Bulk and Interfacial Behavior of Potato Protein-Based Microgels.

This study aims to understand the bulk and interfacial performance of potato protein microgels. Potato protein (PoP) was used to produce microgels of submicrometer diameter via a top-down approach of thermal cross-linking followed by high-shear homogenization of the bulk gel. Bulk "parent" gels were formed at protein concentrations [PoP] = 5-18 wt %, which subsequently varied in their bulk shear elastic modulus (G') by several orders of magnitude (1-100 kPa), G' increasing with increasing [PoP]. The PoP microgels (PoPM) formed from these parent gels had diameters varying between 100 and 300 nm (size increasing with increasing G' and [PoP]), as observed via dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy (AFM) of PoPM adsorbed onto silicon. Interfacial rheology (interfacial shear storage and loss moduli, Gi' and Gi″) and interfacial tension (γ) of adsorbed films of PoP (i.e., nonheated PoP) and PoPM (both at tetradecane-water interfaces) were also studied, as well as the bulk rheology of the PoPM dispersions. The results showed that PoPM dispersions (at 50 vol %) had significantly higher bulk viscosity and shear thinning properties compared to the nonmicrogelled PoP at the same overall [PoP], but the bulk rheological behavior was in sharp contrast to the interfacial rheological performance, where Gi' and Gi″ of PoP were higher than for any of the PoPM. This suggests that the deformability and size of the microgels were key in determining the interfacial rheology of the PoPM. These findings may be attributed to the limited capacity for "unfolding" and lateral interactions of the larger PoPM at the interface, which are presumed to be stiffer due to their production from the strongest PoP gels. Our study further confirmed that heating and cooling the adsorbed films of PoPM after their adsorption showed little change, highlighting that hydrogen bonding was limited between the microgel particles.

Effect of in vitro food oral coating and lubricity on satiety: A randomized controlled trial using milk protein beverages.

We investigated the effects of complex textural attributes of food i.e. lubricity and oral coating, on appetite ratings, food intake, salivary and gut peptides for the first time. Milk protein-rich beverages (whey and casein) were instrumentally analyzed (tribology, viscosity and adsorption, latter representing oral coating) using in vitro measurements. Then these protein beverage preloads differing in their coating properties (low coating, medium coating and high coating) were assessed in two cross-over satiety trials (Study 1, n=37; Study 2, n=15; Total n= 52). Fullness ratings increased in the high coating beverage condition (p < .05) only after 20 min with limited effects on other time points, suggesting a sporadic effect of oral coating on appetite ratings (n=37). There was a correlation between concentration of protein in saliva and appetite ratings; the higher the concentration of protein in saliva the lower the desire to eat (r = - 0.963; p < 0.05) and prospective food consumption ratings (r =- 0.980; p < 0.05). Human saliva was more lubricating after ingesting preload with high coating properties, thus explaining the results on appetite ratings. There was no effect of oral coating on energy intake and gut peptides (n=15), suggesting that complex textural attributes having influence on oral processing might not have any effect on the later parts of the satiety cascade. Oral coating/ lubricity appears to have a subtle and sporadic effect on appetite suppression, which needs further investigation with changing macronutrients/energy load and degree of coating/ lubricity.

Demulsification of Pickering emulsions: advances in understanding mechanisms to applications.

Pickering emulsions are ultra-stable dispersions of two immiscible fluids stabilized by solid or microgel particles rather than molecular surfactants. Although their ultra-stability is a signature performance indicator, often such high stability hinders their demulsification, i.e., prevents the droplet coalescence that is needed for phase separation on demand, or release of the active ingredients encapsulated within droplets and/or to recover the particles themselves, which may be catalysts, for example. This review aims to provide theoretical and experimental insights on demulsification of Pickering emulsions, in particular identifying the mechanisms of particle dislodgment from the interface in biological and non-biological applications. Even though the adhesion of particles to the interface can appear irreversible, it is possible to detach particles via (1) alteration of particle wettability, and/or (2) particle dissolution, affecting the particle radius by introducing a range of physical conditions: pH, temperature, heat, shear, or magnetic fields; or via treatment with chemical/biochemical additives, including surfactants, enzymes, salts, or bacteria. Many of these changes ultimately influence the interfacial rheology of the particle-laden interface, which is sometimes underestimated. There is increasing momentum to create responsive Pickering particles such that they offer switchable wettability (demulsification and re-emulsification) when these conditions are changed. Demulsification via wettability alteration seems like the modus operandi whilst particle dissolution remains only partially explored, largely dominated by food digestion-related studies where Pickering particles are digested using gastrointestinal enzymes. Overall, this review aims to stimulate new thinking about the control of demulsification of Pickering emulsions for release of active ingredients associated with these ultra-stable emulsions.

