Ultrasonic and homogenization: An overview of the preparation of an edible protein-polysaccharide complex emulsion.

Emulsion systems are extensively utilized in the food industry, including dairy products, such as ice cream and salad dressing, as well as meat products, beverages, sauces, and mayonnaise. Meanwhile, diverse advanced technologies have been developed for emulsion preparation. Compared with other techniques, high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) are two emerging emulsification methods that are cost-effective, green, and environmentally friendly and have gained significant attention. HIUS-induced acoustic cavitation helps in efficiently disrupting the oil droplets, which effectively produces a stable emulsion. HPH-induced shear stress, turbulence, and cavitation lead to droplet disruption, altering protein structure and functional aspects of food. The key distinctions among emulsification devices are covered in this review, as are the mechanisms of the HIUS and HPH emulsification processes. Furthermore, the preparation of emulsions including natural polymers (e.g., proteins-polysaccharides, and their complexes), has also been discussed in this review. Moreover, the review put forward to the future HIUS and HPH emulsification trends and challenges. HIUS and HPH can prepare much emulsifier-stable food emulsions, (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, and protein-polysaccharide complexes). Appropriate HIUS and HPH treatment can improve emulsions' rheological and emulsifying properties and reduce the emulsions droplets' size. HIUS and HPH are suitable methods for developing protein-polysaccharide forming stable emulsions. Despite the numerous studies conducted on ultrasonic and homogenization-induced emulsifying properties available in recent literature, this review specifically focuses on summarizing the significant progress made in utilizing biopolymer-based protein-polysaccharide complex particles, which can provide valuable insights for designing new, sustainable, clean-label, and improved eco-friendly colloidal systems for food emulsion. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Utilizing complex particle-stabilized emulsions is a promising approach towards developing safer, healthier, and more sustainable food products that meet legal requirements and industrial standards. Moreover, the is an increasing need of concentrated emulsions stabilized by biopolymer complex particles, which have been increasingly recognized for their potential health benefits in protecting against lifestyle-related diseases by the scientific community, industries, and consumers.

Ultrasound-Assisted Microencapsulation of Soybean Oil and Vitamin D Using Bare Glycogen Nanoparticles.

Ultrasonically synthesized core-shell microcapsules can be made of synthetic polymers or natural biopolymers, such as proteins and polysaccharides, and have found applications in food, drug delivery and cosmetics. This study reports on the ultrasonic synthesis of microcapsules using unmodified (natural) and biodegradable glycogen nanoparticles derived from various sources, such as rabbit and bovine liver, oyster and sweet corn, for the encapsulation of soybean oil and vitamin D. Depending on their source, glycogen nanoparticles exhibited differences in size and 'bound' proteins. We optimized various synthetic parameters, such as ultrasonic power, time and concentration of glycogens and the oil phase to obtain stable core-shell microcapsules. Particularly, under ultrasound-induced emulsification conditions (sonication time 45 s and sonication power 160 W), native glycogens formed microcapsules with diameter between 0.3 µm and 8 µm. It was found that the size of glycogen as well as the protein component play an important role in stabilizing the Pickering emulsion and the microcapsules shell. This study highlights that native glycogen nanoparticles without any further tedious chemical modification steps can be successfully used for the encapsulation of nutrients.

Novel molecularly imprinted polymeric microspheres for preconcentration and preservation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental samples.

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) microspheres with diameters in the range 60-500 µm were synthesized in a continuous segmented flow microfluidic reactor and used as packing material for microtraps for the selective separation of benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) from environmental aqueous samples. The synthesis involved the pumping of monodisperse droplets of acetonitrile containing methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, BAP as a template, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linking monomer into the microchannels of the microfluidic reactor. The microspheres showed high adsorption capacity and selectivity for BAP in aqueous solutions; both are important for the environmental monitoring and analysis of BAP. The adsorption capacity for BAP of the smallest MIP microspheres (size range 60-80 µm), prepared as part of this study, was 75 mg g(-1) in aqueous solutions; furthermore, this adsorption capacity was close to 300 % higher than that of commercially used activated carbon. Microtraps packed with MIP retained BAP intact for at least 30 days, whereas microtraps packed with activated carbon for BAP showed 40 % reduction in BAP concentration for the same period. This study has demonstrated that MIP microtraps have significant potential for the selective enrichment and preservation of targeted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from complex environmental samples.

