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Recently, food industries are directing on the promotion of innovative food matrices fortified with bioactive compounds in order to enhance the consumer's health. Octenyl succinic anhydride modified starches (OSA-MS) such as Hi-cap100 (HCP) and purity gum 2000 (PUG) were used to fabricate emulsions co-entrapped with borage seed oil (BSO), resveratrol (RES) and curcumin (CUR), which were further spray dried to obtain powders. The fabricated microcapsules loaded with BSO, RES, and CUR displayed excellent dissolution performance, high encapsulation efficiency (≈93.05%) as well as semi-spherical shape, revealed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We also evaluated the impact of storage time (4 weeks) and temperature (40 °C) on the physicochemical characterization of OSA-MS coated microcapsules. Microcapsules coated with HCP exhibited greater oxidative stability, lower water activity and moisture contents rather than PUG coated microcapsules during storage because of its good film-forming properties. Addition of CUR enhanced the oxidative stability and retention of bioactive compounds. HCP microcapsules loaded with BSO + RES + CUR presented supreme retention of RES (70.32%), CUR 81.6% and γ-linolenic acid (≈ 96%). Our findings showed that CUR acted as an antioxidant agent; also, lower molecular weight OSA-MS as wall material could be used for the entrapment of bioactive compounds and promotion of innovative food products.

This work provides a new perception toward the application of the graphenic-biopolymeric composites as a solid-bed for separation and purification of bioactive compounds. Graphene oxide nanocomposites with functionalized sheets by soluble and insoluble nanocomplexes of chitosan and Arabic gum, were successfully synthesized and employed for the adsorption and purification of crocin, a nutraceutical from saffron. The composites exhibited a nanostructured scaffold with a particle size of 10 nm and experienced an unprecedented increase in the surface area by about 300% and improved d-spacing sheets by 17%. The optimum conditions for crocin separation were temperature = 318 K, stirring rate = 300 rpm, initial concentration = 100 mg L−1 and pH = 6. Under these conditions, the nanocomposites separated 99.1% of crocin in an equilibrium time of 30 min. The adsorption data were best represented by Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the crocin adsorption on nanocomposites was an endothermic, spontaneous and physisorption process. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that produced nanocomposites adsorbed crocin efficiently from saffron extract with a purity similar to the standard sample. The possible interaction mechanisms between crocin and nanocomposites were electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding.

Worldwide use of glyphosate is constantly increasing and its residues are detected in drinking water, agriculture, and food products. There are controversial data regarding the potential reproductive adverse effects of glyphosate herbicide. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the studies in which the alteration of at least one sexual hormone including testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol was reported as a measured outcome in rats. In November 2020, 284 articles were screened, of which eight were eligible for the meta-analysis. An overall considerable effect of glyphosate exposure was found on decreasing of testosterone (7 studies, WMD = - 1.48 ng/mL; 95% CI, - 2.34 to - 0.61; P = 0.001), LH (3 studies, WMD = - 2.03 mIu/mL; 95% CI, - 3.34 to - 0.71; P = 0.003), and FSH (3 studies, WMD = - 2.28 mIu/mL; 95% CI, - 5.12 to 0.55; P = 0.115). According to our results, glyphosate intake could have major effects on the health of reproductive system. Consequently, strict monitoring of the residual glyphosate content in the drinking water, agricultural crops, and food products is necessary.

Cinnamaldehyde has a strong biological activity, with an obvious effect in killing foodborne pathogens. In this study, an optimal formula of cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsion (CN) was selected and characterized by mean droplet size analysis, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and Turbiscan analysis. The results showed that the optimal formula was composed of 6% w/w cinnamaldehyde, 10% w/w surfactant EL-90 (castor oil polyoxyethylene ether), and 84% w/w deionized water. The droplet size of CN was very small, reaching 48 nm, and the droplet distribution was uniform. Also, the fluctuation of the multi light scattering spectrum of CN was very stable. It was found that CN had a strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) due to its lipophilic nature and induction of oxidative stresses. For E. coli, the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 0.5 mg µL−1. Compared with E. coli, CN had a weak inhibitory effect on S. aureus. It was also revealed that CN had a high cyto-compatibility on L02 cells; the survival rate of the control group was 96.7%, and the total apoptosis rate was 3.25%. The survival rate of the L02 cells in the treated group with CN (0.05, 0.15, and 0.25 µg µL−1) was 95.6%, 95.1% and 86.3%, respectively, which reveals their high safety. The findings of this study provides an effective reference for the development of food-grade preservatives in the future.

Pomegranate juice powder could be applied as a valuable ingredient in other food and pharmaceutical products and be accessible throughout the year. In this research, pomegranate juice was spray dri...

The current study aimed to investigate the protection role of nanocomposite polypropylene films containing clay nanoparticles (NPs) on grated carrot. The effects of clay NPs (1 and 3%) were studied during storage (1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days) in a completely randomized design. All samples were stored at 4 ± 1 °C. The chemical characteristics, color (L*, b* and a* values), sugars content (glucose, fructose and sucrose), total phenolic content and sensory qualities of packaged carrot were measured. Moreover, microbial counts namely E. coli, molds, yeasts, psychotropic bacteria as well as total count were determined. According to the results, application of clay NPs significantly (P

Background Methylglyoxal, a reactive carbonyl compound widely present in thermally processed foods, is produced from sugar degradation and lipid oxidation. Methylglyoxal can yield various aroma compounds by reacting with amino acids and act as a precursor to generate other toxins, including advanced glycation end products, acrylamide and 4(5)-methylimidazole. Scope and approach: This review highlights the formation and the transformation of methylglyoxal, its benefits and its deleterious effects as well as the interaction with dietary ingredients and scavenging reagents. Moreover, the role of amino acids and phenolic compounds in methylglyoxal mitigation in foods and the possible consequences of the intake of the derived adducts was discussed. Key findings and conclusions: The formation and the transformation of methylglyoxal simultaneously occur during food processing. Amino acids and phenolic compounds can efficiently scavenge methylglyoxal, thereby forming numerous adducts, due to their highly nucleophilic reactivity with methylglyoxal. The absorption, metabolism and toxicology of dietary methylglyoxal–phenolic adducts remain largely unknown and require further investigation before applying polyphenols to control methylglyoxal in foods. The selective addition of amino acids may provide a satisfactory strategy to control methylglyoxal in foods, but their effects on food quality and the toxicity of derived adducts should be deeply investigated.

