Effect of coating material on microencapsulated phenolic compounds extracted from agroindustrial ciriguela peel residue.

BACKGROUND: Extract of ciriguela residue was microencapsulated by spray-drying and freeze-drying using maltodextrin (M), gum arabic (GA) and their mixture (50% M; 50% GA on dry basis) as encapsulating agents. Total phenolic compounds (TPC), antioxidant activity, physicochemical properties, profile of phenolic compounds by HPLC with diode-array detection and storage stability were evaluated. RESULTS: TPC content of powders ranged from 306.9 to 451.2 mg gallic acid equivalent g-1 dry powder. The spray-dried powder prepared using GA as encapsulating agent had higher TPC content and antioxidant activity, whereas the freeze-dried powder had lower moisture and water activity. Spray-dried microcapsules had spherical shape, whereas freeze-dried products had irregular structures. The profile of phenolic compounds identified in samples was similar, with rutin (342.59 and 72.92 µg g-1 ) and quercetin (181.02 and 43.24 µg g-1 ) being the major compounds in liquid and freeze-dried extracts, respectively, whereas myricetin (97.41 µg g-1 ) was predominant in spray-dried ones. Storage stability tests carried out for 45 days at 7 or 25 °C revealed no statistically significant difference in TPC. CONCLUSION: Ciriguela residue can be considered a source of TPC and used as ingredient with good antioxidant activity in the food industry. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

First report of collagenase production by Trichosporon sp. strain isolated from pollen of Amazonian bee (Melipona seminigra seminigra).

Trichosporon yeasts are widely employed to produce lipids, lipases, and aspartic peptidases, but there are no previous studies on collagenase production. This work aimed to select the best collagenase producing Amazonian Trichosporon strains. Moreover, a 23-full factorial design (FFD) and a 22-central composite design combined with Response Surface Methodology were applied to optimize production and find the best conditions for hydrolysis of type I bovine collagen. Most of the studied strains had some collagenolytic activity, but the selected one achieved the highest value (44.02 U) and a biomass concentration of 2.31 g/L. The best collagenase production conditions were 160 rpm of agitation, pH 5.5 and a substrate concentration of 4.0 g/L. The former experimental design showed that substrate concentration was the only statistically significant factor on both biomass concentration and collagenase activity, while the latter showed simultaneous effects of substrate concentration and pH on collagenolytic activity, which peaked at pH 5.5-6.4 and substrate concentration of 3.0-3.4 g/L. An additional 2³-FFD was finally used to optimize the conditions collagen hydrolysis, and pH 6, 25 °C and a substrate concentration of 7.5 (g/L) ensured the highest hydrolysis degree. This study is the first that describes optimized conditions of collagenase production by Trichosporon strains.

Increase in the Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Euterpe oleracea Martius Oil Complexed in ß-Cyclodextrin and Hydroxypropyl-ß-Cyclodextrin.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are aerobic products generated during cellular respiration, but in the case of oxidative stress, they become key factors in the development of inflammatory processes and chronic diseases such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. In this work, Euterpe oleracea oil (EOO), as well as the complexes produced by slurry (S) and kneading (K), were analyzed for antioxidant capacity in vitro, while only the ß-cyclodextrin complex obtained by kneading (EOO-ßCD-K), which showed better complexation, was selected for anti-inflammatory assays in vivo. In the scavenging activity of OH·, the hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin complex obtained by kneading (EOO-HPßCD-K) exhibited an activity 437% higher than the pure oil. In the paw edema assay, EOO-ßCD-K reduced edema by 200% and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity by 112%. In an air pouch model, this treatment showed a reduction in leukocyte, MPO, and Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) levels; meanwhile those of glutathione and IL-10 were increased, demonstrating its ability to potentiate the anti-inflammatory effect of EOO.

Characterization of levan produced by a Paenibacillus sp. isolated from Brazilian crude oil.

