Use of ultrasound to improve the activity of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase in the producing of ß-cyclodextrins: Impact on enzyme activity, stability and insights into changes on enzyme macrostructure.

This work explored the impact of ultrasound (US) on the activity, stability, and macrostructural conformation of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) and how these changes could maximize the production of ß-cyclodextrins (ß-CDs). The results showed that ultrasonic pretreatment (20 kHz and 38 W/L) at pH 6.0 promoted increased enzymatic activity. Specifically, after sonication at 25 °C/30 min, there was a maximum activity increase of 93 % and 68 % when biocatalysis was carried out at 25 and 55 °C, respectively. For activity measured at 80 °C, maximum increase (31 %) was observed after sonication at 25 °C/60 min. Comparatively, US pretreatment at low pH (pH = 4.0) resulted in a lower activity increase (max. 28 %). These activation levels were maintained after 24 h of storage at 8 °C, suggesting that changes on CGTase after ultrasonic pretreatment were not transitory. These pretreatments altered the conformational structure of CGTase, revealed by an up to 11 % increase in intrinsic fluorescence intensity, and resulted in macrostructural modifications, such as a decrease in particle size and polydispersion index (up to 85 % and 45.8 %, respectively). Therefore, the sonication of CGTase under specific conditions of pH, time, and temperature (especially at pH 6.0/ 30 min/ 25 °C) promotes macrostructural changes in CGTase that induce enzyme activation and, consequently, higher production of ß-CDs.

Microencapsulation to Harness the Antimicrobial Potential of Essential Oils and Their Applicability in Dairy Products: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

This literature review explores cutting-edge microencapsulation techniques designed to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of essential oils in dairy products. As consumer demand for natural preservatives rises, understanding the latest advancements in microencapsulation becomes crucial for improving the shelf life and safety of these products. The bibliometric analysis utilized in this review highlighted a large number of documents published on this topic in relation to the following keywords: essential oils, AND antimicrobials, AND dairy products, OR microencapsulation. The documents published in the last 11 years, between 2013 and 2023, showed a diversity of authors and countries researching this topic and the keywords commonly used. However, in the literature consulted, no study was identified that was based on bibliometric analysis and that critically evaluated the microencapsulation of essential oils and their antimicrobial potential in dairy products. This review synthesizes findings from diverse studies, shedding light on the various encapsulation methods employed and their impact on preserving the quality of dairy goods. Additionally, it discusses the potential applications and challenges associated with implementation in the dairy industry. This comprehensive analysis aims to provide valuable insights for researchers, food scientists, and industry professionals seeking to optimize the use of essential oils with antimicrobial properties in dairy formulations.

Influence of hemicellulose content and cellulose crystal change on cellulose nanofibers properties.

This study aimed to evaluate the properties of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) with different hemicellulose contents and cellulose II polymorphs. A link was found between these polysaccharides and the properties of CNFs. A decrease in crystallinity (from 69 to 63%) and changes in the crystalline structure of cellulose subjected to an alkaline environment were observed, promoting the partial conversion of cellulose I to cellulose II (from 2 to 42%) and preventing CNFs production at NaOH concentrations higher than 5%. Most treatments showed pseudoplastic fluid behavior, except for the 10% NaOH treatment over 2 h, which showed Newtonian fluid behavior. The quality index of the reference CNFs (TEMPO-oxidized) was the highest (80 ± 3), followed by that of the 5% NaOH-treated (68 ± 3 and 22% energy savings compared to the untreated sample), and the untreated (63 ± 3) samples; and the 10% NaOH treatments had quality indices of 51 ± 3 and 32 ± 1, respectively.