Article
Food Science & Technology
Erik J. G. Sewalt, J. Kalkman, J. R. van Ommen, Gabrie M. H. Meesters, V. van Steijn
Summary: This study explores and demonstrates the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure the concentration of solute and the development of a solidifying shell in drying droplets. The findings provide a solid foundation for understanding the dynamic redistribution of solute and its impact on the morphology of produced particles and agglomerates.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Houjuan Mao, Xiao Dong Chen, Nan Fu
Summary: The study examined the effect of drying kinetics on the viability, cellular membrane integrity, and digestive stability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris. The findings demonstrated that optimizing drying kinetics can effectively increase the survival and lower the cellular injury of spray-dried probiotics.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giuseppina Gullifa, Roberta Risoluti, Cristina Mazzoni, Laura Barone, Elena Papa, Alfredo Battistini, Rodrigo Martin Fraguas, Stefano Materazzi
Summary: Recently, there has been an increasing interest in developing functional foods with encapsulated probiotic bacteria due to their positive impact on human health. Incorporating probiotics into dairy products has been a major challenge, especially for non-refrigerated products. This study utilized spray drying technology to produce a novel nutraceutical formulation using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and demonstrated that it can maintain a good storage stability of probiotics at room temperature. The optimized formulation showed promising characteristics in terms of providing a sufficient amount of viable cells after digestion and protecting the probiotics during the microencapsulation process by spray drying.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Huiyu Li, Fei Peng, Jia-Xin Lin, Tao Xiong, Tao Huang
Summary: This study successfully protected the viability of Limosilactobacillus fermentum NCU001464 and improved its adhesion capacity through microencapsulation with Maillard reaction products of gelatin and xylooligosaccharides. Heat treatment for 60 minutes resulted in the highest bacterial viability and adhesion capacity to intestinal epithelial cells during simulated digestion. After 10 weeks of storage, the viable count of the microencapsulated cells was 9.00-6.80 Log CFU/g, exceeding the recommended dose of 6 Log CFU/mL.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Hexiang Xie, Yang Liao, Meng Wai Woo, Hua Xiong, Qiang Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the impact of different whey protein hydrolysates as culture media and wall materials on Lactobacillus rhamnosus, with MWPH substitute medium showing improved growth, survival rate, and cell viability.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Johanna Dieplinger, Christina Moser, Gerhard Koenig, Joana T. Pinto, Amrit Paudel
Summary: This study investigated the effect of different saccharides on enzyme activity during protein drying. The results showed that trehalose dihydrate (TD) increased the activity of catalase, while hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrins (HPB) preserved the activity of trypsin during both miniaturized drying (MD) and spray drying (SD). Molecular docking and simulation revealed the difference in binding affinity between HP and HPB with trypsin. The experimental and modeling results shed light on the importance of protein and saccharide size in preserving activity during drying.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qingyu Luo, Wei Xu, Shaolong Tang
Summary: This study presents a novel and general method to synthesize PtCu3 nanoparticles immobilized on reduced graphene oxide. The resulting PtCu3/rGO catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance, significantly improving the kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction. This method can also be applied to the synthesis of other Pt-based nanoparticles, showing its generality and potential for commercialization of fuel cell technologies.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Yuyan Xu, Mingsheng Dong, Hongmei Xiao, Siew Young Quek, Yukiharu Ogawa, Guangyuan Ma, Chuang Zhang
Summary: Probiotic powders produced by spray drying have advantages of high efficiency, cost-saving, and good powder properties. However, the harsh drying and digestion processes can reduce cell viability, limiting the effectiveness of live cells. Therefore, there is a need to develop targeted delivery systems using spray drying to protect bacteria and maintain their physiological functions. This review highlights recent studies on spray-dried targeted delivery vehicles for probiotics, focusing on strategies to protect bacteria, particle formation mechanism, and the targeted release and colonization of live cells. Further research is needed to improve the functional properties of microcapsules and understand the effects of spray drying on bacterial physiology for industrialization and commercialization.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Johanna Dieplinger, Joana T. Pinto, Michael Dekner, Gerald Brachtl, Amrit Paudel
Summary: Solid biopharmaceutical products offer advantages such as easier storage and transport at lower temperatures, reduced carbon emissions, and energy consumption. This study investigates the interactions between saccharides and proteins during drying processes and their effects on protein stabilization. The findings highlight the importance of careful selection and ratio of saccharides in different drying operations.
