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The major health issues posed by hepatitis B virus (HBV) globally have always been the impetus for the development of novel diagnostic assays. Here, we report the synthesis of bio-conjugated polyacrylamide-based hydrogel (HBPAAm hydrogel) that responds to the presence of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) by a weight change in the hydrogel. The HBPAAm hydrogel contained the affinity crosslinks formed by the bio-specific coupling between the bound HBcAg and its antibody (anti-HBc). In the presence of analyte (i.e., free HBcAg), the immobilized HBcAg-(anti-HBc) complexes in HBPAAm hydrogel were disrupted; the competitive binding of free HBcAg onto the bound anti-HBc in HBPAAm hydrogel triggered the swelling of hydrogel. The swelling of HBPAAm hydrogel corresponded to the concentration of free HBcAg. The bio-sensing property of HBPAAm hydrogel is highly specific, and the reusability of HBPAAm hydrogel for multiple runs of HBcAg sensing was demonstrated. The bio-conjugated hydrogel has great potential as a sensing component of the biosensor that allows the detection of HBV serological markers at a lower cost and a shorter time. Image 10163233 • A Bioconjugated polyacrylamide-based (HBPAAm) hydrogel has been successfully synthesized. • HBcAg and its antibody (anti-HBc) was successfully immobilized onto the HBPAAm hydrogel. • The detection of HBcAg by the HBPAAm hydrogel was highly specific and efficient. • The reusability of the HBPAAm hydrogel for multiple runs of HBcAg sensing was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there have been increasing demand for the application of Pickering emulsions in various industries due to its combined advantage in terms of cost, quality and sustainability. This review aims to provide a complete overview of the available methodology for the physical characterization of emulsions that are stabilized by solid particles (known as Pickering emulsion). Current approaches and techniques for the analysis of the formation and properties of the Pickering emulsion were outlined along with the expected results of these methods on the emulsions. Besides, the application of modelling techniques has also been elaborated for the effective characterization of Pickering emulsions. Additionally, approaches to assess the stability of Pickering emulsions against physical deformation such as coalescence and gravitational separation were reviewed. Potential future developments of these characterization techniques were also briefly discussed. This review can act as a guide to researchers to better understand the standard procedures of Pickering emulsion assessment and the advanced methods available to date to study these emulsions, down to the minute details. Unlabelled Image • Latest Pickering emulsion measurement (analytical) methods are reviewed. • Potential of innovative approaches for pickering emulsion characterization are discussed • Mathematical correlations on Pickering emulsions analysis are described. • Challenges and opportunities for future research are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enzymatic production of fatty acids from vegetable oils is becoming a preferred method due to its mild conditions, simplicity, and scalability. This review analyzes studies on enzymatic hydrolysis, exploring various feedstocks, lipases, reaction conditions, and conversion yields. However, a key limitation is the longer reaction time compared to conventional methods. This limitation is primarily due to the immiscibility of triacylglycerols (TAGs) with water at low temperatures and pressures, as well as the lower activity of enzymes compared to chemical catalysts. To overcome these issues, chemical additives are identified as the most effective process intensification strategy. They are easy to implement, cause less damage to lipases, and are more efficient than mechanical methods. The impact of various chemical additives was thoroughly examined for potential improvements in the enzymatic hydrolysis of vegetable oils. A synergistic combination of chemical additives comprising ionic liquids (ILs) and polyols, along with ultrasound, as well as the consideration of immobilization techniques were explored. Overall, this review highlights the potential of chemical additives and their synergistic feasibility in enhancing the enzymatic performance of lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis reactions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ultrasound technology has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing enzymatic biodiesel production, yet the cavitation effect induced can compromise enzyme stability. This study explored the efficiency of polyols in enhancing lipase stability under ultrasound conditions to further improve biodiesel yield. The incorporation of sorbitol resulted in the highest fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content in the ultrasound-assisted biodiesel production catalyzed by Eversa® Transform 2.0 among the investigated polyols. Furthermore, sorbitol enhanced the stability of the lipase, allowing it to tolerate up to 100 % ultrasound amplitude, compared to 60 % amplitude