Promising role of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves extract and its nano-formulation as double treatment against aflatoxin toxicity in ulcerated-rats: Application in milk beverage.

Aflatoxins are an unavoidable contaminant of foods. The current work aimed to study the ameliorating effect of Lawsonia inermis L. extract and its nano-formulation versus aflatoxin ingestion in ulcerative rats. Lawsonia inermis L. bioactivity was evaluated by both antioxidant & antimicrobial assays. The nanoparticles characterization measurements were evaluated. Different parameters in the fortified milk beverage were assessed. Seventy two Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomized into 12 groups (6 rats/group) where peptic ulcer was induced with a single aspirin dose (500 mg/kg BW) orally. The nutritional and biochemical parameters were evaluated. The results showed that antioxidant activity and total phenolic content increased with increasing nano-formulation ratio. A remarkable improvements in all the treated groups, either for ulcer alone or for aflatoxin exposed ulcerative groups in normal and nano-formulation. Conclusively, Lawsonia inermis L. & its nano-formulation could act as dual therapy for ulcer treatment and the hazardous effects of aflatoxin exposure.

Enhancing date seed phenolic bioaccessibility in soft cheese through a dehydrated liposome delivery system and its effect on testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats.

Introduction: The consumption of dairy products, including soft cheese, has been associated with numerous health benefits due to their high nutritional value. However, the phenolic compounds bioaccessibility present in soft cheese is limited due to their poor solubility and stability during digestion. So, this study aimed to develop an innovative soft cheese enriched with date seed phenolic compounds (DSP) extracted ultrasonically and incorporated into homogeneous liposomes and study its attenuation effect on testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats. Methods: Date seed phenolic compounds were extracted using 98 and 50% ethanol along with water as solvents, employing ultrasonication at 10, 20, and 30-min intervals. The primary and secondary DSP-liposomes were prepared and dehydrated. The particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and morphology were measured. Incorporating dehydrated liposomes (1-3% w/w) into soft cheese and their impact on BPH using male Sprague-Dawley rats was assessed. After inducing BPH, rats were fed a cheese diet with dehydrated DSP-liposomes. Over 8 weeks, parameters including nutrition parameters, prostate enlargement analysis, biochemical parameters, hormones level, oxidative stress, and cytokines were analyzed. Results and Discussion: The results showed that ultrasound-assisted extraction effectively reduced the extraction time and 30 min extraction EtOH 50% was enough to extract high yield of phenolic compounds (558 mg GA/g) and flavonoids (55 mg qu/g) with high antioxidant activity (74%). The biological results indicate that prostate weight and prostate index% were diminished in the treatment groups (1 and 2) compared to the BPH control group. The high antioxidant content present in the DSP-liposomes acted as the catalyst for suppressing the responses of the inflammatory cytokines, inhibiting the anti-inflammatory IL-10 production, and suppressing the elevated levels of lipid peroxidation products compared to the BPH group. Conclusion: The treatment group (2) supplemented with dehydrated secondary DSP-liposomes exhibited the most significant variance (p < 0.05) as opposed to the BPH group. Liposomal encapsulation was proved to be a feasible approach for administering DSP in soft cheese, thereby establishing new functional food category possessing prophylactic properties against the advancement of BPH in rats.

Microencapsulation of Plant Phenolic Extracts Using Complex Coacervation Incorporated in Ultrafiltered Cheese Against AlCl3-Induced Neuroinflammation in Rats.