A levan-type fructooligosaccharide was produced by a Paenibacillus strain isolated from Brazilian crude oil, the purity of which was 98.5% after precipitation with ethanol and dialysis. Characterization by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, GC-FID and ESI-MS revealed that it is a mixture of linear ß(2 â†’ 6) fructosyl polymers with average degree of polymerization (DP) of 18 and branching ratio of 20. Morphological structure and physicochemical properties were investigated to assess levan microstructure, degradation temperature and thermomechanical features. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis highlighted degradation temperature of 218 °C, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) glass transition at 81.47 °C, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis three frequency-dependent transition peaks. These peaks, corresponding to a first thermomechanical transition event at 86.60 °C related to the DSC endothermic event, a second at 170.9 °C and a third at 185.2 °C, were attributed to different glass transition temperatures of oligo and polyfructans with different DP. Levan showed high morphological versatility and technological potential for the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries.

The Use of Euterpe oleracea Mart. As a New Perspective for Disease Treatment and Prevention.

Euterpe oleracea Mart. (EO), popularly known as açaí, belongs to the Arecaceae family and grows abundantly in Brazil. The fruit of this palm tree is widely used because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In this review, a search for literature and patent technological prospecting has been performed on the use of EO to treat and prevent diseases as well as to prepare pharmaceutical formulations. EO leaves, fruits, and oil stand out for their large number of pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, anticancer, anti-atherogenic, and healing activities, protection against metabolic syndromes such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, and protection of organs such as lung, kidney, liver, heart, and nervous system. While the phytochemical composition is intrinsically linked to identified biological activities, discoveries of the past decade concerning the use of this species have shown pharmacological alternatives mainly in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer and metabolic syndromes. Although studies and inventions on the use of EO though are believed to have been important in light of the pharmacological activities found, few clinical and toxicity tests have been performed. Nevertheless, with the increase of interest in EO, this species is believed to be only at the beginning of the breakthroughs in the development of promising products for the pharmaceutical industry.

Therapeutic Potential of Melaleuca alternifolia Essential Oil in New Drug Delivery Systems.

Medicinal plants produce secondary metabolites with special biological activities, which may be used as new therapeutic alternatives. For instance, tea tree essential oil (TTO) was shown to exert antimicrobial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antiviral, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activities. Due to their thermal instability, active principles can be easily degraded by physicochemical processes; therefore, they must be protected to increase their time of action and improve their controlled release. The aim of this review is to discuss formulations incorporating encapsulated TTO as the active ingredient. Micro and nanoencapsulated systems proved to be more thermostable than TTO and to exert better antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic and larvicidal effects. Nanoencapsulation also reduced oil toxicity. Emulsified and hybrid systems developed by various methods showed improved repellent, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities, thereby proving promising for the pharmaceutical industry. Liposomal formulations produced by hydration of lipid films exhibited constant rate of terpinen-4-ol release. In addition, their incorporation into biomaterials, such as sponges, nanofibers and films, showed great potential for treating infections. Mainly due to the advantages of their incorporation into new drug delivery systems over conventional formulations, there is an interest in the development of systems containing TTO as a pharmaceutical ingredient of plant origin.

Development and Evaluation of Antimicrobial and Modulatory Activity of Inclusion Complex of Euterpe oleracea Mart Oil and ß-Cyclodextrin or HP-ß-Cyclodextrin.

The development of inclusion complexes is used to encapsulate nonpolar compounds and improve their physicochemical characteristics. This study aims to develop complexes made up of Euterpe oleracea Mart oil (EOO) and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) or hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) by either kneading (KND) or slurry (SL). Complexes were analyzed by molecular modeling, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The antibacterial activity was expressed as Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), and the antibiotic resistance modulatory activity as subinhibitory concentration (MIC/8) against Escherichia coli, Streptomyces aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis. Inclusion complexes with ß-CD and HP-ß-CD were confirmed, and efficiency was proven by an interaction energy between oleic acid and ß-CD of -41.28 ± 0.57 kJ/mol. MIC values revealed higher antibacterial activity of complexes compared to the isolated oil. The modulatory response of EOO and EOO-ß-CD prepared by KND as well as of EOO-ß-CD and EOO-HP-ß-CD prepared by SL showed a synergistic effect with ampicillin against E. coli, whereas it was not significant with the other drugs tested, maintaining the biological response of antibiotics. The antimicrobial response exhibited by the complexes is of great significance because it subsidizes studies for the development of new pharmaceutical forms.

Incorporation of Caprylic Acid into a Single Cell Oil Rich in Docosahexaenoic Acid for the Production of Specialty Lipids.