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Trung Hau Nguyen, Jin-Seong Kim, Hyuk-Ju Kwon, Chang-Ho Kang
Summary: This study found that glutathione (GSH) can be a potential protective agent for improving the stability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and probiotics under freeze-drying, freeze-thawing, and cold treatments. The optimal concentration of GSH (50% w/w) showed effective protection on the viability and stability of various LAB strains. GSH-containing protectants enhanced the survivability of probiotics after freeze-drying and showed anti-freezing and anti-thawing effects.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Karl Vorlaender, Paula Pramann, Arno Kwade, Jan Henrik Finke, Ingo Kampen
Summary: In order to ensure the effectiveness of probiotic microorganisms when administered to patients in sufficient doses, dry dosage forms are preferred, particularly tablets. The drying process must be as gentle as possible. In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was dried using spray drying and various additives and process parameters were investigated to improve yeast cell survival. The use of protective additives was found to be essential and the outlet temperature during drying determined the survival rate. Subsequent compression of the spray-dried yeast reduced viability, but tabletability of the yeast protectant particles was good, providing insights into cell inactivation during tableting.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Mihaela Dumitru, Nicoleta Aurelia Lefter, Mihaela Habeanu, Georgeta Ciurescu, Dan C. Vodnar, Simon Elemer, Ionut Sorescu, Sergiu Emil Georgescu, Andreea Dudu
Summary: Fourteen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from the intestinal tract and feces of piglets, and only 12 strains were confirmed as Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Two strains, L. acidophilus IBNA 76 and L. plantarum IBNA 84, showed high survival rates under low pH and bile salts conditions. They also exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotics. After encapsulation using the spray-drying technique, the probiotic viability decreased but still remained promising. These findings suggest that L. acidophilus IBNA 76 and L. plantarum IBNA 84 could be considered as probiotic candidates for piglet nutrition.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dongbiao Jin, Houjuan Mao, Jie Xiao, Huanhuan Zhang, Meng Wai Woo, Xiao Dong Chen, Nan Fu
Summary: Changes in the viability of probiotic cells during spray drying were accurately predicted by an inactivation model that incorporated droplet temperature, moisture content, rate of temperature change, and drying rate. Other models that included fewer kinetics parameters with higher activation energy values underestimated the degree of inactivation. The findings underscored the crucial effects of the rates of temperature and moisture content change on the inactivation of probiotics during rapid drying.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aleksandra A. Jovanovic, Steva M. Levic, Vladimir B. Pavlovic, Smilja B. Markovic, Rada V. Pjanovic, Verica B. Dordevic, Viktor Nedovic, Branko M. Bugarski
Summary: The study compared freeze drying and spray drying for processing wild thyme drugs, finding that freeze drying was more effective in terms of total powder yield and polyphenol content. Gelatin as a coating agent improved TPC recovery and reduced material deposition on the drying chamber wall, leading to differences in polyphenol content in the resulting powders.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Haodong Yao, Bu Liu, Li He, Jielun Hu, Huan Liu
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and storage properties of Lactobacillus plantarum 550 encapsulated in soy protein isolate (SPI) and peach gum polysaccharide (PG) through spray drying. The combination of SPI and PG showed positive effects on both gastric resistance and storage stability of cells. The study demonstrates that SPI combined with PG may provide effective protection to cells not only during spray drying, but also during storage and gastrointestinal digestion.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Kian Siang Lim, Benu Adhikari, Jie Xiao, Xiao Dong Chen, Cordelia Selomulya, Meng Wai Woo
Summary: This study modified a theoretical framework based on reference-component centered coordinates to enable the prediction of simultaneous absorption and evaporation of droplets consisting of two volatiles. Experimental validation showed that the model reasonably predicted the mass profiles for droplet evaporation but over-predicted in the case of simultaneous absorption and evaporation of droplet.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yali Zhang, Kai Zhang, Chao Shang, Xiaoning Wang, Lei Wu, Guoqing Huang, Hao Wang, Qiming Sun, Xiao Dong Chen, Zhangxiong Wu
Summary: In this study, uniform and hierarchically macro/mesoporous ZSM-5 microspheres were successfully synthesized using a facile and green strategy combining spray-freeze drying and steaming-assisted crystallization. The hierarchical ZSM-5 catalyst exhibited superior catalytic performance in the methanol-to-olefin conversion reaction, with a prolonged lifetime and improved selectivity to ethylene and propylene compared to conventional microporous ZSM-5 and nano-sized ZSM-5.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Rongjuan Sun, Weiji Liu, Timothy V. Kirk, Xiao Dong Chen
Summary: This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using fluorescent probes for bioimaging of enzyme activity in food digestion. The results show that a dual-labeled fluorescent probe can be used to quantitatively measure dextranase activity, and a linear relationship is obtained between the ratio of fluorescence signals and dextranase concentration ratio.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Hexiang Xie, Yang Liao, Meng Wai Woo, Hua Xiong, Qiang Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the impact of different whey protein hydrolysates as culture media and wall materials on Lactobacillus rhamnosus, with MWPH substitute medium showing improved growth, survival rate, and cell viability.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Hong Zhu, Dongbiao Jin, Nan Fu, Xiao Dong Chen, Jie Xiao
Summary: A multi-task convolutional self-attention network (CSAN) has been developed for dynamic modeling of probiotics inactivation during single droplet drying (SDD). The model effectively learns from historical data and predicts inactivation dynamics throughout the whole drying process, outperforming many existing models in terms of prediction accuracy. By using this model, two optimal SDD conditions have been identified with high terminal solid contents (>90 wt%) and cell survival ratios (>0.65).