Plant-derived phenolic compounds have numerous biological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. However, their application is limited because they are degraded under environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to microencapsulate plant phenolic extracts using a complex coacervation method to mitigate this problem. Red beet (RB), broccoli (BR), and spinach leaf (SL) phenolic extracts were encapsulated by complex coacervation. The characteristics of complex coacervates [zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency (EE), FTIR, and morphology] were evaluated. The RB, BR, and SL complex coacervates were incorporated into an ultrafiltered (UF) cheese system. The chemical properties, pH, texture profile, microstructure, and sensory properties of UF cheese with coacervates were determined. In total, 54 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, among which 48 rats were administered an oral dose of AlCl3 (100 mg/kg body weight/d). Nutritional and biochemical parameters, including malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, nitric oxide, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glial fibrillary acidic protein, were assessed. The RB, BR, and SL phenolic extracts were successfully encapsulated. The RB, BR, and SL complex coacervates had no impact on the chemical composition of UF cheese. The structure of the RB, BR, and SL complex coacervates in UF cheese was the most stable. The hardness of UF cheese was progressively enhanced by using the RB, BR, and SL complex coacervates. The sensory characteristics of the UF cheese samples achieved good scores and were viable for inclusion in food systems. Additionally, these microcapsules improved metabolic strategies and neurobehavioral systems and enhanced the protein biosynthesis of rat brains. Both forms failed to induce any severe side effects in any experimental group. It can be concluded that the microencapsulation of plant phenolic extracts using a complex coacervation technique protected rats against AlCl3-induced neuroinflammation. This finding might be of interest to food producers and researchers aiming to deliver natural bioactive compounds in the most acceptable manner (i.e., food).

Microencapsulation of natural polyphenolic compounds extracted from apple peel and its application in yoghurt.

BACKGROUND: Apple peel is a by-product of fruit processing and a rich source of natural antioxidants, especially of polyphenolic compounds. Although it has many health benefits, the microencapsulation of polyphe- nolic compounds protects it from reactions with milk components during manufacturing or storage of dairy products which reduce the bioavailability and total acceptability of these products. METHODS: Polyphenolic compounds (PC) were extracted from apple peel using ethanol (80%). Polyphenolic compounds extract powder (PCEP) was encapsulated by physical methods (spray and freeze dryer) using maltodextrin, whey protein concentrate (8:2), and Gum Arabic mixture (6:4) as coating materials, which were homogenized by ultraturrax and ultrasonication. Encapsulated PCEP was used in supplementing yoghurt. Phenolic content (PC), physiochemical and texture properties of yoghurt samples were evaluated during storage (fresh, 7 and 15 days). RESULTS: The microencapsulation by freeze dryer method for PCEP which was homogenized by ultrasoni- cation was the best treatment, while encapsulation efficiency using the spray dryer method, which was homogenized by ultraturrax, was the worst. Encapsulated PCEP in yoghurt samples didn’t have any significant influence on the physiochemical and texture properties of these samples. CONCLUSIONS: Yoghurt samples maintained on the polyphenolic compounds until the end of storage overall, our results revealed that adding encapsulated PCEP into yoghurt gave closer characteristics to the control sample.

The encapsulation of powdered doum extract in liposomes and its application in yoghurt.

BACKGROUND: Doum fruit extract has many dietary benefits, but, due to the potential interaction between its phenolic compounds and milk proteins, its antioxidant activity is reduced in dairy formulations. To overcome this problem, encapsulation in liposomes has been used to improve the bioavailability of the phenolic com- pounds by protecting them from oxygen and acids, creating the conditions for better delivery and controlling their release into the body. METHODS: A liposome was used to encapsulate doum extract powder (DEP), and the encapsu- lated DEP was used to fortify yoghurt. The physicochemical properties of the yoghurt produced, including pH, acidity, water holding capacity and texture, were investigated in fresh yoghurt and after 21 days of stor- age at 4°C. RESULTS: Adding 5% DEP liposome to yoghurt gave a product with characteristics similar to the control sam- ple but with higher antioxidant activity. CONCLUSIONS: Doum extract powder has been successfully encapsulated in liposomes. The high encapsulation efficiency, particle size, and TEM examination indicate successful encapsulation of up to 1% DEP. The addi- tion of 5% DEP liposomes into yoghurt had some effects on the development of acidity, textural parameters, and water holding capacity of the yoghurt, compared to a control. The addition of higher percentages of DEP liposomes significantly affected the functional properties of yoghurt. It is recommended that 5% DEP liposomes can be added to yoghurt in order to increase its antioxidant activity.