Protein Hydrolysate from Underutilized Legumes: Unleashing the Potential for Future Functional Foods.

Proteins play a vital role in human development, growth, and overall health. Traditionally, animal-derived proteins were considered the primary source of dietary protein. However, in recent years, there has been a remarkable shift in dietary consumption patterns, with a growing preference for plant-based protein sources.

The Effect of Bacteria on the Stability of Microfluidic-Generated Water-in-Oil Droplet.

Microencapsulation in emulsion droplets has great potential for various applications such as food which require formation of highly stable emulsions. Bacterial-emulsion interactions affect the physiological status of bacteria while bacterial cell characteristics such as surface-active properties and metabolic activity can affect emulsion stability. In this study, the viability and growth of two different bacterial species, Gram-negative and Gram-positive , encapsulated in water-in-oil (W/O) droplets or as planktonic cells, were monitored and their effect on droplet stability was determined.

Optimisation of bacterial release from a stable microfluidic-generated water-in-oil-in-water emulsion.

Application of droplet microfluidics for the encapsulation of bacteria in water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsion allows for production of monodisperse droplets with controllable size. In this study the release of bacteria from W/O/W emulsion, the effect of the double emulsion structure on bacterial growth and metabolic activity, and the stability and mechanism of bacterial release were investigated. W/O/W emulsions were formed using a double flow-focusing junction microfluidic device under controlled pressure to produce droplets of approximately 100 μm in diameter containing an inner aqueous phase (W) of about 40-50 μm in diameter.