In silico approach for enhancing innate lipid content of Yarrowia lipolytica, by blocking the acyl-CoA oxidase-1 enzyme, using various analogous compounds of lipids.

Yarrowia lipolytica is used as a model in this study to screen the potential candidates for inflating the innate lipid content of the cell. This study focuses on reducing the lipid degradation that occurs by the ß-oxidation process and discursively increasing the innate lipid content. Acyl-CoA oxidase-1, the primary and initial enzyme involved in the lipid degradation pathway, was selected as a target and blocked using various lipid analogous compounds. The blocking study was carried out using molecular docking and dynamic studies using computation tools. The largest active site pocket located around the Phe-394 amino acid of the target protein is taken as a site for docking. The molecular docking was performed for the selected compounds (citric acid, Finsolv, lactic acid, oxalic acid, Tween-80 and Triton X-100) and the docking results were compared with the outcome of the standard molecule (octadecatrienoic acid). Citric acid, Finsolv, Tween-80 and Triton X-100 were found to be the potential candidates for blocking the target molecule in the static condition using docking studies, revealing a minimum binding energy requirement than the standard molecule. They were further taken for a dynamics study using GROMACS software. The RMSD, RMSF, number of hydrogen bond interactions and radius of gyration of the complex molecules were studied in a dynamic approach for 100 ns. Citric acid has been found to be the potential hit compound to block acyl-CoA oxidase-1 enzyme with its maximum hydrogen interaction and minimum fluctuations. It also revealed out the minimum total energy requirement for the complex formation.

The physical, mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of starch nanoparticle (SNP)/polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite films synthesised by an ultrasound-assisted process.

This article reports on the ultrasound-assisted acid hydrolysis for the synthesis and evaluation of starch nanoparticles (SNP) as nanofillers to improve the physical, mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of polyurethane (PU) films. During the ultrasonic irradiation, dropwise addition of 0.25 mol L-1 H2SO4 was carried out to the starch dispersion for the preparation of SNPs. The synthesized SNPs were blended uniformly within the PU matrix using ultrasonic irradiation (20 kHz, 220 W pulse mode). The temperature was kept constant during the synthesis (4 °C). The nanocomposite coating films were made with a regulated thickness using the casting method. The effect of SNP content (wt%) in nanocomposite coating films on various properties such as morphology, water vapour permeability (WVP), glass transition temperature (Tg), microbial barrier, and mechanical properties was studied. The addition of SNP to the PU matrix increased the roughness of the surface, and Tg by 7 °C, lowering WVP by 60% compared to the PU film without the addition of SNP. As the SNP concentration was increased, the opacity of the film increased. The reinforcement of the SNP in the PU matrix enhanced the microbial barrier of the film by 99.9%, with the optimal content of SNP being 5%. Improvement in the toughness and barrier properties was observed with an increase in the SNP content of the film.

Metal Ion Augmented Mussel Inspired Polydopamine Immobilized 3D Printed Osteoconductive Scaffolds for Accelerated Bone Tissue Regeneration.

Critical bone defects with a sluggish rate of auto-osteoconduction and imperfect reconstruction are motivators for the development of an alternate innovative approach for the regeneration of bone. Tissue engineering for bone regeneration signifies an advanced way to overcome this problem by creating an additional bone tissue substitute. Among different fabrication techniques, the 3D printing technique is obviously the most efficient and advanced way to fabricate an osteoconductive scaffold with a controlled porous structure. In the current article, the polycarbonate and polyester diol based polyurethane-urea (P12) was synthesized and 3D porous nanohybrid scaffolds (P12/TP-nHA) were fabricated using the 3D printing technique by incorporating the osteoconductive nanomaterial titanium phosphate adorned nanohydroxyapatite (TP-nHA). To improve the bioactivity, the surface of the fabricated scaffolds was modified with the immobilized biomolecule polydopamine (PDA) at room temperature. XPS study as well as the measurement of surface wettability confirmed the higher amount of PDA immobilization on TP-nHA incorporated nanohybrid scaffolds through the dative bone formation between the vacant d orbital of the incorporated titanium ion and the lone pair electron of the catechol group of dopamine. The incorporated titanium phosphate (TP) increased the tensile strength (53.1%) and elongation at break (96.8%) of the nanohybrid composite as compared to pristine P12. Moreover, the TP incorporated nanohybrid scaffold with calcium and phosphate moieties and a higher amount of immobilized active biomolecule improved the in vitro bioactivity, including the cell viability, cell proliferation, and osteogenic gene expression using hMSCs, of the fabricated nanohybrid scaffolds. A rat tibia defect model depicted that the TP incorporated nanohybrid scaffold with immobilized PDA enhanced the in vivo bone regeneration ability compared to the control sample without revealing any organ toxicity signifying the superior osteogenic bioactivity. Thus, a TP augmented polydopamine immobilized polyurethane-urea based nanohybrid 3D printed scaffold with improved physicochemical properties and osteogenic bioactivity could be utilized as an excellent advanced material for bone regeneration substitute.

