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Delivery Systems for Functional Food: Micro-/Nano- Emulsions, Capsules and Fibers
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Delivery Systems for Functional Food: Micro-/Nano- Emulsions, Capsules and Fibers

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2023) | Viewed by 9989

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yue Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: food macromolecules; food physical chemistry; food nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ruojun Mu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: polysaccharides; food colloids and interfaces; food oral processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Improving the stability and bioavailability of nutrients and bioactive food components to fulfil the demand of functional food development is now a trend in food science and technology. Delivery systems are such promising micro-/nano- structures that they can protect sensitive food nutrients and bioactive components during processing, storage and digestion, and/or release them in a controlled manner. As an effective strategy, delivery system has long been investigated in designing functional foods and intelligent packaging, in different micro-/nano- forms such as emulsions, capsules, and fibers. However, the development of delivery system with low cost, high stability, eco-friendly and safe to consume continues to be a challenge. The utilization of traditional synthesized polymers and food additives are step-down due to the safety and environmental concerns. Natural biopolymer-based encapsulants (proteins, polysaccharides, etc.) are normally unstable in specific food processing conditions (high temperature, low pH, etc.). In this regard, there are many new technologies applied to develop stable delivery systems, such as micro-/nano-emulsification, self-assembly, electro-spinning (-spraying), micro-/nano-fluidics. However, many of them are costly and difficult for industrialization, or very critical on the choice of materials, the ratios and approaches. In addition, there is a need for detailed investigation on the controlled dissolution and diffusion mechanisms of delivery systems, and their interactions with other components in foods.

Therefore, the main aim of this Special Issue is to present new approaches and achievements, dedicated to exploring innovative micro-/nano- emulsions, capsules, and fibers as delivery systems, developing new and economic techniques to fabricate and characterize them, as well as producing applicable functional foods with these delicate micro/nanostructures.

Prof. Dr. Yue Zhang
Dr. Ruojun Mu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • delivery systems 
  • emulsions 
  • micro-/nano- fibers 
  • nanoparticles 
  • functional foods 
  • micro-/nano- encapsulation 
  • microfluidics

