Synthesis of a Bioactive Nitric Oxide-Releasing Polymer from S-Nitrosated Starch.

The incorporation of nitric oxide (NO) into polymeric matrices minimizes degradation and facilitates controlled release. This optimization increases the field of application of NO, in dressings, food protective films, and implant devices, among others. This work presents an economical and easy way to manufacture bioactive nitric oxide-releasing polymer (BioNOR-P) and evaluates its bactericidal and antioxidant activity (AA), mechanical behavior, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity, seeking future use in different applications.

Neurodevelopmental changes in Drosophila melanogaster are restored by treatment with lutein-loaded nanoparticles: Positive modulation of neurochemical and behavioral parameters.

Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are characterized by persistent changes in communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and stereotyped patterns of behavior. The complex etiology of these disorders possibly combines the effects of multiple genes and environmental factors. Hence, exposure to insecticides such as imidacloprid (IMI) has been used to replicate the changes observed in these disorders.

Enhancing mortadella formulations: Exploring the impact of curcumin microcrystals, cochineal carmine, and annatto dyes on sensory preferences, stability, and antioxidant potential.

The effects of adding cochineal carmine and annatto dyes in five mortadella formulations made with curcumin microcrystals were compared, and the preference was evaluated and described sensorially. Based on the optimized formulation obtained with color parameters, two formulations were elaborated: curcumin microcrystals and cochineal carmine were added. During 60 days, pH, objective color, water retention capacity, lipid oxidation, and texture profile analyses were performed.

A Critical Appraisal of the Most Recent Investigations on Ora-Pro-Nobis ( sp.): Economical, Botanical, Phytochemical, Nutritional, and Ethnopharmacological Aspects.

Miller and Haw, known as 'ora-pro-nobis', are unconventional vegetables belonging to the Cactaceae family, native to the Americas and common in the northeast and southeast regions of Brazil. This review attempts to present a balanced account of both the methods used for obtaining extracts from the diverse parts of the plants and the results that were obtained in terms of their applicability to foods and other products with biological activities. Attention will also be devoted to the properties of their bioactives and their applications to real food products.

Evaluation of berberine nanoparticles as a strategy to modulate acetylcholinesterase activity.

Researchers have concentrated efforts in the search for natural-based reversible inhibitors for cholinesterase enzymes as they may play a key role in the treatment of degenerative diseases. Diverse plant alkaloids can inhibit the action of acetylcholinesterase and, among them, berberine is a promising bioactive. However, berberine has poor water solubility and low bioavailability, which makes it difficult to use in treatment.

Use of Bio-Waste of A. St. Hil. (Yerba mate) to Obtain an Extract Rich in Phenolic Compounds with Preservative Potential.

In this work, a comparison between the extracts of dehydrated yerba mate () and bio-waste of yerba mate leaves from the Brazilian industry was made. The incorporation of the functional extract as a preservative/functional ingredient in a pastry product (pancakes) was tested. The individual profile of phenolic compounds was determined by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS, and the bioactive potential was assessed using in vitro assays for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities.

β-carotene-loaded nanoparticles protect against neuromotor damage, oxidative stress, and dopamine deficits in a model of Parkinson's disease in Drosophila melanogaster.

β-carotene-loaded nanoparticles improves absorption by increasing bioavailability. The Drosophila melanogaster model of Parkinson's disease must be helpful in investigating potential neuroprotective effects. Four groups of four-day-old flies were exposed to: (1) control; (2) diet containing rotenone (500 μM); (3) β-carotene-loaded nanoparticles (20 μM); (4) β-carotene-loaded nanoparticles and rotenone for 7 days.

Biopreservatives against foodborne bacteria: combined effect of nisin and nanoncapsulated curcumin and co-encapsulation of nisin and curcumin.

Unlabelled: Nisin, a bacteriocin widely used in the food industry, and curcumin, the yellow pigment extracted from turmeric ( L.) stand out among the numerous natural preservatives that have antimicrobial activity. The conversion of these compounds into nanoparticles could be interesting as an alternative to improve technological aspects (such as the low water solubility of curcumin) and to evaluate how synergism could take place in the case of co-encapsulation.

Fish Protein Hydrolysates: Bioactive Properties, Encapsulation and New Technologies for Enhancing Peptides Bioavailability.

Fish protein hydrolysates (FPHs) can be obtained from substrates such as fish muscle, skin, and wastes and assign value to these fish by-products. Proteolytic enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of these fish substrates' peptide bonds resulting in smaller peptides that present several bioactive properties. Hydrolysates' bioactive properties are a function of the fish species used as the substrate, the enzyme selectivity or specificity, pH and temperature applied in the reaction, etc.

Antibacterial efficacy of microencapsulated bacteriocin on and .

This study focused on the microencapsulation of enterocin from ( MF5) in whey powder (WP) using a spray-drying technique followed by the evaluation of how complexation can preserve the enterocin structure and antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens. Crude enterocin samples (1 and 5%) were microencapsulated in 10% WP. The antimicrobial activity of unencapsulated (crude) enterocin and microencapsulated enterocin was tested against the target bacteria Typhimurium, , , , and .

Lutein-loaded nanoparticles reverse oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors induced by prenatal valproic acid exposure in female rats.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and repetitive behaviors. In this study, we assessed the effect of lutein-loaded nanoparticles on ASD-like behaviors induced by prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure in female offspring rats and the possible involvement of oxidative stress and apoptosis. Pregnant female Wistar rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of VPA (600 mg/kg), on the gestational day 12.

Development and characterization of trans-anethole-containing solid lipid microparticles: antiinflammatory and gastroprotective effects in experimental inflammation.

