Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds contain antioxidants with great benefits for health and are widely used in the food industry. Antioxidants can be degraded by environmental factors, decreasing their biological activity. Their encapsulation in chitosan (CH) particles represents an alternative to protect them and increases their application. The encapsulation efficiency (%EE) of the antioxidants in the CH particles depends on the synthesis conditions. In this study, two methods for encapsulation of chia extract in chitosan particles were evaluated: method A, 0.05% CH in 1% acetic acid was mixed with 0.07% of tripolyphosphate (TPP) and method B, 0.3% CH in 2% acetic acid was mixed with 1% TPP. The results showed that the %EE decreased with the concentration of the extract, and the FTIR analysis suggested that the compounds of the extract were adsorbed on the surface of the particles. Dynamic light scattering and zeta potential analysis showed that the particles of method A are unstable and with a tendency to agglomerate, and the particles of method B are stable. The highest %EE was obtained with 0.2 mg·mL−1 (method A) and 1.0 mg·mL−1 (method B) of the extract. The higher loading capacity (%LC) (16–72%) was exhibited by the particles of method A. The best particle yield (62–69%) was observed for method B. The particles with the extract adsorbed showed antioxidant activity (5–60%) at 25°C; however, in the particles with the extract encapsulated, the activity increased after subjecting to acidic conditions at 40°C due to the breakdown of the particles. The results obtained will allow choosing the appropriate conditions for the synthesis of chitosan particles loaded with chia extracts with specific characteristics (%EE, %LC, size, and type) according to their future applications. The particles could be used in food and pharmaceutical industries and even in edible films for food packaging.

Metabolic syndrome comprises a cluster of diseases like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance, among others. Its treatment is based on lifestyle modification; however, this treatment often fails to improve metabolic syndrome indicators over the long term. In this work, sequences of some representative vegetable proteins were explored to find bioactive peptides with activity toward metabolic disorders of metabolic syndrome. Five proteins, i.e., legumin (chickpea), glutelin type A-2 (chickpea), glutelin type B-2 (rice), prolamin PPROL 17 (maize), and glutelin (rice) revealed a high potential to be effective against metabolic syndrome. We designed and evaluated in silico modifications to their amino acid sequence to release bioactive peptides after simulating gastrointestinal digestion (SGD). The approach presented here allows the design of proteins that could combat metabolic syndrome, for later production and study. In the future, these proteins can be used as functional foods.

Research background. Amaranth flour (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) produces films with excellent barrier properties against water vapor, allowing food preservation, but the mechanical properties are poor versus to synthetic films. One strategy to improve these properties is the incorporation of nanoparticles. The particles can also serve as a vehicle for the addition of antioxidants agents into the films. The objective of this work was to optimize the formulation for preparation of amaranth flour films treated with antioxidant chia (Salvia hispanica L.) extract-loaded chitosan particles using RSM. Experimental approach. Chitosan nanoparticles with the extract were synthesized by ionic gelation, and the films were made by the casting method. Three independent variables were assigned: amaranth flour (4-6 %), glycerol (25-35 %), and chitosan nanoparticles loaded with the chia extract (0-0.75 %). We then evaluated the physical (thickness), mechanical (tensile strength, Young´s modulus, and elongation), barrier (water vapor permeability, moisture, and water solubility), and antioxidant properties of the films. The experimental results of the properties were analyzed using a Box-Behnken experimental design generating 15 runs with three replicates at the central point. Results and conclusions. Second and third order polynomial models were obtained from the ANOVA analysis of the evaluated responses, and high coefficients of determination were found (0.91-1.0). The films presented a water vapor permeability of 0.82-2.39·10-7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2), a tensile strength of 0.33-1.63 MPa, and antioxidant activity of 2.24-5.65 %. The variables had different effects on the films: The glycerol negatively affected their properties, and the permeability values increased with amaranth flour concentration. The nanoparticles improved the mechanical, barrier, and antioxidant properties of the films versus films without nanosystems. The optimal formulation was 4 % amaranth flour, 25 % of glycerol, and 0.36 % of chitosan nanoparticles. The optimized films had better mechanical (1.62 MPa) properties, a low water vapor permeability value (0.91·10-7 (g·mm)/(Pa·s·m2)), and moderate antioxidant activity (6.43 %). Novelty and scientific contribution. The results show the effect of chitosan nanoparticles on the properties of amaranth flour films for the first time. The resulting equations are useful in the design of food packaging.

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