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: New sources of docosahexaenoic acid have recently been investigated aiming at infant formula fortification and dietary supplementation, among which the single cell oil with 40-50% of this acid. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: For this purpose, such an oil was blended with caprylic acid in amount substance ratio ranging from 1:1 to 5:1 and the blends were interesterified using either Novozym 435 or Lipozyme TL IM as the catalyst. The influence of the amount of excess free caprylic acid in the substrate, as well as the type of enzyme on the triacylglycerol rearrangement resulting from the synthesis of the structured lipids were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The regiospecific lipase Lipozyme TL IM seemed to induce transesterification among single cell oil triacylglycerols preferably by acidolysis with caprylic acid, which was directly proportional to the ratio of this acid in the substrate. In reactions catalyzed by the non-regiospecific lipase Novozym 435, a higher incorporation of caprylic acid into single cell oil triacylglycerols was observed than when using Lipozyme TL IM, independently of the oil/caprylic acid molar ratio. NOVELTY AND SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION: These results revealed the importance of combining the choice of the type of lipase, either regiospecific or not, with the amount ratios of free fatty acids and the substrate in acidolysis when aiming to produce structured lipids as a source of docosahexaenoic acid.

Aqueous extracts of Agave sisalana boles have prebiotic potential.

This work aimed at evaluating the prebiotic potential of the aqueous extract and crude polysaccharides from Agave sisalana boles by an in vitro screening. Crude polysaccharides were obtained from the aqueous bole extract by precipitation with acetone and resuspension in water. The liquid extract and the polysaccharide solution were then spray dried and submitted to thermal analysis and quantification of metabolites. Prebiotic activity was checked on probiotic strains belonging to the Lactobacillus genus using inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, fructose and glucose as positive controls. The powder of A. sisalana bole extract, which has recently been identified as a rich source of inulin, exhibited higher potential of fermentation compared with crude polysaccharides.

Production and characterization of collagenase from a new Amazonian Bacillus cereus strain.

A new collagenase producing a strain of Bacillus cereus, isolated from the pollen of a bee of Amazon Region (Brazil), had its enzyme characterized and the production medium composition and culture conditions enhanced. A two-level design on three factors, namely initial medium pH, the substrate (gelatin) concentration and agitation intensity, allowed identifying the first two variables as the most significant ones, while a central composite design (CCD) was subsequently used to identify their optimal levels. Statistics highlighted maximized collagenolytic activity when substrate concentration and initial medium pH were selected at their highest levels (positive effects), whereas agitation intensity at the lowest (negative effect). Triplicate runs performed under predicted optimal conditions (pH 7.8 and 1.7% gelatin concentration) yielded a collagenolytic activity (305.39 ± 5.15 U) 4.6- to 15-fold those obtained with the preliminary design. The enzyme displayed optimum activity at 45 °C and pH 7.2, was stable over wide ranges of pH values and temperatures (7.2-11.0 and 25-50 °C, respectively) and was strongly inhibited by 10 mM phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride. The zymogram showed two prominent bands at 50 and 76 kDa. These results are a first attempt to elucidate the features of this new collagenase, its production conditions, and possible scale-up.

Production and formulation of a new low-cost biosurfactant to remediate oil-contaminated seawater.

The aim of the present study was to produce biosurfactants using three bacterial strains (Pseudomonas cepacia CCT6659, Bacillus methylotrophicus UCP 1616 and Bacillus cereus UCP 1615) cultivated in mineral medium containing different carbon (glucose, sucrose, molasses and waste frying oil) and nitrogen [NH4NO3, (NH4)2SO4, peptone, yeast extract and corn steep liquor] sources. B. cereus stood out as the best biosurfactant producer when inoculated with a 1.5% cell suspension and cultivated at 28 °C and 200 rpm in 2.0% molasses and 1.0% corn steep liquor for 48 h. Under these conditions, medium surface tension was reduced to 26.2 ± 0.2 mN/m, and biosurfactant concentration achieved 2.05 ± 0.32 g/L. The biosurfactant showed a critical micelle concentration of 0.90 ± 0.05 g/L, proved to be highly stable in wide ranges of pH, salt concentration and heating temperature, and exerted low toxicity to larvae of Artemia salina as a marine environmental bioindicator. Structural characterisation of biosurfactant suggested a lipopeptide composition. The biotensioactive agent was shown to effectively remove motor oil adsorbed to marine rock (91.0 ± 0.4%) and to disperse it in seawater (70.0 ± 0.4%). The biosurfactant formulated with 0.2% potassium sorbate demonstrated considerable potential for application in the petroleum industry, where it could be successfully used as a commercial product to mobilize oil in marine environments.

