Thick film magnetic nanoparticulate composites and method of manufacture thereof

Thick film magnetic/insulating nanocomposite materials, with significantly reduced core loss, and their manufacture are described. The insulator coated magnetic nanocomposite comprises one or more magnetic components, and an insulating component. The magnetic component comprises nanometer scale particles (about 1 to about 100 nanometers) coated by a thin-layered insulating phase. While the intergrain interaction between the immediate neighboring magnetic nanoparticles separated by the insulating phase provides the desired soft magnetic properties, the insulating material provides high resistivity, which reduces eddy current loss

Effect of Freeze-Thaw Pretreatment on Extraction Yield and Antioxidant Bioactivity of Corn Carotenoids (Lutein and Zeaxanthin)

As a green and low-energy pretreatment method, the effect of freeze-thaw (FT) pretreatment on extraction yield and antioxidant bioactivity of carotenoids of the corn gluten meal (CGM) were evaluated in this study. The CGM particles ruptured in FT treatment due to the repeated damage caused by FT to CGM particles. The carotenoid compounds of pretreated CGM were lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and cryptoxanthin. Among them, the major carotenoids are lutein and zeaxanthin. The optimized FT pretreatment conditions included freezing temperature of −20°C, moisture content of 100%, and 2 cycles. An increase in the yield of lutein and zeaxanthin was observed in the range of 2.23–16.39 µg/g and 4.66–36.3 µg/g as a result of pretreatment as against 1.17 and 2.52 µg/g of the untreated sample, respectively. Moreover, the release of lutein and zeaxanthin from CGM was facilitated by FT pretreatment and increased the antioxidant activity of the carotenoids

Improvement in Entrapment Efficiency and In Vitro Digestion Stability of Lutein by Zein Nanocarriers with Pepsin Hydrolysis

Zein is one of the popular bioactive carriers and play critical roles in the promotion of stability, absorption, and utilization of the nutrients and bioactive ingredients. The application of zein delivery systems for the encapsulation of bioactive ingredients has recently gained increasing interest. The aim of this work was to modify zein by pepsin and prepare the lutein-loaded zein nanoparticle (LZN) and the lutein-loaded zein hydrolysate nanoparticle (LZHN), respectively. The effects of zein hydrolysation on entrapment efficiency and in vitro digestion stability of lutein were also evaluated in this study. Hydrolysation of zein by the pepsin has important effects on lutein embedding. The optimal hydrolysis conditions, including the pepsin concentration (1.5%), temperature (55°C), and time (4 h), enhanced the entrapment efficiency (EE) of lutein by 93.82 ± 2.82% as compared to 85.18 ± 3.28% of the untreated zein, respectively. In contrast to LZN, LZHN had better structural characteristics, the average particle size decreases from 158.40 ± 3.22 nm to 112.2 ± 1.56 nm, and LZHN showed better dispersivity and zeta potential. The stability and release assays in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) showed that hydrolyzed zein nanocarriers by pepsin improved the digestion stability and promoted the release of lutein under gastrointestinal digestive conditions. These results suggest that hydrolyzed zein with pepsin may act as an effective carrier for lutein delivery and shows many potential advantages compared with the zein

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Blueberry Anthocyanins on High Glucose-Induced Human Retinal Capillary Endothelial Cells

Blueberries possess abundant anthocyanins, which benefit eye health. The purpose of this study was to explore the protective functional role of blueberry anthocyanin extract (BAE) and its predominant constituents, malvidin (Mv), malvidin-3-glucoside (Mv-3-glc), and malvidin-3-galactoside (Mv-3-gal), on high glucose- (HG-) induced injury in human retinal capillary endothelial cells (HRCECs). The results showed that BAE, Mv, Mv-3-glc, and Mv-3-gal enhanced cell viability (P<0.05 versus the HG group at 24 h); decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS, P<0.01 versus the HG group both at 24 and 48 h); and increased the enzyme activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P<0.05 versus the HG group both at 24 and 48 h). Mv could greatly inhibit HG-induced Nox4 expression both at 24 and 48 h (P<0.05), while BAE and Mv-3-gal downregulated Nox4 only at 48 h (P<0.05). Mv, Mv-3-glc, and Mv-3-gal also changed nitric oxide (NO) levels (P<0.05). BAE and Mv-3-glc also influenced angiogenesis by decreasing the vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) level and inhibiting Akt pathway (P<0.05). Moreover, Mv and Mv-3-glc inhibited HG-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, P<0.001) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) (P<0.05). It indicated that blueberry anthocyanins protected HRCECs via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, which could be promising molecules for the development of nutraceuticals to prevent diabetic retinopathy