Gholamreza Askari

Background/Objectives: Alginate-based rafts are typically used for antacids and provide a floating, gastric-retaining gel in the stomach that acts as a barrier to the entrance of stomach acid into the esophagus. Various technologies have been developed to enhance the sustained release of drugs and bioactive components and overcome challenges associated with gastric retention. Modern methods, such as the alginate raft, not only function as an antacid in gastroesophageal reflux disease but also can serve as a delivery system that extends the drug release time in gastric medium. This study assessed the effects of biocompatible natural polymers, such as Plantago major mucilage (PMM), on raft formation instead of synthetic polymers, such as Carbomer. Methods: PMM was substituted in the raft formulation at concentrations of 0.5% and 1%. The formed rafts were analyzed for their physicochemical, mechanical, and structural properties. To evaluate the sustained release potential of the optimized raft formulation, the aqueous extract of Artemisia annua L. was incorporated into coconut protein nanoparticles and loaded into the optimized raft at three different concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 3%. Results: The rafts formulated with PMM 0.5% revealed excellent stability of the suspension, as well as improved physicochemical properties of the developed rafts compared to the raft that included Carbomer. The results illustrated that the inclusion of PMM in the raft system enhances antacid capacity, swelling percentage, resilience time, strength, and a stiffer gel with a higher G′. Conclusions: The optimized PMM raft was able to prolong the in vitro release of phenolic extracts and reach the cumulative release of less than 30% after 6 h.

Background/Objectives: Curcumin (Cur) has various biological properties, including anti-microbial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anticarcinogenic, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, using Cur in functional food products is challenging because of its low solubility in an aqueous environment, rapid degradation, and low bioavailability. Nanostructure delivery systems provide a high surface area to volume ratio and sustainable release properties. Methods: Coconut protein nanoparticles (CPNPs) have been fabricated through heat treatment at 85 °C and pH 2 for 5 h. The formation of CPNP-Cur was used to improve Cur solubility, followed by antioxidant activity at neutral pH in an aqueous solution. Results: The maximum efficiency and loading capacity of Cur in CPNP were 96.6% and 19.32 µg/mg protein, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy indicated the spherical and organized shape of CPNP with a small size of 80 nm. The fluorescence quenching of CPNP-Cur confirmed the potential of Cur to bind to the tryptophane and tyrosine residues in CPNP. The structural properties of CPNP and CPNP-Cur were investigated using FTIR and X-ray diffraction. The antioxidant activity of samples, measured with the ABTS radical scavenging method, demonstrated that the antioxidant capacity of the aqueous solution of Cur was significantly enhanced through the encapsulation into CPNP. The steady release of Cur was observed in the simulated gastrointestinal tract, and the percentage of the cumulative release increased up to 29.2% after 4 h. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that CPNP was a suitable nanocarrier for Cur due to improved antioxidant activity and controlled release behavior. These results are valuable for the development of coconut protein nanoparticles to use as a novel nano-delivery system of bioactive components.

An extraction process was used to obtain a protein isolate from black peas through alkaline solubilization, followed by acid precipitation at the isoelectric point. Zeta potential measurement showed that the isoelectric point of the black pea protein isolate (BPPI) was within the range of 4.3–4.5 mV. The protein content of the obtained isolate was determined to be 88.59%. Further analysis of the extracted protein was conducted to evaluate its physicochemical characteristics, selected functional properties, and amino acid composition, aiming to explore its potential applications in food systems. The obtained isolate exhibited a well‐balanced combination of essential amino acids in accordance with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) pattern. The primary elements of BPPI were determined as the 7S and 11S globulins. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement showed a slightly lower T _d value (61.5°C) for the obtained isolate. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy results revealed that the unordered structures (Unordered coil+Turn) were the main secondary structure of BPPI. The chosen functional properties related to emulsification and foaming were also evaluated.