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The food of the future aims to offer several essential qualities: i) environmental respect in sourcing raw materials; ii) sustainable transformation processes; iii) enrichment with probiotic microorganisms; iv) biocompatible natural matrices. These features both enhance the nutritional value of the food and improve its pharmacological and immunological properties. When probiotics are introduced into gut in adequate densities through diet, they symbiotically promote health by boosting immune defense, producing beneficial organic molecules, and providing essential metabolic pathways for better nutrient assimilation and biotransformation. A major challenge with probiotics is their low resistance to gastrointestinal (GI) transit due to pH and other adverse hydro‐ionic conditions affecting their viability. Here, diatom microalgae (Coscinodiscus granii) is presented as a natural source of micro‐pills, functionalized with biopolymers (Shellac and Chitosan) for enteric protection, with a loading value of 71 ± 7%, higher in comparison with the loading capacity tested for two other commercial polymers. Moreover, biosilica embedded and sealed with the enteric polymers best‐protected probiotics under pH changes, and thermal and storage stresses by one‐fold more than the control probiotics without or with the lone shielding polymers. These work outcomes describe envisaging silica hybrid microcarriers obtained from living microalgae, effectively protecting probiotics in an entirely biological formulation.
The food of the future aims to offer several essential qualities: i) environmental respect in sourcing raw materials; ii) sustainable transformation processes; iii) enrichment with probiotic microorganisms; iv) biocompatible natural matrices. These features both enhance the nutritional value of the food and improve its pharmacological and immunological properties. When probiotics are introduced into gut in adequate densities through diet, they symbiotically promote health by boosting immune defense, producing beneficial organic molecules, and providing essential metabolic pathways for better nutrient assimilation and biotransformation. A major challenge with probiotics is their low resistance to gastrointestinal (GI) transit due to pH and other adverse hydro‐ionic conditions affecting their viability. Here, diatom microalgae (Coscinodiscus granii) is presented as a natural source of micro‐pills, functionalized with biopolymers (Shellac and Chitosan) for enteric protection, with a loading value of 71 ± 7%, higher in comparison with the loading capacity tested for two other commercial polymers. Moreover, biosilica embedded and sealed with the enteric polymers best‐protected probiotics under pH changes, and thermal and storage stresses by one‐fold more than the control probiotics without or with the lone shielding polymers. These work outcomes describe envisaging silica hybrid microcarriers obtained from living microalgae, effectively protecting probiotics in an entirely biological formulation.
Pursuing improved electrode materials is essential for addressing the challenges associated with large-scale Li-ion battery applications. Specifically, silicon oxide (SiOx) has emerged as a promising alternative to graphite anodes, despite issues related to volume expansion and rapid capacity degradation. In this study, we synthesized carbon-coated SiOx using diatom biomass derived from artificially cultured diatoms. However, the inherent carbon content from diatoms poses a significant challenge for the electrochemical performance of diatom-based anodes in large-scale applications. Subsequently, we conducted further research and demonstrated excellent performance with a carbon content of 33 wt.% as anodes. Additionally, real-time characterization of the carbonization process was achieved using thermogravimetry coupled with infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TG-FTIR-GCMS), revealing the emission of CO and C3O2 during carbonization. Furthermore, electrochemical tests of the processed diatom and carbon (PD@C) anode exhibited outstanding rate capability (~500 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1), high initial Coulomb efficiency (76.95%), and a DLi+ diffusion rate of 1.03 × 10−12 cm2 s−1. Moreover, structural characterization techniques such as HRTEM-SAED were employed, along with DFT calculations, to demonstrate that the lithium storage process involves not only reversible transport in Li2Si2O5 and Li22Si5, but also physical adsorption between the PD and C layers. Exploring the integration of diatom frustules with the intrinsic carbon content in the fabrication of battery anodes may contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind their successful application.
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