This study addressed the extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, and production of peptide fractions (PF) from defatted flaxseed meal and their loading into nanoliposomes. Enzymatic hydrolysis significantly increased the free hydrophobic (from 19 to 134 mg/g) and antioxidant (from 8 to 46 mg/g) amino acids. The PF with lower molecular weights (MW < 10 kDa) had the highest scavenging capacity of DPPH- free radicals (61.82%), ABTS+ (86.37%), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, TEAC (2.34 mM), hydroxyl (61.91%), reducing power (0.94 Abs700), total antioxidant activity (1.76 Abs695), nitric oxide (49.9%), iron (69.34%), and copper (24.58%) chelating activities compared with other fractions. The physical properties (such as particle size and polydispersity index), stability, and encapsulation efficiency of nanoliposomes were affected by temperature, stress type (freeze and thaw tension), MW, and in vitro conditions (release of PF in simulated biological fluids at different times). Besides, the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed the placement of peptides inside the polar regions and the bilayer membrane. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of nanocarriers indicated agglomerated and relatively spherical structures. Our findings revealed the efficiency of nanoliposomes as appropriate carriers for the delivery of peptide fractions with the highest antioxidant activity.

This study aimed to characterize novel complex coacervates based on Zedo gum and cress seed gum as natural polysaccharides with gelatin (type-A and type-B) as potential wall materials for encapsulation of anthocyanins. The coacervates were prepared under optimum conditions (pH and gum to gelatin ratio), freeze-dried, and the resulted powders were analyzed in terms of thermal stability, morphology, and molecular interactions. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed that molecular interaction between polysaccharides and gelatins led to enhance the thermal stability of gums. The morphology of coacervates showed that while ZG-gelatin and CSG-gelatin coacervates resulted in cubic and irregular particles, freeze-drying severely changed the morphology of coacervates. Moreover, SEM images at lower magnification showed big voids for lyophilized coacervates, while SEM images confirmed a compact and dense microstructure of coacervates at higher magnification and BET method. Also, the molecular interaction of polysaccharides and gelatin in aqueous media was assessed using Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, findings showed that the type-A of gelatin is a more suitable protein to form coacervates with polysaccharides. In the next step, natural anthocyanins from barberry were encapsulated by proposed coacervates as wall material. The encapsulated extract had elevated thermal stability and showed a lower degradation rate.

Chitosan is mainly derived from seafood by-products and the thereof chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) are known as nontoxic, biocompatible, biodegradable and functionalized nanostructures. CNPs, as green fillers, showed an appropriate potential in reinforcement of various biodegradable composites for food packaging and biomedical applications. After evaluation of different fabrication approaches and characterization techniques of CNPs, the changes in physical, mechanical, thermal, structural, morphological, and antimicrobial attributes of nanobiocomposites as a result of CNPs addition are discussed. The influence of bioactive loaded-CNPs and hybrid CNPs with metal nanoparticles, graphene, and montmorillonite in nanocomposites is also presented. Finally, the safety aspects of CNPs-loaded structures are highlighted to evaluate their implementation in food packaging and biomedical systems. It can be concluded that regardless of a few drawbacks, CNPs are promising nanomaterials to improve various operational, structural and antimicrobial properties of biocomposites for various applications in food packaging, delivery systems and biomedical uses.

Although graphene oxide (GO) is a good adsorber, it has a low stability in pure form which can be improved by the development of GO-based composites. In this study, 3D nanostructures with GO, surface-decorated by nanocomplexes of chitosan (CS) and gum Arabic (GA), so called 3D GO-CS/GA nanocomposites were designed. The instrumental analysis confirmed the interaction of complexes with oxygenated functional groups of GO which improved both of d-spacing in 3D sheets by 16%, and GO thickness from 1.0 to 8.1 nm. Also, an unprecedented ~3-fold increase was observed in the surface area of 3D GO-CS/GA compared with single GO. The 3D nanocomposites showed a mesoporous structure with a pore volume of 0.72 cm3/g and a prevailing pore size distribution of about 10 nm. The adjustability of nanocomposite surface charge over pH was another important result. The synthesized nanostructures would be of profound interest for numerous areas including adsorption processes.

Background Phytosterols are naturally occurring steroid alcohols with excellent nutritional values and wellness effects on lowering both the blood cholesterol and the ratio of the low-density to high-density lipoprotein bound cholesterol in serum. Scope and approach Recently, fortification of foods with these valuable bioactives have gained much attention. But, the bioavailability of phytosterols is very low due to their water-insolubility and high melting point. Different nanocarriers can overcome these drawbacks of phytosterols and protect them against oxidative and detrimental agents. This paper reviews the state of the art of various nanodelivery systems (lipid-based, surfactant-based, biopolymer-based delivery systems and electrospinning/spraying) considering the most commonly methods used for their preparation, beneficial features and disadvantages and some recent studies reported for applying phytosterols as a core or stabilizing agent into various nanocarriers. Key findings and conclusions Many studies have revealed the role of nanoencapsulation in improving the bioavailability of phytosterols. Also, the technological challenges and food safety of nanoencapsulated phytosterols have been investigated. In general, to apply these bioactive compounds into different food products and to prevent their drawbacks, nanocarriers have been proven to be a practical strategy in the food industry.

One of the emerging and recent strategies to combat cancer is application of natural bioactive compounds and phytochemicals. Carotenoids including lycopene, β-carotene, astaxanthin, crocin, β-cryptoxanthin, and lutein, are the main group of plant pigments which play important roles in the prevention and healing process of different diseases including cancer. The pharmacological use of carotenoid compounds is frequently limited by their low bioavailability and solubility as they are mainly lipophilic compounds. The present study focuses on the current data on formulation of different carotenoid nanodelivery systems for cancer therapy and a brief overview of the obtained results. Encapsulation of carotenoids within different nanocarriers is a remarkable approach and innovative strategy for the improvement of health-promoting features and particularly, cancer prevention/treatment roles of these compounds through enhancing their solubility, cellular uptake, membrane permeation, bioaccessibility, and stability. There is various nanocarrier for loading carotenoids including polymeric/biopolymeric, lipid-based, inorganic, and hybrid nanocarriers. Almost in all relevant studies, these nano delivery systems have shown promising results in improving the efficiency of carotenoids in cancer therapy. [Formula: see text].

Background The use of natural antimicrobial agents is attracting much consideration for improving food safety. Reduced efficiency of antimicrobial compounds during their application in food matrix mainly due to their reaction with food components is among important problems to be solved. Nanotechnology is rapidly growing in the food industry specially to design nanodelivery systems of bioactive compounds such as nisin as the most important antimicrobial compound. Loaded-nisin nanoparticles are engineered antimicrobial agents based on nanotechnology, which have been used mostly for improving food safety. A variety of nanocarriers including nanoliposomes, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, lipid nano carriers, biopolymeric nanoparticles, and nanofibers are available to be used for the delivery of nisin into various food formulations. Scope and approach Stability against environmental stresses and controlled release are two main factors which must be considered in the case of using nisin as an antimicrobial agent for improving the shelf life of foods. The main objective of this review is to consider the role of different nanoencapsulation systems for improving the antimicrobial activity of nisin against foodborne pathogens. Loading of nisin into different food-grade nano-delivery systems, their formulation, and diverse ways to improve their functional roles are also covered in this work. Key findings and conclusions Nanocarriers containing nisin can be used as a suitable antimicrobial substance in food formulations and in the structure of food packaging materials (active packaging). Encapsulation of nisin into nanoparticles provides many advantages including sustained release, preventing undesirable interactions, and providing a high stability and efficient antimicrobial activity during food storage. The formulation of nanoparticle plays a key role in the functional properties of nisin. For example, the types of lipids, biopolymers, and nanofibers in the nanoparticle formulation should be considered.

