Development and characterization of nanostructured lipid carriers for cannabidiol delivery.

This study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as a potential vehicle for cannabidiol (CBD), a lipophilic molecule with great potential to promote health benefits. NLCs were produced using hemp seed oil and fully-hydrogenated soybean oil at different proportions. The emulsifiers evaluated were soybean lecithin (SL), Tween 80 (T80) and a mixture of SL:T80 (50:50). CBD was tested in the form of CBD-rich extract or isolate CBD, to verify if it affects the NLCs characteristics. Based on particle size and polydispersity, SL was considered the most suitable emulsifier to produce the NLCs. All lipid proportions evaluated had no remarkable effect on the physicochemical characteristics of NLCs, resulting in CBD-loaded NLCs with particle size below 250 nm, high CBD entrapment efficiency and CBD retention rate of 100% for 30 days, demonstrating that NLCs are a suitable vehicle for both CBD-rich extract or isolate CBD.

Chitosan Coating Functionalized with Flaxseed Oil and Green Tea Extract as a Bio-Based Solution for Beef Preservation.

Ecological and safe packaging solutions arise as pivotal points in the development of an integrated system for sustainable meat production. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a combined chitosan (Ch) + green tea extract (GTE) + essential oil (thyme oil, TO; flaxseed oil, FO; or oregano oil, OO) coating on the safety and quality of vacuum-packaged beef during storage at 4 °C. An optimized bio-based coating formulation was selected (2% Ch + 2% GTE + 0.1% FO) to be applied to three fresh beef cuts (shoulder, Sh; knuckle, Kn; Striploin, St) based on its pH (5.8 ± 0.1), contact angle (22.3 ± 0.4°) and rheological parameters (viscosity = 0.05 Pa.s at shear rate > 20 s-1). Shelf-life analysis showed that the Ch-GTE-FO coating delayed lipid oxidation and reduced total viable counts (TVC) and Enterobacteriaceae growth compared with uncoated beef samples over five days. In addition, Ch-GTE-FO coating decreased total color changes of beef samples (e.g., ∆E* = 9.84 and 3.94, for non-coated and coated Kn samples, respectively) for up to five days. The original textural parameters (hardness, adhesiveness and springiness) of beef cuts were maintained during storage when Ch-GTE-FO coating was applied. Based on the physicochemical and microbial characterization results, the combination of the Ch-GTE-FO coating developed was effective in preserving the quality of fresh beef cuts during refrigerated storage along with vacuum packaging.