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zejun Hu, Peng Wu, Yiqing Chen, Luping Wang, Xia Jin, Xiao Dong Chen
Summary: In this study, an ex vivo absorption model based on the permeability of the rat small intestine was established to evaluate the intestinal absorption of DHA microcapsules with five formulations after gastrointestinal digestion. The results showed that the permeability of glucose solution increased with concentration, while the absorption rate of DHA microcapsules was low. The absorption rate was also influenced by the release of free fatty acids from the microcapsules.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yifan Qin, Xiao Dong Chen, Aibing Yu, Jie Xiao
Summary: Mathematical modeling of mass transfer and absorption in the small intestine is challenging and requires a reliable and computationally efficient predictive model. This study derives an absorption model that considers the 3D intestinal inner wall structure and can be used in a 1D distributed model. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are used to quantify the mass-transfer coefficient. The model provides insights into the influence of intestinal morphology and motility on mass transfer and absorption.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xiaoqing Zhu, Yu Zhang, Xiao Dong Chen
Summary: The large deformation of an elastic hollow ellipsoid was investigated as a flowmeter mechanism. Relationships were found between pressure drop, deformation, flowrate, and fluid viscosity. The experiment used a silicone hollow ellipsoid with dimensions of 0.05 m (long axis), 0.03 m (short axis), and a wall thickness of 3.5 x 10(-4) +/- 4.6 x 10(-5) m. A monotonic relationship was observed between flowrate and the ellipsoid's representative diameter. The effect of viscosity on flowrate was inconclusive, but the sensitivity of the ellipsoid's expansion to spatial variations in wall thickness was noted.
ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Hongyan Zhang, Sufang Duan, Yang Yu, Ren'an Wu, Jingjing Wang, Xiao Dong Chen, Ignatius Man-Yau Szeto, Peng Wu, Yan Jin
Summary: The effects of casein-to-whey ratios in fermented milk on gastric emptying, proteolysis and intestinal peptidome were investigated using an in vitro dynamic stomach-intestine system mimicking pre-school children digestion. The research found that the gastric emptying rate varied insignificantly among the milk samples. After 120 min digestion, the highest extent of proteolysis was observed at a casein-to-whey ratio of 2:1 due to the fewest gastric protein aggregates and relatively abundant caseins. Intestinal peptides derived from caseins or whey proteins showed a positive correlation with their parent protein content. The most abundant bioactive whey peptides were found at a casein-to-whey ratio of 1:1.5 after intestinal digestion. These findings demonstrated the importance of protein compositions in fermented milk on gastrointestinal proteolysis and peptide release in vitro, which is meaningful for future development of milk products that are more suitable for children.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
He Lyu, Saartje Hernalsteens, Haihua Cong, S-y Quek, Xiao Dong Chen
Summary: Fermentation of mung beans by Bacillus subtilis subsp. natto can improve their nutritional and functional properties, including an increase in soluble protein, decrease in crystallinity, and change in particle size distribution. This approach can be used to produce a food ingredient with various functional and nutritional properties, and the SETR is a viable technology for handling high solid load substrates.
FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Hao Gu, Yun Xia, Yu Zhang, Xiao Dong Chen
Summary: In this study, a soft-elastic pulsation pump (SEPP) made of silicone rubber was developed and examined. The SEPP was driven by an external squeezing mechanism and featured a silicone one-way valve to prevent backflow. The material characteristics, durability, and performance of the SEPP were evaluated, and it was found to have good protection on blood. The technical details and experimental results provided a solid foundation for developing higher capacity SEPPs, which could potentially be applied as effective ventricular assist devices.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Kefan Ouyang, Hexiang Xie, Yufeng Wang, Fangjian Ning, Hua Xiong, Qiang Zhao
Summary: This study investigates the effects of pH, temperature, and protein concentration on the deterioration reactions and color formation during the fibrillization of whey protein isolate fibrils. The results indicate that protein oxidation and the Maillard reaction play a role in the color formation of the fibrils.
FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xue Dong, Haoyu Zhuo, Ke Wang, Peng Wu, Xiao Dong Chen
Summary: This study quantified the diffusion and spatial distribution of gastric acids in whey protein isolate (WPI) gels during simulated digestion. It was found that regardless of NaCl concentration, the outer surface of the gels quickly formed a near-saturated layer with a higher acid concentration compared to the inner layer. The pH decrease was more significant in gels with higher NaCl concentration due to a looser network structure that facilitated acid diffusion.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guoqing Huang, Dongling Mao, Yali Zhang, Xiao Dong Chen, Zhangxiong Wu
Summary: This work investigated the use of ozone treatment for the postsynthesis of Fe-containing SBA-15 materials, where the surfactant was almost completely removed while maintaining other properties. The ozone treatment could effectively remove the triblock copolymer P123, while preserving the hydroxyl groups of SBA-15 and the dispersion state of Fe. The ozone-treated samples exhibited enhanced arsenic adsorption performance.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Songyu Wang, Fang Huang, Yuping Zhao, Kefan Ouyang, Hexiang Xie, Hua Xiong, Yan Zhang, Zhixian Chen, Qiang Zhao
Summary: Yeast protein concentrate, a potential alternative protein source with high nutritional quality, environmental sustainability, and functional properties, has lower digestibility compared to whey protein concentrate. The differences in microstructure, secondary structure, and amino acid composition between yeast protein concentrate and whey protein concentrate may explain their different digestion behaviors.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ri Zhang, Shasha Zhang, Mengyan Ding
Summary: A thin liquid film method is proposed to evaluate sand erosion in annular flow. This method considers the direct interaction between the liquid film and gas core, as well as the entrainment and deposition of droplets. The erosion rate is calculated by considering the effects of liquid entrainment and particle velocity decay. The method is fully verified by comparing with experimental data.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yu Suo, Xianheng Su, Wenyuan He, Xiaofei Fu, Zhejun Pan
Summary: This research investigates the mechanical properties of sandstone-shale composite through orthogonal experimental method and discrete element simulation. The results show that different lithologies and thickness ratios can affect the strength and fracture mode of the composite rock samples.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Maurizio Troiano, Andrea El Hassanin, Roberto Solimene, Alessia Teresa Silvestri, Fabrizio Scala, Antonino Squillace, Piero Salatino
Summary: This study investigates the potential of Fluidized Bed Finishing (FBF) for square flat AlSi10Mg specimens manufactured via Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing technology. The results show that good finishing can be achieved using rotation-assisted tests, with a maximum reduction of surface roughness by 67%. Steel particles are found to be the most effective bed material.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Ningbo Song, Wanzhong Yin, Jin Yao
Summary: Seawater's dissolved salts and minerals have various effects on the flotation process, including influencing the characteristics and behavior of flotation factors, as well as affecting the surface of sulfide minerals. In most cases, seawater has adverse effects on the flotation of sulfide minerals, but these effects can be mitigated by adjusting the reagents.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Kaiqiao Wu, Shuxian Jiang, Victor Francia, Marc-Olivier Coppens
Summary: In rectangular and cylindrical annular fluidized beds, pulsating gas flow can create regular bubble patterns, overcoming challenges seen in conventional units. This study provides new opportunities for modularization of fluidized bed operations.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shuo Li, Huili Zhang, Jan Baeyens, Miao Yang, Zehao Li, Yimin Deng
Summary: The paper assesses the behavior of cohesive Geldart C-type particles when fluidized by air with the aid of vibration. It determines that mechanical vibration is a simple and effective method to improve the fluidity of cohesive particles during fluidization.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhenfei Feng, Qingyuan Zhang, Shanpan Liang, Zhenzhou Li, Fangwen Guo, Jinxin Zhang, Ding Yuan
