Asma Sohail - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Asma Sohail

Research paper thumbnail of Recent Innovations in Non-dairy Prebiotics and Probiotics: Physiological Potential, Applications, and Characterization

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins, Sep 5, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of In vitro screening of EPS‐producing Streptococcus thermophilus strains for their probiotic potential from Dahi

Food Science & Nutrition, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Black Seed (Nigella sativa) Possess Bioactive Compounds Act as Anti-Helicobacter pylori Agent

Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual ... more Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual at some stage of their life. Among the various plants studied previously Nigella sativa possess numerous therapeutic properties including its anti-ulcer potential. This seed carries significant anti-ulcer properties arbitrated by antimicrobial activities specifically against gastric damage induced by Helicobacter pylori. Evidence is available supporting the utilization of NS and its bioactive components in a daily diet for health improvement. This review is envisioned to emphasis on the curative role of NS and to provide an evidence for being a functional food to protect from a range of malaises. An attempt is also made to emphasize aspects that need further investigations for it to be use in clinics in future.

Research paper thumbnail of Nutritional and functional characterization of different oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars

International Journal of Food Properties, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Isolation, molecular characterization and preliminary screening for probiotic properties of lactobacillus fermentum from indigenous dahi

E3S Web of Conferences, 2021

Indigenous dahi is an analogue to fermented milk product of Pakistan produce by uncharacterized s... more Indigenous dahi is an analogue to fermented milk product of Pakistan produce by uncharacterized strains of LAB. It hides lots of health beneficial properties and unexplored micro-flora. On microbial examination of indigenous dahi, it was found that L. fermentum was most dominant spp. (22 isolates) of LAB in it. Upon safety assessment eleven showed negative hemolytic and gelatinase activity. All these eleven strains were molecularly characterized through PCR by using universal primers (9F and 1510R). Obtained sequences were submitted to Gene data base of NCBI under accession numbers KX944639-42, KX957930-33 and KY069971-73. Furthermore these strains were screened on the basis of acid and bile tolerance and antimicrobial activity. KX957931, KX957932 and KY069973 were selected for further studies of functional attributes.

Research paper thumbnail of The Effect of Casein Hydrolysate Formed by Probiotic Culture on Cholesterol Reduction

ABSTRACTMilk has been considered to possess a plethora of biologically active substances that are... more ABSTRACTMilk has been considered to possess a plethora of biologically active substances that are encrypted in its protein subunits. Therefore a direct comparison for In-vitro cholesterol reduction effect was made between two types of casein hydrolysates produced from two probiotic bacteria, Lb. brevis and Lb. lactis. Both types of casein hydrolysates were prepared from skimmed milk and incubated up to 6hr, 12hr, 18hrs and 24hrs of incubation times at 37°C. The reduction in cholesterol level was determined and evaluated with considerable control samples. After treating the casein solution with two probiotic strains the degree of hydrolysis of Lb. brevis was 80% and that of Lb. lactiswas found 67% followed by the estimation of protein concentration and finally the hydrolysates were subjected to RP-HPLC. The results specified that there was a significant difference in cholesterol reduction trend with treatments and the bacterial cultures. Casein hydrolysates formed by Lb. brevis show...

Research paper thumbnail of Physico-chemical and antimicrobial assessment of honey of Apis dorsata from different geographical regions of Pakistan

This study was designed to determine the physicochemical composition and antimicrobial activity a... more This study was designed to determine the physicochemical composition and antimicrobial activity against different food pathogens obtained from different honey samples of Apis dorsata of different locations of Pakistan, that is, Changamanga (Central Punjab), Multan (Southern Punjab), Mansehra (Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; I) and Islamabad (Federal Area). These samples were analysed for their moisture, ash, nitrogen, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), diastase number (DN), reducing sugars, total sugars, sucrose contents, acidity and pH contents. It was observed that there was a significant difference among these tested parameters for these honey samples. The analysis showed moisture contents in the range of 22.87-26.70%, ash contents in the range of 0.03-0.1 g/100 g, nitrogen contents in the range of 0.27-0.39%, sucrose in the range of 2.5-4.57%, reducing sugars in the range of 69.6273.93%, HMF contents in the range of 37.14-46.60%, acidity in the range of 23.67-43 meq/kg, pH in the range of 3...

