Enhanced Physical and Oxidative Stabilities of Soy Protein-Based Emulsions by Incorporation of a Water-Soluble Stevioside–Resveratrol Complex

To strengthen the effectiveness of resveratrol (RES) as a natural antioxidant in food systems, this work attempted to enhance the water solubility of RES by utilizing the solubilizing properties of stevioside (STE) and investigated the effect of STE-solubilized RES (STE–RES) incorporation on the stability of soy protein isolate (SPI)-based emulsions. The physical properties and oxidative stability of SPI emulsions with STE/STE–RES were evaluated. The water solubility of RES increased with the increase of STE concentration up to its critical micelle concentration, suggesting the solubilization of hydrophobic RES in STE self-assembled micelles. STE micelles competitively adsorbed at the oil–water interface with SPI, forming a mixed SPI and STE interfacial layer, thus resulting in a decrease in particle size and evident enhancement in the physical stability of SPI-based emulsions. After the incorporation of STE–RES, SPI emulsions showed an enhanced oxidative stability with reduced lipid hydroperoxides and volatile hexanal. This improvement was believed to be mainly attributed to the targeted migration of RES to the interface during the adsorption of the STE–RES complex, as evidenced by high interfacial accumulation of RES

Synergistic Foaming and Surface Properties of a Weakly Interacting Mixture of Soy Glycinin and Biosurfactant Stevioside

The adsorption of the mixtures of soy glycinin (11S) with a biosurfactant stevioside (STE) at the air–water interface was studied to understand its relation with foaming properties. A combination of several techniques such as dynamic surface tension, dilatational rheology, fluorescence spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used. In the presence of intermediate STE concentrations (0.25–0.5%), the weak binding of STE with 11S in bulk occurred by hydrophobic interactions, which could induce conformational changes of 11S, as evidenced by fluorescence and ITC. Accordingly, the strong synergy in reducing surface tension and the plateau in surface elasticity for mixed 11S–STE layers formed from the weakly interacting mixtures were clearly observed. This effect could be explained by the complexation with STE, which might facilitate the partial dissociation and further unfolding of 11S upon adsorption, thus enhancing the protein–protein and protein–STE interfacial interactions. These surface properties were positively reflected in foams produced by the weakly interacting system, which exhibited good foaming capacity and considerable stability probably due to better response to external stresses. However, at high STE concentrations (1–2%), as a consequence of the interface dominated by STE due to the preferential adsorption of STE molecules, the surface elasticity of layers dramatically decreased, and the resultant foams became less stable

Stress and anxiety in couples submitted to assisted reproduction.

Este trabalhou avaliou o stress e a ansiedade em 30 casais, que se submeteram à reprodução assistida no momento anterior à coleta dos óvulos e/ou espermatozóides, tendo um tempo de infertilidade que variou de 1 a 17 anos. Para avaliação da ansiedade foi aplicado o STAI-STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY (STAI) e o Stress foi avaliado através do SCOPE-STRESS. No STAI foi acrescentada uma escala visual analógica para medir também a intensidade da ansiedade. A Ficha de Identificação avaliou questões como: idade, sexo, nacionalidade, profissão, ocupação, religião, grau de instrução, renda mensal, estado civil, tempo de casado e questões como: tempo de infertilidade, filhos naturais ou adotivos, profissionais implicados no tratamento, a existência de tentativas anteriores e os momentos de maior tensão emocional nas tentativas anteriores e a atual. Dentre os 36 sujeitos que já haviam feito tentativas anteriores de Reprodução Assistida, um dos três momentos de maior tensão emocional foi o de aguardar a gravidez. Dentre os 60 sujeitos, ou seja, todos os que estão na tentativa atual, aguardar a gravidez foi também um dos três momentos que geraram maior tensão. O diagnóstico de infertilidade foi misto em 33,3% dos casais, apenas feminino em 20% e apenas masculino em 46,7% dos casais. As mulheres apresentaram grau de ansiedade significantemente maior que os homens quanto às escalas Stai-Trait freqüência e intensidade e semelhantes quanto às escalas Stai-State freqüência e intensidade. Não houve diferença significante entre os escores médios dos homens e mulheres quanto às medidas descritivas do Scope-Stress.This work evaluated stress and anxiety in 30 couples submitted to assisted reproduction, with an infertility period that ranged from 1 to 17 years, the moment just before the oocyte retrieval and/or semen sample. For anxiety evaluation the Stai-State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied, and stress was evaluated using the Scope-Stress. While applying STAI, a visual analogic scale was added to measure the intensity of anxiety. The identification form included information such as: age, gender, nationality, profession, occupation, religion, school level, monthly income, marital status, married time and issues such as: infertility period, existence of natural or adoptive children, professionals involved in infertility treatment, existence of previous attempts and the moments of major emotional stress during the previous attempts and during the present one. Among the 36 subjects submitted to previous attempts of Assisted Reproduction, one of the three moments of major emotional stress was the attendance of pregnancy confirmation. Among the all 60 subjects submitted to the present attempt, attendance of pregnancy confirmation also was one of the three moments of major emotional stress. Infertility diagnosis was mixed in 33,3% of the couples, exclusively feminine in 20% and exclusively masculine in 46,7% of the couples. Women presented a significantly higher anxiety degree than men, regarding the STAI-TRAIT scales of frequency and intensity and similar regarding the STAI-STATE scales of frequency and intensity. There was no significant difference between the mean scores of men and women regarding descriptive measures of the SCOPE-STRESS

