Rejuvenated brewer's spent grain: EverVita ingredients as game-changers in fibre-enriched bread

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is the main side-stream of brewing. BSG is a potential source for nutritionally enriched cereal products due to its high content of fibre and protein. Two novel ingredients originating from BSG, EverVita FIBRA (EVF) and EverVita PRO (EVP), were incorporated into bread in two addition levels to achieve a 'source of fibre' (3 g/100 g) and a 'high in fibre' (6 g/100 g) nutrition claim for the breads. The impact of those two ingredients on dough and bread quality as well as on nutritional value was investigated and compared to baker's flour (C1) and wholemeal flour (C2) breads. The addition of EVF performed outstandingly well in the bread system achieving high specific volumes (3.72-4.66 mL/g), a soft crumb texture (4.77-9.03 N) and a crumb structure comparable with C1. Furthermore, EVF barely restricted gluten network development and did not influence dough rheology. EVP increased the dough resistance (+150%) compared to C1 which led to a lower specific volume (2.17-4.38 mL/g) and a harder crumb (6.25-36.36 N). However, EVP increased the nutritional value of the breads by increasing protein content (+36%) and protein quality by elevating the amount of indispensable amino acids. Furthermore, a decrease in predicted glycaemic index by 26% was achieved and microbial shelf life was extended by up to 3 days. Although both ingredients originated from the same BSG, their impact on bread characteristics and nutritional value varied. EVF and EVP can be considered as game-changers in the development of bread fortified with BSG, increasing nutritional value, and promoting sustainability

Rejuvenated brewer's spent grain: the impact of two BSG-derived ingredients on techno-functional and nutritional characteristics of fibre-enriched pasta

Brewer's Spent Grain (BSG), rich in fibre and protein is mostly used for animal feed but has great potential to be used as an ingredient for cereal based products. Originated from BSG, the two ingredients EverVita Fibra (EVF) high in fibre; and EverVita Pro (EVP) high in protein, were used to produce fibre-enriched pasta and compared to semolina, wholemeal flour and a commercial fibre-rich pasta. Analysis of gluten network development and pasting properties revealed the formation of a stronger network by the incorporation of EVP resulting in a compact pasta structure which led to a higher pasta firmness and tensile strength and a decrease in predicted glycaemic index compared to the controls. EVF resulted in an inferior product compared to EVP but was comparable to the semolina control. Hence, EVF and EVP have the potential to increase nutritional value of pasta while maintaining or even improving pasta quality and encouraging the recycling of by-streams for food production

Quantitative uptake of colloidal particles by cell cultures

The use of nanotechnologies involving nano- and microparticles has increased tremendously in the recent past. There are various beneficial characteristics that make particles attractive for a wide range of technologies. However, colloidal particles on the other hand can potentially be harmful for humans and environment. Today, complete understanding of the interaction of colloidal particles with biological systems still remains a challenge. Indeed, their uptake, effects, and final cell cycle including their life span fate and degradation in biological systems are not fully understood. This is mainly due to the complexity of multiple parameters which need to be taken in consideration to perform the nanosafety research. Therefore, we will provide an overview of the common denominators and ideas to achieve universal metrics to assess their safety. The review discusses aspects including how biological media could change the physicochemical properties of colloids, how colloids are endocytosed by cells, how to distinguish between internalized versus membrane-attached colloids, possible correlation of cellular uptake of colloids with their physicochemical properties, and how the colloidal stability of colloids may vary upon cell internalization. In conclusion three main statements are given. First, in typically exposure scenarios only part of the colloids associated with cells are internalized while a significant part remain outside cells attached to their membrane. For quantitative uptake studies false positive counts in the form of only adherent but not internalized colloids have to be avoided. pH sensitive fluorophores attached to the colloids, which can discriminate between acidic endosomal/lysosomal and neutral extracellular environment around colloids offer a possible solution. Second, the metrics selected for uptake studies is of utmost importance. Counting the internalized colloids by number or by volume may lead to significantly different results. Third, colloids may change their physicochemical properties along their life cycle, and appropriate characterization is required during the different stages.This work was supported by the European Commission (grant FutureNanoNeeds) grant agreement no. 604602 to WJP. NF acknowledges funding from the Lars Hiertas Minne Fundation (Sweden), SA, BP and IC acknowledge a fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Fundation (Germany). AE acknowledges Junta de Andalucía (Spain) for a Talentia Postdoc Fellowship, co-financed by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme, grant agreement no 267226. AHS acknowledges the Egyptian government (Ministry of Higher Education, Mission). The project was also supported by the Dr. Dorka-Stiftung (Germany) to PJ