Research paper thumbnail of Genetically-modified food and its impact on overcoming malnutrition

Research paper thumbnail of Characterization and Antibacterial Study of Pumpkin Seed Oil (Cucurbita Pepo)

LIFE SCIENCES LEAFLETS, 2014

The current research deals with the extraction, physicochemical and antimicrobial parameters of p... more The current research deals with the extraction, physicochemical and antimicrobial parameters of pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo) of arid zone variety of Pakistan. Pumpkin is a nutritive and unique plant commonly used as vegetable all around the world. Its seeds and rinds are mostly thrown away after use however; they are rich in proteins and fatty acids. In Pakistan usage of pumpkin is not as frequent as other vegetable and least importance is given to its seed. Therefore a present study is designed to see the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo). Results showed that the pumpkin seed oil had acid value 0.83667 (mg KOH/g oil), saponification value 194.606 (g of I2/100 g oil), peroxide value 6.74 (meq O2/kg oil), iodine value 97.9766 (g of I2/100 g oil) and ester value 193.7640 which are in range of the standard levels. Gass chromatography analysis showed the presence of five major free fatty acids linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid,...

Research paper thumbnail of Development of Aloe vera Edible Coating for Osmotic Dehydration of Mango (Mangifera indica. L)

Research paper thumbnail of Gastrointestinal transit tolerance, cell surface hydrophobicity, and functional attributes of Lactobacillus Acidophilus strains isolated from Indigenous Dahi

Food Science & Nutrition

Abstract Strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus WFA1 (KU877440), WFA2 (KU877441), and WFA3 (KU87744... more Abstract Strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus WFA1 (KU877440), WFA2 (KU877441), and WFA3 (KU877442) were isolated from indigenous Dahi (yogurt), screened, and selected based on acid and bile tolerance along with the antimicrobial activity. These selected strains were further assessed for their probiotic and functional attributes. Results for simulated gastric and intestinal tolerance/ resistance revealed that all three strains can resist and survive under the following mentioned conditions. To access cell surface hydrophobicity, bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons (BATH), cellular auto‐aggregation, and salt aggregation were performed. In BATH, adhesion of strains against three hydrocarbons namely xylene, dichloromethane, and hexadecane was conducted. The results show that strains showed the least adhesion to xylene (54.25%) as compared to dichloromethane (55.25%) and hexadecane (56.65%). WFA1 showed maximum adherence percentage (55.48%) followed WFA2 (55.48%) and WFA3 (51.38%). Cellular auto‐aggregation varied from 21.72% to 30.73% for WFA3 and WFA1, respectively. In the salt aggregation test (SAT), WFA1, WFA2, and WFA3 aggregated at 0.6, 1.0, and 2.0 molar concentrations of ammonium sulfate, respectively. PCR amplification of bile salt hydrolase gene (bsh) was performed and sequences were submitted to the public database of NCBI and Gene bank under accession numbers, KY689139, KY689140, and KY689141. Additionally, a cholesterol‐lowering assay was conducted and up to 26% reduction in cholesterol was observed by the strains. Regarding functional properties, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and antioxidant potential, strain WFA1 showed promising results EPS (1.027mg/ml), DPPH (80.66%), ABTS (81.97%), and reducing power (1.787). It can be concluded from the present study that the mentioned strains of L. acidophilus (WFA1, WFA2, and WFA3) are strongly hydrophobic; thus having an ability to survive and colonize under the gastrointestinal tract which confirms their probiotic nature. Regarding their functional properties, L. acidophilus WFA1 (KU877440) showed excellent properties of antioxidants and EPS production.