Confined microemulsion sono-polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles for targeted delivery.

Confined sono-polymerization is developed to prepare poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles within water-in-oil microemulsion, followed by post-functionalization with a bispecific antibody (anti HER2 and anti PEG) for targeted delivery of photosensitizers (i.e., indocyanine green). The nanoparticles could specifically target to breast cancer cells (i.e., SKBR3) that overexpress HER2 receptors for the inhibition of cancer cell growth under 808 nm laser irradiation. This study highlights a facile and controllable method to fabricate therapeutic nanoparticles capable of targeted delivery.

Sonochemical polymerization of miniemulsions in organic liquids/water mixtures.

The sonochemical oil-in-water miniemulsion polymerization of n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) has been studied in mixtures with a range of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon liquids under ambient conditions. Measurements of monomer conversion percentage and molecular weights of the BMA polymers were performed to investigate the effect of the various organic liquids on the kinetics of the polymerization process and on the properties of the resultant polymers. Both the rates of polymerization and the molecular weights of the polymers formed were found to be dependent on the amount and type of the organic liquid present in the emulsion. The experimental results revealed that when the organic liquids were aliphatic, there were no significant changes in the rates of BMA polymerization whereas when the organic liquids were aromatic, the rates of polymerization were greatly reduced. Molecular weight data of the BMA polymers showed that in the presence of an organic liquid, the size of the polymer significantly decreased. The results have been interpreted in terms of the formation of a radical complex between the propagating radical and the organic liquid in the oil mixture, as well as chain transfer reactions that affect the kinetics of the polymerization process.

Ultrasound-assisted production of biodiesel using engineered methanol tolerant Proteus vulgaris lipase immobilized on functionalized polysulfone beads.

In the present study, Proteus vulgaris lipase (PVL) was engineered using directed evolution to increase methanol tolerance so that it would be more tolerant and efficient for harsh conditions employed in biodiesel synthesis, which is limiting their industrial use. The influence of ultrasound under different experimental conditions on the biodiesel conversion yield using methanolysis of non-edible neem oil was also emphasized. A special attention was also paid to the immobilization of lipase on Polysulfone (PS) beads and comparative studies with industrially used Burkholderia cepacia lipase. The Engineered Proteus vulgaris lipase showed >80% activity after 3 h when incubated in 50% methanol with simultaneous sonication. The lipase retained improved longevity (~70% residual activity) over wild-type PVL over repeated use.

Microemulsion polymerizations via high-frequency ultrasound irradiation.

The synthesis of nanosized polymer latex particles using high-frequency ultrasound (213 kHz) has been successfully performed. The effects of surfactant type and concentration of surfactants on the rates of polymerization, latex size, and molecular weights of the polymers produced are presented.

Sensitivity enhancement in membrane separation flow injection analysis by ultrasound.

The effect of ultrasound on gas-diffusion and pervaporation flow injection separation was investigated. Ammonia and three aliphatic amines (propylamine, tri-ethylamine and di-n-butylamine) with different volatility and surface activity were used as model analytes. Under the experimental conditions used, sonication did not enhance gas-diffusion separation efficiency and resulted in up to 62% improvement in pervaporation mass transfer. Based on these findings and taking into account the surface activity of the analytes studied which decreased with their molecular mass it was postulated that ultrasound-induced surface rippling was primarily responsible for the enhanced evaporation in the donor chamber of the pervaporation cell. The results reported in this paper suggest that ultrasonic pervaporation separation could extend the applicability of this on-line flow injection separation technique to the direct determination of higher molecular mass volatile and semi-volatile analytes in 'dirty' samples.

