Pickering emulsions stabilized by prolamin-based proteins as innovative carriers of bioactive compounds.

Pickering emulsions (PEs) can be used as efficient carriers for encapsulation and controlled release of different bioactive compounds. Recent research has revealed the potential of prolamins in development of nanoparticle- and emulsion-based carriers which can improve the stability and bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Prolamin-based particles have been effectively used as stabilizers of various PEs including single PEs, high internal phase PEs, multiple PEs, novel triphasic PEs, and PE gels due to their tunable self-assembly behaviors. Prolamin particles can be fabricated via different techniques including anti-solvent precipitation, dissolution followed by pH adjustment, heating, and ion induced aggregation. Particles fabricated from prolamins alone or in combination with other hydrocolloids or polyphenols have also been used for stabilization of different PEs which were shown to be effective carriers for food bioactives, providing improved stability and functionality. This article covers the recent advances in various PEs stabilized by prolamin particles as innovative carriers for bioactive ingredients. Strategies applied for fabrication of prolamin particles and prolamin-based carriers are discussed. Emerging techno-functional applications of prolamin-based PEs and possible challenges are also highlighted.

Personalized nutrition with 3D-printed foods: A systematic review on the impact of different additives.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is one of the world's top novel technologies in the food industry due to the production of food in different conditions and places (restaurants, homes, catering, schools, for dysphagia patients, and astronauts' food) and the production of personalized food. Nowadays, 3D printers are used in the main food industries, including meat, dairy, cereals, fruits, and vegetables, and have been able to produce successfully on a small scale. However, due to the expansion of this technology, it has challenges such as high-scale production, selection of printable food, formulation optimization, and food production according to the consumer's opinion. Food additives (gums, enzymes, proteins, starches, polyphenols, spices, probiotics, algae, edible insects, oils, salts, vitamins, flavors, and by-products) are one of the main components of the formulation that can be effective in food production according to the consumer's attitude. Food additives can have the highest impact on textural and sensory characteristics, which can be effective in improving consumer attitudes and reducing food neophobia. Most of the 3D-printed food cannot be printed without the presence of hydrocolloids, because the proper flow of the selected formulation is one of the key factors in improving the quality of the printed product. Functional additives such as probiotics can be useful for specific purposes and functional food production. Food personalization for specific diseases with 3D printing technology requires a change in the formulation, which is closely related to the selection of correct food additives. For example, the production of 3D-printed plant-based steaks is not possible without the presence of additives, or the production of food for dysphagia patients is possible in many cases by adding hydrocolloids. In general, additives can improve the textural, rheological, nutritional, and sensory characteristics of 3D printed foods; so, investigating the mechanism of the additives on all the characteristics of the printed product can provide a wide perspective for industrial production and future studies.

Encapsulation of iron within whey protein-pectin nanocomplexes: Fabrication, characterization, and optimization.

Iron is an important micronutrient that cannot be added directly into food products due to potential reactions with the food matrix, impact on color, and taste. Complexed biopolymeric nanocarriers can overcome these challenges particularly for oral delivery of iron, but selecting appropriate biopolymers, their ratio and pH of complexation is very important. In this study, whey protein concentrate (WPC)-pectin nanocomplexes were prepared at different concentrations (WPC 4, 6 and 8%; pectin 0.5, 0.75 and 1%), and pH (3, 6 and 9) to encapsulate iron. The smallest carriers were observed at pH 3; higher pH led to higher zeta potential (zero to -32.5 mV). Encapsulation efficiency of iron in nanocarriers formulated at pH = 3, 6 and 9 were 87.83, 75.92 and 20%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the spherical particles at pH 3. To conclude, a WPC to pectin ratio of 4: 1 at pH 3 was the best conditions for loading iron.

Natural oleogelators for the formulation of oleogels by considering their rheological and textural perspective; a review.