Research paper thumbnail of Physico-chemical and Nutraceutical Characterization of Selected Indigenous Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Cultivars

Food Science and Technology

Research paper thumbnail of Comparative Impact of Drying Methods on Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Activities of Date Fruit Powders

Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, Dec 13, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Encapsulation of Pumpkin Seed Oil in Alginate Capsules

Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, Dec 13, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Analysis of selective potato varieties and their functional assessment

Food Science and Technology

Research paper thumbnail of Microbiological variation amongst fresh and minimally processed vegetables from retail establishers - a public health study in Pakistan

Research paper thumbnail of Microencapsulation of Probiotics and Pharmaceuticals in Alginate Microbeads by a Novel Impinging Technology

Alginate gel encapsulation methods have been proven to be promising for the protection of immobil... more Alginate gel encapsulation methods have been proven to be promising for the protection of immobilized biological materials and controlled delivery of drugs. However, existing techniques to produce discrete alginate gel particles have limitations, which can result in the production of macro particles, whose use is restricted by obvious sensory detection during their consumption in food products. Other techniques to produce micron size beads are normally successful only on a laboratory scale or are non-continuous operations. In addition, some of the techniques (such as the emulsion method) require solvent or oil to produce micron size alginate gel particles. To overcome, these limitations a novel impinging aerosols technique was developed at the University of Queensland. This research involved the application of this continuous process for producing micron sized beads without the use of any heat or solvents. This technique possesses high scale up potential and involves aerosols of alginate and CalCl2 solutions, which impinge from opposite directions in a chamber. The atomised alginate solution droplets gel as soon as they come in contact with CaCl2 aerosols and fall to the bottom of the chamber from where the microbeads are collected. Actives may be mixed with the alginate solution prior to atomisation or aerosol formation. This research consisted of five experimental parts to investigate the utility of the micro-gel beads produced by this novel technique for encapsulating biological and pharmaceutical entities. These include evaluating: (1) the survivability of selected probiotics entrapped in the alginate microbeads in simulated gastrointestinal fluids, (2) the survivability of encapsulated probiotics in a food product base such as orange juice, (3) the viability of probiotics encapsulated in microbeads followed by freeze and spray drying and (4) the encapsulation of fluorescein as a model drug in alginate gel microbeads and (5) the encapsulation and release properties of hydrophilic and hydrophobic pharmaceutical actives in microbeads. Alginate microbeads (10-40 µm) containing the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM were produced and compared with extruded macrobeads (approximately 2 mm diameter) produced by the conventional method. Microbeads produced by the novel aerosols technique offered comparable protection to L. rhamnosus in high acid and bile environments. Chitosan coating of microbeads resulted in a significant increase in survival time of L. rhamnosus from 40 to 120 min in acid condition and the reduction in cell numbers was confined to 0.94 logs over this time. Alginate macrobeads were more effective than microbeads in protecting L. acidophilus against high acid and bile solutions. Chitosan coating of microbeads resulted in similar protection to L. acidophilus in macrobeads in acid and extended the survival time from 90 to at least 120 min. The viability of this organism in microbeads was 3.5 logs CFU after 120 min. The effect of alginate microencapsulation on the survival of L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM and their acidification in orange juice at 25 oC for nine days and at 4 oC over thirty five days of storage was studied. Unencapsulated L. rhamnosus GG was found to have excellent survivability in orange juice at both temperatures. However, unencapsulated L. acidophilus NCFM showed a significant reduction in viability. Encapsulation of these two bacteria in alginate microbeads did not significantly enhance survivability but did reduce acidification (measured as pH change) at 25 oC and 4 oC. The encapsulated probiotics in microbeads gel-matrix were further stabilized in maltodextrin solids by either spray or freeze drying to form probiotic microcapsule powders. The free cells of L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM were also spray and freeze dried in maltodextrin without micro-gel encapsulation. Upon rehydration of micro-gel encapsulated powder, gel particles regained their shape. There was no difference in the loss of viability in both probiotics during spray drying or freeze drying. For L. acidophilus NCFM, spray dried bacteria with or without gel encapsulation exhibited higher viability (3.03 and 3.07 log CFU reduction, respectively) than those of freeze dried bacteria (4.36 and 4.89 log CFU reduction, respectively) after six months storage at 4˚C. The same trend was also observed in spray dried L. rhamnosus GG without gel encapsulation, which showed 5.87 log CFU reductions in viability after six months at 4˚C. However, freeze dried L. rhamnosus GG without gel encapsulation exhibited a rapid reduction in viability of 5.91 logs CFU within 2 months. Gel encapsulated L. rhamnosus GG which was freeze dried exhibited higher viability (3.32 log CFU reduction) after six months at 4˚C. Freeze dried gel encapsulated L. rhamnosus GG exhibited major improvements in survivability (5.07 logs CFU/g) over sixth months demonstrating the advantage of double…

