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Abstract: Aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the emulsifying carrier matrix constituent, n-octenylsuccinate-derivatised (OSA)-starch, and process conditions on physical characteristics and oxidative stability of microencapsulated fish oil. Furthermore, the effect of the drying medium, i.e. air or nitrogen, on lipid oxidation during spray-drying and subsequent storage was investigated. Particle characteristics and lipid oxidation of microencapsulated fish oil were both influenced by the type of OSA-starch and the drying conditions. The highest oxidative stability was observed for fish oil microencapsulated in OSA-starch with the lowest average molecular weight and glucose syrup spray-dried at a moderate temperature setting. Particle characteristics of the microcapsules were not attributable for differences in lipid oxidation during storage. In spray-dried carrier matrix particles, the particle size increased with increasing average molecular weight of the OSA-starch and was attributed to an increase in air inclusion. Thus differences in lipid oxidation of the microencapsulated fish oil were attributed to differences in air inclusion as affected by the type of OSA-starch. In terms of spray-drying under inert conditions and in the presence of air, lipid oxidation of microencapsulated fish oil was rather attributed to oxygen availability in the feed emulsion than in the drying gas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fish oil with 33% omega-3 fatty acids was microencapsulated by spray-drying in a matrix of n-octenylsuccinate-derivatized starch and either glucose syrup or trehalose. Samples showed no difference in physicochemical properties as determined by measurement of particle size, oil droplet size, true density and BET surface. Upon storage at low relative humidity, lipid oxidation was decreased in trehalose containing samples indicating that in the amorphous state trehalose is a more suitable wall material for microencapsulation than glucose syrup. The retarded oxidation of trehalose containing samples may be attributed to the unique binding properties of trehalose to dienes. At 54% relative humidity, a rapid oxidation of the microencapsulated oil was observed upon crystallization of trehalose, which limits the range of applications to products to be stored at low humidity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 2014, an analysis was conducted to evaluate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemiology and disease burden in Germany. Since then, there have been considerable developments in HCV management such as the implementation of direct acting antivirals. The aim of this analysis was to assess the recent data available for Germany, establish an updated 2020 HCV prevalence and cascade of care and evaluate the impact of what‐if scenarios on the future burden of disease using modelling analysis. A dynamic Markov model was used to forecast the HCV disease burden in Germany. Model inputs were retrieved through literature review, unpublished sources and expert input. Next, three "what‐if" scenarios were developed to evaluate the status quo, COVID‐19 pandemic, and steps needed to achieve the WHO targets for elimination. At the beginning of 2020, there were 189,000 (95% UI: 76,700–295,000) viremic infections in Germany, a decline of more than 85,000 viremic infections since 2012. Annual treatment starts went down since 2015. Compared with 2019, the COVID‐19 pandemic resulted in a further 11% decline in 2020. If this continues for two years, it could result in 110 excess HCC cases and 200 excess liver related deaths by 2030. To achieve the WHO targets, 81,200 people need to be diagnosed, with 118,600 initiated on treatment by 2030. This could also avert 1,020 deaths and 720 HCC cases between 2021 and 2030. Germany has made strides towards HCV elimination, but more efforts are needed to achieve the WHO targets by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study focused on the effervescent atomization of oil-in-water emulsions and its influence on the internal emulsion structure. The impact of atomization conditions and nozzle geometry on an oil-in-water emulsion with varied viscosity ratio of disperse phase to emulsion was determined. The viscosity ratio is known as a key factor for the drop breakup in emulsification processes. The results depict that oil drops are broken up according to emulsification mechanisms during atomization. A maximum breakup was found for a viscosity ratio between 0.5 and 1. The expected stress dependency of the drop size change was observed for high viscosity ratios only. Relevance of elongational stress on the drop breakup was proven with significant drop size change at high viscosity ratios. The viscosity ratio thus allows for an efficient control of oil drop size change in effervescent atomization as the spray characteristics are invariant to viscosity changes within certain limits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Improvement of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) is frequently reported as a benefit when treating hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) with direct acting antivirals (DAA). As most of the available data were obtained from clinical trials, limited generalizability to the real‐world population might exist. This study aimed to investigate the impact of DAA therapy on changes in HRQoL in a real‐world setting. HRQoL of 1180 participants of the German Hepatitis C‐Registry was assessed by Short‐Form 36 (SF‐36) questionnaires. Scores at post‐treatment weeks 12–24 (FU12/24) were