Nanoencapsulation is defined as a technology to pack substances in miniature making use of techniques such as nanocomposite, nanoemulsification, and nanoestructuration. It provides final product functionality (including controlled release of the core) which is expected to be maintained during storage. Within the food engineering field, protection of bioactive compounds such as vitamins, antioxidants, proteins, and lipids as well as carbohydrates may be achieved using this technique for the production of functional foods with enhanced functionality and stability. In this paper, the different techniques that have been developed for the production of nanocapsules are discussed, and examples of their application are provided including regulatory aspects on products of nanotechnology. Also, it is illustrated a proposal of classification and characterization of the different structural arrangements of core-shell materials in nanoencapsulates composites found in the literature.
β-sitosterol β-d-glucoside (BSSG) was extracted from “piña” of the Agave angustifolia Haw plant by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) with a KOH solution such as a catalyst and a conventional maceration method to determine the best technique in terms of yield, extraction time, and recovery. The quantification and characterization of BSSG were done by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and high-performance liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization−mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). With an extraction time of 5 s by MAE, a higher amount of BSSG (124.76 mg of β-sitosterol β-d-glucoside/g dry weight of the extract) than those for MAE extraction times of 10 and 15 s (106.19 and 103.97 mg/g dry weight respectively) was shown. The quantification of BSSG in the extract obtained by 48 h of conventional maceration was about 4–5 times less (26.67 mg/g dry weight of the extract) than the yields reached by the MAE treatments. MAE achieved the highest amount of BSSG, in the shortest extraction time while preserving the integrity of the compound’s structure.
A new method to prepare glycerol/gelatin based films, by doping the film with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was proposed. SDS was used to disperse CNTs in gelatin/glycerol films as follows: gelatin/glycerol (GG) incubated with equal concentrations of CNT and SDS; GG with 0.001% w/w CNT/SDS; GG with 0.002% CNT/SDS and GG with 0.004% CNT/SDS. Diffractograms of CNT/SDS /glycerol films showed an amorphous structure, being consistent with thermograms involving temperature and fusion enthalpy. Mechanical tests showed 30% increase in elongation at break of GG with 0.004% CNT/SDS, with respect to gelatin/glycerol/SDS control. Samples with CNT had increased water vapor permeability (WVP). The film fractal dimension indicated that, with the addition of the highest concentration of CNT, films with a homogeneous surface were obtained, with probable nanotube inclusion in the protein matrix. According to the results, the easy method used to prepare gelatin composite materials gave place to films with better physical, mechanical, and thermal properties.
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