Research paper thumbnail of Comparative Study for the Extraction of β-Carotene in Different Vegetables

Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM encapsulated using a novel impinging aerosol method in fruit food products

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Black Seed (Nigella sativa) Possess Bioactive Compounds Act as Anti-Helicobacter pylori Agent

Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual ... more Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual at some stage of their life. Among the various plants studied previously Nigella sativa possess numerous therapeutic properties including its anti-ulcer potential. This seed carries significant anti-ulcer properties arbitrated by antimicrobial activities specifically against gastric damage induced by Helicobacter pylori. Evidence is available supporting the utilization of NS and its bioactive components in a daily diet for health improvement. This review is envisioned to emphasis on the curative role of NS and to provide an evidence for being a functional food to protect from a range of malaises. An attempt is also made to emphasize aspects that need further investigations for it to be use in clinics in future.

Research paper thumbnail of Recent Innovations in Non-dairy Prebiotics and Probiotics: Physiological Potential, Applications, and Characterization

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins, Sep 5, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of In vitro screening of EPS‐producing Streptococcus thermophilus strains for their probiotic potential from Dahi

Food Science & Nutrition, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Black Seed (Nigella sativa) Possess Bioactive Compounds Act as Anti-Helicobacter pylori Agent

Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual ... more Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual at some stage of their life. Among the various plants studied previously Nigella sativa possess numerous therapeutic properties including its anti-ulcer potential. This seed carries significant anti-ulcer properties arbitrated by antimicrobial activities specifically against gastric damage induced by Helicobacter pylori. Evidence is available supporting the utilization of NS and its bioactive components in a daily diet for health improvement. This review is envisioned to emphasis on the curative role of NS and to provide an evidence for being a functional food to protect from a range of malaises. An attempt is also made to emphasize aspects that need further investigations for it to be use in clinics in future.

Research paper thumbnail of Nutritional and functional characterization of different oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars

International Journal of Food Properties, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Isolation, molecular characterization and preliminary screening for probiotic properties of lactobacillus fermentum from indigenous dahi

E3S Web of Conferences, 2021

Indigenous dahi is an analogue to fermented milk product of Pakistan produce by uncharacterized s... more Indigenous dahi is an analogue to fermented milk product of Pakistan produce by uncharacterized strains of LAB. It hides lots of health beneficial properties and unexplored micro-flora. On microbial examination of indigenous dahi, it was found that L. fermentum was most dominant spp. (22 isolates) of LAB in it. Upon safety assessment eleven showed negative hemolytic and gelatinase activity. All these eleven strains were molecularly characterized through PCR by using universal primers (9F and 1510R). Obtained sequences were submitted to Gene data base of NCBI under accession numbers KX944639-42, KX957930-33 and KY069971-73. Furthermore these strains were screened on the basis of acid and bile tolerance and antimicrobial activity. KX957931, KX957932 and KY069973 were selected for further studies of functional attributes.