Physicochemical instability during storage and rapid release of loaded bioactive compounds are the major disadvantages of nanoliposomal carriers. This research was aimed for encapsulation of antioxidant peptides from enzymolysis of flaxseed proteins within nanoliposomes and then spray-drying was applied to increase their stability. Our results revealed that particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and antioxidant activity of nano-liposomes were influenced by the type of hydrolysates. The highest (56–63%) and lowest (40–45%) encapsulation efficiency was related to nanoliposomes stored at 4 °C and freeze-thawed samples, respectively. Spray-dried nanoliposomes had appropriate physicochemical, functional, and stability properties. After reconstitution, about 72–85% of nanoliposomal encapsulation efficiency was preserved. Evaluation of the chemical structure (FTIR) of primary and spray-dried nanoliposomes showed peptide location around polar areas of phosphatidylcholine such as internal region of nanoliposomes and nanoparticles covered by maltodextrin matrix, respectively. SEM and optical microscopy images indicated the presence of spherical and shrunk carriers with a reservoir-type structure.

The stability and retention of the bioactive-loaded nanocarriers along their pathway through the gastric conditions and their following controlled disassembly within the intestine is very crucial in terms of the nutritional value. The purpose of this study was to encapsulate the orange peel oil containing 92% limonene inside the amylose nanostructures via the combination of mechanical (sonication) and thermal means. Later, the stability and release trend of limonene was analyzed by employing dialysis bags in the simulated media of stomach and intestine. The amylose nanocarriers loaded with limonene demonstrated a high stability against the extra acidic conditions and after 2 h of incubation at 37 °C, less than 5% of the encapsulated limonene was released from the nanocarriers. At the first part of the small intestine, a burst release was observed for the entire formulations of the fabricated nanocarriers and subsequently a controlled and retarded release in a 6-h time period from 34 to 79% of the total limonene content was variable between different formulations. Mathematical models of zero order, first order, Higuchi, Peppas, and Weibull along with fuzzy logical intelligent modeling were used to evaluate the release trend. Among the whole mathematical models, the Peppas model had the highest coefficient of determination (R = 0.98) considering the release trend of limonene. The fuzzy logic with the coefficient determination of higher than 0.99 introduced a more comprehensive and a quicker strategy to model the controlled release pattern of limonene-loaded amylose nanocarriers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of nanoencapsulated silymarin (NES) against carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress in broiler chickens. An in vitro study was conducted using a 20 kHz ultrasound with 62.5% amplitude to produce NES, stabilized by alginate for controlled release of its bioactive compounds in simulated gastrointestinal tract of broiler chickens. Results showed that sonication reduced the size of particles from 657.5 to 169.1 nm and polydispersity index from 0.60 to 0.31. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro indicated that NES was more resistant to gastric fluid compared to intestinal fluid. An animal model study was designed to investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of NES on broiler chickens subjected to carbon tetrachloride-mediated oxidative stress. A total of 640 one-day-old mail broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 8 treatments with 4 replicate cages of 20 broiler chickens per cage as 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments in a completely randomized design, including 2 concentrations of silymarin (0 and 100 mg/kg of body weight), NES (0 and 100 mg/kg of body weight), and carbon tetrachloride (0 and 1 mL/kg of body weight). All broiler chickens were fed a common diet throughout the study. From d 21, broiler chickens of control group received saline (intraperitoneally), while other treatment groups received silymarin (orally), carbon tetrachloride (intraperitoneally), and NES (orally). On d 42, 2 broiler chickens per replicate cage were euthanized for blood and tissue sampling. The interactions of silymarin × carbon tetrachloride (P = 0.003) and NES × carbon tetrachloride (P = 0.001) improved protein metabolism and lipid oxidative stability (P = 0.001). Combination of NES and carbon tetrachloride decreased serum content of alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.001), whereas combination of silymarin and carbon tetrachloride and NES increased (P = 0.02) its serum content as compared to broiler chickens that received none of those treatments. Carbon tetrachloride down-regulated (P = 0.03) the expression of superoxide dismutase 1, while silymarin, NES, and combination of silymarin and NES up-regulated its expression (P = 0.03). In contrast to carbon tetrachloride (P = 0.001), NES down-regulated (P = 0.03) heat shock protein 47 as compared with broiler chickens that received none of those treatments. In conclusion, NES has potential to mitigate the oxidative stress-induced hepatotoxicity in broiler chickens through modulation of oxidative stress biomarkers and expression of superoxide dismutase 1 and heat shock protein 47 genes.

Background Polystyrene (PS) is extensively used in diverse forms for packaging of many food products such as meat, dairy and bakery products. There is a potential migration of styrene monomer from PS packages into the foods which are in contact with them. Scope and approach This study aims at reviewing the representative styrene migration from PS packages material into the correspondence foods and discusses the addressed parameters affecting the styrene migration. The analytical methods for detecting styrene monomer in food products and PS packaging materials is also covered in this study. The possible safety and health issues related to the styrene monomer migration will be covered too. Key findings and conclusions: The quality of PS packaging material in terms of their styrene monomer residue level and the storage conditions of foods can greatly affect styrene migration. Also, the food characteristics such as fat content, pH, etc. can significantly affect styrene migration. Although styrene monomer is considered as a non-toxic compound, its migration into the foods can downgrade sensorial properties as well as resulting in health problems. In some cases, the presence of styrene in foods can make carcinogenic, hematological, cytogenetic, and neurotoxic issues.

Background Saffron is an enriched pool of bioactives including crocins, crocetin, safranal, picrocrocins, essential oils, minerals and trace amounts of B1 and B2 vitamins. Obtaining any valuable ingredients like bioactive compounds which are naturally present in plants is completely depending on the extraction and purification procedures. An efficient extraction method of bioactives should meet the green chemistry aspects including safety, environment-friendly, run-down or at least little impurities, efficiency, and economic requirements. On the other hand, efficient entrapment of saffron bioactive compounds into the protected carriers is indispensable owing to their liability to the operational (process), environmental, and body digestive conditions. Scope and approach This review will present recent advances on the extraction and encapsulation of saffron bioactive components which could result in value-added products from the so-called red gold (saffron) as the most expensive spice in the world for different purposes such as food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic formulations. Key findings and conclusions Many different extraction methods, alone or in combination, have been exploited to produce the bioactives from saffron such as convectional routes (e.g. maceration and solvent extraction) and the modern routes (e.g. supercritical fluids, pulsed electric field, emulsion liquid extraction, microwave, sonication, etc.). Encapsulation techniques are strongly proposed to shelter the bioactive compounds found in saffron, over the other protective techniques. In this regard, microencapsulation (spray drying, freeze drying, extrusion, emulsion systems) and nanoencapsulation (nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles and nanodispersions, nanohydrogels, electrospinning, nano spray drying) procedures have been investigated for saffron bioactives.

Background Curcumin, the major bioactive material of turmeric, has wide functional features such as anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. However, curcumin exhibits some major limitations including low water solubility, degradation during processing or within the gastrointestinal tract and alkaline conditions, leading to decrease of its bioavailability. For these reasons, many studies have tried to improve functionality of curcumin and overcome its limitations through delivery systems, especially nanoencapsulation. Scope and approach In this review, practical applications of the nanoencapsulated curcumin, prepared by various techniques in different food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products have been considered and explained. The importance of nanoencapsulation in improving functional effects of curcumin in processed foods, such as coloring, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity has been discussed thoroughly and its potential applications for medicinal proposes including cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, viral and bacterial infections have been reviewed. Key findings and conclusions Nano-delivery systems, because of exclusive characteristics of nanoparticles as well as conventional properties of an encapsulation medium, can provide chemical stability, hydrophilicity, sustained release and adequate dispersibility of curcumin in final products (food, cosmetics and drug). Consequently, the pharmacokinetic properties of curcumin including biological half-life and bioavailability (or bioaccessibility) can be improved resulting in better clinical and functional efficacy in vivo. Although the potentials of curcumin nanoformulations have been extensively studied in the literature, future studies can better help to find optimum formulations for clinical and industrial applications of nanoencapsulated curcumin.

Background Nowadays, the rapidly emerging nanoscience offers an opportunity to design novel nano scale biopolymers as nano-delivery systems with desired characteristics for encapsulation of a broad range of bioactive components and nutraceuticals. Exploitation of bio-related polymers such as starch nanostructures is considered as a promising topic in the food and pharmaceutical industry owing to their potential in shielding valuable natural bioactive compounds and offering novel functionalities (i.e. surge of bioavailability and biostability) over the synthetic delivery systems. Scope and approach This review describes in depth the novel trends in light of emerging platforms of starch nanostructures, together with defining starch granule architecture, plus targeting starch nanosization techniques. In addition, the current state of the art in the encapsulation of food bioactive components using various starch nanostructures have been summarized and tabulated. Key findings and conclusions Different starch-based nanostructures including starch nanoparticles, starch nanocrystals, starch nanofibers, and even nanohelical amylose structures provide plenty of benefits by virtue of their unique features such as non-toxicity, availability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability for the protection and delivery of food bioactive ingredients.

Purpose: Ferulic acid (FA) is a poorly water-soluble natural antioxidant with anticancer activity. This poor solubility limits the application of FA in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Cyclodextrin nanosponges (CD-NSs) are a novel group of cross-linked CD derivatives which can be used to enhance the solubility of low-soluble bioactive compounds. Methods: In this study, FA was encapsulated into the NSs in the proportion of 1:4 (FA:NS). Diphenyl carbonate was used as a cross-linker in different proportions with β-CD. Characterization of obtained NSs was performed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Results: Our results revealed that the solubility of encapsulated FA was increased up to fifteenfold compared with pure FA in the proportion of 1:4 (CD:cross-linker). The results of FTIR, XRD, and DSC confirmed the interaction of FA with NSs. The cytotoxicity of encapsulated FA against MCF7 and 4T1 breast cancer cell lines was investigated using different concentrations of FA in 24, 48, and 72 hrs. The cytotoxicity assay indicated that FA treatment reduced viability and enhanced apoptosis of cancer cells. IC50 value of encapsulated FA (250 ppm) was decreased by threefold when compared with pure FA (750 ppm). Conclusion: In general, CD-NS was found to be a suitable delivery system for poorly soluble bioactives such as FA.

In this study, the encapsulation of casein hydrolysates (hydrolysed with alcalase and pancreatin at different hydrolysis degrees) was performed within nanoliposomes. Then, the physicochemical properties, stability, release rate under different storage conditions, antioxidant indices, FTIR spectroscopy, and the morphology of nanoparticles were investigated. The mean particle size and polydispersity index of nanoliposomes ranged from 19.11 to 40.11 nm and from 0.211 to 0.371, respectively. The zeta potential of nanovesicles varied from −9.92 mV (empty nanoliposome) to −2.83 mV (the loaded samples). The encapsulation efficiency was in the range of 77.35–92.95%, depending on the nanocarrier size and type of casein hydrolysate. Among different conditions,the samples stored at 4 °C showed the highest stability and retained the encapsulation efficiency over time. The antioxidant properties of nanoliposomes were influenced by the type of loaded hydrolysate. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of peptides in the polar regions of phosphatidylcholine, including the inner regions of nanoliposomes and the ionic complexation between them. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed the presence of compact clusters of spherical nanoparticles with smooth surfaces. In conclusion, nanoliposomes loaded with antioxidant peptides can be used as additives in the formulation and production of various types of functional foods.

Background This paper aims to overview recent advances in utilization of various hydrocolloids in some dairy products. Different biopolymers including polysaccharides and proteins or both have been applied in dairy formulations to improve their texture, rheology, physicochemical properties, and sensory attributes for meeting the consumer demands. Scope and approach In this section, explanations have been given about the common hydrocolloids and their functions, then proceeds by expressing the interactions/complexes between hydrocolloids and proteins, particularly casein micelles in dairy products. Finally, several examples considering the application of hydrocolloids in common dairy products including acidified milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt are discussed. The main approach of this study is to critically discuss the techno-functionality of hydrocolloids in dairy matrices based on the interactions between proteins and polysaccharides and the factors affecting them, including pH, temperature, ionic strength, chemical structure and concentration of hydrocolloids. In this paper, effects of several hydrocolloids, including carrageenan, locust bean gum, gelatin, xanthan, carboxyl methyl cellulose, and pectin, along with their complexes with proteins on techno-functional properties of dairy products are discussed. Key findings and conclusions It has been revealed that the key issues when applying different hydrocolloids in dairy formulations is improving their physical properties, including syneresis, zeta potential, gelation, thickening capacity, stability, and rheological properties.

In recent years, the problem of vitamin D deficiency has been echoed by extensive researches. Nutritionists believe that fortification of food products through this micronutrient is the best approach to solve this problem. In this study, properties of yogurt powders fortified with nano-liposomal encapsulated vitamin D were evaluated. The Taguchi method was deployed to design the treatments (16 runs) with 5 independent variables including temperature (160–190 °C), milk protein concentrate (0–3%w/w), modified starch content (0–3%w/w), gum Arabic (0–3%w/w) and maltodextrin (10–25%w/w), each at 4 levels. Dependent variables comprised of moisture content, solubility, colour and production (drying) yield. Analysis of our data revealed that the contribution order of different independent variables on responses was as follows: milk protein concentrate (30%), modified starch (28%), maltodextrin (22%), temperature (17%) and gum Arabic (3%). The average particle size of nano-liposomes containing vitamin D was about 120 nm. Also, SEM micrographs showed that addition of maltodextrin caused spherical powder particles with an even distribution in the matrix including yogurt and drying aids while incorporating milk protein concentrate, gum Arabic and modified starch brought about shrinkage as well as unevenness in the shape and size of powder particles.

Our main goal was to encapsulate oleuropein within double nano-emulsions stabilized by pectin-whey protein concentrate (WPC) complexes and prepared by sonication. Five independent variables including surfactant (Span) content, WPC and pectin content, ratio of inner to outer phase, and pH were considered along with size of emulsion droplets, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency as the dependent variables. Optimum conditions were determined as, 8% WPC, 1.97% pectin, 8.74% Span, 1:4 ratio of inner to outer phase and pH = 6.1. After 28 days storage, double emulsions loaded with oleuropein (260, 520, 780 and 1040 μg/mL) released approximately 39.9, 40.2, 42.2 and 42.9% of their total content. The results of oleuropein release after 28 days determined by HPLC (40.4%) were consistent with those obtained spectrophotometrically (42.9%). To produce double emulsions with the highest load, samples with 1040 (μg/mL) oleuropein were produced according to the optimum conditions and a droplet size of 191 nm, zeta potential of −26.8 mV, and encapsulation efficiency of 91% was achieved. SEM results showed particles with smooth, relatively spherical, somewhat asymmetrical surfaces with a size range of 100–200 nm compatible with dynamic light scattering results.

Water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsions are one of the most efficient nutraceutical delivery systems. Our main objective was to compare some emulsion properties of double nano-emulsions loaded with gallic acid in W1 phase. Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), and pectin-WPC or/Tween 80 were applied as emulsifiers in W1-O and O-W2 interfaces, respectively. Our results revealed that complex of pectin-WPC had the same resistance against sedimentation and creaming as Tween 80. The particle size of double emulsions produced by Tween 80 and pectin-WPC were in the range of 98–577 and 100–1520 nm, respectively. Z-potential of double emulsions prepared with pectin-WPC were more negative than −30 mV; so they were more stable during the long term storage. The optimum conditions for preparing WPC-pectin stabilized delivery systems were determined as 5, 75 and 20 (wt. %) PGPR, soybean oil and deionized water, respectively for internal W1/O nano-emulsion; and 1, 4, 79 and 16 (wt. %) pectin, WPC, deionized water, and internal nano-emulsion, respectively for the W1/O/W2 emulsions. Student's t-test analysis revealed that except for z-potential, there were no significant differences between emulsifiers (pectin-WPC and Tween 80). The present study demonstrates that pectin-WPC complex can be used as an appropriate emulsifier comparable with Tween 80 for stabilizing double emulsions.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of inlet air temperature of spray drying and different combinations of carrier agents (maltodextrin (MD), gum Arabic (GA), modified ...

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have novel and diversified applications in different fields including packaging and nanodelivery systems. This study was dedicated to fabricate CNCs from walnut shell as an abundant source of agricultural byproducts using alkali/acidic hydrolysis method. Moreover, homogenizer and ultrasound devices were applied to produce the CNCs with minimum hazardous solvents in the preparation steps. The physicochemical characteristics of CNCs, such as color, size, yield, and swelling capacity plus their characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were studied. The mean equivalent spherical diameter of the fabricated CNCs was about 130 nm and the production efficiency was 91.5%. Besides, the swelling capacity of CNCs was 1.5-fold of cellulose with a swelling of 400%. The crystallinity degree of the cellulose obtained from walnut shell was 49%, which was improved following acidic and alkali hydrolysis (60%). TGA analysis revealed that the thermal stability of the CNCs was lower than cellulose; moreover, the FTIR results demonstrated that there is not a considerable difference between normal cellulose and CNCs. Overall, it was concluded that walnut shell-derived CNCs have the potential to be employed as promising nanocarriers in different sectors, especially in the food and drug delivery sectors.

Cancer diseases have been widely recognized as a significant global public health problem and their incidence, morbidity and mortality are high in worldwide. There is a lot of evidence that fruit and vegetables could provide health benefits and reduce the risk of cancer. The anticancer properties of fruit and vegetables are attributed to their composition rich in phytochemicals or phytonutrients. This chapter will summarize the role of phytochemicals of fruit and vegetables namely quercetin, resveratrol, carotenoids and dietary fibers in cancer prevention. A large number of in vivo and in vitro experiments has demonstrated the beneficial effects of these compounds. These phytochemicals are also capable of increasing the effectiveness of drugs already established in treatments, reinforcing the importance of indicating the consumption of fruit and vegetables by the population.

Saffron is a spice which is isolated from the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L. with plentiful of beneficial pharmacological effects including chemopreventive and anticancer properties that are mainly linked to the rich presence of carotenoids in particular crocin, crocetin, picrocrocin and safranal. The mechanism of carotenoids chemopreventive features includes apoptosis, antioxidant activity, improving cell differentiation, modulating carcinogen metabolism, immune modulation, regulating the progression of cell cycle and growth, stimulating the communications of cell-to-cell gap junctions, and inhibiting cell proliferation. Numerous preclinical studies were performed on cancer animal models and cancerous cell lines which confirmed the favorable anticancer properties of saffron on a variety of cancers. Additionally, saffron has been shown to provide protective effects against toxicities associated with several cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Moreover, the key saffron compounds crocin and crocetin can have a synergetic effect when used with other conventional anticancer drugs, thus, improving the efficacy of these drugs in cancer therapy. Furthermore, several studies encapsulated crocin, crocetin, or safranal within nanocarriers to enhance their effectiveness in cancer therapy by overcoming physicochemical limitations. In the present chapter, we aim to give an overview of the mechanism involved in the promising anticancer effects of saffron and its main carotenoids and their applications in preventing and treating several types of cancers.

Recently, Pickering emulsions have been considered as an efficient method to maintain and protect the functional properties of essential oils against the harsh conditions. In this research, the encapsulation of d-limonene, as an aromatic component with several distinct properties, was conducted through optimizing the production of Pickering emulsions stabilized by chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) and using the response surface methodology; independent variables were different concentrations of CSNPs (0.43, 0.25, and 0.07% w/v) and ratio of d-limonene to Pickering emulsions (5, 15, and 25%). The stability of the emulsions increased at higher contents of the CSNPs. By increasing the concentration of CSNPs and ratio of d-limonene to Pickering emulsion, viscosity of Pickering emulsions was considerably increased. Considering the chemical interactions, thermal behaviors, and crystallinity of samples, CSNPs can be used as an appropriate stabilizer for d-limonene-loaded emulsions and a food grade delivery carrier for the bioactive compounds.