Optimization of spray drying conditions to microencapsulate cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) seed by-product extract.

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum Schum.) is a popular Amazonian fruit because of its intense aroma and nutritional value, whose lipid fraction is alternatively used in cosmetics. To preserve active principles and ensure their controlled release, extract was microencapsulated by spray drying. Influence of spray-drying conditions on microencapsulation of cupuassu seed by-product extract was investigated according to a 33-Box Behnken factorial design, selecting inlet temperature, maltodextrin concentration and feed flowrate as independent variables, and total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, antiradical power, yields of drying and microencapsulation as responses. Fitting the results by second-order equations and modelling by Response Surface Methodology allowed predicting optimum conditions. Epicatechin and glycosylated quercetin were the major microencapsulated flavonoids. Microparticles showed satisfactory antiradical power and stability at 5 °C or under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, thus they may be used to formulate new foods or pharmaceuticals.

Bacteriocin production by Lactobacillus plantarum ST16Pa in supplemented whey powder formulations.

Whey, the main by-product of the dairy industry, is frequently disposed of in the environment without any treatment due to the high cost of this process. Alternatively, whey can be used as a medium to culture lactic acid bacteria and produce value-added products such as bacteriocins. In this work, we attempted to improve bacteriocin production by Lactobacillus plantarum ST16Pa in a whey powder formulation supplemented with additional sources of carbon, nitrogen, and vitamin B12 at different levels and varying the agitation intensity according to a Plackett-Burman experimental design. Only the addition of tryptone positively influenced the production of this bacteriocin. The results allowed us to identify a supplemented whey formulation, comprising 150 g/L of whey total solids plus 10 g/L of tryptone and soybean extract, whose fermentation by Lb. plantarum ST16Pa in shake flasks under agitation at 150 rpm led to a cell-free supernatant with an antimicrobial activity against Listeria innocua 6a CLIST 2865 (inhibition zone of 13.23 mm) close to that previously obtained in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium by other authors. These results are significant considering that the same strain cultured in cheese whey did not previously display any antimicrobial activity.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant potential for polyphenol-rich cocoa extract obtained by agroindustrial residue.

Processing of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) beans responsible for agricultural exports leads to large amounts of solid waste that were discarded, however, this one presents high contents of metabolites with biological activities. The major objective of this study was to valorise cocoa agroindustrial residue obtained by hydraulic pressing for extract rich in antioxidants. For it, the centesimal composition of residue was investigated, the green extraction was carried out from the residue after, the bioactive compounds, sugar contents and screaming by HPTLC were quantified for extract. The extract has a total polyphenol content of 229.64 mg/g and high antioxidant activity according to ABTS 225.0 µM/g. HTPLC analysis confirmed the presence in the extract, residue of terpenes, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids and antioxidant activity. These results, as a whole, suggest that the extract from the cocoa residue has interesting characteristics to alternative crops with potential industrial uses.

Pectin hydrolysis in cashew apple juice by Aspergillus aculeatus URM4953 polygalacturonase covalently-immobilized on calcium alginate beads: A kinetic and thermodynamic study.

The kinetics and thermodynamics of pectin hydrolysis in cashew apple juice by polygalacturonase (PG) from Aspergillus aculeatus URM4953 covalently-immobilized on calcium alginate beads were investigated. Immobilized-PG activity in cashew apple juice was the highest at 20 °C, showing a maximum hydrolysis rate of 58.2 mg/mL·min, a catalytic constant of 166.2 s-1 and an affinity constant of 113.0 mg/mL. Since the enzyme exhibited an allosteric behavior, the hydrolysis rate was modeled, with excellent accuracy, by the Hill Equation as function of pectin concentration. The Hill coefficient increased from 3 to 5 with increasing temperature from 20 to 50 °C, evidencing a positive cooperativity mechanism. The reaction activation energy and the standard enthalpy variation of enzyme unfolding were 80.3 and 16.6 kJ/mol, respectively. Consistently with the kinetic results, PG-catalyzed pectin hydrolysis proceeded with maximum spontaneity at 20 °C, showing activation Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of 59.3 kJ/mol, 77.9 kJ/mol and 63.4 J/mol·K, respectively. Immobilized PG was successful in the hydrolysis of cashew apple juice pectin, requiring a low temperature to act optimally.

