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44 January 2020 Tablets & Capsules References 1. Y. Zhang, et al., "Zein-based films and their usage for controlled delivery: Origin, classes and current landscape," J Control Release, Vol. 206, pages 206-219. 2. S. Bhatnagar, et al., " Z ein microneedles for localized delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to treat breast cancer: Drug loading, release behavior, and skin permeation stud- ies," A A PS PharmSciTech, 2018, Vol. 19, No. 4, pages 1,818-1,826. 3. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, "Preparation of food grade capsules for targeted dr ug deliv- ery," ScienceDaily, March 12, 2015. 4. G. Labib, "Overview on zein protein: A promising pharmaceutical excipient in drug delivery systems and tissue engineering," Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 2017, Vol. 15, No. 1, pages 65-75. 5. N. T. Weissmueller, et al., " Nanocar r ier s f r om G R A S zein proteins to encapsulate hydropho- bic actives," Biomacromolecules, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 11, pages 3,828-3,837. 6. A. R. Patel and K. P. Velikov, "Zein as a source of functional colloi- dal nano- and microstructures," Cur- rent Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 2014, Vol. 19, pages 450-458. 7. K . L a l o u , " H o n g K o n g researchers boost DHA absorption with novel nano-encapsulation," Nutrition Insight, February 2019. 8. Y. Baspinar, et al., "Curcumin- and piperine loaded zein-chitosan nanopar ticles: Development and in-vitro characterization," Saudi Phar- maceutical Journal, 2018, Vol. 26, No. 3, pages 323-334. Dan Rosen is vice president, product management, at FloZein Products, Ash- burnham, MA (www.zeinproducts. com). The company manufactures vegan coating and encapsulation ingre- dients for pharmaceutical, food, and packaging applications. For more infor- mation and to determine whether zein can benefit your formulation, contact the company at 978 827 5101 or info@ zeinproducts.com. pound displays, allowing zein's prop- erties to be applied differently with different nutrients and drugs. For example, a formulator can design a nanoparticle with a chi- tosan hydrophilic core and a zein hydrophobic shell. This approach provides a higher encapsulation effi- ciency and a slower sustained release of hydrophilic nutrients or drugs in the gastrointestinal tract. A lte r nat ively, the for mu lator can pour the zein nanopar ticles, together with hydrophobic bioac- tives such as fat-soluble vitamins, into a chitosan solution to induce phase separation and form zein-chi- tosan complex nanoparticles. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol that is a very powerful antioxidant, but the formulation and delivery of curcumin in oral products is a very challenging task due to a combina- tion of factors. Curcumin mixed with zein colloidal particles has shown enhanced water dispersibility and enhanced stability of the curcumin at various pH levels [8]. As these examples show, the ease with which formulators can enhance the natural performance of zein by adding other ingredients or otherwise manipulating the zein solution makes it a uniquely flexible encapsulator. T&C linking, modification, and certain post-treatments to improve the prop- erties of zein films. Other factors that affect the properties of these films include the concentration of zein in the solution, the solution's water-to-solvent ratio, the thickness of the coating or film, and the choice of plasticizers, if required. Hybrid solutions Zein is also unique in its abil- ity to function cooperatively with m a n y c o m p o u n d s , a n d h y b r id films typically include plasticizers, essential oils, or other natural poly- mers. Hybrid films can take advan- tage of the good mechanical and barrier properties of both zein and the other ing redients, bypassing their shortcomings. Zein-chitosan complex nanopar- ticles will form a gel at an acidic pH, providing greater protection of the zein protein against enzymatic deg- radation. The method of combining the two components determines the properties that the complex com- Zein demonstrates a wide spectrum of beneficial encapsulation properties while displaying negligible interactions with active ingredients.