Preparation and preliminary quality evaluation of aspirin/L-glutamate compound pellets

L-glutamate is an important component of protein. It can prevent gastrointestinal damage caused by NSAIDs. We constructed two-phase enteric-coated granules of aspirin and L-glutamate compound by extrusion spheronization method and fluidized bed coating. The subliminal effective dose of L-glutamate is 100 mg/kg tested by model of gastric ulcer of rats induced by aspirin and drug administration. HPLC-UV and UV–Vis methods were adopted to determine content and cumulative release of aspirin and L-glutamate as quality analysis method indexes. The prescription and process optimization were carried out with yield, sphericity and dissolution. The two-phase compound granules have good sphericity of 0.93 ± 0.05 (aspirin pellets) and 0.94 ± 0.02 (L-glutamate pellets), content of salicylic acid (0.24 ± 0.03)%, dissolution of aspirin (2.36 ± 0.11)%. Quality evaluation and preliminary stability meet the commercial requirements. The stored environment of compound preparation should be sealed in a cool and dark place.

Survivability of Lactobacillus acidophilus and quality attributes of puffed pounded-unripe rice supplemented with probiotics using a fluidized-bed coating method

Value-added breakfast cereals are receiving increased interest due to changes in lifestyles and modern trends of health awareness among consumers. Among various cereal grains, puffed pounded-unripe rice (PPUR) was chosen because of its excellent health beneficial properties. Feasibility of supplementing the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA5) into PPUR was investigated using a fluidized-bed coating method. Suitable fermentation conditions were tested based on a pH criterion of 4.5. Three types of cell host solutions as sucrose, skim milk and maltodextrin were examined as suitable carriers, and optimal coating condition was determined. Product qualities were evaluated for stability. Results showed that milk fermented for 24 hrs gave the highest viable cell count of approximately 109 to 1010 CFU/mL when optimally mixed with distilled water at milk: water ratio of 45:105. Skim milk was determined as the most suitable host giving the highest retention of LA5 cell count. Coating condition at a feed rate of 10 mL/min, coating time of 5 mins and constant temperature at 50°C gave the highest survival rates of LA5. Moisture contents and water activity (aw) values of all coated products ranged from 3.38-3.72% wb and 0.201-0.232, respectively. Regarding textural properties, coated PPUR showed increased hardness and crispiness compared with uncoated samples, while the variation of coating conditions had no significant effects. Dynamic changes in viable LA5 cell count, textural properties, aw, peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid values fitted well with various kinetic orders. Findings indicated the feasibility of adding probiotics to dry products associated with suitable coating solution and offered guidance for product development and process design.

Microencapsulation Delivery System in Food Industry—Challenge and the Way Forward

Microencapsulation is a promising technique, which provides core materials with protective barrier, good stability, controlled release, and targeting delivery. Compared with the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and textile industries, food processing has higher requirements for safety and hygiene and calls for quality and nutrition maintenance. This paper reviews the widely used polymers as microcapsule wall materials and the application in different food products, including plant-derived food, animal-derived food, and additives. Also, common preparation technologies (emphasizing advantages and disadvantages), including spray-drying, emulsification, freeze-drying, coacervation, layer-by-layer, extrusion, supercritical, fluidized bed coating, electrospray, solvent evaporation, nanocapsule preparation, and their correlation with selected wall materials in recent 10 years are presented. Personalized design and cheap, efficient, and eco-friendly preparation of microcapsules are urgently required to meet the needs of different processing or storage environments. Moreover, this review may provide a reference for the microencapsulation research interests and development on future exploration.