Development and characterization of antioxidant and antimicrobial poly (butylene adipate-co-terephtalate) (PBAT) film incorporated with oregano essential oil and applied in sliced mozzarella cheese.

The objective was to develop and characterize biodegradable films with antimicrobial and antioxidant action, using poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) incorporated with OEO - essential oil (Origanum vulgare). The degradation temperature of the OEO increased after incorporation into the PBAT matrix, however, the degradation of the matrix did not undergo considerable changes. The films showed increase in elongation and modulus of elasticity with presence of OEO, however, it reduced the maximum tension. The permeability of the films was reduced with OEO presence. The spectra (FTIR) showed the presence of the functional groups attributed to the bioactive compounds (Carvacrol) of OEO. The films presented high antioxidant activity and effective antimicrobial action, reducing Staphylococcus aureus in 53 days and psychrotrophic microorganisms in up to 28 days of storage. The films showed to be efficient with antioxidant activity and antimicrobial action with indication to be used as packaging of sliced mozzarella cheese.

Technological Prospection of Oil Nanoparticles: Primary Characteristics and Profiles.

The search for technological applications for oils has been growing largely due to their potential nutritional and economic applications. Encapsulation makes it possible to reduce the disadvantages of oils, such as physical instability or thermodynamics, or to improve their technological properties, enabling their use in various industrial areas. Nanoencapsulated oils have the potential to improve oil bioavailability and achieve controlled release and are able to target bioactive compounds with greater precision than microencapsulated oils. The present study aims to evaluate the primary characteristics and profiles of the technological prospection of oil nanoparticles. This technology foresight study investigates the patenting activity and the academic literature to map out the technological progress and difficulties in the area of nanoencapsulation. Exponential growth in patent filing was noted with a peak in 2017, with China filing the highest number of patents. Regarding the area of application, the food industry was most common followed by the pharmaceutical industry. The most commonly used terms in patent documents on the subject were nanoemulsion and nanoparticle. The most commonly used oil, technique, wall materials and emulsifiers were soybean oil, emulsification, chitosan and lecithin, and Span 80, Tween 80 and Tween 40, respectively. The obtained articles were typically patent documents. The main depositor was Jiangnan University, and most inventors filed the same number of patent documents. Nanoencapsulation of oils has many known advantages that have been widely published in the literature and used by industry. There is a trend in the growth of patent document deposits and related scientific publications, indicating that many innovations have been made, highlighting the importance of oil nanoencapsulation.

Extracellular ATP induces cell death in human intestinal epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular ATP is an endogenous signaling molecule released by various cell types and under different stimuli. High concentrations of ATP released into the extracellular medium activate the P2X7 receptor in most inflammatory conditions. Here, we seek to characterize the effects of ATP in human intestinal epithelial cells and to evaluate morphological changes in these cells in the presence of ATP. METHODS: We treated human intestinal epithelial cells with ATP and evaluated the effects of this nucleotide by scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis and calcium measurements. We used flow cytometry to evaluate apoptosis. We collected human intestinal explants for immunohistochemistry, apoptosis by the TUNEL approach and caspase-3 activity using flow cytometry analyses. We also evaluated the ROS production by flow cytometry and NO secretion by the Griess technique. RESULTS: ATP treatment induced changes characteristic of cell death by apoptosis and autophagy but not necrosis in the HCT8 cell line. ATP induced apoptosis in human intestinal explants that showed TUNEL-positive cells in the epithelium and in the lamina propria. The explants exhibited a significant increase of caspase-3 activity when the colonic epithelial cells were incubated with IFN-gamma followed by ATP as compared to control cells. In addition, it was found that antioxidants were able to inhibit both the ROS production and the apoptosis induced by ATP in epithelial cells. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The activation of P2X7 receptors by ATP induces apoptosis and autophagy in human epithelial cells, possibly via ROS production, and this effect might have implications for gut inflammatory conditions.

Mango and acerola pulps as antioxidant additives in cassava starch bio-based film.

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of incorporating mango and acerola pulps into a biodegradable matrix as a source of polyphenols, carotenoids, and other antioxidant compounds. We also sought to evaluate the efficacy of mango and acerola pulps as antioxidants in film-forming dispersions using a response surface methodology design experiment. The bio-based films were used to pack palm oil (maintained for 45 days of storage) under accelerated oxidation conditions (63% relative humidity and 30 °C) to simulate a storage experiment. The total carotenoid, total polyphenol, and vitamin C contents of films were evaluated, while the total carotenoid, peroxide index, conjugated diene, and hexanal content of the packaged product (palm oil) were also monitored. The same analysis also evaluated palm oil packed in films without antioxidant additives (C1), palm oil packed in low-density polyethylene films (C2), and palm oil with no package (C3) as a control. Although the film-forming procedure affected the antioxidant compounds, the results indicated that antioxidants were effective additives for protecting the packaged product. A lower peroxide index (36.12%), which was significantly different from that of the control (p<0.05), was detected in products packed in film formulations containing high concentration of additives. However, it was found that the high content of vitamin C in acerola pulp acted as a prooxidant agent, which suggests that the use of rich vitamin C pulps should be avoided as additives for films.