Research paper thumbnail of The Effect of Casein Hydrolysate Formed by Probiotic Culture on Cholesterol Reduction

ABSTRACTMilk has been considered to possess a plethora of biologically active substances that are... more ABSTRACTMilk has been considered to possess a plethora of biologically active substances that are encrypted in its protein subunits. Therefore a direct comparison for In-vitro cholesterol reduction effect was made between two types of casein hydrolysates produced from two probiotic bacteria, Lb. brevis and Lb. lactis. Both types of casein hydrolysates were prepared from skimmed milk and incubated up to 6hr, 12hr, 18hrs and 24hrs of incubation times at 37°C. The reduction in cholesterol level was determined and evaluated with considerable control samples. After treating the casein solution with two probiotic strains the degree of hydrolysis of Lb. brevis was 80% and that of Lb. lactiswas found 67% followed by the estimation of protein concentration and finally the hydrolysates were subjected to RP-HPLC. The results specified that there was a significant difference in cholesterol reduction trend with treatments and the bacterial cultures. Casein hydrolysates formed by Lb. brevis show...

Research paper thumbnail of Physico-chemical and antimicrobial assessment of honey of Apis dorsata from different geographical regions of Pakistan

This study was designed to determine the physicochemical composition and antimicrobial activity a... more This study was designed to determine the physicochemical composition and antimicrobial activity against different food pathogens obtained from different honey samples of Apis dorsata of different locations of Pakistan, that is, Changamanga (Central Punjab), Multan (Southern Punjab), Mansehra (Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; I) and Islamabad (Federal Area). These samples were analysed for their moisture, ash, nitrogen, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), diastase number (DN), reducing sugars, total sugars, sucrose contents, acidity and pH contents. It was observed that there was a significant difference among these tested parameters for these honey samples. The analysis showed moisture contents in the range of 22.87-26.70%, ash contents in the range of 0.03-0.1 g/100 g, nitrogen contents in the range of 0.27-0.39%, sucrose in the range of 2.5-4.57%, reducing sugars in the range of 69.6273.93%, HMF contents in the range of 37.14-46.60%, acidity in the range of 23.67-43 meq/kg, pH in the range of 3...

Research paper thumbnail of Genetically-modified food and its impact on overcoming malnutrition

Research paper thumbnail of Characterization and Antibacterial Study of Pumpkin Seed Oil (Cucurbita Pepo)

LIFE SCIENCES LEAFLETS, 2014

The current research deals with the extraction, physicochemical and antimicrobial parameters of p... more The current research deals with the extraction, physicochemical and antimicrobial parameters of pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo) of arid zone variety of Pakistan. Pumpkin is a nutritive and unique plant commonly used as vegetable all around the world. Its seeds and rinds are mostly thrown away after use however; they are rich in proteins and fatty acids. In Pakistan usage of pumpkin is not as frequent as other vegetable and least importance is given to its seed. Therefore a present study is designed to see the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo). Results showed that the pumpkin seed oil had acid value 0.83667 (mg KOH/g oil), saponification value 194.606 (g of I2/100 g oil), peroxide value 6.74 (meq O2/kg oil), iodine value 97.9766 (g of I2/100 g oil) and ester value 193.7640 which are in range of the standard levels. Gass chromatography analysis showed the presence of five major free fatty acids linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid,...

