gamma-cyclodextrin and tributyrin

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) known for support in gastrointestinal (GI) health. Tributyrin (TB) could be used as an alternate source of butyrate. The objectives of this study were to encapsulate TB using gamma-cyclodextrin (CD) by spray-drying and to investigate the physicochemical and the fermentation properties of TB/CD complex. The TB/CD complex precipitated in water with an average stoichiometry of 1:1.3 of TB:CD. At a 1:2 molar ratio of TB:CD, TB was fully retained in the spray-dried TB/CD complex. The spray-dried TB/CD complex showed crystalline structure, supported by both X-ray diffraction spectra and scanning electron microscopy images. The TB/CD complex at 1:2 molar ratio was fermented and several SCFAs, including butyrate, were produced in an in vitro test using piglets' ileal and colonic contents. A dose-dependent increase in the butyrate concentration in both ileum and ascending colon was observed. Approximately, 426 and 1189 μmole butyrate was produced per gram of TB/CD powder at 9 mM treatment in ileum and ascending colon, respectively. Thus, the production of the TB/CD complex using spray drying is feasible and the complex has the potential for food applications to improve intestinal health. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The findings in this study can be applied to produce encapsulated tributyrin with gamma-cyclodextrin efficiently using spray-drying. The TB/CD complex was highly fermentable and caused an increase in the butyrate concentration in both ileum and ascending colon, which can be incorporated in foods to enhance butyrate delivery to the GI tract to assist gut health.

Topics: Butyrates; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Fermentation; gamma-Cyclodextrins; Spray Drying; Triglycerides

Butyric acid is an important short-chain fatty acid for intestinal health and has been shown to improve certain intestinal disease states. A triglyceride containing 3 butyric acid esters, tributyrin (TB) can serve as a source of butyric acid; however, the need to target intestinal delivery and mitigate unpleasant sensory qualities has limited its use in food. Microencapsulation, the entrapment of one or more cores within a matrix, may provide a solution to the aforementioned challenge. This research primarily focused on the influence of (1) wall material: whey and soy protein isolate (WPI and SPI, respectively) and gamma-cyclodextrin (GCD), (2) wall additives: inulin of varying chain length, and (3) processing method: spray or oven drying (SD or OD, respectively) on the morphological properties and volatile retention of TB within microcapsules. SPI-based microcapsules retained significantly less (P < 0.001) TB compared to WPI-based microcapsules as measured by gas chromatography. The inclusion of inulin in the SD WPI-based microcapsules increased (P < 0.001) TB retention over WPI-based microcapsules without inulin. Inulin inclusion into WPI-based microcapsules resulted in a smoother, minimally-dented, circular morphology as compared to noninulin containing WPI-based microcapsules as shown by scanning electron microscopy. GCD and TB OD microcapsules retained more (P < 0.001) TB (94.5% ± 1.10%) than all other WPI, WPI-inulin, and GCD TB SD microcapsules. When spray dried, the GCD-based microcapsules exhibited (P < 0.001) TB retention than all other microcapsules, indicating the GCD may be unsuitable for spray drying. These findings demonstrate that microencapsulated TB in GCD can lead to minimal TB losses during processing that could be utilized in functional food applications for intestinal health.

Topics: Butyric Acid; Capsules; Desiccation; Drug Compounding; Functional Food; gamma-Cyclodextrins; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Inulin; Soybean Proteins; Triglycerides; Whey Proteins

Microencapsulation is commonly used in the food industry for a variety of purposes including added ingredient functionally and taste-masking for those ingredients with negative sensory qualities. Tributyrin (TB), a source intestinally-essential butyric acid, possesses negative aroma (cheesy, fecal) and taste (bitter) qualities. This has significantly limited its use in food applications for the potential improvement of intestinal health. Utilizing spray drying and low-temperature oven drying, microcapsules containing TB were produced using whey (WPI), WPI and inulin, and gamma-cyclodextrin (GCD). To determine how microcapsule formulation and drying method affected the perception of TB relative to a control, microencapsulated and free TB were added to an infant formula system and evaluated using the rating method to determine R-index measures. Pooled R-index measures (α = 0.01, 2-tailed, and n = 170) indicated that the only microcapsule not significantly different from the control (R-index below 57.95%) was the GCD and TB oven dried (GCT OD) microcapsule. All other WPI, WPI-inulin, and GCD and TB spray-dried (GCT SD) microcapsules were all significantly different from the control. Average individual R-index results indicated that all microcapsules in infant formula, except for GCT OD, were significantly different (P < 0.01) from the control formula but not from free TB. Spray drying may create microcapsules with surface TB and disturb the GCD-TB complex, allowing free, and surface TB to be perceived by the panelists. The GCT OD microcapsule has the potential to be used for the potential oral treatment of intestinal disorders in functional food applications without the negative sensory qualities of TB.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Capsules; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Commerce; Consumer Behavior; Desiccation; Drug Compounding; Female; Food Handling; Functional Food; gamma-Cyclodextrins; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Inulin; Male; Middle Aged; Odorants; Taste; Triglycerides; Whey; Young Adult