vitamin A Palmitate from Oil to Powder and Its Application in Topical Delivery System

Vitamin A palmitate (VAP) contains retinol and palmitic acid which is easily absorbed by body and widely used in skin care products. But, it is a hydrophobic and oxidation sensitive molecule which undergoes rapid degradation especially in an aqueous environment. The purpose of this study was to prepare microcapsules of VAP using combination maltodextrin and modified starches. Emulsion of VAP was prepared using cremophore RH 40 with Tween 80 in a homogenizer and formed emulsion was spray-dried. The spray process was optimized using a central composite design for two variables to obtain microcapsules with desirable characteristics. Microcapsules containing 30% of VAP were produced using different concentration of wall materials. The prepared microcapsules were evaluated for their physical, morphological, in-vitro drug release and SEM study. The results showed that obtained microcapsules are nearly spherical in shape with a particle size ranged from 1 to 12 μm. The drug content and encapsulation efficiency (53% - 63%) of different batches were found within acceptable range. These stabilized drug loaded microcapsules were incorporated into silicone cream based formulation for convenient topical application and evaluated for its physicochemical parameters. The drug release study showed 80.18% to 83.43% of drug release from VAP microcapsules while topical formulations prepared by VAP microcapsules showed 67.09% to 71.45% drug release at the end of 24 hrs. The formulations were kept for 3 months stability study as per ICH guidelines and found to be stable.

Palm Oil Microencapsulation by Coacervation, Thin Layer Drying, and Silica Dioxide Absorption Technique

Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer in the world. The content of β-carotene in palm oil, which can act as pro-vitamin A, is relatively high, so it has great potential for overcoming cases of vitamin A deficiency. By microencapsulation process of palm oil, β-carotene content in palm oil will be more stable and have a longer shelf life. There are three methods of microencapsulation used in this study, namely coacervation, thin-layer drying, and SiO2 absorption technique, which theoretically are suitable for encapsulating β-carotene in palm oil. The aim of this research is to compare and find the most suitable method of microencapsulation process of palm oil to obtain the highest β-carotene content and retention. Results show that those three methods are significantly different in affecting water absorption, solubility in water, yield, microencapsulation efficiency, β-carotene content, and retention of microencapsulated palm oil. The microencapsulated palm oil made from thin layer drying method has the highest β-carotene content at 200.16 μg/g and β-carotene retention of 68.89%. It also has low water absorption and high water solubility, so it can be applied as a powder premix in food as vitamin A supplement.

Microencapsulation of Mixed Fetal Pituitary-Hypothalamic-Nigral Cells

With the microencapsulation technique for immunoisolation of transplanted tissues, a study on pituitary transplantation was performed in our lab. Mixed fetal pituitary hypothalamic nigral cells were microencapsulated and cultured to investigate the secretion of growth hormone (GH), prolactin(PRL) and PRL releasing function stimulated by thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in the medium. Rabbits were immunized with the encapsulated cells for 50 days. The results revealed that: ①GH, PRL could be secreted into medium through the capsules; ②PRL concentration augmented when TRH was added to the medium; ③No antibody against the fetal brain tissue could be detected in rabbit serum. These indicated that the material and the procedure of microencapsulation did not disturb the viability and function of encapsulated cells; the membrane of the microencapsulation was permeable to the pituitary hormones and hypothalamic factors, and had the function of immunoisolation.

Coacervation Microencapsulation of CaCO₃Particles with a Fluoropolymer by Pressure-induced Phase Separation of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Solutions

We report a method for the coacervation micro-encapsulation of several forms of CaCO3 microparticles with the fluoropolymer poly(heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate) (poly (HDFDA)) by pressure-induced phase separation of a supercritical CO2 solution.? A suspension of CaCO3 in CO2 and dissolved poly(HDFDA) were mixed in supercritical CO2.? After the system pressure was slowly decreased to atmospheric pressure, the microcapsules were obtained.? Coacervation was achieved by the precipitation of poly(HDFDA) during the decrease in the pressure of CO2;the solubility of poly(HDFDA) in CO2 decreased with the pressure.? The structure and morphology of the microparticles were investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) equipped with a wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscope (WDX).

Nano-Microencapsulation and Controlled Release of Linoleic Acid in Biopolymer Matrices: Effects of the Physical State, Water Activity, and Quercetin on Oxidative Stability

In this study, linoleic acid (LA) was encapsulated in the presence or absence of quercetin into a dual polymer system of whey protein and kappa-carrageenan using power ultrasound. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and FlowCam imaging technology were used for imaging and size determination of nano-and micro-capsules. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the freeze-dried nanocapsules. In order to examine the effect of water activity (aw) on the release profile of the encapsulated LA, the nanocapsules were equilibrated over saturated salt solution conditions corresponding to the range of aw between 0.333 and 0.769 in evacuated desiccators at room temperature. Gravimetric measurements of the steady state linoleic acid (LA) contents were conducted. The anti-oxidant activity of quercetin and the stability of encapsulated LA toward long term and thermally induced rancidity was investigated. The capsules were in the nanosize regime and 83% of the LA was effectively encapsulated. Furthermore, at aw of 0.764, the highest percentage of LA (74%) was released from the expelling nanocapsules. Quercetin was found to exhibit protective antioxidant effect against time-dependent oxidation and thermally induced rancidity of LA. Water activity values of 0.662 and 0.764 provided ideal humidity and pressure conditions for sustained release of nanoencapsulated LA at room temperature.

Acrocomia aculeata(Jacq.)Lodd.Oil Microencapsulation by Complex Coacervation:Preservation of Bioactive Compounds

Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. shows possibilities for pharmaceutical, food and chemical use. However, its application is limited due to the loss of its bioactive components. Microencapsulation may be an alternative to reduce such problems. A step-by-step optimization approach was used in this work for preservation of bioactive compounds. The applied technique to microencapsulate the Acrocomia aculeata oil was efficient, producing between 64% and 99% of microcapsules and 59% to 97% of encapsulated oil. In the experimental design, temperature was the parameter that significantly influenced the carotenoids of microcapsules. Complex coacervation helped to preserve carotenoids and the antioxidant activity, and an interaction between the temperature and the content was observed for such preservation.

Microencapsulation of L-Ascorbic Acid by Spray Drying Using Sodium Alginate as Wall Material

L-ascorbic acid is a water soluble vitamin (vitamin C) widely used as an additive in foods and cosmetics. It has high instability against certain environmental factors;the main cause of its deterioration is oxidation. Microencapsulation is an effective protection technique of L-ascorbic acid from its degradation reactions. This work is focused on the encapsulation of L-ascorbic acid by spray drying technique using sodium alginate as wall material. The microcapsules morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the encapsulation efficiency was determined by spectrophotometric analysis. Results showed that encapsulation efficiency was of 93.48% and after 30 days was of 92.55%;differences were not significant, so that the stability of L-ascorbic acid was not affected. Encapsulation yields obtained were low, at around 30%, but the microcapsules morphology obtained is spherical.

Microencapsulation of Lipase and Savinase Enzymes by Spray Drying Using Arabic Gum as Wall Material

Enzymes have been used in detergents over the years. They can improve the detergent’s efficiency due to their activities against hard stains. Nevertheless, enzymes cannot maintain their properties indefinitely, since they are exposed to stress factors, like temperature, pH, mechanical processes and others. Consequently, enzymes lose their structure and they are not functional. For this reason, microencapsulating these proteins is a feasible solution to improve their use in industrial processes and commercial products. Spray drying technology has been selected because a lot of scientific literature proved its useful application in a variety of industries. In particular, savinase and lipase are the two encapsulated enzymes in this work. Savinase attacks proteins and lipase removes fats, so they are suitable enzymes for detergent industry. Arabic gum has been used as wall material. Morphology, size and activity of the obtained microcapsules have been analyzed in order to find the best conditions to produce them. In conclusion, useful microcapsules of lipase and savinase can be obtained with the mentioned technology.

Advancements in non-starch polysaccharides research for frozen foods and microencapsulation of probiotics

Conventionally used in the food industry as stabilizing,thickening,gelling,and suspending or dispersing agents,non-starch polysaccharides such as xanthan gum are known to improve the texture of certain frozen products.Another polysaccharide that has received significant attention in recent years is chitosan,a natural biopolymer derived from chitin.In the wake of growing interest in finding ideal encapsulating agents for probiotics,non-starch polysaccharides have been investigated.Scattered research can be found on the effect of each individual polysaccharide,but there remains a void in the literature in terms of closely comparing the characteristics of nonstarch polysaccharides for these applications,especially when more than one biopolymer is employed.A good understanding of the tools capable of elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved is essential in ushering further development of their applications.Therefore,it is this review’s intention to focus on the selection criteria of non-starch polysaccharides based on their rheological properties,resistance to harsh conditions,and ability to improve sensory quality.A variety of critical tools is also carefully examined with respect to the attainable information crucial to frozen food and microencapsulation applications.