Ultrasound initiated miniemulsion polymerization of methacrylate monomers.

The ultrasound initiated emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA), n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) and 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate (2EHMA) in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate as a stabiliser produced latex particles in the size range of 70 nm to 110 nm with molecular weights of the order of 2-6 x 10(6) g mol(-1). The experimental data obtained show significant differences in the rates of polymerization of the methacrylate monomers in the order 2EHMA>BMA>MMA. The rate trend is discussed with respect to the physicochemical properties of the monomers. It is suggested from the results obtained that the mechanism involved in sonochemical formation of the latex particles is very similar to that of a conventional miniemulsion polymerization process.

The optimisation of ultrasonic cleaning procedures for dairy fouled ultrafiltration membranes.

Ultrafiltration (UF) of whey is a major membrane based process in the dairy industry. However, commercialization of this application has been limited by membrane fouling, which has a detrimental influence on the permeation rate. There are a number of different chemical and physical cleaning methods currently used for cleaning a fouled membrane. It has been suggested that the cleaning frequency and the severity of such cleaning procedures control the membrane lifetime. The development of an optimal cleaning strategy should therefore have a direct implication on the process economics. Recently, the use of ultrasound has attracted considerable interest as an alternative approach to the conventional methods. In the present study, we have studied the ultrasonic cleaning of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes fouled with dairy whey solutions. The effects of a number of cleaning process parameters have been examined in the presence of ultrasound and results compared with the conventional operation. Experiments were conducted using a small single sheet membrane unit that was immersed totally within an ultrasonic bath. Results show that ultrasonic cleaning improves the cleaning efficiency under all experimental conditions. The ultrasonic effect is more significant in the absence of surfactant, but is less influenced by temperature and transmembrane pressure. Our results suggest that the ultrasonic energy acts primarily by increasing the turbulence within the cleaning solution.

Methods of preparation of multifunctional microbubbles and their in vitro / in vivo assessment of stability, functional and structural properties.

Microbubbles (MBs) are ultrasound responsive colloidal particles with a strong potential to become theranostic agents, combining the contrast agent activity with therapeutic functionality. In the last decades, MBs have played a significant role as ultrasound contrast agents in diagnostic imaging. MBs have also shown great potential in applications such as molecular imaging, drug delivery, gene therapy and sonothrombolysis. A full understanding of all physical processes underlying the MBs' stability and acoustic behavior is available in the literature. Efforts have been now addressed to the study of chemical and biological features of multifunctional lipid, protein, or polymer shelled MBs. A number of methods of preparation of "smart" MBs for ultrasound image-guided therapy have been recently developed. In this review, different approaches utilized in preparing multifunctional MBs are discussed with specific attention to the current strategies adopted to design MBs with specialized functions. In vitro / in vivo assessment of MBs' stability and activity will be discussed with a particular emphasis on the emerging applications of MBs for the multiple imaging modalities, the effective opening of blood brain barrier, BBB, and for the therapeutic treatment of antimicrobial films.

One-pot ultrasonic synthesis of multifunctional microbubbles and microcapsules using synthetic thiolated macromolecules.

A one-pot ultrasonic procedure has been developed as a versatile route for synthesizing polymer-coated microspheres that have potential application as drug delivery vehicles. The use of synthetic thiolated poly(methacrylic acid) macromolecules as the shell material offers control over size, morphology and functionality of the microspheres.

Novel one-pot synthesis of magnetite latex nanoparticles by ultrasound irradiation.

A simple and efficacious procedure for the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles has been achieved via a sonochemical miniemulsion polymerization process. The sonochemically synthesized magnetite encapsulated polymer latex particles exhibit excellent colloidal stability and strong magnetic properties, and are of a size that makes them technologically relevant. This novel method may be readily extended to the preparation of multiple combinations of different polymers and encapsulated materials.