A well-known method for reducing or swapping out undesirable and controversial fats in food is oleogelation. To quantify the effects of droplets-particle inclusion on the textural aspects of gelled systems, a thorough understanding of rheological behavior of oleogels (OGs) is necessary. Otherwise stated, a rational grasp of rheological characterization is essential for food development, optimization, and processing (when touching or putting food into the mouth, rheological flow qualities influence our perception). This narrative review primarily intends to investigate rheological and textural characteristics of various oleogelator-based OGs, such as operative connection between hardness, distortion, stresses, and rheological parameters like viscosity, elasticity, and viscoelasticity, as well as flow behavior and recovery. Expanding oleogelators concentration and synergistic interactions between them increase robustness and moduli values, as compared to single oleogelators. However, given the lack of information on the connection between the OGs' macroscopic rheological characteristics and their microstructural characteristics, this review presents state-of-the-art overview of various oleogelator-based OGs, highlighting the importance of structure-rheology relationships of OGs to provide advanced knowledge on the development of innovative OGs.

Oleo-foams and emulsion-foams as lipid-based foam systems: a review of their formulation, characterization, and applications.

Lipid-based foam systems (LBFs) have grown in popularity recently because of their effectiveness and potential uses. As a result, in order to stabilize them, considerable work has been put into developing more biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials. However, the use of natural stabilizing agents has been constrained due to a lack of thorough knowledge of them. This review offers insightful data that will encourage more studies into the development and use of LBFs. Emulsifiers or gelling agents, as well as new preparation and characterization methods, can be used to increase or prolong the functional performance of LBFs. Special emphasis has been given on the connections between their structures and properties and expanding the range of industries in which they can be applied. In conclusion, it is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of the preparation mechanisms and influencing factors in order to improve the quality of foam products and create novel LBFs.

Green tea extracts alleviate acetic acid-induced oral inflammation and reconstruct oral microbial balance in mice.

Oral cavity contains the second largest microbial community in the human body. Due to the highly vascularized feature of mouth, oral microbes could directly access the bloodstream and affect the host healthy systemically. The imbalance of oral microbiota is closely related to various oral and systemic diseases. Green tea extracts (GTE) mainly contain tea polyphenols, alkaloids, amino acid, flavones, and so on, which equipped with excellent anti-inflammatory activities. Previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of GTE on oral health. However, most researches used in vitro models or focused on limited microorganisms. In this study, the regulatory effect of GTE on oral microbiome and the alleviative effect on oral inflammation in vivo were evaluated. The results showed that GTE could efficiently alleviate the inflammations of the tongue, cheek pouch, as well as throat. GTE effectively inhibited the activation of NF-κB through the upregulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10, consequently leading to reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. The indexes of spleen and thymus were also elevated by GTE in stomatitis mice. Moreover, GTE promoted the growth of probiotics Lactobacillus and Bacillus, inhibited the reproduction of pathogens Achromobacter, reversing the microbiota disorders in oral cavity. This study not only presents a novel approach for enhancing oral microecology but also facilitates the wider adoption of tea consumption.

Nanozyme-enabled sensing strategies for determining the total antioxidant capacity of food samples.

Gold doped copper hexacyanoferrate (Au@Cu-HCF) nanozyme-based colorimetric sensing strategies were exploited to measure total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of some plant-derived food samples. The new developed Au@Cu-HCF nanozyme replaces natural enzymes to catalyze a redox reaction, and antioxidants can compete with substrates in the interaction with OH, leading to an antioxidant concentration-dependent color change. Depending on the Au@Cu-HCF-based ABTS colorimetric strategy, a smartphone-based sensor was devised using smartphone's camera as a "smart detector". The proposed sensor was successfully utilized to measure the TAC of lotus root (4.61 mM), citrus juice (6.35 mM), and lemon beverage (1.00 mM) with standard deviations of 0.16 mM, 0.16 mM, and 0.06 mM, respectively. These results all agree well with the commercial kit (4.55 mM for lotus root, 6.27 mM for citrus juice and 1.11 mM for lemon beverage), indicating this sensor has good practical applications in the TAC measurement of food samples.

