Nanoparticle Protects Oil in Foods from Oxidation, SpoilageSource: Purdue University
A scientist at Purdue University, United States, has successfully modified a starch-like substance in corn, the phytoglycogen nanoparticle, creating a nanoparticle that attaches to oils and emulsifies them, while also acting as a barrier to oxidation. Oxidation causes food to become rancid because it destabilizes oil droplets in emulsified food. This discovery could lengthen the shelf life of many food products and sustain their health benefits. According to the scientist, Yuan Yao, an assistant professor of food science, "[T]his can be widely used in the food industry, cosmetics and nutritional supplements, any system in which the oxidation of lipids is a concern. The shelf life of a product can be low and the quality of the food can become bad because of the oxidation of the lipids." Yao modified the nanoparticle's surface so that it behaves like an emulsifier, creating phytoglycogen octenyl succinate, or PG-OS, a substance that is thicker and denser than common emulsifiers, creating a better defense against oxygen and free radical and metal ions, all of which cause lipid oxidation. His findings were published online in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The article can be viewed online at the link below. http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2009/091208YaoNanoparticles.html |