compared to baseline (BL). Changes of ≥2.5 in mental and physical component summary scores (MCS and PCS) were defined as a minimal clinical important difference (MCID). Potential predictors of HRQoL changes were analysed. Overall, a statistically significant increase in HRQoL after DAA therapy was observed, that was robust among various subgroups. However, roughly half of all patients failed to achieve a clinically important improvement in MCS and PCS. Low MCS (p <.001, OR = 0.925) and PCS (p <.001, OR = 0.899) BL levels were identified as predictors for achieving a clinically important improvement. In contrast, presence of fatigue (p =.023, OR = 1.518), increased GPT levels (p =.005, OR = 0.626) and RBV containing therapy regimens (p =.001, OR = 1.692) were associated with a clinically important decline in HRQoL after DAA therapy. In conclusion, DAA treatment is associated with an overall increase of HRQoL in HCV‐infected patients. Nevertheless, roughly half of the patients fail to achieve a clinically important improvement. Especially patients with a low HRQoL seem to benefit most from the modern therapeutic options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and aims: There is limited real‐world information on the effectiveness of antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with direct‐acting antivirals (DAA) in people on opioid substitution therapy (OST). This study compared sustained virological response (SVR) rates and proportion of lost to follow‐up (LTFU) between OST and non‐OST patients in the German Hepatitis C‐Registry (DHC‐R). Design: National multi‐centre prospective real‐world registry (German Hepatitis C‐Registry, DHC‐R). Non‐OST patients comprised patients with former/current drug use (non‐OST/DU) and patients never consuming drugs (non‐OST/NDU). Setting: A total of 254 medical centres in Germany, including 123 centres providing OST. Participants: A total of 7747 chronic HCV patients started DAA therapy (739 OST and 7008 non‐OST; 1500 non‐OST/DU; 5508 non‐OST/NDU) patients. Five hundred and twenty‐eight OST and 5582 non‐OST patients had completed antiviral therapy and at least one follow‐up documentation [intention‐to‐treat (ITT) population]. Measurements: Study outcomes were SVR, proportion of LTFU and safety of treatment. Findings: SVR (ITT) was documented in 85% (450 of 528) OST patients versus 86% (969 of 1126) in non‐OST/DU (P = 0.651) and 92% (4113 of 4456) non‐OST/NDU (P < 0.001) patients. Independent predictors for SVR (P < 0.01 in multivariate analysis) included HCV genotype non‐3 [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07–1.15], female sex (aOR = 1.59; CI = 1.30–1.94), platelet counts >90 × 109/l (aOR = 1.51, CI = 1.14–2.01), cirrhosis (aOR = 0.77; CI = 0.62–0.96) and patient group (OST/DI (aOR = 0.58; CI = 0.42–0.78); non‐OST/DU (OR: 0.63; CI = 0.50–0.78). In per‐protocol analysis (PP), SVR rates were ≥ 94% in all patient groups. In OST the proportion of LTFU was higher (10.2%) than in non‐OST/DU (8.5%) and non‐OST/NDU (3.2%, P < 0.001) patients. Independent factors for LTFU (P < 0.01) were HCV genotype non‐3 (aOR = 0.92; CI = 0.88–0.96), female sex (aOR: 0.7; CI = 0.53–0.92), pre‐treatment (aOR = 0.64; CI = 0.50–0.82), OST/DI (aOR = 3.35; CI = 2.35–4.78) and non‐OST/DU (aOR = 2.38; CI = 1.80–3.14). Conclusions: In Germany, direct‐acting antiviral treatment of former or current drug users with or without opioid substitution therapy can achieve equally high sustained virological response rates as in patients with no history of drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-related biofilms can cause food-borne illnesses and spoilage, both of which are problems on a global level. Essential oils are compounds derived from plant material that have a potential to be used in natural food preservation in the future since they are natural antimicrobials. Bacterial biofilms are particularly resilient towards biocides, and preservatives that effectively eradicate biofilms are therefore needed. In this study, we test the antibacterial properties of emulsion-encapsulated and unencapsulated isoeugenol against biofilms of Lis. monocytogenes , S. aureus , P. fluorescens and Leu. mesenteroides in tryptic soy broth and carrot juice. We show that emulsion encapsulation enhances the antimicrobial properties of isoeugenol against biofilms in media but not in carrot juice. Some of the isoeugenol emulsions were coated with chitosan, and treatment of biofilms with these emulsions disrupted the biofilm structure. Furthermore, we show that addition of the surfactant Tween 80, which is commonly used to disperse oils in food, hampers the antibacterial properties of isoeugenol. This finding highlights that common food additives, such as surfactants, may have an adverse effect on the antibacterial activity of preservatives. Isoeugenol is a promising candidate as a future food preservative because it works almost equally well against planktonic bacteria and biofilms. Emulsion encapsulation has potential benefits for the efficacy of isoeugenol, but the effect of encapsulation depends on the properties of food matrix in which isoeugenol is to be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food spoilage and foodborne illnesses are two global challenges for food manufacturers. Essential oils are natural antibacterials that could have a potential for use in food preservation. Unfortunately high concentrations are needed to obtain the desired antibacterial effect, and this limits their use in food due to their adverse organoleptic properties. Encapsulation could make essential oils more effective by concentrating them in the