Ginseng-Astragalus-oxymatrine injection ameliorates cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice and enhances the immune activity of RAW264.7 cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Ginseng quinquefolium (L.), Astragalus membranaceus, and Sophora flavescens Aiton are popular folk medicines in many Asian countries and regions. These three traditional Chinese herbs and their extracts have been reported to considerably enhance the immune function. G. quinquefolium (L.) is considered the king of herbs in China. Traditionally, G. quinquefolium (L.) is believed to replenish vitality, which is considered as immune enhancement in modern Chinese pharmacy. One of the main uses of Astragalus is immunity enhancement; S. flavescens and oxymatrine obtained from its extract have been used to treat leukopenia. Considering the pharmacological properties of Ginseng, Astragalus, and oxymatrine, we evaluated the immunopotentiation effects of their combination, Ginseng-Astragalus-oxymatrine (GAO), in the present study. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to expand the clinical application of GAO and to preliminarily explore its mechanism of action by determining whether GAO injection can enhance immunity in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Overall, 17 major chemical components in GAO were analysed using HPLC and LC-MS. The immunity-enhancing effect of GAO was studied in the cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressive mouse model and RAW 264.7 cells. RESULTS: Quantitative analysis showed that the potential active components of GAO include at least ginsenosides, astragaloside IV, and oxymatrine. GAO could significantly improve the nonspecific immunity including the indices of the thymus and spleen, number of peripheral blood leukocytes, levels of TNF-α and IL-6, phagocytic function of macrophages, and cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells. Additionally, GAO enhanced the humoural immunity, characterised by the antibody production ability of B cells, and cellular immunity, characterised by the activity of T cells, in immunosuppressed mouse. Moreover, GAO could enhance the phagocytic and adhesion functions of RAW 264.7 cells, which may be related to the activation of reactive oxygen species and NF-κB signalling pathway. CONCLUSION: GAO could dramatically ameliorate CTX-induced immunosuppression in mouse and stimulate the immune activity in RAW 264.7 cells possibly by activating the NF-κB signalling pathway.

Pseudo-ginsenoside Rh2 Induces Protective Autophagy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells.

BACKGROUND: Pseudo-ginsenoside-Rh2 (pseudo-G-Rh2), a novel derivative of ginsenoside Rh2, is reported to exert a pro-apoptotic effect on various malignancies. However, whether this anti-cancer action of pseudo-G-Rh2 involves autophagy remains to be determined and explored. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the pseudo-G-Rh2-induced apoptosis and autophagy and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: In the present study, the MTT assay was used for evaluating cell viability, and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay was performed to assess cell toxicity. Autophagy evaluation was performed using monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The levels of autophagy-associated and apoptosis-associated proteins were determined using Western blotting. The Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) assay was used to assess apoptosis. RESULTS: The Annexin V-FITC/PI assay revealed that the percentage of apoptotic cells in HepG2 cells at concentrations 0, 20, 40, and 60 µM was 3.75%±1.37%, 5.70%±1.04%, 12.30%±2.10%, and 34.26%±4.73%, respectively. Pseudo-G-Rh2 was observed to significantly increase the expressions of BAX, cleaved-caspase-3, and cleaved-caspase-9, while it decreased the Bcl-2 expression. MDC and TEM analysis revealed that pseudo-G-Rh2 at concentrations 20, 40, and 60 µM significantly facilitated the accumulation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes within the HepG2 cells. Moreover, pseudo-G-Rh2 significantly increased the expressions of LC3 II/LC3 I and Beclin-1 and decreased the expression of p62. The Annexin V-FITC/PI assay also revealed that in comparison to the pseudo-G-Rh2 group, the concurrent treatment with pseudo-G-Rh2 and an autophagy inhibitor (CQ or 3-MA) significantly induced distinct apoptosis. In addition, pseudo-G-Rh2 activated AMPK and inhibited the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in a concentration-dependent manner. Pseudo- G-Rh2 is similar to the current patents, which enhanced its anti-cancer activity by combining with autophagy inhibitors. CONCLUSION: Pseudo-G-Rh2 could induce protective autophagy in HepG2 cells, at least in part, via AMPK and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Substructure-activity relationship studies on antibody recognition for phenylurea compounds using competitive immunoassay and computational chemistry.

