Seal Blubber Oil and Its Nutraceutical Products

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are a waste product with no relevant commercial value. However, SCGs are rich in extractable compounds with biological activity. To add value to this coffee byproduct, water and aqueous solutions of cholinium-based ionic liquids (ILs) were studied to extract caffeine from SCGs. In general, all IL aqueous solutions lead to higher extraction efficiencies of caffeine than pure water, with aqueous solutions of cholinium bicarbonate being the most efficient. A factorial planning was applied to optimize operational conditions. Aqueous solutions of cholinium bicarbonate, at a temperature of 80 °C for 30 min of extraction, a biomass–solvent weight ratio of 0.05 and at an IL concentration of 1.5 M, made it possible to extract 3.29 wt% of caffeine (against 1.50 wt% obtained at the best conditions obtained with pure water). Furthermore, to improve the sustainability of the process, the same IL aqueous solution was consecutively applied to extract caffeine from six samples of fresh biomass, where an increase in the extraction yield from 3.29 to 13.10 wt% was achieved. Finally, the cholinium bicarbonate was converted to cholinium chloride by titration with hydrochloric acid envisioning the direct application of the IL-caffeine extract in food, cosmetic and nutraceutical products. The results obtained prove that aqueous solutions of cholinium-based ILs are improved solvents for the extraction of caffeine from SCGs, paving the way for their use in the valorization of other waste rich in high-value compounds.

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Penetapan Standard bagi Industri Nutraseutikal di Malaysia: Melindungi Hak Pengguna

Kanun: Jurnal Undang-undang Malaysia ◽

10.37052/kanun.32(2)no1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 177-194

Author(s):

Sahida Safuan ◽

◽

Suzi Fadhilah Ismail ◽

Ida Madieha Abdul Ghani Azmi ◽

Mahyuddin Daud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Standard Procedure ◽

Regulatory Agencies ◽

Group Discussions ◽

Contract Manufacturing ◽

Minimum Capital ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Long Run ◽

Standard Procedures ◽

Specific Standard ◽

Nutraceutical Products

The growing consciousness among consumers of the importance of health has resulted in the mushrooming of various nutraceutical products in the market. This rapid growth has created the opportunity for nutraceuticals manufacturers to take advantage of producing and marketing those products via contract manufacturing. Contract manufacturing allows anyone to own a product with minimum capital without the need to have certain expertise or even adequate knowledge or skills concerning the science behind the nutraceutical products. The issue that arises is the absence of proper regulations that control the production of nutraceutical products. In Malaysia, nutraceuticals can be regulated by different regulatory agencies depending on their classification. This creates a double standard as different agencies have different standard procedures that govern the product. This paper analyses the issue pertaining to the development of nutraceutical products through contract manufacturing, and seeks to propose that there is a real need to have a specific, standard procedure to safeguard and protect consumer interest in the long run. The study was conducted through content analysis of various literatures, as well as focus group discussions with relevant authorities.

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Nanocrystals as Tool to Enhance Stigmasterol Oral Bioavailability

Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology ◽

10.1166/jnn.2021.19046 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 2946-2948

Author(s):

Rosa Pireddu ◽

Chiara Sinico ◽

Guido Ennas ◽

Donatella Valenti ◽

Francesca Marongiu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Solubility ◽

Biological Fluids ◽

Raw Material ◽

Spectroscopic Techniques ◽

Particle Size Reduction ◽

Promising Candidate ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Intestinal Fluids ◽

Effect Of Particle Size ◽

Nutraceutical Products

Phytosterols are sterols naturally occurring in plant cells and well known for their cholesterollowering activity, as witnessed by the large number of food supplements based on these functional ingredients available on the market. However, the marked hydrophobic character of phytosterols makes their solubility in biological fluids extremely low, with disadvantageous consequences on the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. In this work, we explore the effect of particle size reduction on the water solubility of stigmasterol, one of the most abundant phytosterols, through the formulation of nanocystals. A robust, top-down production process was employed to prepare stigmasterol nanocrystals, subsequently characterized by thermal and spectroscopic techniques. When formulated as nanocrystals, the solubility of stigmasterol in water and in simulated gastro-intestinal fluids was boosted compared to the raw material. The increased solubility of stigmasterol nanocrystals makes such formulation a promising candidate for the development of medicinal/nutraceutical products with enhanced bioavailability.

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