Summary: A new micro/mini-channel heat sink (MCHS) with a combined structure of longitudinal and transverse vortex generators is designed, using Al2O3 nanofluid as the working medium. The study explores the effects of transverse vortex generator shape and longitudinal vortex generator angle on the hydraulic and thermal characteristics, comprehensive performance, entropy generation, and exergy efficiency. The results show that the triangular transverse vortex generator improves the comprehensive performance and exergy efficiency. Combined with the longitudinal vortex generator, the MCHS achieves the best comprehensive performance, entropy generation, and exergy efficiency when the Reynolds number is 742.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Kostas Giannis, Christoph Thon, Guoqing Yang, Arno Kwade, Carsten Schilde
Summary: This study presents a 3D convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) methodology for generating realistic 3D models of particles. The method trains on 2D projections of particle images to predict their 3D shapes, and evaluates the accuracy of the predictions using Fourier shape descriptors (FSDs). This methodology has wide applications in particle shape analysis.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zheng-qing Zhou, Lu-jia Chai, Yu-long Zhang, Ya-bin Wang, Ze-chen Du, Tian-yi Wang, Yu-zhe Liu
Summary: The dynamic oxidation and shell-breaking processes of aluminum nanoparticles (ANPs) during heating were studied using in situ transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that the changes in shell thickness can be divided into three stages, and the active aluminum content of ANP decreased before shell-breaking.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Fulei Chen, Huaqing Ma, Zihan Liu, Lianyong Zhou, Yongzhi Zhao
Summary: A particle breakage model based on the particle replacement scheme, using the polyhedral model to describe particles, is proposed in this work to accurately describe the breakage of a large number of particles. Additionally, a fast-cutting algorithm is proposed to reproduce the size distribution of progeny particles determined by the breakage model. The validation and simulation results show satisfactory accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the algorithm.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Matteo Errigo, Christopher Windows-Yule, Massimiliano Materazzi, Dominik Werner, Paola Lettieri
Summary: Gas-solid fluidized-bed systems have advantages in terms of chemical reaction efficiency and temperature control, making them widely used in industrial applications. However, the design, scale-up, and optimization of these complex units are limited by the lack of deep physical understanding. Non-invasive and non-intrusive diagnostic techniques provide a way for researchers to study these systems without affecting the flow field or directly contacting the medium under study.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Saeed Fateh, Mohammad Behshad Shafii, Mohammad Najafi, Cyrus Aghanajafi
Summary: Applying a magnetic field to ferrofluids alters their flow characteristics and enhances heat transfer. Through visualization and quantitative investigation, it is found that the magnetic field influences the flow patterns and velocity profiles, improving fluid mixing and vorticity magnitude.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lei Gao, Bingbing Wei, Xiaochuan Hu, Zaifeng Yao, Yiwen Fang, Xuejian Gao
Summary: In this study, a numerical model of sand triaxial test was established using discrete element software PFC3D, and an indoor triaxial test was conducted to calibrate the numerical model. The influence of microscopic parameters on the macroscopic mechanical response of sand was analyzed. The results showed that the friction coefficient had the greatest impact on the peak strength and residual strength of the sand's stress-strain curve, and it was positively correlated. The normal tangential stiffness ratio was negatively correlated, while the porosity and boundary flexibility stiffness had minimal influence on it.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xuan Liu, Jie Gong, Kai Jiang, Xiaojuan Lai, Yu Tian, Kang Zhang
Summary: This study aimed to improve the performance of lignite coal water slurries (CWSs) by synthesizing a series of three-arm amphiphilic block copolymers. By controlling the relative molecular weight, hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio, and ionic group content, the apparent viscosity of CWSs was significantly reduced and the static stability was improved. Thermogravimetric testing and XPS analysis were conducted to reveal the mechanism behind the improved performance.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lanka Dinushke Weerasiri, Daniel Fabijanic, Subrat Das
Summary: Fluidization at low pressure offers significant benefits for the fine chemical industry. This study investigates the behavior of bubbles and bed expansion under low pressure conditions. It is found that lower pressure leads to larger bubbles, increased bubble quantity, and higher aspect ratio. The predictability is affected by the inhomogeneous fluidization, but low pressure fluidization can generate similar bubble sizes with lower fluidizing mass compared to atmospheric pressure.
