Study of the microstructure of o/w creams with thermal and rheological methods

Thermogravimetric and rheological investigations of oil/water (o/w) creams prepared with different types of surface-active agents (non-ionic, non-ionic POE-free, ionic) were carried out. Thermogravimetry was aimed at the indirect study of the water bond mechanism in o/w creams and the influence of the composition, type and concentration of the mixed emulsifier on the binding of water incorporated in the structure (interlamellar, bulk) and on the binding proportions. The microstructural changes during application were studied with respect to the stability of the lamellar bilayer. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Structural consequences of metal complexation of cyclo[Pro-Phe-Phe-Ala-Xaa]2 decapeptides

The conformational features of both free and Ca2+-complexed cyclo[Pro-Phe-Phe-Ala-Xaa]2 (with Xaa= Glu(OtBu), Lys(CIZ), Leu, and Ala) in solution have been determined by NMR spectroscopy and extensive distance-geometry calculations. The decapeptides are conformationally homogeneous in solution and show common structural features in their free and complexed forms. The structures of the free form contain only trans peptide bonds and are topologically similar to the structure of gramicidin-S, folded up in two antiparallel extended structures, stabilized by interstrand hydrogen bonds, and closed at both ends by two beta-turns. In contrast, the Ca2+-complexed peptides present two cis peptide bonds and are generally similar to those observed for the metal-complexed forms of antamanide and related analogues, folded into a saddle shape with two beta-turns. The Glu(OtBu)-, Leu-, and Lys(ClZ)-containing peptides examined here maintain the biological activity of the cyclolinopeptide A in their ability to competitively inhibit cholate uptake. The natural antamanide and cyclolinopeptide A are both able to inhibit the uptake of bile salts into hepatocytes. They share the same postulated active sequence Pro-Phe-Phe. Based on our structural results, we conclude that the ability to adopt a global conformation, characterized by a clear amphipathic separation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces, is an important feature for the functioning of this class of peptides.     

High-performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection and capillary zone electrophoresis with indirect ultra violet detection as powerful tools to evaluate prebiotic properties of fructooligosaccharides and inulin

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin are food grade non-digestible carbohydrates that exert beneficial nutritional effect. This paper describes the suitability of high-performance anion-exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) to evaluate fermentation properties of FOS and inulin in pure Bifidobacterium cultures; and to study their effects on faecal cultures (microbial population and short-chain fatty acids). Prebiotic effectiveness of FOS and inulin of different degrees of polymerization was evaluated monitoring the changes in their molecular weight distribution during the in vitro growth of selected Bifidobacterium strains. The qualitative analysis of the residual soluble oligosaccharides or polysaccharides from Raftilose Synergy, Raftiline HP and Raftilose P95 was carried out by HPAEC-PAD, using a CarboPac PA 100 column and an appositely optimized gradient elution program. Under the optimized gradient elution conditions, glucose, fructose, sucrose were resolved from each other and from fructans with a DP ranging from 3 (1-kestose) to 60. The chromatographic profiles of the spent broths pointed out that almost every strain presented a different capability to ferment fructan chains of variable DP, indicating wide strain to strain differences. To explore the prebiotic effect of FOS and inulin, related to of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) accumulation in faecal cultures due to fermentative metabolism of intestinal microflora, analysis of SCFAs, acetic and lactic acid was achieved by co-electroosmotic capillary electrophoresis, where the electrophoretic mobility of the anionic analytes and electroosmotic flow (EOF) were similarly directed. Moreover, the use of UV detection for the analyses of our organic anions required a running electrolyte which allowed indirect detection. The optimization of the capillary electrophoretic conditions was carried out by applying a chemometric study based on the use of the experimental design, the effects of three parameters, i.e. temperature, voltage and percentage of methanol added to the background electrolyte were investigated.