Facile Synthesis of Gold Nanospheres Modified by Positively Charged Mesoporous Silica, Loaded with Near-Infrared Fluorescent Dye, for in Vivo X‑ray Computed Tomography and Fluorescence Dual Mode Imaging

We developed a simple and efficient method to synthesize a novel probe for both computed tomography (CT) and fluorescence imaging. Gold nanospheres were coated with positively charged mesoporous silica (Au@mSiO₂-TTA) using a one-pot method to cohydrolyze quaternary ammonium silane and tetraethyl orthosilicate. Subsequently, IR-783, a negatively charged and water-soluble near-infrared fluorescent dye, was electrostatically adsorbed into the silica shell. Transmission electron microscopy imaging, X-ray powder diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that Au@mSiO₂-TTA had a clear core–shell structure, was monodisperse, had a large surface area (530 m²/g), and had a uniform pore size (2.2 nm). The mesoporous structure could effectively load fluorescent dye. After loading, the zeta potential of the nanoparticle dropped from 48 mV to 30 mV, and after additional modification with polyvinylpyrrolidone, it further reduced to 6 mV. Probe fluorescence was stable over time, and the probe was an effective CT contrast agent and as a near-infrared fluorescent probe. The half-life of the probe in the blood was 1.5 h, and the probe was mainly distributed in the spleen and liver 4 h after injection. Tissue sections showed that major organs were normal and without visible morphological changes, 6 days post injection, indicating the biocompatibility of the probe

Slowing the Starch Digestion by Structural Modification through Preparing Zein/Pectin Particle Stabilized Water-in-Water Emulsion

Slowing the digestion of starch is one of the dominant concerns in the food industry. A colloidal structural modification strategy for solving this problem was proposed in this work. Due to thermodynamic incompatibility between two biopolymers, water/water emulsion of waxy corn starch (WCS) droplets dispersed in a continuous aqueous guar gum (GG) was prepared, and zein particles (ZPs), obtained by antisolvent precipitation and pectin modification, were used as stabilizer. As the ratio of zein to pectin in the particles was 1:1, their wetting properties in the two polysaccharides were similar, which made them accumulate at the interface and cover the WCS-rich droplets. The analysis of digestibility curves indicated that a rapid (rate constant <i>k</i>₁: 0.145 min^–1) and a slow phase (<i>k</i>₂: 0.022 min^–1) existed during WCS digestion. However, only one slow phase (<i>k</i>₂: 0.019 min^–1) was found in the WCS/GG emulsion, suggesting that this structure was effective in slowing starch digestion

Development of Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Gliadin/Proanthocyanidins Hybrid Particles (GPHPs) and the Fate of Lipid Oxidation and Digestion

