Development of zeina-based polymeric nanoestrutures for encapsulation of vitamin C

• Grant number: 17/25932-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: June 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Souza Corrêa
• Grantee: Nayara Fernanda Tokashike de Araujo
• Host Institution: Embrapa Instrumentação Agropecuária. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Agribusiness represents an important agent in the generation of food, and despite the significant figures presented by the sector in recent years, it is necessary to invest in new technologies that provide advances in the production and quality of these foods. In this context, fish farming stands out, which has increased its importance in Brazil due to the high nutritional value and the low-fat content of the fishes. Thus, this study aims to develop nanostructures of zein obtained by the techniques of electrospinning and solution blow spinning, aiming applications in fish feed. The use of the two different techniques aims, through adjustments of their experimental conditions, to optimize possible variables in these processes. This initial procedure intends to allow the encapsulation of vitamin C in these structures and their subsequent physical-chemical characterization, aiming to offer an alternative for the high losses of vitamin C in the ration of these animals - since, due to the high degree of oxidation of said vitamin, losses are inevitable. These structures, which may have different chemical properties, such as the controlled degradability index, have the possibility of promoting the total release of their active principle, in this case vitamin C. (AU)