Based on the structural features of fluometuron, an immunizing hapten was synthesized and conjugated to bovine serum albumin as an immunogen to prepare a polyclonal antibody. However, the resultant antibody indicated cross-reactivity with 6 structurally similar phenylurea herbicides, with binding activities (expressed by IC50 values) ranging from 1.67 µg/L to 42.71 µg/L. All 6 phenylurea herbicides contain a common moiety and three different substitutes. To understand how these three different chemical groups affect the antibody-phenylurea recognition activity, quantum chemistry, using density function theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311++ G(d,p) level of theory, was employed to optimize all phenylurea structures, followed by determination of the 3D conformations of these molecules, pharmacophore analysis, and molecular electrostatic potential (ESP) analysis. The molecular modeling results confirmed that the geometry configuration, pharmacophore features and electron distribution in the substituents were related to the antibody binding activity. Spearman correlation analysis further elucidated that the geometrical and electrostatic properties on the van der Waals (vdW) surface of the substituents played a critical role in the antibody-phenylurea recognition process.

PAQR4 has a tumorigenic effect in human breast cancers in association with reduced CDK4 degradation.

Progestin and adipoQ receptor 4 (PAQR4) is a member of the PAQR family, and the members within this family are involved in the regulation of a number of biological processes including metabolism and cancer development. The potential function of PAQR4 in human cancers is unknown. Analysis of ONCOMINE database reveals that PAQR4 is highly expressed in human breast cancers. We confirmed this finding by analyzing 82 human breast cancers samples. PAQR4 mRNA level was significantly upregulated in human breast cancer samples compared with their corresponding para-cancerous histological normal tissues (P < 0.0001). The mRNA level of PAQR4 was negatively correlated with disease-free survival (P < 0.0001) and overall survival of the patients (P = 0.001). Knockdown of PAQR4 in human breast cancer cells SUM159 and MCF7 suppressed cell proliferation. In contrast, overexpression of PAQR4 in SUM159 cells enhanced cell proliferation and colony formation. In a tumor xenograft model, overexpression of PAQR4 promoted tumor growth of SUM159 cells in vivo, while PAQR4 knockdown suppressed the tumor growth. PAQR4 was able to negatively regulate cyclin-dependent kinases 4 (CDK4) protein level in the breast cancer cells. Knockdown of PAQR4 accelerated degradation of CDK4 together with upregulation of CDK4 polyubiquitination. On the other hand, overexpression of PAQR4 slowed down CDK4 protein degradation and reduced CDK4 polyubiquitination. Collectively, these data at the cellular, animal and human levels indicate that PAQR4 has a tumorigenic effect on human breast cancers, and such effect is associated with a modulatory activity of PAQR4 on protein degradation of CDK4.

Homogenous graphene oxide-peptide nanofiber hybrid hydrogel as biomimetic polysaccharide hydrolase.

Cellulose, an impressive potential sustainable fuel, is difficult to hydrolyze because of the protection of ß-1,4-glycosidic bonds through the tight hydrogen bonding network. In this study, homogenous graphene oxide (GO)-peptide nanofiber hybrid hydrogels (GO-PNFs) were designed as a ß-glycosyl hydrolase mimetic to achieve efficient degradation of cellobiose and cellopentaose. For comparison, free peptides, graphene oxide mixed with free peptides (GO-peptdies) and self-assembled peptide nanofibers (PNFs) were also studied for their activity as a hydrolase mimetics for degradation of cellobiose. Among these materials, GO-PNFs showed the highest hydrolysis activity. Transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, fluorescence analysis, circular dichroism spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra and computational modeling were used to interpret the difference in activity mechanism in these artificially designed enzymes. These investigations suggested that high catalytic performance of GO-PNFs toward cellobiose and cellopentaose hydrolysis could be attributed to the formation of nanofiber structures of peptides, optimal molecular conformation and less steric hindrance to access the substrate. More importantly, GO not only served as a platform for attaching PNFs, but also created a hydrophobic microenvironment and facilitated proton transfer, an essential step in catalytic hydrolysis, thus enhancing catalytic activity. All these provided insights into the potential use of peptides and GO hybrid composite nanoenzymes in efficient cellulose hydrolysis.