Self-assembly of sustainable plant protein protofilaments into a hydrogel for ultra-low friction across length scales.

Designing plant protein-based aqueous lubricants can be of great potential to achieve sustainability objectives by capitalising on inherent functional groups without using synthetic chemicals; however, such a concept remains in its infancy. Here, we engineer a class of self-assembled sustainable materials by using plant-based protofilaments and their assembly within a biopolymeric hydrogel giving rise to a distinct patchy architecture. By leveraging physical interactions, this material offers superlubricity with friction coefficients of 0.004-to-0.00007 achieved under moderate-to-high (102-to-103 kPa) contact pressures. Multiscale experimental measurements combined with molecular dynamics simulations reveal an intriguing synergistic mechanism behind such ultra-low friction - where the uncoated areas of the protofilaments glue to the surface by hydrophobic interactions, whilst the hydrogel offers the hydration lubrication. The current approach establishes a robust platform towards unlocking an untapped potential of using plant protein-based building blocks across diverse applications where achieving superlubricity and environmental sustainability are key performance indicators.

Optogenetic induction of mechanical muscle stress identifies myosin regulatory ubiquitin ligase NHL-1 in C. elegans.

Mechanical stress during muscle contraction is a constant threat to proteome integrity. However, there is a lack of experimental systems to identify critical proteostasis regulators under mechanical stress conditions. Here, we present the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans model OptIMMuS (Optogenetic Induction of Mechanical Muscle Stress) to study changes in the proteostasis network associated with mechanical forces. Repeated blue light exposure of a muscle-expressed Chlamydomonas rheinhardii channelrhodopsin-2 variant results in sustained muscle contraction and mechanical stress. Using OptIMMuS, combined with proximity labeling and mass spectrometry, we identify regulators that cooperate with the myosin-directed chaperone UNC-45 in muscle proteostasis. One of these is the TRIM E3 ligase NHL-1, which interacts with UNC-45 and muscle myosin in genetic epistasis and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. We provide evidence that the ubiquitylation activity of NHL-1 regulates myosin levels and functionality under mechanical stress. In the future, OptIMMuS will help to identify muscle-specific proteostasis regulators of therapeutic relevance.

Oral tribology of dairy protein-rich emulsions and emulsion-filled gels affected by colloidal processing and composition.

Designing nutritious food for the elderly population often requires significant quantities of leucine-rich whey proteins to combat malnutrition, yet high-protein formulations can cause mouth dryness and increased oral friction. This study investigated how various colloidal processing methods and compositions impact the in vitro oral tribological properties of protein-rich emulsions and emulsion-filled gels. Oil-in-water emulsions with oil fractions from 1 wt% to 20 wt% were prepared, alongside emulsion-filled gels containing whey protein isolate (WPI), hydrolysed whey protein (HWP), or a blend of both (10 wt% protein content). Two processing approaches were employed: creating emulsions with an initial 10 w% protein content (M1) and initially forming emulsions with 0.1 wt% protein content, then enriching to a final 10 wt% concentration (M2). The hypothesis was that formulations with HWP or method 2 (M2) would offer lubrication benefits by inducing droplet coalescence, aiding in the formation of a lubricating boundary tribofilm. Surprisingly, the tribological behavior of high-protein emulsions showed minimal dependence on oil droplet volume fraction. However, both HWP-based emulsions and those processed with M2 for WPI exhibited significant friction reduction, which may be attributed to the presence of coalesced oil droplets, supporting our hypothesis. Substituting 50 wt% of WPI with HWP in emulsion-filled gel boli resulted in very low friction coefficients in the boundary lubrication regime, suggesting oil droplet release from the gel matrix. These findings provide insights into designing high-protein foods with improved mouthfeel for the elderly population, necessitating further validation through sensory studies.

Depletion Flocculation of High Internal Phase Pickering Emulsion Inks: A Colloidal Engineering Approach to Develop 3D Printed Porous Scaffolds with Tunable Bioactive Delivery.

