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Controlled delivery technology of protein/peptide drugs from biodegradable particles has emerged as one of the eminent areas to overcome problems related to macromolecules formulation. The goal of the present study was to develop protein-loaded micro-particles using biodegradable polymer, polycaprolactone (PCL) and hydrogel from beluga cartilage. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model for protein/ peptide molecules such as GnRH. The double emulsion (W/O/W) technique was selected as one of the most appropriate methods for preparing a drug delivery system for soluble proteins in water. The first emulsion was prepared using ultrasonic and the mechanical agitator was used for achieving the second emulsion. The hydrogel prepared by enzymatic digestion was used in the first aquatic solution. At the present investigation, three groups were considered as the drug delivery system: G1; (PCL/hydrogel/BSA), G2; (PCL/BSA) and G3; (PCL/Alginate/BSA). Findings showed that the morphology of particles was spherical and non-conglomerated in all groups. The comparison of average particle size among groups was also indicated that the particles.

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The aim of this study was the production of double emulsions stabilized by hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and comparison of physicochemical properties of these emulsions with double emulsions stabilized by Tween 80 emulsifier. Double emulsions were produced using the two-step method. Firstly, an initial water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion was prepared by adding 20% ​​of the internal aqueous phase containing sodium chloride to the oil phase containing 95% sunflower oil and 5% Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and mixing with a magnetic stirrer. In the second stage of emulsification, 40% of the initial water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion produced in the first stage was added to 60% of the external aqueous phase containing hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose emulsifier in three levels of 2, 3 and 4%, 1% hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and 1% tween 80 and 2% tween 80 as control sample and dispersed by magnetic stirrer. Both the produced emulsions were homogenized using a high speed homogenizer for 15 minutes at 15000 rpm. The produced double emulsions were optimized in terms of particle size and distribution, stability, viscosity, color and morphology. The results showed that the lowest particle size was related to the double emulsions produced by Tween 80 which their particles size and distribution were 385.33 nm and 0.31, respectively. These parameters were 453.97 nm and 0.33, respectively for emulsions stabilized with 4% hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose.

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Due to the close relationship between high salt consumption and the increasing prevalence of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in the world, the food industry is trying to create foods that better align with consumer expectations regarding sodium reduction. In this study, the strategy of taste contrast technique through salt encapsulation in the internal aqueous phase of the water-in-oil-in-water double emulsion (W₁/O/W₂) was investigated as a novel technological approach for sodium reduction. To this end, different concentrations of salt (0, 0.5, 0.75, and 1%) and cinnamaldehyde (1%) as an antioxidant agent were used in the internal aqueous phase and the oil phase of the double emulsion, respectively. In order to investigate emulsion stability, encapsulation efficiency, and salt release behavior, the oil phase was fabricated in two liquid and solid states in the form of oleogel. The characteristics of the produced emulsions were investigated in terms of storage stability, heat and freezing stability, color, oxidation, encapsulation efficiency, viscosity, rheology, and morphology. The emulsion sample containing gel network in the oil phase and 0.75% salt in the internal aqueous phase was the best sample in terms of stability and rheological behavior.
 

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The compound droplets resulting from water-in-oil-in-water emulsions have many applications, including in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Investigating the effective parameters in the production of these droplets plays an important role in their controlled production. In this numerical study, the production of compound droplets in a three-phase axisymmetric glass capillary microfluidic device is investigated. The structure of this system consists of two co-flow and one flow-focusing devices. In this study, the volume of fluid (VOF) method is used to solve the governing equations in different phases. 5 dimensionless parameters are selected to check the effect of each component on the diameter, the generation frequency, and the breakup length of the compound droplets. This study has successfully predicted the formation of compound droplets in the droplet regime. The simulation results show that with increasing the ratio of inner nozzle diameter to outer tube diameter, the core diameter enhances and the shell thickness decreases. By decreasing the angle of the inner nozzle tip, the drop regime changes to the jet regime. By increasing the contact angle of the middle phase with respect to the outer phase in the outer tube wall from 90 to 120 degrees, the frequency of droplet generation increases by 22%. The results of this study can be used for applications such as 3D cell culture.