High sensitivity ratiometric fluorescence temperature sensing using the microencapsulation of CsPbBr3 and K2SiF6:Mn4+phosphor

A dual emission sensing film has been prepared for colorimetric temperature sensing using CsPbBr_(3)perovskite nanocrystals(CsPbBr_(3)NCs)and manganese doped potassium fluorosilicate(K_(2)SiF_(6):Mn^(4+),KSF)encapsulated in polystyrene by a microencapsulation strategy.The CsPbBr_(3)-KSF-PS film shows good temperature sensing response from 30℃to 70℃,with a relative temperature sensitivity(Sr)up to 10.31%℃^(−1) at 45℃.Meanwhile,the film maintains more than 95%intensity after 6 heating-cooling cycles and keeps its fluorescence characteristics after 3 months.The film can be used to monitor temperature change by naked eye under a UV lamp.In particular,the temperature discoloration point of the sensing film can be controlled by the ratio change of CsPbBr_(3):KSF to expand its applications.The study of the CsPbBr_(3)-KSF-PS sensing mechanism in this work is helpful to provide effective strategies for the design of reliable,high sensitivity and stable temperature sensing system using CsPbBr_(3)NCs.

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular regulatory network underlying the prevention of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum against LPS-induced salpingitis in laying hens

Background Salpingitis is one of the common diseases in laying hen production, which greatly decreases the economic outcome of laying hen farming. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum was effective in preventing local or systemic inflammation, however rare studies were reported on its prevention against salpingitis. This study aimed to investigate the preventive molecular regulatory network of microencapsulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum(MLP) against salpingitis through multi-omics analysis, including microbiome, transcriptome and metabolome analyses.Results The results revealed that supplementation of MLP in diet significantly alleviated the inflammation and atrophy of uterus caused by lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in hens(P < 0.05). The concentrations of plasma IL-2 and IL-10 in hens of MLP-LPS group were higher than those in hens of LPS-stimulation group(CN-LPS group)(P < 0.05). The expression levels of TLR2, MYD88, NF-κB, COX2, and TNF-α were significantly decreased in the hens fed diet supplemented with MLP and suffered with LPS stimulation(MLP-LPS group) compared with those in the hens of CN-LPS group(P < 0.05). Differentially expressed genes(DEGs) induced by MLP were involved in inflammation, reproduction, and calcium ion transport. At the genus level, the MLP supplementation significantly increased the abundance of Phascolarctobacterium, whereas decreased the abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas in LPS challenged hens(P < 0.05). The metabolites altered by dietary supplementation with MLP were mainly involved in galactose, uronic acid, histidine, pyruvate and primary bile acid metabolism. Dietary supplementation with MLP inversely regulates LPSinduced differential metabolites such as Lyso PA(24:0/0:0)(P < 0.05).Conclusions In summary, dietary supplementation with microencapsulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum prevented salpingitis by modulating the abundances of Candidatus_Saccharimonas, Phascolarctobacterium, Ruminococcus_torques_group and Eubacterium_hallii_group while downregulating the levels of plasma metabolites, p-tolyl sulfate, o-cresol and N-acetylhistamine and upregulating S-lactoylglutathione, simultaneously increasing the expressions of CPNE4, CNTN3 and ACAN genes in the uterus, and ultimately inhibiting oviducal inflammation.

Microencapsulation with spray-chilling as an innovative strategy for probiotic low sodium requeijao cremoso processed cheese processing

The effect of sodium reduction and Lactobacillus acidophilus addition(free or microencapsulated)on the quality parameters of requeijao cremoso processed cheese was assessed for 90 days at 5℃.Three formulations were prepared:(CONT)regular salt content and curd fusion(90℃/2 min),(FREE)reduced salt content+free probiotic culture added after curd fusion(90℃/2 min),and(MICRO)reduced salt content+microencapsulated probiotic culture added before curd fusion(70℃/5 min).FREE and MICRO formulations showed increased monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content,improved health indices(decreases in thrombogenic index and increases in desirable fatty acid index),and altered rheological properties(higher consistency index,apparent viscosity,elastic properties,and gel strength).In addition,the MICRO formulation showed higher texture sensory acceptance and probiotic counts higher than 6 log CFU/g during storage and simulated gastrointestinal conditions.Overall,microencapsulation of probiotics with spray chilling represents an innovative solution in requeijao cremoso processed cheese.