Flocculation is a type of aggregation where the surfaces of approaching droplets are still at distances no closer than a few nanometers while still remaining in close proximity. In a high internal-phase oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion, the state of flocculation affects the bulk flow behavior and viscoelasticity, which can consequently control the three-dimensional (3D)-printing process and printing performance. Herein, we present the assembly of O/W Pickering high-internal-phase emulsions (Pickering-HIPEs) as printing inks and demonstrate how depletion flocculation in such Pickering-HIPE inks can be used as a facile colloidal engineering approach to tailor a porous 3D structure suitable for drug delivery. Pickering-HIPEs were prepared using different levels of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), co-stabilized using "raw" submicrometer-sized sustainable particles from a biomass-processing byproduct. In the presence of this sustainable particle, the higher CNC contents facilitated particle-induced depletion flocculation, which led to the formation of a mechanically robust gel-like ink system. Nonetheless, the presence of adsorbed particles on the surface of droplets ensured their stability against coalescence, even in such a highly aggregated system. The gel structures resulting from the depletion phenomenon enabled the creation of high-performance printed objects with tunable porosity, which can be precisely controlled at two distinct levels: first, by introducing voids within the internal structure of filaments, and second, by generating cavities (pore structures) through the elimination of the water phase. In addition to printing efficacy, the HIPEs could be applied for curcumin delivery, and in vitro release kinetics demonstrated that the porous 3D scaffolds engineered for the first time using depletion-flocculated HIPE inks played an important role in 3D scaffold disintegration and curcumin release. Thus, this study offers a unique colloidal engineering approach of using depletion flocculation to template 3D printing of sustainable inks to generate next-generation porous scaffolds for personalized drug deliveries.

Addressing astringency of grape seed extract by covalent conjugation with lupin protein.

Astringency of phenolic-rich foods is a key tactile perception responsible for acceptability/rejection of plant extracts as ingredients in formulations. Covalent conjugation of phenolic extracts with plant proteins might be a promising strategy to control astringency, but suffers from a lack of mechanistic understanding from the lubrication point of view. To shed light on this, this ex vivo study evaluated the effect of conjugation of a phenolic grape seed extract (GSE) with legume protein (lupin, LP) on tribological and surface adsorption performance of GSE in the absence and presence of human saliva (ex vivo). Tribological results confirmed GSE had an inferior lubrication capacity as compared to LP. The lubrication performance of LP-GSE dispersions was comparable to their corresponding LP dispersion (p > 0.05) when covalently conjugated with LP (LP-GSE) with increasing LP:GSE ratio up to 1:0.04 w/w and at a specific degree of conjugation (DC: 2%). Tribological and surface adsorption measurements confirmed the tendency of GSE to interact with human saliva (ex vivo, n = 17 subjects), impairing the lubricity of salivary films. The covalent bonding of LP to GSE hindered GSE's interaction with human saliva, implying the potential influence of covalent conjugation on attenuating astringency. LP appeared to compete with human saliva for surface adsorption and governed the lubrication behaviour in LP-GSE dispersions. Findings from this study provide valuable knowledge to guide the rational design of sustainable, functional foods using conjugation of phenolics with plant proteins to incorporate larger proportions of health-promoting phenolics while controlling astringency, which needs validation by sensory trials.

Floxuridine supports UPS independent of germline signaling and proteostasis regulators via involvement of detoxification in C. elegans.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is critical for maintaining proteostasis, influencing stress resilience, lifespan, and thermal adaptability in organisms. In Caenorhabditis elegans, specific proteasome subunits and activators, such as RPN-6, PBS-6, and PSME-3, are associated with heat resistance, survival at cold (4°C), and enhanced longevity at moderate temperatures (15°C). Previously linked to improving proteostasis, we investigated the impact of sterility-inducing floxuridine (FUdR) on UPS functionality under proteasome dysfunction and its potential to improve cold survival. Our findings reveal that FUdR significantly enhances UPS activity and resilience during proteasome inhibition or subunit deficiency, supporting worms' normal lifespan and adaptation to cold. Importantly, FUdR effect on UPS activity occurs independently of major proteostasis regulators and does not rely on the germ cells proliferation or spermatogenesis. Instead, FUdR activates a distinct detoxification pathway that supports UPS function, with GST-24 appearing to be one of the factors contributing to the enhanced activity of the UPS upon knockdown of the SKN-1-mediated proteasome surveillance pathway. Our study highlights FUdR unique role in the UPS modulation and its crucial contribution to enhancing survival under low-temperature stress, providing new insights into its mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic applications.

