Progress 05/01/23 to 04/30/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, food engineers/scientists, and middle & high school students. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has allowed researcher/graduate students to develop skills in 3D food printing techniques, which are essential for optimizing the microgel encapsulation process. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings were shared with peers at scientific conferences, including the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) FIRST Annual Meeting & Food Expo. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to continue (i) determining optimal conditions for encapsulating probiotics using 3D food printing, and (ii) investigating the efficacy of loaded gels in food applications.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Disruptions to the human gut microbiota by environmental intrusions negatively impact health and well-being. Oral administration of probiotics can provide a convenient intervention to restore healthy gut microbiota functioning. However, probiotics are sensitive to environmental conditions and have limited stability during food processing, storage, and transit through the gastrointestinal tract. We developed an innovative 3D food printing approach to create pH-sensitive alginate-pectin beads to encapsulate probiotics. Specifically, alginate-pectin hydrogel particles containing varied total gum concentrations at a constant alginate:pectin ratio of 80:20were formedutilizing an extrusion-based 3D printing method.The 3D printing parameters, i.e., total gum concentration (1.8, 2.0, and 2.2%, w/w),and nozzle size (0.108, 0.159, and 0.210 mm), were investigated and optimized.This novel 3D printing approach was comparedwith the conventional bead formation technique that employed a peristaltic pump.The generated alginate-pectin mixtures exhibited a shear-thinning behavior, which wassuitable for 3D printing.The size of the wet 3D-printed alginate-pectin hydrogel particles was between 1.27 and 1.59 mm, which was smaller than that generated using the conventional method (1.44-1.79 mm).Upon freeze-drying,the 3D-printed particles showed a porous structure, and there was no chemical interaction between alginate and pectin. Next, we created a more complex hydrogel system consisting of alginate-pectin and starch using 3D printing.A coaxial nozzle setup was employedto print spiral cube shapes (i.e., 15 × 15 mm with a layer height of 1 mm and 30 × 30 mm, a layer height of 1.5 mm). The starch gel was used as a core, while an alginate-pectin mixturewas employedas the shell.The 3D printability of the hydrogels was optimizedbased on the best shape fidelity, where concentrations of biopolymers (i.e., 10-12 wt.% for starch and 2-4 wt.% for alginate-pectin)were investigated.The best 3D printability was obtainedwith a2wt.% alginate-pectin and 11 wt.%starch concentration.The printability of alginate-pectin was significantly enhancedwith the use of0.02 M calcium chloride solution during the ink formation.The rheological properties of the inks were characterizedin detail, wherethe shear experienced by the inks in the coaxial nozzle was also calculated. XRD (x-ray diffraction) and FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) analyses of the 3D-printed hydrogel system showeda reduction incrystallinity and no covalent chemical interactions, respectively. Overall, these 3D food printing approaches provide high precision and flexibility in generating delivery systems for the food industry.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Lenie, M. D. R., Ahmadzadeh, S., Van Bockstaele, F., & Ubeyitogullari, A. (2024). Development of a pH-responsive system based on starch and alginate-pectin hydrogels using coaxial 3D food printing. Food Hydrocolloids, 153, 109989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2024.109989
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