in its absence. Enzyme activity assays revealed that sorbitol preserved 99 % of the lipase activity, in contrast to 84 % retention observed without sorbitol under an 80 % ultrasound amplitude. Circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy analyses confirmed that sorbitol enhanced lipase rigidity and preserved its conformational structure under ultrasound exposure. Furthermore, employing a stepwise methanol addition strategy in ultrasound-assisted reactions with sorbitol achieved an 81.2 wt% FAME content in 8 h with only 0.2 wt% enzyme concentration. This promising result highlights the potential of sorbitol as a stabilizing agent in ultrasound-assisted enzymatic biodiesel production, offering a viable approach for enhancing biodiesel yield and enzyme stability in industrial applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study focused on the ultrasound-assisted transesterification of simulated low-quality feedstocks using a low-cost liquid lipase Eversa® Transform 2.0 (ET2). Enzyme characterization was also performed to investigate the effect of ultrasound parameters on enzyme structure. The optimal ultrasound parameters, 40 % amplitude, and 5 % duty cycle effectively enhanced the reaction rate compared to the conventional stirring method while retaining 95 % of the enzyme activity. Analysis of circular dichroism (CD) spectra revealed the preservation of the secondary structure of ET2 under the optimal ultrasound intensities, while fluorescence spectra indicated a slight change in its tertiary structure. The implementation of a two-stage methanol dosing strategy in the ultrasound-assisted reaction effectively mitigated lipase inhibition, yielding a remarkable fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content of 92.2 % achieved within a 12-h reaction time. Notable, this high FAME content was achieved with only a 4:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio and a 0.5 wt% enzyme concentration. Under these optimized conditions, the ultrasound-assisted reaction also demonstrated a 15 % improvement in the final FAME content compared to the conventional stirring method. These promising results hold significant potential for advancing the field of biodiesel production via ultrasound technology, contributing substantively to sustainable energy sources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: As a by-product of the palm oil industry, palm stearin is often overlooked despite having several beneficial properties, such as excellent stability, which is critically essential to meet the demand of the global food trend in producing safer processed food. Specifically, deep frying of food is often associated with the production of toxic compounds that could potentially migrate into the food system when oils are degraded under continuous heating. The incorporation of palm stearin is regarded as a cost-effective and efficient method to modify the fatty acid composition of oils, enhance the frying qualities and lower the degradation rate., Results: This study blended 5% and 10% palm stearin into palm oil to investigate the deep-frying performance and impact on food quality. Increasing the palm stearin content improved the frying oil's oxidative and hydrolytic stability, evidenced by reduction of total polar material, free fatty acid and total oxidation value. Addition of palm stearin increased the slip melting point which improved the oil's oxidative stability but no significant increase in oil content of instant noodles was observed. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy showed the formation of larger pores in the noodle structure that facilitated oil retention., Conclusion: Blending palm stearin into frying oil enhanced the frying stability and minimally affected the oil uptake in instant noodles. This article presents the viability of blending palm stearin into frying oils to develop longer-lasting frying oils. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Unlabelled: Red dragon fruit or red pitaya is rich in potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. Its nutritional properties and unique flesh color have made it an attractive raw material of various types of food products and beverages including fermented beverages or enzyme drinks. In this study, phenotypic and genotypic methods were used to confirm the identity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) appeared in fermented red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) beverages. A total of 21 isolates of LAB were isolated and characterized. They belonged to the genus of Enterococcus based on their biochemical characteristics. The isolates can be clustered into two groups by using the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA method. Nucleotide sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism of the 16S rRNA region suggested that they were either Enterococcus faecalis or Enterococcus durans., Practical Application: Current research revealed the use of biochemical analyses and molecular approaches to identify the microbial population particularly lactic acid bacteria from fermented red dragon fruit juices., (© 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®)