The Association of Oral Processing Factors and Nutrient Intake in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

CONTEXT: Oral health and food oral-processing issues emerge with functional decline in the older adult population, potentially increasing the risk of malnutrition. Impairment of oral health is associated with poorer nutrition status; however, the relationship between oral factors and the intake of each nutrient remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The associations between different oral factors and nutrient intakes among community-dwelling older adults were investigated. DATA SOURCES: A literature search from 5 databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Ovid [MEDLINE and Embase], and CINAHL) was completed on February 1, 2022. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published between the years 2012 and 2022. DATA EXTRACTION: Six cross-sectional studies were included in the meta-analysis. Two authors independently completed the data extraction and summarized the study characteristics, factors adjusted for in the statistical analysis, the outcome, and summary statistics of the results. DATA ANALYSIS: Meta-analyses showed evidence of a significant association between compromised oral factors (namely, denture status, chewing ability, and the number of teeth) with lower energy (weighted mean difference [WMD], -107 kcal d-1 (95% CI, -132 to -81), protein (WMD, -5.2 g d-1; 95% CI, -6.6 to -3.8), fat (WMD, -4.6 g d-1; 95% CI, -6.7 to -2.6), carbohydrate (WMD, -8.8 g d-1; 95% CI, -13.9 to -3.7), and vitamin C intakes (WMD, -12.9 mg d-1; 95% CI, -16.6 to -9.2) in older adults. CONCLUSION: Oral health can be an indicator of compromised daily energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and vitamin C intakes in older adults. However, the small sample size of the studies included in this review and the heterogeneity among macronutrient studies should be considered. Because of the lack of studies covering all aspects of food oral processing (eg, salivary flow rate, tongue pressure), the associations between oral processing and nutrient intake were not thoroughly explored. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022308823.

Extraction and characterization of carotenoid pigments with antioxidant and antibacterial potential from marine yeast Rhodotorula sp. KSB1.

Pigments are coloring agents used widely in different industrial sectors. There is a demand for using natural pigments rather than synthetic dyes because of the health hazards caused by synthetic dyes. Many natural pigments have different medicinal activities which can contribute to the nutritional value of the product. This study was carried forward with marine yeasts which can produce pigments. A total of 4 marine yeast isolates were recovered from the mangrove area of Sundarbans, West Bengal, India. Among them, the isolate KSB1 produced 856 µg/g total concentration of carotenoid pigment and the dry mass weight was 3.56 g/L. The stability of the extracted pigments was checked using temperature, pH, UV light exposure time, and different saline conditions. The pigments were characterized using HPLC and FTIR analysis. All of the extracted pigments showed good antioxidant activity in DPPH, metal chelating, and reducing power assay. The pigments were also found to have good antibacterial activity against the bacterial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli. Carotenoid pigment from KSB1 was found to have maximum activity in all the pathogens. The cytogenotoxicity using onion roots and phytotoxicity analysis indicated that the pigments were non-toxic and safe for cells. Finally, the potential marine yeast was identified using 18 s rRNA sequencing and identified as Rhodotorula sp. KSB1 (Accession no. MH782232).

Oral Astringency in Plant Proteins: An Underestimated Issue in Formulating Next-Generation Plant-Based Foods.

Ensuring the supply of affordable, palatable, healthy, and sustainable nutrients to feed the growing population without transgressing the planetary boundaries remains a key challenge in the food science community. A dietary transition toward low-emission, plant-based foods, with less reliance on animal agriculture, is advocated for sustainability, health, and ethical reasons. A major hurdle for mainstream adoption of plant-based foods is their poor sensorial performance, such as nonjuicy and astringent textures as well as various off-flavors. This review presents the current understanding of astringency and oral friction of plant-based foods. It focuses on plant proteins and their application in plant-based meat and dairy analogs. In addition, the latest advances in the quantitative characterization of astringency using tribology, electrochemistry, and cellular tools are covered. Finally, we examine factors influencing astringency and propose easy-to-implement colloidal strategies that may mitigate astringency issues, thereby underpinning the design of the next generation of sustainable and pleasurable plant-based foods.

A comprehensive trajectory analyzing the impact of neighborhood on women's health.

Impacts of neighborhoods are more pronounced on women's health since gender roles are often influenced by neighborhoods. To comprehend specific influences of neighborhoods on women's health, a systematic review of literature has been conducted. Authors have found that positive physical and social attributes of the neighborhood tend to promote good health status among women. While degraded physical and social environments of the neighborhoods result in adverse health status for women. The researchers suggest that majority of researchers' focuses are restricted to the United States of America (USA) and their works have peaked since the year 2003. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of researchers examining neighborhoods' influence on women's health in developing countries like India. Also, the health status of reproductive age group of women has not been specifically studied in any of these publications.