aqueous phase of the food matrix where the bacteria are present. Here we tested encapsulation of the essential oil isoeugenol in spray-dried emulsions as a means of making isoeugenol a more effective antibacterial for use in food preservation. We used β-lactoglobulin and n -OSA starch as emulsifiers, and some emulsions were coated with positively charged chitosan to promote the contact with bacteria through electrostatic interactions. The antibacterial efficacy was quantified as the minimal bactericidal concentration in growth media, milk and carrot juice. The emulsion encapsulation system developed in this study provided high loading capacities, and encapsulation enhanced the efficacy of isoeugenol against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria in media and carrot juice but not in milk. Chitosan-coating did not enhance the efficacy further, possibly due to the aggregation of the chitosan-coated emulsions. The encapsulation system is easy to upscale and should be applicable for encapsulation of similar essential oils. Therefore, we believe it has potential to be used for natural food preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of partially hydrolysed whey proteins to microencapsulate fish oil. Microcapsules were produced by spray-drying emulsions composed of fish oil, glucose syrup (DE38) and β-lactoglobulin or hydrolysates thereof prepared using bovine trypsin or alcalase. Hydrolysis did not negatively affect encapsulation performance during spray-drying and microencapsulation efficiency was very high for all samples (99 ± 0.5%). However, enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in reduced formation of lipid hydroperoxides for all hydrolysate-stabilised microcapsules, except for the hydrolysate produced by alcalase (3% degree of hydrolysis). Hydrolysis by trypsin resulted in a more narrow molecular weight peptide profile and an increased accessibility of antioxidant amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of alcohol and cannabis consumption for the effectiveness of treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) in people on opioid substitution therapy (OST) has not been investigated in detail. Methods: We investigated sustained virological response (SVR) rates and proportion of lost to follow-up (LTFU) between OST (n = 739) and non-OST patients (n = 7008) in the German Hepatitis C-Registry (Deutsches Hepatitis C-Register, DHC-R), which is a national multicenter prospective non-interventional real-world registry. Non-OST patients comprised patients with former/current drug use (non-OST/DU; n = 1500) and patients never consuming drugs (non-OST/NDU; n = 5508). Findings: SVR 12/24 rates (intention to treat [ITT]) in patients consuming no or less than 30 g/day (women) or 40 g/day (men) were significantly higher in non-OST/NDU (range 91%-92%) vs OST patients (range 83%-86%), mainly due to significantly higher LTFU rates in OST (range 11%-12%) compared with non-OST/NDU (range 2%-3%). In non-OST/NDU with high alcohol consumption of more than 30/40 g/day, SVR 12/24 rates (ITT) were lower (85%) but did not differ to OST (85%) with high alcohol consumption. No significant differences could be seen for SVR 12/24 in per-protocol (PP) analysis independent of alcohol consumption or amount of alcohol intake. Cannabis use did not significantly influence SVR 12/24 in ITT or PP or LTFU. Conclusions: High SVR rates could be achieved in both OST and non-OST patients irrespective of alcohol or cannabis consumption. However, LTFU is more likely in patients with current or former drug use than in patients without drug history and in patients with high alcohol consumption but occurred mainly after end of antiviral treatment (EOT), leaving a high chance for HCV elimination in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of alcohol and cannabis consumption for the effectiveness of treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) in people on opioid substitution therapy (OST) has not been investigated in detail. Methods: We investigated sustained virological response (SVR) rates and proportion of lost to follow-up (LTFU) between OST (n = 739) and non-OST patients (n = 7008) in the German Hepatitis C-Registry (Deutsches Hepatitis C-Register, DHC-R), which is a national multicenter prospective non-interventional real-world registry. Non-OST patients comprised patients with former/current drug use (non-OST/DU; n = 1500) and patients never consuming drugs (non-OST/NDU; n = 5508). Findings: SVR 12/24 rates (intention to treat [ITT]) in patients consuming no or less than 30 g/day (women) or 40 g/day (men) were significantly higher in non-OST/NDU (range 91%-92%) vs OST patients (range 83%-86%), mainly due to significantly higher LTFU rates in OST (range 11%-12%) compared with non-OST/NDU (range 2%-3%). In non-OST/NDU with high alcohol consumption of more than 30/40 g/day, SVR 12/24 rates (ITT) were lower (85%) but did not differ to OST (85%) with high alcohol consumption. No significant differences could be seen for SVR 12/24 in per-protocol (PP) analysis independent of alcohol consumption or amount of alcohol intake. Cannabis use did not significantly influence SVR 12/24 in ITT or PP or LTFU. Conclusions: High SVR rates could be achieved in both OST and non-OST patients irrespective of alcohol or cannabis consumption. However, LTFU is more likely in patients with current or former drug use than in patients without drug history and in patients with high alcohol consumption but occurred mainly after end of antiviral treatment (EOT), leaving a high chance for HCV elimination in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]