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Curcumin is the main curcuminoid found in turmeric rhizomes and is a strong candidate to formulate foodstuff with specific properties. Among various bioactive properties of curcumin, its antiinflammatory activity is remarkable; on the other hand, its low water solubility leads to low absorption. Thus, new formulations need to be developed to improve its efficacy, and encapsulation is a promising alternative strategy in this regard. The objective of the present study was to obtain curcumin-loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanoparticles and evaluate their acute in vivo antiinflammatory activity. Nanoparticles were obtained by complexation using the solid dispersion technique, and the characterization of nanoparticles showed that curcumin and PVP formed an amorphous solid solution. Encapsulated curcumin was colloidally stable in distilled water; this was attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds between curcumin hydroxyl and PVP carbonyl groups. Rats were treated orally with single doses of curcumin and curcumin-loaded PVP nanoparticles, and antiinflammatory activity was evaluated by an experimental model of carrageenan-induced paw edema, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and microcirculation in situ. Treatment with nanoparticles at 12.5 mg kg significantly reduced the intensity of edema and MPO activity, whereas pure curcumin only presented a significant effect at 400 mg kg. Curcumin inhibited cell migration since rolling and adherent leukocytes were significantly reduced using nanoparticles at 50 mg kg and curcumin at 400 mg kg. Compared to free curcumin, encapsulated curcumin was effective at lower doses; this might be due to the improved water affinity and colloidal stability of curcumin nanoparticles.

Nontoxic conserving agents are in demand by the food industry due to consumers concern about synthetic conservatives, especially in minimally processed food. The antimicrobial activity of curcumin, a natural phenolic compound, has been extensively investigated but hydrophobicity is an issue when applying curcumin to foodstuff. The objective of this work was to evaluate curcumin microcrystals as an antimicrobial agent in minimally processed carrots. The antimicrobial activity of curcumin microcrystals was evaluated in vitro against Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) microorganisms, showing a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentration compared to in natura, pristine curcumin. Curcumin microcrystals were effective in inhibiting psychrotrophic and mesophile microorganisms in minimally processed carrots. Sensory analyses were carried out showing no significant difference (p < 0.05) between curcumin microcrystal-treated carrots and non-treated carrots in triangular and tetrahedral discriminative tests. Sensory tests also showed that curcumin microcrystals could be added as a natural preservative in minimally processed carrots without causing noticeable differences that could be detected by the consumer. One may conclude that the analyses of the minimally processed carrots demonstrated that curcumin microcrystals are a suitable natural compound to inhibit the natural microbiota of carrots from a statistical point of view.

In the present work, poly (lactic acid)/thermoplastic starch/gelatin sheets were produced by calendering–extrusion process and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs, synthesized by chemical reduction with d‐glucose), were incorporated at sheet surfaces to promote antimicrobial activity. A gelatin solution containing AgNPs was enzymatically crosslinked as a layer at sheets surface using transglutaminase. AgNPs presented 63 nm (z average size) and spherical shape (scanning electron microscopy, SEM) while morphology analysis showed that sheets presented internal porosity. Mechanical properties (Young modulus, elongation at break, and tensile strength) and water vapor permeability presented significant difference in function of gelatin amount added to sheets formulation due to increased internal porosity. Antimicrobial activity was demonstrated against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the AGNPs solution as well as for the surface treated films. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43039.

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Brewer’s spent yeast (BSY) Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been currently explored as a bio-vehicle for encapsulation of bioactive compounds and as a delivery system. The main objectives of this work were...

Curcuminoids found in turmeric have attracted attention due to their remarkable biological activity. Nanoencapsulation may improve their technological properties, but extraction and encapsulation procedures could be time-consuming and expensive when carried out separately. This work aimed to combine extraction and nanoencapsulation steps to obtain curcuminoids-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanoparticles directly from plant rhizomes. This single-step procedure was evaluated by a Rotatable Central Composite Design (RCCD) and optimized using desirability functions, resulting in the optimal conditions of temperature (29.9°C), ethanol (99%), and PVP (15.38 mg). Nanoencapsulation allowed curcuminoids to exert scavenging activity against superoxide anions donors and hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous medium, despite their poor water solubility. Curcuminoids-PVP nanoparticles could be used to formulate nutraceutical foods as an adjuvant to the endogenous antioxidant defense systems protecting against cellular damage. Practical application: Simultaneous extraction and nanoencapsulation of curcuminoids from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) was studied in this work. The combination of two processes in one single step reduces production time and costs, enhancing the feasibility of curcuminoids microparticles application into foodstuff. Moreover, since most foodstuff presents water in their composition, increase of curcuminoids water dispersibility could facilitate their incorporation into food matrices and improve the use of their health benefits, as results from this research demonstrated that encapsulated curcuminoids were able to scavenge reactive oxygen species in aqueous medium, even though they are lipophilic compounds.