Machine learning and topological data analysis identify unique features of human papillae in 3D scans.

The tongue surface houses a range of papillae that are integral to the mechanics and chemistry of taste and textural sensation. Although gustatory function of papillae is well investigated, the uniqueness of papillae within and across individuals remains elusive. Here, we present the first machine learning framework on 3D microscopic scans of human papillae ([Formula: see text]), uncovering the uniqueness of geometric and topological features of papillae. The finer differences in shapes of papillae are investigated computationally based on a number of features derived from discrete differential geometry and computational topology. Interpretable machine learning techniques show that persistent homology features of the papillae shape are the most effective in predicting the biological variables. Models trained on these features with small volumes of data samples predict the type of papillae with an accuracy of 85%. The papillae type classification models can map the spatial arrangement of filiform and fungiform papillae on a surface. Remarkably, the papillae are found to be distinctive across individuals and an individual can be identified with an accuracy of 48% among the 15 participants from a single papillae. Collectively, this is the first evidence demonstrating that tongue papillae can serve as a unique identifier, and inspires a new research direction for food preferences and oral diagnostics.

Benchmarking of a microgel-reinforced hydrogel-based aqueous lubricant against commercial saliva substitutes.

Xerostomia, the subjective sensation of 'dry mouth' affecting at least 1 in 10 adults, predominantly elders, increases life-threatening infections, adversely impacting nutritional status and quality of life. A patented, microgel-reinforced hydrogel-based aqueous lubricant, prepared using either dairy or plant-based proteins, has been demonstrated to offer substantially enhanced lubricity comparable to real human saliva in in vitro experiments. Herein, we present the benchmarking of in vitro lubrication performance of this aqueous lubricant, both in its dairy and vegan formulation against a range of widely available and employed commercial saliva substitutes, latter classified based on their shear rheology into "liquids", "viscous liquids" and "gels", and also had varying extensional properties. Strikingly, the fabricated dairy-based aqueous lubricant offers up to 41-99% more effective boundary lubrication against liquids and viscous liquids, irrespective of topography of the tested dry mouth-mimicking tribological surfaces. Such high lubricity of the fabricated lubricants might be attributed to their limited real-time desorption (7%) from a dry-mouth mimicking hydrophobic surface unlike the tested commercial products including gels (23-58% desorption). This comprehensive benchmarking study therefore paves the way for employing these microgel-based aqueous lubricant formulations as a novel topical platform for dry mouth therapy.

Development of a Ratiometric Tension Sensor Exclusively Responding to Integrin Tension Magnitude in Live Cells.

Integrin tensions are critical for cell mechanotransduction. By converting force to fluorescence, molecular tension sensors image integrin tensions in live cells with a high resolution. However, the fluorescence signal intensity results collectively from integrin tension magnitude, tension dwell time, integrin density, sensor accessibility, and so forth, making it highly challenging to specifically monitor the molecular force level of integrin tensions. Here, a ratiometric tension sensor (RTS) was developed to exclusively monitor the integrin tension magnitude. The RTS consists of two tension-sensing units that are coupled in series and always subject to the same integrin tension. These two units are activated by tension to fluoresce in separate spectra and with different activation rates. The ratio of their activation probabilities, reported by fluorescence ratiometric measurement, is solely determined by the local integrin tension magnitude. RTS responded sensitively to the variation of integrin tension magnitude in platelets and focal adhesions due to different cell plating times, actomyosin inhibition, or vinculin knockout. At last, RTS confirmed that integrin tension magnitude in platelets and focal adhesions decreases monotonically with the substrate rigidity, verifying the rigidity dependence of integrin tensions in live cells and suggesting that integrin tension magnitude could be a key biomechanical factor in cell rigidity sensing.

Synthetic and biopolymeric microgels: Review of similarities and difference in behaviour in bulk phases and at interfaces.