Novel Hybrid Polymeric and Inorganic Structures for Applications in Nanobiotechnology

This cumulative doctoral dissertation deals with the use of diverse polymers in different applications within nanoscience. The synthesis and characterization of several nano and microstructures is also explained, focusing on the later surface modification via the use of different polymers. Polymers are chemical compounds formed by the combination of several repeating structural units (monomers) in a process called polymerization. These structures are assembled following a specific pattern and their subsequent properties are given by the monomers added in the polymerization process. Several uses of polymers have been reported, being their use in the process of engineering novel composite materials for applications within fields like aerospace industry, biotechnology or medicine. The work shown in this thesis aimed to implement novel applications for some of the general polymer uses found in literature and the employment of amphiphilic zwitterionic polymers to test their stability for different biological applications. The dissertation is first focused on the study of three different applications of polymers inside nanotechnology. One of the most common applications of the use of amphiphilic polymers is the coating of inorganic NPs initially synthesized in organic solutions, transferring them into aqueous solutions. The resulting polymer coated NPs count on functional groups on their surface allowing further modifications for new functionalities. This procedure is applied to NPs with different size (ranging from 4 to 29 nm core size) and material (gold and iron oxide). A second application of the polymers is the protection of highly unstable, water and oxygen-sensitive clusters from degradation in aqueous environments. For that purpose gold NPs (Au NPs) of 4 nm were used as template and the clusters were collected between the surface of the NP and the amphiphilic polymer shell. The kinetic activity of the clusters was studied in aqueous environment, obtaining signal in at least the first 24 hours after the coating. As a complementary study inside this dissertation, different amphiphilic zwitterionic polymers were synthesized and optimized for a correct stabilization of NPs in water. The influence of parameters like pH, protein concentration and ionic strength was studied to obtain a complete description of the stability of the different zwitterionic polymer-coated NPs, comparing them to the single charge polymer coated NPs (e.g. fully positive or fully negative). A third application involves the self-assembly of alternating-charge polyelectrolyte layers deposited via adsorption on sacrificial calcium carbonate cores, yielding polymeric hollow microstructures able to be provided with physical and biological properties. Both properties are obtained via the accumulation of iron oxide nanoparticles between the polymer layers and the attachment of specific antibodies vion the outermost polymer layer, giving physical (magnetic) and biological (specific recognition) properties to the whole structure. These microcapsules were utilized to obtain a magnetic immunosensor able to specifically recognize and extract horseradish peroxidase (used as protein model) from a solution

Novel Hybrid Polymeric and Inorganic Structures for Applications in Nanobiotechnology

This cumulative doctoral dissertation deals with the use of diverse polymers in different applications within nanoscience. The synthesis and characterization of several nano and microstructures is also explained, focusing on the later surface modification via the use of different polymers. Polymers are chemical compounds formed by the combination of several repeating structural units (monomers) in a process called polymerization. These structures are assembled following a specific pattern and their subsequent properties are given by the monomers added in the polymerization process. Several uses of polymers have been reported, being their use in the process of engineering novel composite materials for applications within fields like aerospace industry, biotechnology or medicine. The work shown in this thesis aimed to implement novel applications for some of the general polymer uses found in literature and the employment of amphiphilic zwitterionic polymers to test their stability for different biological applications. The dissertation is first focused on the study of three different applications of polymers inside nanotechnology. One of the most common applications of the use of amphiphilic polymers is the coating of inorganic NPs initially synthesized in organic solutions, transferring them into aqueous solutions. The resulting polymer coated NPs count on functional groups on their surface allowing further modifications for new functionalities. This procedure is applied to NPs with different size (ranging from 4 to 29 nm core size) and material (gold and iron oxide). A second application of the polymers is the protection of highly unstable, water and oxygen-sensitive clusters from degradation in aqueous environments. For that purpose gold NPs (Au NPs) of 4 nm were used as template and the clusters were collected between the surface of the NP and the amphiphilic polymer shell. The kinetic activity of the clusters was studied in aqueous environment, obtaining signal in at least the first 24 hours after the coating. As a complementary study inside this dissertation, different amphiphilic zwitterionic polymers were synthesized and optimized for a correct stabilization of NPs in water. The influence of parameters like pH, protein concentration and ionic strength was studied to obtain a complete description of the stability of the different zwitterionic polymer-coated NPs, comparing them to the single charge polymer coated NPs (e.g. fully positive or fully negative). A third application involves the self-assembly of alternating-charge polyelectrolyte layers deposited via adsorption on sacrificial calcium carbonate cores, yielding polymeric hollow microstructures able to be provided with physical and biological properties. Both properties are obtained via the accumulation of iron oxide nanoparticles between the polymer layers and the attachment of specific antibodies vion the outermost polymer layer, giving physical (magnetic) and biological (specific recognition) properties to the whole structure. These microcapsules were utilized to obtain a magnetic immunosensor able to specifically recognize and extract horseradish peroxidase (used as protein model) from a solution