Green tea, the least processed tea product, is scientifically known for its rich antioxidant content originating from polyphenols, especially catechins. The most potent green tea catechin is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is responsible for a wide range of health benefits including anticancer, antidiabetics, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, green tea catechins (GTCs) are very labile under both environmental and gastrointestinal conditions; their chemical stability and bioavailability primarily depend on the processing and formulation conditions. Nanocarriers can protect GTCs against such conditions, and consequently, can be applicable for designing nanodelivery systems suitable for GTCs. In this review, the latest findings about both opportunities and limitations for the nanodelivery of GTCs and their incorporation into various functional food products are discussed. The scientific findings so far confirm that nanodelivery of GTCs can be an efficient approach towards the enhancement of their health-promoting effects with a minimal dose, controlled and targeted release, lessening the dose-related toxicity, and the efficient incorporation into functional foods. However, further investigation is yet needed to fully explain the cellular mechanisms of action of GTCs on human health and to elucidate the effect of encapsulation on their bioefficacy using well-designed, systematic, long-term, and large-scale clinical interventions. There also exists a substantial concern regarding the safety of the manufactured nanoparticles, their absorption, and the associated release mechanisms.

Borage seed oil (BSO) is one of the richest sources of γ-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, which are considered to retain plenty of health promoting benefits. However, its application in functional foods and dietary supplements remains limited owing to its superior vulnerability to oxidation. To solve this problem, ultrasound-assisted BSO-loaded nanoemulsions were prepared with modified starch incorporating different concentrations of peppermint oil (PO), as a natural antioxidant. The influence of different PO levels on the mean droplet size, rheology attributes, and oxidative stability of nanoemulsions stored at various temperatures (4, 25, and 40 °C) during 30 days storage was analyzed. In addition, DPPH and ABTS assays were used to determine the antioxidant activity and antioxidant capacity of BSO-loaded nanoemulsions, respectively. The optimized formulation (NE3; 5:5% v/v PO: BSO) exhibited a slight change in droplet size and oxidative stability at all temperatures during storage compared to other formulations. At a concentration of 328.08 μL/mL, formulation NE3 presented the minimum DPPH IC50 at 40 °C, which was lower than other formulations. The findings of this study revealed that the maximum retained antioxidant capacity (99.42 μg Trolox/mL) was related to NE3 comprising (5:5% v/v PO: BSO) stored at 40 °C for 30 days; which could be accredited to the role of PO as a natural antioxidant in order to improve the oxidative stability of nanoemulsion delivery system. Taken together, co-encapsulation of BSO and PO within nanoemulsions provides novel insights regarding the development of functional foods, dietary supplements and beverages.

Encapsulation provides the easy dispersibility of antioxidants in all food matrices; it can improve the food fortification process, release of antioxidant ingredients, and extend the shelf-life and bioavailability of them when ingested in the intestine. Wall material can participate in antioxidant reactions; therefore, it can raise antioxidant activity of encapsulated antioxidants. Encapsulation processing can decrease the antioxidant activity of core materials because of coating them within the wall materials or degradation of sensitive compounds during the encapsulation process. Analytical techniques for measuring the antioxidant activity of encapsulated ingredients are spectroscopic methods (FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, HORAC, ORAC, TRAP, CUPRAC, PFRAP, Folin-Ciocalteu method, fluorimetry), electrochemical techniques (amperometric, cyclic voltammetric, biamperometric, and biosensor techniques), chromatographic techniques (HPLC, GC, TLC), and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA). Among them, DPPH, total phenolic compounds (TPC), ABT, ORAC, and CUPRAC are used more than the other techniques to evaluate the bioactivity of nano/microencapsulated food ingredients, since these methods are simpler, more effective, and quicker than other ones. In this chapter, a brief overview of the mentioned techniques will be presented along with the relevant studies in measuring antioxidant activity of nanoencapsulated food ingredients.

Biodegradable films pose industrial limitations that are mainly related to their low gas barrier properties, high solubility, and poor mechanical resistance for food packaging applications. To overcome these issues, numerous materials have been studied to improve biodegradable film properties. In this sense, nanoparticles stand out: they are highly reactive and have a reduced diameter and high surface area. This chapter presents the main inorganic and organic nanomaterials, including metal oxides, nanoclays, and nanocellulose, that are employed to reinforce biodegradable films for food packaging applications. Greater emphasis has been placed on the use of nanocellulose as a biodegradable polymer reinforcement agent. Different forms of nanocellulose display excellent properties and biodegradability, which make them attractive for application in many fields, such as incorporation into nanocomposites based on polylatic acid, starch, chitosan, polycaprolactone, alginate, protein, and gelatin.

The present study has aimed to evaluate the microencapsulation process of the different casein hydrolysates and to assess the physical properties (moisture content, water activity, bulk density, tapped density, solubility and hygroscopicity), antioxidant activities, chemical structure (FTIR), microstructure and bitterness-masking of the spray-dried powders. The microencapsulation process was done using a laboratory spray-dryer and maltodextrin (DE = 18) as the carrier agent. The obtained results indicated the hygroscopicity of the casein hydrolysates was significantly reduced after microencapsulation process (P

Black cumin is a strong aromatic seed which can be used as a nutraceutical or medicinal food. Our aim was to evaluate the fatty acid profile and oxidative stability of black cumin seed (BCS) oil as well as the antioxidant activity of water–methanol extract of BCS compared with BHT. In fact, it was going to understand what kind of fatty acids exist in BCS oil and whether is it possible to apply BCS extract as a natural antioxidant or not. The physicochemical properties of BCS oil included an iodine value of 105.17 g/100 g oil, a PV of 11.88 meq/kg, an oxidative stability index of 16.48 h, viscosity of 21.3 mPas, and a refractive index of 1.45. BCS oil contained more than 79% unsaturated fatty acids. Its saturated fatty acids were composed mainly of palmitic acid (8.38%) and stearic acid (2.26%). The BCS extract contained 955.77 mg/kg total phenolics. In a DPPH assay, the IC50 of the BCS extract was measured as 104.76 mg/mL, while for BHT it was 8.06 mg/mL. In the incubation assay, the BCS extract inhibited the formation of oxidation primary products in raw soybean oil at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. To conclude, BCS oil had a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and in spite of its high degree of unsaturation, the presence of phenolic compounds in BCS oil led to an increase in its relative oxidative stability. Also, at higher concentrations, BCS extract can compete with BHT in terms of antioxidant effects, and thus can be added into edible oils.