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3170 KiB  
Article
Electrospray-Assisted Fabrication of Dextran–Whey Protein Isolation Microcapsules for the Encapsulation of Selenium-Enriched Peptide
by Jiangling He, Zhenyu Wang, Lingfeng Wei, Yuanyuan Ye, Zia-ud Din, Jiaojiao Zhou, Xin Cong, Shuiyuan Cheng and Jie Cai
Foods 2023, 12(5), 1008; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods12051008 - 27 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1968
Abstract
Selenium-enriched peptide (SP, selenopeptide) is an excellent organic selenium supplement that has attracted increasing attention due to its superior physiological effects. In this study, dextran–whey protein isolation–SP (DX-WPI-SP) microcapsules were fabricated via high-voltage electrospraying technology. The results of preparation process optimization showed that [...] Read more.
Selenium-enriched peptide (SP, selenopeptide) is an excellent organic selenium supplement that has attracted increasing attention due to its superior physiological effects. In this study, dextran–whey protein isolation–SP (DX-WPI-SP) microcapsules were fabricated via high-voltage electrospraying technology. The results of preparation process optimization showed that the optimized preparation process parameters were 6% DX (w/v), feeding rate Q = 1 mL/h, voltage U = 15 kV, and receiving distance H = 15 cm. When the content of WPI (w/v) was 4–8%, the average diameter of the as-prepared microcapsules was no more than 45 μm, and the loading rate for SP ranged from ~46% to ~37%. The DX-WPI-SP microcapsules displayed excellent antioxidant capacity. The thermal stability of the microencapsulated SP was improved, which was attributed to the protective effects of the wall materials for SP. The release performance was investigated to disclose the sustained-release capacity of the carrier under different pH values and an in-vitro-simulated digestion environment. The digested microcapsule solution showed negligible influence on the cellular cytotoxicity of Caco-2 cells. Overall, our work provides a facile strategy of electrospraying microcapsules for the functional encapsulation of SP and witnesses a broad prospect that the DX-WPI-SP microcapsules can exhibit great potential in the food processing field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Delivery Systems for Functional Food: Micro-/Nano- Emulsions, Capsules and Fibers)
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15 pages, 3539 KiB  
Article
Effect of Ionic and Non-Ionic Surfactants on the Pasting Characteristics and Digestive Properties of Regular and Frozen Starch for Oral Delivery
by Yan-Bin Tan, Jie-Ying Wei, Yi-Fan Tang, Yu-Tong Ye, Lei Wang, Li-Jun Yang and Zhong-Xiu Chen
Foods 2022, 11(21), 3395; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11213395 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1364
Abstract
Starch is an ideal wall material for controlled release in oral delivery systems due to its non-allergic properties, availability, and cheap price. However, because of its poor mechanical behavior and high water permeability, it is necessary to modify the amphiphilic nature of starch. [...] Read more.
Starch is an ideal wall material for controlled release in oral delivery systems due to its non-allergic properties, availability, and cheap price. However, because of its poor mechanical behavior and high water permeability, it is necessary to modify the amphiphilic nature of starch. Surfactants are essential components to emulsify the lyophobic food ingredients. However, the interaction of starch with emulsifiers and how they affect the pasting behavior and digestion of starch are not well understood. In this paper, surfactants, such as non-ionic Tween (TW) and ionic sodium fatty acid (NaFA), with varying hydrophobic carbon chain lengths, were selected as model amphiphiles to investigate the structural, pasting, rheological properties and in vitro digestibility of regular and frozen starch samples. The results showed that, in most cases, the addition of TW reduced the viscosity of starch. However, saturated medium-chain NaFA increased the starch viscosity and rheological modulus greatly. Both surfactants inhibited starch digestion. This paper presents a comparative investigation on the effect of ionic and non-ionic surfactant on the structure and properties of corn starch, and therefore the information is useful for structural-based formulation with starch for developing colloidal delivery systems. It is also helpful for developing functional food with controllable digestion properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Delivery Systems for Functional Food: Micro-/Nano- Emulsions, Capsules and Fibers)
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13 pages, 10955 KiB  
Article
Effect of Cationic Modified Microcrystalline Cellulose on the Emulsifying Properties and Water/Oil Interface Behavior of Soybean Protein Isolate
by Yunsi Guo, Sirui Feng, Zhangpeng Li, Minghao Jiang, Zile Xiao, Lichun Chen and Yue Zhang
Foods 2022, 11(19), 3100; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11193100 - 5 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1397
Abstract
Stabilizing emulsion using complex biopolymers is a common strategy. It would be very interesting to characterize the impact of charge density on the emulsifying properties of complex polyelectrolytes carrying opposite charges. In this study, cationic modified microcrystalline celluloses (CMCC) of different charge densities [...] Read more.
Stabilizing emulsion using complex biopolymers is a common strategy. It would be very interesting to characterize the impact of charge density on the emulsifying properties of complex polyelectrolytes carrying opposite charges. In this study, cationic modified microcrystalline celluloses (CMCC) of different charge densities were prepared and mixed with soy protein isolate (SPI) for emulsion applications. CMCC-1 to 3 with various cationic charge values were successfully prepared as characterized by zeta-potential and FTIR. The positive charge density’s effects on solubility, thermogravimetric properties, and rheological properties were studied. Complexes of SPI-CMCC with various zeta-potential values were then obtained and used to stabilize soybean oil emulsions. The results show that emulsions stabilized by complexes of SPI and CMCC-3 at a ratio of 1:3 had the best emulsification ability and stability. However, the interfacial tension-reducing ability of complexes decreased continuously with increasing cationic charge value, while the rheological results show that complexes of SPI-CMCC-3 at a ratio of 1:3 formed a stronger viscoelastic network than other complexes. Our results indicate that this SPI-CMCC complex formula showed excellent emulsification performance, which could be adjusted and promoted by changing the charge density. This complex formula is promising for fabrication of emulsion-based food and cosmetic products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Delivery Systems for Functional Food: Micro-/Nano- Emulsions, Capsules and Fibers)
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16 pages, 4988 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Oxidized Starch/β-Lactoglobulin Complex Particles Using Microfluidic Chip for the Stabilization of Astaxanthin Emulsion
by Tianxing Wang, Lulu Zhang, Ling Chen and Xiaoxi Li
Foods 2022, 11(19), 3078; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11193078 - 4 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1810
Abstract
Here, we designed an oxidized starch/β-lactoglobulin (OS/β-lg) complex colloidal particle using a dual-channel microfluidic chip for the stabilization of astaxanthin emulsion. The effect of the mixing ratio, pH, and the degree of substitution (DS) of the oxidized starch on the formation of OS/β-lg [...] Read more.
Here, we designed an oxidized starch/β-lactoglobulin (OS/β-lg) complex colloidal particle using a dual-channel microfluidic chip for the stabilization of astaxanthin emulsion. The effect of the mixing ratio, pH, and the degree of substitution (DS) of the oxidized starch on the formation of OS/β-lg complex particles was investigated in detail. The optimal complexation occurred at a pH of 3.6, a mixing ratio of 2:10, and a DS of 0.72%, giving an ideal colloidal particle with near-neutral wettability. With this optimum agent, the astaxanthin-loaded oil-in-water emulsions were successfully prepared. The obtained emulsions showed the typical non-Newton fluid behavior, and the rheological data met the Herschel–Bulkley model. The microscopic images confirmed the dense adsorption of the particle on the oil/water interface. In vitro release and stability studies demonstrated this compact layer contributed to the controlled-release and excellent stability of astaxanthin emulsions facing heat, ultraviolet, and oxidative intervention. This work suggests the potential of microfluidics for the production of food-grade solid emulsifiers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Delivery Systems for Functional Food: Micro-/Nano- Emulsions, Capsules and Fibers)
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Review

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15 pages, 2406 KiB  
Review
Alginate Based Core–Shell Capsules Production through Coextrusion Methods: Recent Applications
by Chanez Bennacef, Stéphane Desobry, Laurent Probst and Sylvie Desobry-Banon
Foods 2023, 12(9), 1788; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods12091788 - 25 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2613
Abstract
Encapsulation is used in various industries to protect active molecules and control the release of the encapsulated materials. One of the structures that can be obtained using coextrusion encapsulation methods is the core–shell capsule. This review focuses on coextrusion encapsulation applications for the [...] Read more.
Encapsulation is used in various industries to protect active molecules and control the release of the encapsulated materials. One of the structures that can be obtained using coextrusion encapsulation methods is the core–shell capsule. This review focuses on coextrusion encapsulation applications for the preservation of oils and essential oils, probiotics, and other bioactives. This technology isolates actives from the external environment, enhances their stability, and allows their controlled release. Coextrusion offers a valuable means of preserving active molecules by reducing oxidation processes, limiting the evaporation of volatile compounds, isolating some nutrients or drugs with undesired taste, or stabilizing probiotics to increase their shelf life. Being environmentally friendly, coextrusion offers significant application opportunities for the pharmaceutical, food, and agriculture sectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Delivery Systems for Functional Food: Micro-/Nano- Emulsions, Capsules and Fibers)
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