Research paper thumbnail of Development of Aloe vera Edible Coating for Osmotic Dehydration of Mango (Mangifera indica. L)

Research paper thumbnail of Gastrointestinal transit tolerance, cell surface hydrophobicity, and functional attributes of Lactobacillus Acidophilus strains isolated from Indigenous Dahi

Food Science & Nutrition

Abstract Strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus WFA1 (KU877440), WFA2 (KU877441), and WFA3 (KU87744... more Abstract Strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus WFA1 (KU877440), WFA2 (KU877441), and WFA3 (KU877442) were isolated from indigenous Dahi (yogurt), screened, and selected based on acid and bile tolerance along with the antimicrobial activity. These selected strains were further assessed for their probiotic and functional attributes. Results for simulated gastric and intestinal tolerance/ resistance revealed that all three strains can resist and survive under the following mentioned conditions. To access cell surface hydrophobicity, bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons (BATH), cellular auto‐aggregation, and salt aggregation were performed. In BATH, adhesion of strains against three hydrocarbons namely xylene, dichloromethane, and hexadecane was conducted. The results show that strains showed the least adhesion to xylene (54.25%) as compared to dichloromethane (55.25%) and hexadecane (56.65%). WFA1 showed maximum adherence percentage (55.48%) followed WFA2 (55.48%) and WFA3 (51.38%). Cellular auto‐aggregation varied from 21.72% to 30.73% for WFA3 and WFA1, respectively. In the salt aggregation test (SAT), WFA1, WFA2, and WFA3 aggregated at 0.6, 1.0, and 2.0 molar concentrations of ammonium sulfate, respectively. PCR amplification of bile salt hydrolase gene (bsh) was performed and sequences were submitted to the public database of NCBI and Gene bank under accession numbers, KY689139, KY689140, and KY689141. Additionally, a cholesterol‐lowering assay was conducted and up to 26% reduction in cholesterol was observed by the strains. Regarding functional properties, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and antioxidant potential, strain WFA1 showed promising results EPS (1.027mg/ml), DPPH (80.66%), ABTS (81.97%), and reducing power (1.787). It can be concluded from the present study that the mentioned strains of L. acidophilus (WFA1, WFA2, and WFA3) are strongly hydrophobic; thus having an ability to survive and colonize under the gastrointestinal tract which confirms their probiotic nature. Regarding their functional properties, L. acidophilus WFA1 (KU877440) showed excellent properties of antioxidants and EPS production.

Research paper thumbnail of Physico-chemical and Nutraceutical Characterization of Selected Indigenous Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Cultivars

Food Science and Technology

Research paper thumbnail of Comparative Impact of Drying Methods on Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Activities of Date Fruit Powders

Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, Dec 13, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Encapsulation of Pumpkin Seed Oil in Alginate Capsules

Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research, Dec 13, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Analysis of selective potato varieties and their functional assessment

Food Science and Technology

Research paper thumbnail of Microbiological variation amongst fresh and minimally processed vegetables from retail establishers - a public health study in Pakistan

Research paper thumbnail of Microencapsulation of Probiotics and Pharmaceuticals in Alginate Microbeads by a Novel Impinging Technology

