Effect of inulin and galactooligosaccharides on particle size distribution and rheological properties of prebiotic ketchup

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different combinations of long-chain inulin and short-chain galactooligosaccharides mixed with different hydrocolloids on the physical/rheological attributes of prebiotic ketchup. Novel prebiotic ketchup was produced in which modified starch, xanthan, and guar gum was incorporated. Results showed that modified starch negatively influenced the physical properties of prebiotic samples and the optimum condition was 7.5% long-chain inulin and 2.5% galactooligosaccharides along with 0.4 % xanthan and 0.18% guar gum. Under these conditions, smaller hysteresis loop area, higher values of the linear viscoelastic region, larger G₀, η₀ in the creep test, and smaller sized suspended particles as compared to the other prebiotic samples were observed. In addition, galactooligosaccharides may interfere with the elastic behavior due to its high water solubility. Therefore, an appropriate amount (2.5%) of this ingredient may be used to produce a nutritive prebiotic ketchup with desirable textural properties. Environmental scanning electron microscopic images confirmed larger and inter-connected air bubbles entrapped into the semi-solid matrix of prebiotic sample produced under optimum condition.     

Promoting Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium adolescentis survival by microencapsulation with different starches and chitosan and poly L‐lysine coatings in ice cream

In this research, microencapsulation of the probiotics Lactobacillus casei ATCC 39392 and Bifidobacterium adolescentis ATCC 15703 was performed using calcium alginate, wheat, rice, and high‐amylose corn (Hylon VII) starches along with chitosan and poly L‐lysine coatings. The effect of microencapsulation on the survival and sensory properties of ice cream over 100 days at ?30 °C was evaluated. Scanning electron and optical microscopy were employed to measure capsule size and morphology. The results suggested that the survival of probiotics is increased by microencapsulation. Coating the capsules with chitosan and poly L‐lysine led to enhanced bacterial viability and an increase in the size of microcapsules. Among different starches, Hylon starch enhanced the survival of probiotics at low temperatures the most. Furthermore, the addition of probiotics in free and encapsulated states did not have a significant effect on the sensory properties, or pH levels of the final product during storage (p > .05).

Practical applications

Microencapsulation using various hydrocolloids is a commonly used method for enhancing probiotic survival in ice cream during the frozen storage. This study indicates that the microencapsulation of probiotics can enhance probiotic survival in ice cream after 100 days of storage at ?30 °C. Chitosan and poly L‐lysine coatings significantly improved the survival of encapsulated probiotics during the storage of ice cream. This improvement is attributed to the role of Hylon starch in creating more integrated microcapsule structure. Moreover, sensory evaluation of ice cream revealed that inoculation with the probiotic culture, in either the encapsulated or the free‐state, had no significant effect on texture, color, flavor, taste, or general sensory characterization of ice cream during the storage period at ?30 °C (p > .05).     

Rapid hemostasis by nanofibers of polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate/polyglycerol sebacic acid: An in vitro / in vivo study

Porous nanofibers were prepared from a combination of polyglycerol sebacate (PGS) and polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA) and loaded with tranexamic acid (TA) using the electrospinning method. The nanofibers were optimized for their morphology, diameter size, porosity, TA loading, release profile and mechanical behavior. Their cytotoxicity was studied based on 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay on L929 cells. The hemostasis control on a tail-cut model in rats was investigated. The best formulation contained 35% of the total polymers, 20% PGS and 10% TA in proportion to the total polymer quantity. These nanofibers had 64% porosity, 8.59% water sorption and 1.47% weight loss after 28 days with no cytotoxicity on the L929 cells. TA loaded nanofibers showed significantly less bleeding volume compared to the other groups, but no significant difference in bleeding time was seen with the blank nanofibers. In other words, the blank nanofibers alone had a hemostatic effect. TA loaded nanofibers were effective in bleeding control and hemorrhagic situations by reducing bleeding time and volume.     

The fabrication and characterization of bioactive Akermanite/Octacalcium phosphate glass-ceramic scaffolds produced via PDC method

In the present study, a bioactive silicate-phosphate glass-ceramic scaffold was fabricated via the polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) method. K₂HPO₄ phosphate salt was used as the P₂O₅ precursor in this method. The effect of K₂HPO₄ wt% and heat treatment temperatures (900–1100 °C) was evaluated. It was observed that although increasing the wt% of K₂HPO₄ led to the formation of scaffolds with higher densities and strengths, it could also increase the formation of the calcium phase, which could result in improper release behavior of scaffolds. On the other hand, higher heat treatment temperatures enhanced the strength of the scaffolds but eliminated the bioactive octacalcium phosphate (OCP) phase. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the dissolution of the OCP phase in simulated body fluid (SBF) resulted in precipitation of hydroxyapatite (HA) on the scaffold surface which enhanced the bioactivity. Furthermore, based on microstructural studies by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the fabricated scaffold possessed a wide range of pore sizes, appropriate for osteointegration and bone formation. The optimum wt% of phosphate salt was less than 6 wt% and the optimum heat treatment temperature was 1000 °C. After the optimization of compositions and processing, Alamar Blue Assay was used to evaluate HOb cell cultures, showing a continuous proliferation for the optimized samples.