Solar-absorbing metamaterial microencapsulation of phase change materials for thermo-regulating textiles

This paper presents a novel concept for designing solar-absorbing metamaterial microcapsules of phase change materials(PCMs)integrated with thermo-regulating smart textiles intended for coats or garments,especially for wear in space or cold weather on earth.The metamaterial is a periodically nanostructured metal-dielectric-metal thin film and can acquire surface plasmons to trap or absorb solar energy at subwavelength scales.This kind of metamaterial microencapsulation is not only able to take advantage of latent heat that can be stored or released from the PCMs over a tunable temperature range,but also has other advantages over conventional polymer microencapsulation of PCMs,such as enhanced thermal conductivity,improved flame-retardant capabilities,and usage as an extra solar power resource.The thermal analysis for this kind of microencapsulation has been done and can be used as a guideline for designing integrated thermo-regulating smart textiles in the future.These metamaterial microcapsules may open up new routes to enhancing thermo-regulating textiles with novel properties and added value.

Novel in-capsule synthesis of metal-organic framework for innovative carbon dioxide capture system

Metal-Organic Frameworks(MOFs)have been developed as solid sorbents for CO_(2) capture applications and their properties can be controlled by tuning the chemical blocks of their crystalline units.A number of MOFs(e.g.,HKUST-1)have been developed but the question remains how to deploy them for gas-solid contact.Unfortunately,the direct use of MOFs as nanocrystals would lead to serious problems and risks.Here,for the first time,we report a novel MOF-based hybrid sorbent that is produced via an innovative in-situ microencapsulated synthesis.Using a custom-made double capillary microfluidic assembly,double emulsions of the MOF precursor solutions and UV-curable silicone shell fluid are produced.Subsequently,HKUST-1 MOF is successfully synthesized within the droplets enclosed in the gas permeable microcapsules.The developed MOF-bearing microcapsules uniquely allow the deployment of functional nanocrystals without the challenge of handling ultrafine particles,and further,can selectively reject undesired compounds to protect encapsulated MOFs.

Microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate by polyurethane with segment of dipentaerythritol and its application in flame retardant polypropylene

Dipentaerythritol(DPER),4,40-diphenylmethanediisocyanate(MDI)and melamine(MEL)are used as raw materials to microencapsulate ammonium polyphosphate(MAPP)in situ polymerization.The MAPP is characterized by Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA).The results show that the coating operation can effectively improve water resistance of ammonium polyphosphate(APP),and MAPP has higher residual rate than that of APP after combustion.The flame retardant action of MAPP and APP in polypropylene(PP)is investigated by the limited oxygen index(LOI),vertical burning test(UL-94),TGA,SEM,and cone calorimeter test(CCT).The LOI value of the PP/MAPP composite at the same loading is higher than that of PP/APP composite.UL 94 ratings of PP/MAPP composites are raised to V-0 at 20 wt%loading.The results of CCT also show that MAPP is more efficient than APP.The morphological structures observed by digital photos and SEM demonstrated that MAPP could be promoted to form the continuous and compact intumescent char layer.The flame retardant mechanism of PP/MAPP is also discussed.

Controlled-release Properties of Microencapsulated Disperse Dyes

Some disperse dyes were microencapsulated by means of in- situ polymerization. These microencapsulated disperse dyes was extracted respectively by ethanol under certain conditions. The controlled-release properties of disperse dyes through the shell of microcapsules were measured by spectrophotometer. According to the results, it was drawn that the type of disperse dyes, the auxiliaries contained in disperse dyes, the quantity of system controlling medium used and the core/shell ratio of microcapsules play important roles in controlling the release properties of microcapsules. The different controlled- release properties of microcapsules, which were prepared under given conditions, however, would in turn influence the performance of microcapsules in multiple-transfer printing.

Antimicrobial activity of cotton and silk fabric with herbal extract by micro encapsulation

Objective:To explore the antimicrobial activity of microcapsules encapsulated with mixture of herbs like neem,tulsi and turmeric,and its application on cellulosic fabric in the form of microcapsules.Methods:The microcapsules were prepared from the mixture of herbs by plain diffusion method,a natural encapsulation technique with yeast and applied on cotton and silk fabric by pad-dry-cure method.The microcapsules were fixed on cotton and silk fabric using the binder UF Silpure FBR-5(PA)B at 120℃.The antimicrobial activities of the finished fabric were assessed by using three types of bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas.Results:The results of antimicrobial activity from the tests including parallel streak method and disc diffusion method showed that activity of the mixture of herbs was very effective among the three types of bacteria selected,and the antimicrobial activity of prepared microcapsule against Pseudomonas was very good.Conclusions:The herbal microcapsule treated fabric could be applied in the field of medicine.The scanning electron microscope photographs ensure the fixing of the microcapsules firmly in the yarn structure of plain woven cotton and silk fabric.