Curcumin is the main polyphenol of the curcuminoid class of turmeric, a well-known spice belonging to the ginger family. In addition to its common applications like coloring and antioxidant agent as food additives, it has a broad range of favorable biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic activities, and anti-cancer potentials against various cancers. However, curcumin suffers from some limitations including short shelf life due to its poor chemical stability, low bioavailability due to its poor absorption, low water solubility, rapid metabolism and rapid systemic elimination. Nanoencapsulaion has been addressed as an innovative and emerging technology for resolving these shortcomings. In this review, the different delivery systems used for loading of curcumin have been considered and explained including lipid-based, chemical polymer and biopolymer-based, nature-inspired, special equipment-based and surfactant-based techniques. Also, implications of nanoencapsulated curcumin in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic uses are discussed. In this sense, the relevant recent studies in the past few years along with upcoming challenges have been covered. Although incorporation of curcumin into nanocarriers can be a possible solution to overcome its inherent constraints, there are some rational concerns about their toxicological safety once they enter into the biological paths. Therefore, future investigations could focus on assessment of their biological fate during digestion and absorption within human body.

Highlights The most common chemical treatments of cellulose to synthesize nanostructured cellulose are highlighted.Various surface modifications of cellulose to develop non-leaching and durable antibacterial materials are discussed.Biocompatibility and antibacterial performance of non-leaching surface-modified cellulosic materials along with their current challenges are discussed., As the most abundant biopolymer on the earth, cellulose has recently gained significant attention in the development of antibacterial biomaterials. Biodegradability, renewability, strong mechanical properties, tunable aspect ratio, and low density offer tremendous possibilities for the use of cellulose in various fields. Owing to the high number of reactive groups (i.e., hydroxyl groups) on the cellulose surface, it can be readily functionalized with various functional groups, such as aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and amines, leading to diverse properties. In addition, the ease of surface modification of cellulose expands the range of compounds which can be grafted onto its structure, such as proteins, polymers, metal nanoparticles, and antibiotics. There are many studies in which cellulose nano-/microfibrils and nanocrystals are used as a support for antibacterial agents. However, little is known about the relationship between cellulose chemical surface modification and its antibacterial activity or biocompatibility. In this study, we have summarized various techniques for surface modifications of cellulose nanostructures and its derivatives along with their antibacterial and biocompatibility behavior to develop non-leaching and durable antibacterial materials. Despite the high effectiveness of surface-modified cellulosic antibacterial materials, more studies on their mechanism of action, the relationship between their properties and their effectivity, and more in vivo studies are required.

Olive leaf extract is a rich source of phenolic compounds and oleuropein which is well-known regarding its antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes. However, the mentioned phenolic compounds will lose their beneficial properties during storage and induce undesirable aftertaste in food products. In this study, olive leaf extract-bearing nanoliposomes were produced via the ethanol injection method and using phosphatidyl choline plus cholesterol as the reagents for the wall material. Later, the prepared nanocarriers were examined in regard to their zeta potential, stability, encapsulation efficiency, and particle size. Moreover, the prepared nanoliposome-loaded yogurt samples were examined considering syneresis, antioxidant activity, pH, acidity, color, and sensorial properties. The mean particle size of the fabricated nanoliposomes was in the range of 25-158 nm. Also, the entire formulation had a negative charge. The encapsulation efficiency was between 70.7 to 88.2%. Besides, the application of nanoliposomes in yogurt improved the antioxidant activity, and unlike the yogurt with nonencapsulated olive extract, no significant changes in color and sensorial attributes were observed and even the syneresis rate was minimized. To conclude, olive leaf phenolics can be entrapped within nanoliposomes with a considerable encapsulation efficiency for application in food products like yogurt to increase their nutritional value and public acceptance.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of shortening common thermal processing through nanofluids on quality of tomato juice for the first time. For this purpose, three different temperatures (between 70 and 90 °C), nanoparticle concentrations (between 0 and 4%) and time (between 30 and 90 s) were selected for thermal processing of tomato juice in a shell and tube heat exchanger through central composite design. The findings indicated that while 4% nanoflluid at 30 °C for 30 s led to the best lycopene retention (96%) of tomato juice, hot water treatment (0% nanoparticle concentration) at 90 °C for 90 s resulted in the lowest lycopene retention (67%). The durations required for product to reach a certain temperature were dwindled and treated samples experienced lower color drops when higher nanoparticle concentrations were applied; a*/b* indices at 80 °C were 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 for 0, 2 and 4% nanoparticles, respectively; indeed, higher nanoparticle concentration, and lower temperature and time led to higher lycopene retention and, as a consequence, higher a*/b* values. The effect of time on pH and acidity indices was not significant while temperature influenced those parameters significantly. Based on the indices considered, if temperature, concentration and time are set at 70 °C, 4% and 30 s, the best responses will be obtained.

Microcapsulses can be designed to effectively encapsulate, protect, and control the release of pesticides. In this study, emulsion-solvent evaporation method was used to fabricate microcapsules using dichloromethane as the solvent, polylactic acid (PLA) as the carrier materials, poly(vinyl alcohol) as the emulsifier, and β-cypermethrin as the entrapped pesticide. The effects of process parameters on the microcapsules characteristics (size, loading content, and encapsulation efficiency) were investigated. Also, the release behavior of the β-cypermethrin was measured experimentally and modeled mathematically. Kinetic analysis indicated that release mechanism of β-cypermethrin was compatible to Fickian diffusion. By optimizing the process parameters, β-cypermethrin-loaded microcapsules were successfully produced with spherical shape, smooth surface, high encapsulation efficiency (> 80%), and a range of pesticide contents. These parameters could be adjusted to achieve delivery systems with desirable release profiles. The results are beneficial to develop delivery systems for rational and effective usage of pesticides.

In this study, a green solvent (water: ethanol; 98:2) was applied to extract β-carotene (BC) from carrot pomace powder (CP). The low solubility ( 91%. HPLC data revealed that BC (60%) and α-carotene (29%) were the major carotenoids extracted into micelles of NEs, whereas lutein (9%) and lycopene (2%) as the minor ones. Finally, stability monitoring confirmed that BC in ethanolic extract from CP was completely lost, while BC in NE platform showed good stability of ~25% and 32% as exposed to UV-light and acidic conditions (pH ~ 4), respectively.

Saffron, the dried stigmas of the flowers of Crocus sativus L., is famous for its color, aroma and medicinal properties with beneficial characteristics that are utilized for treating numerous illnesses because of its analgesic and sedative properties. In this research, the antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extracts of the saffron samples with different ages were examined against bacterial (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) and fungal (Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans) species through the agar well diffusion method. The minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each extract were measured. The results revealed the higher pigment, flavor and antioxidant components of the 3-year saffron than the 6-year one. The antioxidant activity was correlated only with safranal between the saffron bioactive components through the polynomial equation (R2 = 0.856, P

Nowadays, cancer is one of the most prominent issues related to human health since it causes more than one-tenth of death cases throughout the world. On the other hand, routine therapeutic approaches in cancer suppression such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, etc. due to their undesirable therapeutic outputs, including low efficiency in cancer inhibition, non-targeted drug delivery, nonselective distribution, and enormous side effects, have been indicated inefficient potency in cancer therapy or at least its growth inhibition. As a result, the development of novel and practical therapeutic methods such as nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems can be outstandingly beneficial in cancer suppression. Among various nanoparticles used in the delivery of bioactive to the tumor site, chitosan (CS) nanoparticles have received high attention. CS, poly [β-(1-4)-linked-2-amino-2-deoxy-d-glucose], is a natural linear amino polysaccharide derived from chitin which is made of irregularly distributed d-glucosamine and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine units. CS nanoparticles owing to their appropriate aspects, including nanometric size, great drug loading efficacy, ease of manipulation, non-toxicity, excellent availability and biocompatibility, good serum stability, long-term circulation time, suitable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics, non-immunogenicity, and enhanced drug solubility in the human body, have been designated as an efficient candidate for drug delivery systems. They can be involved in both passive (based on the enhanced permeability and retention effect cancer targeting) and active (receptor-mediated or stimuli-responsive cancer targeting) drug delivery systems for potential cancer therapy. This review presents the properties, preparation, modification, and numerous pharmaceutical applications of CS-based drug nanodelivery systems in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer.