This review discusses the current knowledge of interfacial and bulk interactions of biopolymeric microgels in relation to the well-established properties of synthetic microgels for applications as viscosity modifiers and Pickering stabilisers. We present a timeline showing the key milestones in designing microgels and their bulk/ interfacial performance. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) microgels have remained as the protagonist in the synthetic microgel domain whilst proteins or polysaccharides have been primarily used to fabricate biopolymeric microgels. Bulk properties of microgel dispersions are dominated by the volume fraction (ϕ) of the microgel particles, but ϕ is difficult to pinpoint, as addressed by many theoretical models. By evaluating recent experimental studies over the last five years, we find an increasing focus on the analysis of microgel elasticity as a key parameter in modulating their packing at the interfaces, within the provinces of both synthetic and biopolymeric systems. Production methods and physiochemical factors shown to influence microgel swelling in the aqueous phase can have a significant impact on their bulk as well as interfacial performance. Compared to synthetic microgels, biopolymer microgels show a greater tendency for polydispersity and aggregation and do not appear to have a core-corona structure. Comprehensive studies of biopolymeric microgels are still lacking, for example, to accurately determine their inter- and intra- particle interactions, whilst a wider variety of techniques need to be applied in order to allow comparisons to real systems of practical usage.

Monitoring Metabolic Changes in Response to Chemotherapies in Cancer with Raman Spectroscopy and Metabolomics.

Resistance to clinical therapies remains a major barrier in cancer management. There is a critical need for rapid and highly sensitive diagnostic tools that enable early prediction of treatment response to allow accurate clinical decisions. Here, Raman spectroscopy was employed to monitor changes in key metabolites as early predictors of response in KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, HCT116, treated with chemotherapies. We show at the single cell level that HCT116 is resistant to cetuximab (CTX), the first-line treatment in CRC, but this resistance can be overcome with pre-sensitization of cells with oxaliplatin (OX). In combination treatment of CTX + OX, sequential delivery of OX followed by CTX rather than simultaneous administration of drugs was observed to be critical for effective therapy. Our results demonstrated that metabolic changes are well aligned to cellular mechanical changes where Young's modulus decreased after effective treatment, indicating that both changes in mechanical properties and metabolism in cells are likely responsible for cancer proliferation. Raman findings were verified with mass spectrometry (MS) metabolomics, and both platforms showed changes in lipids, nucleic acids, and amino acids as predictors of resistance/response. Finally, key metabolic pathways enriched were identified when cells are resistant to CTX but downregulated with effective treatment. This study highlights that drug-induced metabolic changes both at the single cell level (Raman) and ensemble level (MS) have the potential to identify mechanisms of response to clinical cancer therapies.

Transforming sustainable plant proteins into high performance lubricating microgels.

With the resource-intensive meat industry accounting for over 50% of food-linked emissions, plant protein consumption is an inevitable need of the hour. Despite its significance, the key barrier to adoption of plant proteins is their astringent off-sensation, typically associated with high friction and consequently poor lubrication performance. Herein, we demonstrate that by transforming plant proteins into physically cross-linked microgels, it is possible to improve their lubricity remarkably, dependent on their volume fractions, as evidenced by combining tribology using biomimetic tongue-like surface with atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering, rheology and adsorption measurements. Experimental findings which are fully supported by numerical modelling reveal that these non-lipidic microgels not only decrease boundary friction by an order of magnitude as compared to native protein but also replicate the lubrication performance of a 20:80 oil/water emulsion. These plant protein microgels offer a much-needed platform to design the next-generation of healthy, palatable and sustainable foods.

Unraveling anticancer potential of a novel serine protease inhibitor from marine yeast Candida parapsilosis ABS1 against colorectal and breast cancer cells.

The study was planned to isolate a serine protease inhibitor compound with anticancer potential against colorectal and breast cancer cells from marine yeast. Protease enzymes play a crucial role in the mechanism of life-threatening diseases like cancer, malaria and AIDS. Hence, blocking these enzymes with potential inhibitors can be an efficient approach in drug therapy for these diseases. A total of 12 marine yeast isolates, recovered from mangrove swamps of Sundarbans, India, showed inhibition activity against trypsin. The yeast isolate ABS1 showed highest inhibition activity (89%). The optimum conditions for protease inhibitor production were found to be glucose, ammonium phosphate, pH 7.0, 30 °C and 2 M NaCl. The PI protein from yeast isolate ABS1 was purified using ethyl acetate extraction and anion exchange chromatography. The purified protein was characterized using denaturing SDS-PAGE, Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS), Reverse Phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) and Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The intact molecular weight of the PI protein was determined to be 25.584 kDa. The PI protein was further studied for in vitro anticancer activities. The IC50 value for MTT cell proliferation assay was found to be 43 µg/ml against colorectal cancer HCT15 cells and 48 µg/ml against breast cancer MCF7 cells. Hoechst staining, DAPI staining and DNA fragmentation assay were performed to check the apoptotic cells. The marine yeast was identified as Candida parapsilosis ABS1 (Accession No. MH782231) using 18s rRNA sequencing.