The encapsulation of flavourzyme in nanoliposome by heating method.

The main objective of this study was to use heating method (HM) to prepare liposome without employing any chemical solvent or detergent. Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was applied for the screening of significant process variables including the lecithin proportion, the cholesterol/lecithin ratio, the pH of solution for liposome preparation, the enzyme/lecithin ratio, the stirring time, the process temperature, the speed of stirrer, the ratio of stirrer to the tank diameter, the application of homogenization, the method of adding enzyme and centrifugation conditions on the encapsulation efficiency (EE %) of liposome and the activity of liposomal Flavourzyme (LAPU(-1)) (P < 0.05). Then, the response surface methodology based on the central composite design (CCD) was applied for the evaluation of the impacts of the significant mentioned variables on the EE (%) and the activity of the liposomal Flavourzyme. The results indicated that the lecithin proportion and the stirring time were the major influential variables for both responses. The most suitable formulation of the Flavourzyme-loaded liposome is 4.5 % lecithin, 45 °C temperature, 5 % Flavourzyme/lecithin ratio, 30 min stirring time and medium pH of 6. Under suitable operating conditions, the EE of liposome and the activity of the liposomal Flavourzyme were achieved as 26.5 % and 9.96 LAPU ml(-1), respectively. AFM technique and size distribution clearly showed the diameter of 189 nm for the spherical shape of the Flavourzyme- loaded nanoliposome.

Preparation and characterization of alginate and alginate-resistant starch microparticles containing nisin.

Delivery systems with sustained release of nisin have been proposed to improve stability and long-term effectiveness of this bacteriocin in foods. In this study, nisin was encapsulated in alginate (Alg) and alginate-resistant starch (Alg-RS) microparticles and its release was investigated. Studies found that the nisin concentration has significant influence on encapsulation efficiency (EE), loading capacity (LC) and size of both microparticles. Furthermore, encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity values were more increased by the addition of resistant starch to the alginate formulation. The highest encapsulation efficiency was obtained with Alg-RS microparticles prepared using initial nisin to alginate weight ratio of 25% w/w (59.77 ± 2.26%). Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results confirmed the presence of nisin in the microparticles. The in vitro nisin release from these microparticles followed a controlled-release pattern consistent with a Fickian diffusion mechanism. The release rate from Alg-RS microparticles was less than that from the Alg microparticles.

Incorporation of essential oil in alginate microparticles by multiple emulsion/ionic gelation process.

In this study, an o/w/o multiple emulsion/ionic gelation method was developed for production of alginate microparticles loaded with Satureja hortensis essential oil (SEO). It was found that the essential oil concentration has significant influence on encapsulation efficiency (EE), loading capacity (LC) and size of microparticles. The values of EE, LC and particle mean diameter were about 52-66%, 20-26%, and 47-117 µm, respectively, when the initial SEO content was 1-3% (v/v) .The essential oil-loaded microparticles were porous, as displayed by scanning electron micrograph. The presence of SEO in alginate microparticles was confirmed by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. SEO-loaded microparticles showed good antioxidant (with DPPH radical scavenging activity of 40.7-73.5%) and antibacterial properties; this effect was greatly improved when the concentration of SEO was 3% (v/v). S. aureus was found to be the most sensitive bacterium to SEO and showed a highest inhibition zone of 304.37 mm(2) in the microparticles incorporated with 3% (v/v) SEO. In vitro release studies showed an initial burst release and followed by a slow release. In addition, the release of SEO from the microparticles followed Fickian diffusion with acceptable release.

Effect of process variables on supercritical fluid disruption of Ralstonia eutropha cells for poly(R-hydroxybutyrate) recovery.

This research focuses on the disruption of the gram-negative bacterium Ralstonia eutropha cells by supercritical CO2 for poly(R-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) recovery. The variables affecting cell disruption such as drying strategy, type of modifier, and cultivation time, as well as operating pressure, temperature, and repeated release of supercritical CO2 pressure, have been studied. Effect of this disruption technique on PHB molecular mass was also investigated. PHB recovery was examined using a combination of this method and chemical pretreatments. For salt pretreatment, the cells were exposed to 140 mM NaCl and heat (60 degrees C, 1 h). The cells were also exposed to 0.2-0.8% (w/w) NaOH to examine the effect of alkaline pretreatment. Bacterial cells treated in growth phase exhibited less resistance to disruption than nutrient-limited cells in the stationary phase. It was also found that the wet cells could be utilized to recover PHB, but purity of the product was lower than that obtained from freeze-dried cells. Pretreatment with a minimum of 0.4% (w/w) NaOH was necessary to enable complete disruption with two times pressure release. Salt pretreatment was less effective; however, disruption was improved by the application of alkaline shock. The proposed method is economic and comparable with other recovery methods in terms of the percentage of PHB recovery and energy consumption, while it is environmentally more benign.