Future Perspectives Towards the Use of Nanomaterials for Smart Food Packaging and Quality Control

In this Progress Report some recent trends and future perspectives towards the use of nanomaterials for smart food packaging and quality control of food are given. The examples and discussion are meant to illustrate the potential use of nanotechnology for food sustainability rather than to review the state of the art of nanomaterials in this area, which although expected to have a groundbreaking impact on food sustainability is still on an early stage

Cellular uptake and bioactivity of antibody-gold nanoparticle bioconjugates

European Biotechnology Conference -- MAY 05-07, 2016 -- LATVIAWOS: 00038024030008

Conjugation Of Polymer-Coated Gold Nanoparticles With Antibodies—Synthesis And Characterization

The synthesis of polymer-coated gold nanoparticles with high colloidal stability is described, together with appropriate characterization techniques concerning the colloidal properties of the nanoparticles. Antibodies against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are conjugated to the surface of the nanoparticles. Antibody attachment is probed by different techniques, giving a guideline about the characterization of such conjugates. The effect of the nanoparticles on human adenocarcinoma alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is probed in terms of internalization and viability assays.PubMedWoSScopu

Selected standard protocols for the synthesis, phase transfer, and characterization of inorganic colloidal nanoparticles

Synthesis, characterization, and applications of colloidal nanoparticles have been a prominent topic of current research interests within the last two decades. Available reports in the literature that describe the synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles are abundant with various degrees of reproducibility and simplicity. Moreover, different methods for the characterization of colloidal nanoparticle's basic properties are employed, resulting in conflicting results in many cases. Herein, we describe >in detail> selected standard protocols for the synthesis, purification, and characterization of various types of colloidal inorganic nanoparticles including gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles, and quantum dots. This report consists of five main parts: The first and the second parts are dedicated to describing the synthesis of various types of hydrophobic and hydrophilic nanoparticles in organic solvents and in aqueous solutions, respectively. The third part describes surface modification of nanoparticles with a focus on ligand exchange reactions, to allow phase transfer of nanoparticles from aqueous to organic solvents and vice versa. The fourth and the fifth parts describe various general purification and characterization techniques used to purify and characterize nanoparticles, respectively. Collectively, this contribution does not aim to cover all available protocols in the literature to prepare inorganic nanoparticles but rather provides detailed synthetic procedures for important inorganic nanocrystals with a full description of their purification and characterization process.This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG Grant PA 794/25-1) and by the European Commission (Project FutureNanoNeeds). C.C.-C. acknowledges the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad for a Juan de la Cierva—Incorporación contract. A.E. acknowledges Junta de Andalucı́a (Spain) for a Talentia Postdoc Fellowship, cofinanced by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme, Grant Agreement No. 267226. M.C. acknowledges Ikerbasque for a Research Fellow position. N.F. acknowledges support funding from the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova). I.C. acknowledges the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation for postdoctoral fellowship. M.G.S. acknowledges funding from Fazit Stiftung. L.Z. acknowledges funding from Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC)

Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles Induce Changes in Cellular and Subcellular Morphology

Exposure of cells to colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) can have concentration-dependent harmful effects. Mostly, such effects are monitored with biochemical assays or probes from molecular biology, i.e., viability assays, gene expression profiles, etc., neglecting that the presence of NPs can also drastically affect cellular morphology. In the case of polymer-coated Au NPs, we demonstrate that upon NP internalization, cells undergo lysosomal swelling, alterations in mitochondrial morphology, disturbances in actin and tubulin cytoskeleton and associated signaling, and reduction of focal adhesion contact area and number of filopodia. Appropriate imaging and data treatment techniques allow for quantitative analyses of these concentration-dependent changes. Abnormalities in morphology occur at similar (or even lower) NP concentrations as the onset of reduced cellular viability. Cellular morphology is thus an important quantitative indicator to verify harmful effects of NPs to cells, without requiring biochemical assays, but relying on appropriate staining and imaging techniques.status: publishe