The Influence of Emulsifiers on the Physiochemical Behavior of Soy Wax/Rice Bran Oil-Based Oleogels and Their Application in Nutraceutical Delivery

This research evaluated the influence of stearic acid, sunflower lecithin, and sorbitan monooleate on soy wax (SYW)/rice bran oil (RBO)-based oleogels. The physiochemical behavior of oleogel samples was evaluated using colorimetry, microscopy, FTIR, mechanical, crystallization kinetics, X-ray diffraction, and a drug release investigation. The prepared oleogels were light yellow, and adding emulsifiers did not change their appearance. All oleogels showed an oil binding capacity of >98%, independent of emulsifier treatment. The surface topography revealed that emulsifiers smoothed the surface of the oleogels. Bright-field and polarized micrographs showed the presence of wax grains and needles. FTIR spectra indicated that oleogel samples had the same functional group diversity as the raw materials. The oleogel samples lacked a hydrogen-bonding peak. Hence, we postulated that non-covalent interactions were involved in the oleogel preparation. According to stress relaxation studies, the firmness and elastic component of oleogels were unaffected by emulsifiers. However, EML3 (oleogel containing sorbitan monooleate) showed lower relaxing characteristics than the others. EML3 exhibited the slowest crystallization profile. Due to its low d-spacing, EML3 was found to have densely packed crystal molecules and the largest crystallite size. The in vitro drug release studies showed that emulsifier-containing oleogels dramatically affected curcumin release. These results may help customize oleogels properties to adjust bioactive component release in the food and pharmaceutical industries

Formulation and Characterization of Emulgel-Based Jelly Candy: A Preliminary Study on Nutraceutical Delivery

The development of consumer-friendly nutraceutical dosage forms is highly important for greater acceptance. In this work, such dosage forms were prepared based on structured emulsions (emulgels), where the olive oil phase was filled within the pectin-based jelly candy. The emulgel-based candies were designed as bi-modal carriers, where oil-soluble curcumin and water-soluble riboflavin were incorporated as the model nutraceuticals. Initially, emulsions were prepared by homogenizing varied concentrations (10% to 30% (w/w)) of olive oil in a 5% (w/w) pectin solution that contained sucrose and citric acid. Herein, pectin acted as a structuring agent-cum-stabilizer. Physico–chemical properties of the developed formulations were thoroughly analyzed. These studies revealed that olive oil interferes with the formation of polymer networks of pectin and the crystallization properties of sugar in candies. This was confirmed by performing FTIR spectroscopy and DSC studies. In vitro disintegration studies showed an insignificant difference in the disintegration behavior of candies, although olive oil concentration was varied. Riboflavin and curcumin were then incorporated into the jelly candy formulations to analyze whether the developed formulations could deliver both hydrophilic and hydrophobic nutraceutical agents. We found that the developed jelly candy formulations were capable of delivering both types of nutraceutical agents. The outcome of the present study may open new directions for designing and developing oral nutraceutical dosage forms

Variations in Microstructural and Physicochemical Properties of Soy Wax/Soybean Oil-Derived Oleogels Using Soy Lecithin

Emerging natural-based polymers and materials progress and new technology innovations open the way for unique food products with high nutritional value development. In this regard, oleogel may be essential in replacing fatty acids from food products. In this study, we researched the effects of varied soy lecithin (SYL) concentrations on the various physicochemical characteristics of soy wax (SW)/refined soybean oil (RSO) oleogels. These oleogels had a soft texture. The microscopic analysis of the oleogels suggested that the thickness, length, and density of the wax crystals (needle-shaped) varied as the SYL content was changed. Colorimetric analysis indicated that the oleogels were slightly yellowish. FTIR spectrometry helped analyze the functional groups of the raw materials and the oleogels. All the functional groups present in the raw materials could be accounted for within the oleogels. The only exception is the hydrogen-bonding peak in SW, which was not seen in the FTIR spectrum of the oleogels. It was found that at a critical SYL content, the oleogel showed a stable and repeatable wax network structure. This can be described by the presence of the uniformly distributed fat crystal network in the sample. The DSC analysis revealed that the oleogel samples were thermo-reversible, with their melting and crystallization temperatures ~43 °C and ~22 °C, respectively. In gist, it can be concluded that the incorporation of SYL can impact the color, wax crystal network characteristics, thermal characteristics, and mechanical characteristics of the oleogels in a composition-dependent manner

Analysis of the Physical and Structure Characteristics of Reformulated Pizza Bread

The current study deciphers the processing of different proportions of white flour and whole wheat flour (100:0, 75:25, 50:50: 25:75, and 0:100) into a pizza base using yeast-based fermentation. The bread making using the yeast system resulted in significant changes in the characteristics of bread, ranging from the porous structure development to the crumb cellular structure modifications. An increase in the proportions of whole wheat flour resulted in the formation of golden yellow pizza bases. The lightness of the crust was decreased, whereas the yellowness index was increased as the whole wheat flour contents were increased. The pore size of the pizza base was decreased while the pore density was increased as the whole wheat flour content was raised within the bread. The microscopic study also showed the formation of porous structures on the bulk of the pizza base. The texture analysis of the bread also suggested an increase in the formation of the rigid network structure when the amount of whole wheat flour was increased. The springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience were comparable for all the prepared samples. On the other hand, the values for hardness, gumminess, and chewiness showed an increasing trend with the increase in the whole wheat flour content. The impedance of the samples decreased when there was an increase in the whole wheat flour content. Overall, the pizza base that was developed with 50% whole wheat flour and 50% white flour ratio displayed acceptably firm yet sufficient viscoelastic properties for human consumption

Neem seed oil and gum arabic-based oil-in-water emulsions as potential ocular drug delivery system

The present study deciphers the synthesis and characterization of the neem seed oil (NSO) and gum arabic (GA) based emulsion. The synthesized emulsions were thoroughly characterized for probable application in ocular drug delivery. The synthesized emulsions were white in color. The FTIR spectroscopy divulged that the glycoprotein complex of GA retained its functional architecture. The formation of the oil-in-water emulsion was confirmed by confocal microscopy. The NSO droplets in the emulsions behaved as capacitive elements whose properties altered as the composition of the emulsions were varied. The mechanical studies suggested that the interactions within the emulsion components tailored the polymer-polymer integrity under stress. The drug release and corneal permeation studies using ciprofloxacin HCl-loaded emulsions indicated that the ciprofloxacin molecules were released from the emulsions, and the emulsions were able to deliver the drug across the corneal tissue. The prepared emulsions were nonirritant to the ocular tissues. The released drug was capable of inhibiting the growth of the model bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). In gist, the prepared emulsions were suitable for ocular drug delivery applications. [GRAPHICS] .N