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Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is a microalga that has existed for more than three billion years. It belongs to the family of cyanobacteria. It is extraordinary, rich in nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, Spirulina is rich in phycocyanin, a blue protein pigment. It can be used as a dye in food, pharmacology, and cosmetics. Our work focused first on the compatibility of the waters of M’sila region (southeast Algeria) for the cultivation of Arthrospira platensis. Then, we evaluated several methods of extracting phycocyanin to be able to determine the optimal method in terms of yield. We have succeeded in developing a new extraction method coupled with maceration in a glycerol-water mixture with a molar ratio (8/2) assisted by ultrasound with a yield of 52.93 mg/g. The excellent results obtained may be due to the salinity of the waters of the region, to the used nutrient culture medium and/or the climate change of the region. We have formed an inclusion complex between phycocyanin and β-Cyclodextrin to keep it and make it more stable. The encouraging results allow Algeria to gain a foothold on the world market as a producer of blue gold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to study for the first time the chemical composition of Salvia officinalis essential oil from Algerian region of Kabylia (Kalaa n'Ath Abas) and to evaluate its antifungal activity. The originality of this work consists in the development of a new nanosystem based on natural excipients (β-cyclodextrin, xanthan gum and arginine) to increase its antifungal activity. The yield of Salvia officinalis essential oil was 2.07%, it is mainly composed of α-Thujone (23.21%), 1,8-Cineole (14.17%) and Camphor (11.02%). Nanoemulsion based on β-cyxlodextrins has an average diameter of 219.1±5.2 nm, a zeta potential of 36.2±4.8 mV and a viscosity of 0.87±0.03 Pa.s. This essential oil showed a good antifungal activity against all tested strains (Candida albicans, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton equinum). Moreover, a significant increase of this activity was noted after essential oil nano-emulsification. The easy penetration of nanodroplets composing the prepared system through fungal cell wall and their high solubility in fungal cell cytoplasm permit to increase antifungal activity of studied essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nano-scale emulsions were successfully prepared by γ-CD/SC/Alg. • The presence of Alg significantly improved the acidic stability of emulsions. • γ-CD addition could lead to more stable structures of emulsions. • Synergistic impacts of γ-CD/SC/Alg contributed to the stabilization of emulsions. Developing natural, safe, and biocompatible emulsion stabilizers for highly stable emulsions remains a difficult challenge. In this study, stable nano-scale emulsions were prepared using γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD), sodium caseinate (SC), and alginate (Alg) as emulsifiers. The synergistic stabilization of γ-CD/SC/Alg enabled the emulsions to remain stable even under high-acidic (pH 3.0), high-alkaline (pH 11.0) and high temperature (90 °C) conditions. The improved stability at acidic conditions was attributed to the positive impact of Alg. Additionally, the rheological measurements showed that the emulsions exhibited elastic gel networks and a more stable emulsion structure was formed with the increasing addition of γ-CD. Finally, the gastrointestinal behavior of the emulsions was studied using a standardized INFOGEST method. Results showed that most of the oil were digested and absorbed in the small intestine, and the bioaccessibility of curcumin was high. This work provided a new solution to prepare stable emulsions which could be used as dairy products or desirable food delivery systems for hydrophobic bioactive agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]