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Adenosine is a naturally occurring purine nucleoside in every cell. Many critical treatments such as modulating irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias), regulation of central nervous system (CNS) activity and inhibiting seizural episodes can be carried out using adenosine. Despite the significant potential therapeutic impact of adenosine and its derivatives, the severe side effects caused by their systemic administration have significantly limited their clinical use. In addition, due to adenosine's extremely short half-life in human blood (

The goal of this study was to develop floating microspheres that could be used as gastroretentive systems for the delivery of anthocyanins ( ACNs). These compounds are absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, and insufficient residence time in these organs could result in limited absorption and contribute to degradation. The microparticles containing freeze-dried haskap berry extract (321.96 ± 8.35 mg cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalents per g) were prepared by ionotropic gelation of alginate (9%, w/w) with calcium ions (CaCl2 at 2%, w/v) in the gelation bath, with calcium carbonate as the gas-generating compound (added at different ratios in the alginate/extract mixture). The effect of acetic acid concentration (2 and 10%, v/v) in the gelation medium was investigated. Increasing the carbonate : alginate weigh ratio from 0 to 3:4 resulted in different degrees of floatability, larger particles, higher encapsulation efficiency, and lower amount of ACN released. The power law equation fitted the experimental data well, indicating that release occurred mainly by diffusion. This is the first time floating microspheres are proposed as gastroretentive platforms for the delivery of ACNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of juice extraction conditions on the quality of haskap berries (Lonicera caeruleaL.) dried at different temperatures (60, 100, and 140°C) was investigated. The conventional juice extraction (process A) consisted of a two-press process, where thawed berries were pressed, and osmotic treatment was applied before pressing again. This was compared with a modified extraction (process B), which applied osmotic treatment during fruit thawing and only one press was used for extraction. The quality parameters investigated included moisture content, pressed berry yield, extraction loss, drying yield, total anthocyanin content (TAC), vitamin C content, and the rehydration characteristics of the final dried berries. Pressing the berries to 70% juice yield resulted in a higher pressed berry yield and better physicochemical quality in the pressed product. The yield was 26.39 and 28.92% in the conventional and modified extraction, with moisture contents of 70.32 and 77.75%, respectively. The TACs of pressed berries from extraction processes A and B were 24.62 and 33.03 mg C-3-G g−1DW and the vitamin C contents were 14.14 and 36.18 mg/100 g, respectively. Drying at 60°C until 25% moisture content was better than at higher temperatures, resulting in a better quality dried product. It revealed drying yields of 45.32 and 52.75%, TACs of 4.00 and 4.30 mg C-3-G g−1DW, vitamin C contents of 2.97 and 4.91 mg /100 g, and rehydration ratios of 2.22 and 2.37 from processes A and B, respectively. Process B with the one-step extraction is recommended for higher pressed berry yield, higher drying yield, and enhanced quality of the pressed and dried products. It is also a more efficient process, in terms of time, cost, and energy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Haskap berries (Lonicera caeruleaL.) are known for their high phenolics, anthocyanins, and antioxidant potential. The data on the phenolic profile of these fruits are lacking. In this study, the phenolic profiles of three haskap varieties; tundra, berry blue, and indigo gem grown in Nova Scotia, Canada were investigated for the first time using spectrophotometery and high-performance liquid chromatography. Berries were analyzed for total phenolic content/total reducing capacity, total anthocyanin content, and antioxidant potential (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity). The total reducing capacity, total anthocyanin content, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl values were 6.17–8.42 mg gallic acid equivalents/gram fresh weight, 4.49–6.97 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/gram fresh weight, and 78.70–89.55%, respectively. The extracts were analyzed by reversed-phase diode array detector–high-performance liquid chromatography through a gradient elution using Synergi 4 µm Max-RP C12 column and the chromatograms were acquired at 520, 360, and 320 nm for athocyanins, flavonoids, and free phenolic acids, respectively. The identified anthocyanins were cyanidin-3-glucoside (82.81–91.99% of the total anthocyanins), cyanidin 3,5-di-glucoside (2.31–4.27%), cyanidin-3-rutinoside (1.54–9.20%), peonidin-3-O-glucoside (0.75–3.44%), and pelargonidin-3-glucoside (0.77–2.98%). Other flavonoids (quercetin-3-β-D-glucoside and quercetin-3-rutinoside) and free phenolic acids (chlorogenic and neochlorogenic) were also quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of freezing and frozen storage on bioactive compounds in fruit products have not been completely elucidated, and the outcomes are often contradictory. Given the wide range of results, the aim of this review is to explore the effects of freezing, thawing, and storage conditions on the physicochemical quality of fruit products, including the phytochemical content. We also discuss how growing and environmental conditions can affect the freezing process and product quality. Studies show that cultivar selection, preharvest factors, and ripening stage are important factors that contribute to the freezing performance and the quality of fruit products. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The addition of anthocyanins in food products is limited by their instability. In this study, an extract containing anthocyanins from lowbush blueberries was encapsulated by freeze-drying in three maltodextrin matrices with different dextrose equivalents, for potential use as a colorant and functional ingredient. The resultant encapsulates differed in physicochemical properties. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for anthocyanin degradation in accelerated shelf life studies at 70, 80, and 90°C were determined using the Arrhenius model. The half-life (t1/2) varied from 0.96 h (freeze-dried extract) to 108 days (encapsulated extract). Our results demonstrate that freeze-dried berry encapsulates effectively retard anthocyanin degradation during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study shows the potential of chitosan (CH) nanoparticles as both an oral and IV drug delivery system using the anticancer drug cladribine as a model drug. Smooth, spherical nanoparticles were prepared by the ionotropic gelation of CH with sodium tripolyphosphate. Nanoparticle size depended on degree of hydration, drug loading, and crosslinking conditions, with the smallest nanoparticles in the size range of 212 ± 51 nm. Cladribine was entrapped in the CH matrix with an entrapment efficiency of up to 62%, depending on the initial loading. The release of cladribine followed a near-Fickian diffusion rate over the first several hours and then reached a plateau. A second release phase began after 30-40 h of incubation in the release medium, and proceeded until ∼100 h. Loaded CH nanoparticles that were crosslinked with genipin showed a delayed release profile, with only 40% of loaded drug being released after 100 h. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve survival during exposure to adverse conditions, probiotic Bifidobacterium adolescentis 15703T cells were encapsulated in novel mono-core and multi-core phase-separated gelatine-maltodextrin (GMD) microspheres where the gelatine (G) phase was cross-linked with genipin (GP). Microscopy showed that encapsulated cells were exclusively associated with maltodextrin (MD) core(s). Small (average diameter 37 µm) and large (70 µm) GMD and G microspheres were produced by modulating factors (e.g. mixing speed, surfactant, GP and G concentrations) affecting the size, structural stability and phase-separation. In vitro sequential gastro-intestinal (GI) juice challenge experiments revealed increased survival of cells encapsulated in GMD (∼106–7 cfu mL−1) and G (∼105 cfu mL−1) microspheres as compared to free cells (∼104 cfu mL−1). In GMD microspheres, the bacteria derive energy from MD to survive during exposure to acid and bile salts. In conclusion, the novel food grade GMD microencapsulation formulation was shown to protect probiotic bifidobacteria from adverse conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]