Alginate gel encapsulation methods have been proven to be promising for the protection of immobil... more Alginate gel encapsulation methods have been proven to be promising for the protection of immobilized biological materials and controlled delivery of drugs. However, existing techniques to produce discrete alginate gel particles have limitations, which can result in the production of macro particles, whose use is restricted by obvious sensory detection during their consumption in food products. Other techniques to produce micron size beads are normally successful only on a laboratory scale or are non-continuous operations. In addition, some of the techniques (such as the emulsion method) require solvent or oil to produce micron size alginate gel particles. To overcome, these limitations a novel impinging aerosols technique was developed at the University of Queensland. This research involved the application of this continuous process for producing micron sized beads without the use of any heat or solvents. This technique possesses high scale up potential and involves aerosols of alginate and CalCl2 solutions, which impinge from opposite directions in a chamber. The atomised alginate solution droplets gel as soon as they come in contact with CaCl2 aerosols and fall to the bottom of the chamber from where the microbeads are collected. Actives may be mixed with the alginate solution prior to atomisation or aerosol formation. This research consisted of five experimental parts to investigate the utility of the micro-gel beads produced by this novel technique for encapsulating biological and pharmaceutical entities. These include evaluating: (1) the survivability of selected probiotics entrapped in the alginate microbeads in simulated gastrointestinal fluids, (2) the survivability of encapsulated probiotics in a food product base such as orange juice, (3) the viability of probiotics encapsulated in microbeads followed by freeze and spray drying and (4) the encapsulation of fluorescein as a model drug in alginate gel microbeads and (5) the encapsulation and release properties of hydrophilic and hydrophobic pharmaceutical actives in microbeads. Alginate microbeads (10-40 µm) containing the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM were produced and compared with extruded macrobeads (approximately 2 mm diameter) produced by the conventional method. Microbeads produced by the novel aerosols technique offered comparable protection to L. rhamnosus in high acid and bile environments. Chitosan coating of microbeads resulted in a significant increase in survival time of L. rhamnosus from 40 to 120 min in acid condition and the reduction in cell numbers was confined to 0.94 logs over this time. Alginate macrobeads were more effective than microbeads in protecting L. acidophilus against high acid and bile solutions. Chitosan coating of microbeads resulted in similar protection to L. acidophilus in macrobeads in acid and extended the survival time from 90 to at least 120 min. The viability of this organism in microbeads was 3.5 logs CFU after 120 min. The effect of alginate microencapsulation on the survival of L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM and their acidification in orange juice at 25 oC for nine days and at 4 oC over thirty five days of storage was studied. Unencapsulated L. rhamnosus GG was found to have excellent survivability in orange juice at both temperatures. However, unencapsulated L. acidophilus NCFM showed a significant reduction in viability. Encapsulation of these two bacteria in alginate microbeads did not significantly enhance survivability but did reduce acidification (measured as pH change) at 25 oC and 4 oC. The encapsulated probiotics in microbeads gel-matrix were further stabilized in maltodextrin solids by either spray or freeze drying to form probiotic microcapsule powders. The free cells of L. rhamnosus GG and L. acidophilus NCFM were also spray and freeze dried in maltodextrin without micro-gel encapsulation. Upon rehydration of micro-gel encapsulated powder, gel particles regained their shape. There was no difference in the loss of viability in both probiotics during spray drying or freeze drying. For L. acidophilus NCFM, spray dried bacteria with or without gel encapsulation exhibited higher viability (3.03 and 3.07 log CFU reduction, respectively) than those of freeze dried bacteria (4.36 and 4.89 log CFU reduction, respectively) after six months storage at 4˚C. The same trend was also observed in spray dried L. rhamnosus GG without gel encapsulation, which showed 5.87 log CFU reductions in viability after six months at 4˚C. However, freeze dried L. rhamnosus GG without gel encapsulation exhibited a rapid reduction in viability of 5.91 logs CFU within 2 months. Gel encapsulated L. rhamnosus GG which was freeze dried exhibited higher viability (3.32 log CFU reduction) after six months at 4˚C. Freeze dried gel encapsulated L. rhamnosus GG exhibited major improvements in survivability (5.07 logs CFU/g) over sixth months demonstrating the advantage of double…

Research paper thumbnail of Comparative Study for the Extraction of β-Carotene in Different Vegetables

Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM encapsulated using a novel impinging aerosol method in fruit food products

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Black Seed (Nigella sativa) Possess Bioactive Compounds Act as Anti-Helicobacter pylori Agent

Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual ... more Gastrointestinal associated problems are physiological processes effects almost every individual at some stage of their life. Among the various plants studied previously Nigella sativa possess numerous therapeutic properties including its anti-ulcer potential. This seed carries significant anti-ulcer properties arbitrated by antimicrobial activities specifically against gastric damage induced by Helicobacter pylori. Evidence is available supporting the utilization of NS and its bioactive components in a daily diet for health improvement. This review is envisioned to emphasis on the curative role of NS and to provide an evidence for being a functional food to protect from a range of malaises. An attempt is also made to emphasize aspects that need further investigations for it to be use in clinics in future.