This work attempted to engineer emulsions’ interface using the special affinity between proline-rich gliadin and proanthocyanidins (PA), to develop surfactant-free antioxidant Pickering emulsions with digestive-resistant properties. This binding interaction between gliadin and PA benefited the interfacial adsorption of the particles to corn oil droplets. Pickering droplets as building units assembled into an interconnected three-dimensional network structure, giving the emulsions viscoelasticity and ultrastability. Oxidative markers in Pickering emulsions were periodically monitored under thermally accelerated storage. Lipid digestion and oxidation fates were characterized using in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) models. The interfacial membrane constructed by antioxidant particles served as a valid barrier against lipid oxidation and digestion, in a PA dose-dependent manner. Briefly, lipid oxidation under storage and simulated GI tract was retarded. Free fatty acid (FFA) fraction released decreased by 55% from 87.9% (bulk oil) to 39.5% (Pickering emulsion), implying engineering interfacial architecture potentially benefited to fight obesity. This study opens a facile strategy to tune lipid oxidation and digestion profiles through the cooperation of the Pickering principle and the interfacial delivery of antioxidants

The Self-Evaluation of a School. The Function, Role and Responsibilities of School Leadership when Creating Evaluation Methods

Centrum školského managementuFaculty of EducationPedagogická fakult

Protein-Based Pickering Emulsion and Oil Gel Prepared by Complexes of Zein Colloidal Particles and Stearate

This paper describes the successful preparation of a protein-based Pickering emulsion, with superior stability against both coalesence and creaming, through a novel strategy of facilitating the formation of protein particles and small molecular weight surfactant complexes; these complexes are able to overcome multiple challenges including limited solubility, poor diffusive mobility, and low interfacial loading. Soluble complexes of water-insoluble corn protein, zein colloidal particles, and surfactant sodium stearate (SS) were fabricated by simple ultrasonication. Gel trapping technology combined with SEM was applied to characterize the adsorbed particles monolayer at the oil–water interface; results revealed an enhanced adsorption and targeted accumulation of zein particles at the interface with the increase of SS concentration. Partial unfolding of zein particles modified by SS above its critical complexation concentration triggered the aggregation and close packing of particles at the oil–water interface and endowed a steric barrier against the coalescence of oil droplets. Moreover, protein-based oil gels without oil leakage were obtained by one-step freeze-drying of the zein-stabilized Pickering emulsions, which could be developed to a viable strategy for structuring liquid oils into semisolid fats without the use of saturated or <i>trans</i> fats

MOESM3 of A multifunctional targeting probe with dual-mode imaging and photothermal therapy used in vivo

Additional file 3 Video of in vivo PAI of same part of tumor on the nude mouse under 523 nm laser excitation

In Vivo Computed Tomography/Photoacoustic Imaging and NIR-Triggered Chemo–Photothermal Combined Therapy Based on a Gold Nanostar‑, Mesoporous Silica‑, and Thermosensitive Liposome-Composited Nanoprobe

Safe multifunctional nanoplatforms that have multiple therapeutic functions integrated with imaging capabilities are highly desired for biomedical applications. In this paper, targeted chemo–photothermal synergistic therapy and photoacoustic/computed tomography imaging of tumors were achieved by one novel multifunctional nanoprobe (GMS/DOX@SLB-FA); it was composed of a gold nanostar core and a doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded mesoporous silica shell (GMS), which was coated with a folic acid (FA)-modified thermosensitively supported lipid bilayer (SLB-FA) as a gatekeeper. The multifunctional probe had perfect dispersion and stability; 2.1 nm mesoporous pores and 208 nm hydration particle sizes were obtained. In vitro studies indicated that the drug-loaded probe had excellent ability to control the release of DOX, with 71.98 ± 2.52% cumulative release after laser irradiation, which was significantly higher than that of unirradiated control group. A survival rate of 72.75 ± 4.37% of HeLa cells at 57.75 μg/mL probe also demonstrated the low cytotoxicity of the targeted probe. Both in vitro and in vivo results showed that the probe could achieve targeted photoacoustic imaging of tumors because of the fact that the FA-modified probe could specifically recognize the overexpressed FA receptors on tumor cells; meanwhile, the probe could also achieve the chemo–photothermal synergistic therapy of tumors through controlling the drug release from mesoporous channels by a near-infrared laser. Therefore, the probe had great potential in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer