Antioxidants interact with free radicals, terminating the adverse chain reactions and converting them to harmless products. Antioxidants thus minimize the oxidative stress and play a crucial role in the treatment of free radicals-induced diseases. However, the effectiveness of natural and/or synthetic antioxidants is limited due to their poor absorption, difficulties to cross the cell membranes, and degradation during delivery, hence contributing to their limited bioavailability. To address these issues, antioxidants covalently linked with nanoparticles, entrapped in nanogel, hollow particles, or encapsulated into nanoparticles of diverse origin have been used to provide better stability, gradual and sustained release, biocompatibility, and targeted delivery of the antioxidants with superior antioxidant profiles. This review aims to critically evaluate the recent scientific evaluations of nanoparticles as the antioxidant delivery vehicles, as well as their contribution in efficient and enhanced antioxidant activities.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) is a virus native to giant freshwater prawn. Recombinant MrNV capsid protein has been produced in Escherichia coli, which self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs). However, this recombinant protein is unstable, degrading and forming heterogenous VLPs. In this study, MrNV capsid protein was produced in insect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells through a baculovirus system. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the recombinant protein produced by the insect cells self-assembled into highly stable, homogenous VLPs each of approximately 40 nm in diameter. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were highly antigenic and comparable to those produced in E. coli. In addition, the Sf9 produced VLPs were highly stable across a wide pH range (2-12). Interestingly, the Sf9 produced VLPs contained DNA of approximately 48 kilo base pairs and RNA molecules. This study is the first report on the production and characterization of MrNV VLPs produced in a eukaryotic system. The MrNV VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were about 10 nm bigger and had a uniform morphology compared with the VLPs produced in E. coli. The insect cell production system provides a good source of MrNV VLPs for structural and immunological studies as well as for host-pathogen interaction studies. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:549-557, 2017.

The exploitation of wild fisheries has driven the seafood industry to develop more sustainable resources and high-intensity aquaculture. However, high-density aquaculture is prone to outbreaks of diseases. The use of chemicals and antimicrobial drugs in aquaculture is common practice, but such chemicals can have serious detrimental environmental impacts and antibiotics may result in bacterial resistance in many species. The development of non-antibiotic and green strategies, such as using probiotics and immunostimulants, aims for a more sustainable practice for health maintenance in aquaculture. Although the efficacy of such strategies has been demonstrated in cultivations settings, the effective delivery of bioactives remains a challenge. Conventional delivery methods are often ineffective in terms of dosage, stability and species specificity, and can possibly cause widespread environmental contamination. However, recently developed drug delivery systems may provide innovative ways to improve delivery with minimal waste and improved environmental protection. Indeed, such cutting-edge drug delivery systems have already provided measurable benefits in human medicine over the past two decades. New technologies, such as encapsulation and controlled release systems, can be used readily in scaled-up operations to improve the delivery of bioactives and ultimately increase production and profitability in aquaculture. This review critically analyses the use of encapsulation technology with a focus on microparticles for delivery of bioactive agents to farmed aquatic animals. This review discusses various potential encapsulation materials, their properties and a range of methods that can be applied and scaled-up for aquaculture. Finally, practical considerations for designing an efficient delivery system for aquaculture are discussed.

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