The present study prepared, optimized, and characterized solid lipid microparticles that contained trans-anethole (SLMAN), evaluated their antiinflammatory activity in acute and chronic inflammation models, and investigated their effects on the gastric mucosa in arthritic rats. The microparticles were obtained by a hot homogenization process and characterized by physicochemical analyses. The acute inflammatory response was induced by an intradermal injection of 0.

Phenolic Fraction from Peanut ( L.) By-product: Innovative Extraction Techniques and New Encapsulation Trends for Its Valorization.

Peanut skin is a by-product rich in bioactive compounds with high nutritional and pharmaceutical values. The phenolic fraction, rich in proanthocyanidins/procyanidins, is a relevant class of bioactive compounds, which has been increasingly applied as functional ingredients for food and pharmaceutical applications and is mostly recovered from peanut skins through low-pressure extraction methods. Therefore, the use of green high-pressure extractions is an interesting alternative to value this peanut by-product.

Water-in-Oil-in-Water Double Emulsions as Protective Carriers for L. Coloring Systems.

The use of natural colorants is needed to overcome consumer concerns regarding synthetic food colorants' safety. However, natural pigments have, in general, poor stability against environmental stresses such as temperature, ionic strength, moisture, light, and pH, among others. In this work, water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsions were used as protective carriers to improve color stability of a hydrophilic L.

Use of nanoencapsulated curcumin against vegetative cells and spores of Alicyclobacillus spp. in industrialized orange juice.

Pathogenic and deteriorating bacteria are a great concern to food safety. In this sense, the present study evaluated the fight against microbial contamination through the use of nanoparticles containing curcumin, in addition to analyzing the physical properties of these nanoparticles. Efficient curcumin encapsulation was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectra evaluation and differential scanning calorimetry.

Bioactivity screening of pinhão ( (Bertol.) Kuntze) seed extracts: the inhibition of cholinesterases and α-amylases, and cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities.

The objective of this work was to determine the potential bioactive properties of extracts from bio-residues of ( (Bertol.) Kuntze) seeds, namely the α-amylase and cholinesterase inhibition, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory properties. The extracts evaluated were obtained from cooking water (CW) and as an ethanolic extract from residual seed shells (PS).

Chemometric evaluation of enzymatic hydrolysis in the production of fish protein hydrolysates with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity.

Fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) obtained from industrial processing residues are sources of bioactive peptides. The enzymatic hydrolysis process is essential in obtaining specific bioactivities such as inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In this study the effect of different hydrolysis conditions on the properties of FPH to inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase.

Analytical validation of an ultraviolet-visible procedure for determining vitamin D in vitamin D-loaded microparticles and toxigenetic studies for incorporation into food.

Vitamin D is a water-insoluble compound presented in two main forms (D and D), susceptible to environmental conditions. Microencapsulation is an alternative to supplements and preserve vitamin D properties in foods. Entrapment efficiency (EE) is the main property to evaluate the encapsulation effectiveness and therefore it is of interest the study of analytical methods for the identification and quantification of this compound within the particle.

Exposure to lutein-loaded nanoparticles attenuates Parkinson's model-induced damage in Drosophila melanogaster: Restoration of dopaminergic and cholinergic system and oxidative stress indicators.

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, cholinergic alterations and oxidative damages. Lutein is widely known by its antioxidants properties. In the present study, we investigated whether lutein-loaded nanoparticles protects against locomotor damage and neurotoxicity induced by Parkinson's disease model in Drosophila melanogaster, as well as possible mechanisms of action.

Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activity of Nanoencapsulated Curcuminoids Extracted from Curcuma longa L. in a Model of Cutaneous Inflammation.

The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of nanoencapsulated curcuminoid preparations of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (Nano-cur) and free curcuminoids (Cur) in an experimental model of croton oil-induced cutaneous inflammation. Male Swiss mice, weighing 25-30 g, received oral treatment by gavage 1 h before CO application or topical treatment immediately after CO application (200 μg diluted in 70% acetone) with a single dose of Cur and Nano-cur. After 6 h, the animals were anesthetized and euthanized.

Endogenous antioxidant properties of curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. obtained by a single-step extraction/nanoencapsulation approach.

Curcuminoids found in turmeric have attracted attention due to their remarkable biological activity. Nanoencapsulation may improve their technological properties, but extraction and encapsulation procedures could be time-consuming and expensive when carried out separately. This work aimed to combine extraction and nanoencapsulation steps to obtain curcuminoids-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanoparticles directly from plant rhizomes.

Antioxidant Activity of Encapsulated Extracts and Bioactives from Natural Sources.

The low water solubility and low bioavailability of natural bioactive substances such as polyphenols and flavonoids, either in pure form or extracts, are a major concern in the pharmaceutical field and even on the food development sector. Although encapsulation has demonstrated success in addressing these drawbacks, it is important to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the encapsulated compounds. This article reviews the encapsulation of bioactive compounds from natural sources focusing their antioxidant activity after encapsulation.

Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze extract as a source of phenolic compounds in TPS/PBAT active films.

There is growing interest in the development of biodegradable packaging materials containing natural antioxidant extracts. In this sense, the use of extracts obtained from agro-industrial byproducts has proved to be a sustainable alternative. In this study, Pinhão extract, a byproduct of Pinhão (Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.

Tailoring swelling of alginate-gelatin hydrogel microspheres by crosslinking with calcium chloride combined with transglutaminase.

Alginate-based hydrogels can find uses in a wide range of applications, including in the encapsulation field. This type of hydrogels is usually ionically crosslinked using calcium sources giving rise to products with limited internal crosslinking. In this work, it is hypothesized that the combination of alginate crosslinked by calcium chloride (external crosslinking; ionic mechanism) with gelatin crosslinked by transglutaminase (internal crosslinking; enzymatic induced mechanism) can be used to tailor the swelling behavior of alginate-based hydrogel microspheres.