Immobilization of Aspergillus ficuum tannase in calcium alginate beads and its application in the treatment of boldo (Peumus boldus) tea.

Tannase (tannin acyl hydrolase, E.C. 3.1.1.20) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ester and depside linkages in hydrolysable tannins such as tannic acid, releasing gallic acid and glucose. It has several commercial applications in food industry, among which are gallic acid production, reduction of tannin content in fruit juices, and preparation of instantaneous tea. In this study we immobilized Aspergillus ficuum tannase in calcium alginate beads and then used it to treat boldo (Peumus boldus) tea. Such a technique allowed entrapping tannase with a 75% efficiency and appreciably increasing its thermal and pH stability compared with the free enzyme. Storage stability and reuse of the immobilized enzyme were very promising, in that about 60% of starting enzyme activity was retained after bead storage for 90 days at 4 °C or after six cycles of use. Boldo tea treatment with immobilized tannase for 120 min at 40 °C led to 31 and 60% removals of tannins and epigallocatechin gallate, an increase of about two orders of magnitude in gallic acid content, 56 and 109% increases in total flavonoids and epigallocatechin contents, a 42.8% increase in antioxidant activity and significant enhancements of tea color, clarity and pH.

Physico-chemical quality parameters of herbal products from Agave sisalana.

Agave sisalana components have great potential in different pharmaceutical applications, but the quality of herbal raw materials is essential to reach the desired product specifications. In this work, we investigated the physico-chemical quality parameters of bole and wastes from decortication of A. sisalana leaves. The statistically significant variations among products suggest different pharmaceutical applications for each of them.

Fibers from fruit by-products enhance probiotic viability and fatty acid profile and increase CLA content in yoghurts.

This study evaluated the effect of the supplementation of total dietary fiber from apple, banana or passion fruit processing by-products on the post-acidification, total titratable acidity, bacteria counts and fatty acid profiles in skim milk yoghurts co-fermented by four different probiotics strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus L10 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BL04, HN019 and B94. Apple and banana fibers increased the probiotic viability during shelf-life. All the fibers were able to increase the short chain and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents of yoghurts compared to their respective controls. A synergistic effect between the type of fiber and the probiotic strain on the conjugated linoleic acid content was observed, and the amount of α-linolenic acid was increased by banana fiber. The results of this study demonstrate, for the first time, that fruit fibers can improve the fatty acid profile of probiotic yoghurts and point out the suitability of using fibers from fruit processing the by-products to develop new high value-added fermented dairy products.

Response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to cadmium and nickel stress: the use of the sugar cane vinasse as a potential mitigator.

Most of the metals released from industrial activity, among them are cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni), inhibit the productivity of cultures and affect microbial metabolism. In this context, the aim of this work was to investigate the capacity of sugar cane vinasse to mitigate the adverse effects of Cd and Ni on cell growth, viability, budding rate and trehalose content of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, likely because of adsorption and chelating action. For this purpose, the yeast was grown batch-wise in YED medium supplemented with selected amounts of vinasse and Cd or Ni. The negative effects of Cd and Ni on S. cerevisiae growth and the mitigating one of sugar cane vinasse were quantified by an exponential model. Without vinasse, the addition of increasing levels of Cd and Ni reduced the specific growth rate, whereas in its presence no reduction was observed. Consistently with the well-proved toxicity of both metals, cell viability and budding rate progressively decreased with increasing their concentration, but in the presence of vinasse the situation was remarkably improved. The trehalose content of S. cerevisiae cells followed the same qualitative behavior as cell viability, even though the negative effect of both metals on this parameter was stronger. These results demonstrate the ability of sugar cane vinasse to mitigate the toxic effects of Cd and Ni.