Fish oil encapsulated in soy protein particles by lyophilization. Effect of drying process.

Background: Fish oil is an important source of healthy ω-3 fatty acids to be used in functional foods. However, its autoxidation susceptibility, aroma and solubility make it difficult to use. Its encapsulation could reduce these disadvantages.

Synthesis and conservation of cellulose nanocrystals.

This work deals with the preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from microcrystalline cellulose by acid hydrolysis, discusses how their characteristics varied according to the drying technique used for their conservation and analyzes their re-dispersion in water. A stable water dispersion of "rod" or "needle" type CNC (≈5 nm of diameter, 276 nm of length and 41 mV of Z potencial) was initially prepared and then dried by lyophilization and spray. Thus powders with similar cristalinity but different morphology were obtained, while CNC seemed to aggregate in such an extent that hindered their re-dispersion in water.