Unravelling the Mechanism of Stabilization and Microstructure of Oil-in-Water Emulsions by Native Cellulose Microfibrils in Primary Plant Cells Dispersions.

It is long known that oil-in-water emulsions can be stable against coalescence in homogenized plant cell wall dispersions because of the presence of surface-active biopolymers. When plant cell wall material is homogenized to the extent of deagglomeration of the cellulose microfibrils (CMFs), a much more complex dispersed system is obtained. Here we show that in such complex systems both surface active soluble polymers and individual CMFs are at the origin of this stabilization against coalescence, as they form a shell around the oil droplets providing Pickering-like stabilization.

An In-Depth View into Human Intestinal Fluid Colloids: Intersubject Variability in Relation to Composition.

Intestinal fluids dictate the intraluminal environment, and therefore, they substantially affect the absorption of orally taken drugs. The characterization of human intestinal fluids (HIF) and the design of simulated intestinal fluids (SIF) mainly focus on composition, not necessarily taking into account the ultrastructure of HIF. Colloidal structures in HIF and SIF can enhance the solubilizing capacity for lipophilic drugs while decreasing the bioaccessible fraction.

Dispersions of attractive semiflexible fiberlike colloidal particles from bacterial cellulose microfibrils.

We prepared dispersions from bacterial cellulose microfibrils (CMF) of a commercial Nata de Coco source. We used an ultra-high-energy mechanical deagglomeration process that is able to disperse the CMFs from the pellicle in which they are organized in an irregular network. Because of the strong attractions between the CMFs, the dispersion remained highly heterogeneous, consisting of fiber bundles, flocs, and voids spanning tens to hundreds of micrometers depending on concentration.

Novel low-molecular-weight-gelator-based microcapsules with controllable morphology and temperature responsiveness.

A new type of microcapsules with controllable morphology is presented. They are based on a low-molecular-weight gelator and can be switched from temperature-stable to temperature-responsive by simply modifying the preparation method.