Yufeng Lin,Weiqian Luo,Beibei Xiong,Jian Guo,Jinmei Wang,Wenhao Tan,Xiaoquan Yang
Summary In this work, soy protein isolates (SPIs) were subjected to microparticulation, turning soy protein ingredients into microparticles with improved thermal stability which could be used in high-protein foods. The pH is a critical determinant in microparticulation. Our work is mainly to investigate the effect of pH on the formation and properties of protein microparticles. To clarify the effects of pH conditions on the properties of the resulting particles, microparticulation was performed at different pH conditions (7.0, 6.0 and 5.0). Aggregation behaviours described by the parameters calculated from the protein dispersion viscosity combined with the observation of the morphology change were used to analyse the particle formation process. For the microparticles prepared at pH 5.0, soy proteins were more inclined to aggregate into clusters on a micro-scale which had a flexible conformation. After spray drying, This powder could be easily dispersed in water, creating a dispersion with a protein concentration of 10 wt%. At this concentration, the thermal gelation capacity of the proteins was observed to decrease. Conversely, the tendency of protein aggregation was largely restricted when soy protein microparticulation was carried out at pH 7.0. As these soy protein particles in nano-scale were dispersed in water, a decrease rather than an increase was recorded in the viscosity of this dispersion after it was heated, suggesting that these particles had improved thermal stability. This work has demonstrated that implementing appropriate pH conditions during microparticulation can prepare soy protein particles with different sizes and rheological properties, which might meet the demands of various food processing.
Baicalein, a bioactive flavonoid, exhibits various pharmacological activities and other beneficial effects, but its poor solubility and dissolution rate restrict its oral intestinal absorption rate and bioavailability. In this study, micronized baicalein was prepared by utilizing the technique of solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical fluids (SEDS). Preparation, characterization, and the potential use of microparticles to improve the in vitro release of baicalein were studied. In vitro characterization data were obtained through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro dissolution of the prepared microparticles was investigated and compared with raw powder. The results demonstrated that the prepared baicalein microparticles appeared as small flake shapes with a mean particle size (PS) of 0.614 μm under the appropriate conditions (solvent mixture of DCM and DMSO (5/1, v/v), drug concentration = 7 mg/mL, pressure = 16 MPa, and temperature = 308 K) without an observed change in the crystal form. Additionally, the reduced PS of baicalein microparticles contributed to the enhanced dissolution rate.