Agar as a natural polymer: From culture media to cutting-edge biomedical applications.

Agar, a natural polysaccharide derived primarily from red algae, has emerged as a versatile/biocompatible material for biomedical applications. Its unique physicochemical attributes, e.g.

A robust emulsion gel based on κ-carrageenan and dialdehyde starch for stimuli-responsive of hydrophobic bioactive agents.

In this study, a green and sustainable emulsion gel was developed using κ-carrageenan (κC) and dialdehyde starch (DS) for the stimuli-responsive delivery of the hydrophobic bioactive agent, curcumin (CU). Initially, CU was encapsulated within κC-based emulsion gels, with κC serving as a natural stabilizing and gel-forming agent. Subsequently, DS, containing reactive aldehyde groups (AGs), was introduced to chemically cross-link with the hydroxyl groups of κC via a hemiacetal reaction, resulting in a porous and stable emulsion gel structure (κCDS@CU).

Seed gum-based delivery systems and their application in encapsulation of bioactive molecules.

Now-a-days, the food/pharma realm faces with great challenges for the application of bioactive molecules when applying them in free form due to their instability in vitro/in vivo. For promoting the biological and functional properties of bioactive molecules, efficient delivery systems have played a pivotal role offering a controlled delivery and improved bioavailability/solubility of bioactives. Among different carbohydrate-based delivery systems, seed gum-based vehicles (SGVs) have shown great promise, facilitating the delivery of a high concentration of bioactive at the site of action, a controlled payload release, and less bioactive loss.

Electrospraying as a novel process for the synthesis of particles/nanoparticles loaded with poorly water-soluble bioactive molecules.

Hydrophobicity and low aqueous-solubility of different drugs/nutraceuticals remain a persistent challenge for their development and clinical/food applications. A range of nanotechnology strategies have been implemented to address this issue, and amongst which a particular emphasis has been made on those that afford an improved biological performance and tunable release kinetic of bioactives through a one-step process. More recently, the technique of electrospraying (or electrohydrodynamic atomization) has attained notable impulse in virtue of its potential to tune attributes of nano/micro-structured particles (e.