Overwhelming evidence has shown that three-dimensional multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs) as a mimic of in-vivo tumor can accurately exhibit cellular responses to treatments. So, we compared the capability of pure zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and chitosan-ZnO bio-nanocomposites (CS-ZnO BNCs) for enhancing the radiosensitization of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (BCCs) in the 3D-MCTSs model. ZnO-NPs and CS-ZnO BNCs were synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method. FE-SEM images revealed that the uniform spherical ZnO-NPs with an average diameter of 35 nm were successfully dispersed on chitosan. MDA-MB-231 MCTSs which were formed in a non-adherent culture plate, possessed functional features of in-vivo tumor. The priority of such culture method to conventionally used 2D monolayer (or parental) cell culture is the mimicking of tumor microenvironment. The toxicity of CS-ZnO BNCs and ZnO-NPs against the MDA-M−231 BCCs was evaluated using MTT-colorimetric assay, which demonstrated superior biocompatibility of CS-ZnO BNCs compared to pure ZnO-NPs (even at high concentration of 100 μg/mL). Survival fraction analysis of cells under clinical X-ray irradiation (6 MV) showed that MCTSs had a higher radioresistance compared to parental cells. Besides, the clonogenic potential of irradiated MCTSs was significantly decreased by the addition of CS-ZnO BNCs similar to that of monolayer cells. The sensitivity enhancement ratios (SER) for MCTSs and monolayer cells were calculated 1.5 and 1.63, respectively. Further, tracking of radiobiological properties and apoptosis induction of MCTSs showed that CS-ZnO BNCs not only could lead to the creation of higher radiation-induced complex DNA break and apoptosis death in MCTSs, but also weakened DNA repair mechanisms. It was found that non-toxic concentration of CS-ZnO BNCs has promising potential to enhance radiosensitivity of resistant-MCTSs as a superior in-vitro tumor model. So, CS-ZnO BNCs can be a prominent candidate for overcoming the resistance of BCCs to radiotherapy.

The unique properties of graphene and graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites make them suitable for a wide range of medical, industrial, and agricultural applications. The addition of graphene or GO to a polymeric matrix can ameliorate its thermo-mechanical, electrical, and barrier characteristics. The present paper reviews the literature on graphene/GO-based bio-nanocomposites and examines the various fabrication methods, such as chemical vapor deposition, chemical synthesis, microwave synthesis, the solvothermal method, molecular beam epitaxy, and colloidal suspension. Each procedure potentially has its disadvantages, especially for mass production. Therefore, introducing an effective method for fabricating graphene on a large scale with high quality is essential. Recent studies have shown that graphene-based bio-nanocomposites are promising materials given their excellent performance in the development of biosensors, drug delivery systems, antimicrobials, modified electrodes, and energy storage systems among other applications. In this review, we evaluate the various procedures used for developing graphene/GO-based bio-nanocomposites and examine the features and applications of the related products. Furthermore, the toxicity of these compounds and attempts to uncover the optimal combinations of biopolymers and carbon nanomaterials for industrial applications will be discussed.

In the current study, response surface optimization of canola oil extraction assisted by 35 kHz, 800 W ultrasound waves and with the use of hexane and 3:2 hexane–isopropanol at the proportion of 3/2 as solvents was conducted. The influence of extraction temperature (35, 45, and 55°C), ultrasound treatment time (30, 60, and 90 min), and solvent-to-canola (sample) ratio (5, 10, and 15 (% v/w)) on the percentage of the extracted oil and oxidative stability of the extracted oil was analyzed through Box-Behnken design. The achieved results revealed that the optimized conditions for canola oil extraction (22.39% efficiency) by hexane was 87 min ultrasound treatment at 55°C and solvent-to-canola proportion of 6.39 (% v/w). On the other hand, the optimized conditions for canola oil extraction (30.66% efficiency) by hexane–isopropanol mixture were 69.5 min ultrasound treatment at 55°C and solvent-to-canola ratio of 9.12 (% v/w). The obtained outcomes revealed that ultrasound waves significantly improved the extraction efficiency compared to Soxhlet extraction. The extraction efficiency was improved when hexane–isopropanol mixture was applied. In optimized condition, oxidative stability of the extracted oil has been achieved at 12.55 and 40.9 h, respectively, once hexane and hexane–isopropanol were used as solvents for extraction. Oxidative stability presented considerable enhancement with an increase in ultrasound treatment. Extracted oil with the use of mixed solvent (hexane–isopropanol) presented higher value for oxidative stability compared to the extracted oil with the use of hexane as a solvent. Comparison between the ultrasound-assisted and Soxhlet extracted oils with the use of gas chromatography presented no significant difference in their fatty acid profiles.

BACKGROUND In this study, shelf life of tomato paste with microencapsulated olive leaf extract was compared with samples containing commercial preservatives by accelerated shelf life testing. Based on previous studies, it has been shown that olive leaf extract as a rich source of phenolic compounds can have antimicrobial properties; so we proposed application of its encapsulated form to improve the storage stability of tomato paste. RESULTS Regarding Total Soluble Solids, control and the sample containing 1000 ppm sodium benzoate represented the lowest (1.63) and highest (1.88) sensitivity to temperature changes (Q10), respectively; also, the microencapsulated sample (containing 1000 ppm encapsulated olive leaf extract with Q10 of 1.83) followed the sample containing 1000 ppm sodium benzoate in terms of the highest kinetic rates. In the case of consistency, the lowest and highest activation energies (Ea) were related to samples containing 1000 ppm non-encapsulated olive leaf extract and 1000 ppm encapsulated olive leaf extract, respectively. CONCLUSION Interestingly, samples containing microencapsulated olive leaf extract could maintain the original quality of the tomato paste very well while those with non-encapsulated olive leaf extract rated the worst performance (among all specimens) in terms of maintaining their quality indices for a long-time period. Overall, shelf life equation was able to predict consistency index of all tomato paste samples during long-time storage with a high precision.