Background The promising applications of polymers have recently attracted increasing interest in the food industry, prompting the development and utilization of novel polymers with critical roles in future foods. One such polymer with significant advantages in food applications is ‘shellac,’ a long-established natural polymer furnished with distinctive properties, including pH-responsiveness, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Scope and approach In this review, literature involving food-related shellac applications, selected from Web of Science, were used in content development. First, various shellac sources, extraction methods, and processing methods are introduced, and their chemical compositions and identification reviewed. Subsequently, the physicochemical properties of shellac are discussed in detail. Finally, the applications of shellac in the food industry are comprehensively reviewed. Key findings and conclusions The extraction and processing technology for shellac have matured, and the structure of shellac is now clearly understood. Based on the recognized structures and properties of shellac, its application is widely advantageous in all aspects of the food industry. However, the development of new food-related shellac applications is dependent on fabrication information based on existing research reports, hence the need for elucidation. In addition, the constraints of shellac, which results from self-polymerization, and their consequent effects on the stability of shellac-based food systems are rarely reported, and it is necessary to address these issues. In general, the application of shellac in the food industry shows great potential.

Shellac: A promising natural polymer in the food industry

Choosing the appropriate wall materials for spray-drying microencapsulation of natural bioactive ingredients: Taking phenolic compounds as examples

Delivery systems play a crucial role in enhancing the activity of active substances; however, they require complex processing techniques and raw material design to achieve the desired properties. In this regard, raw materials that can be easily processed for different delivery systems are garnering attention. Among these raw materials, shellac, which is the only pharmaceutically used resin of animal origin, has been widely used in the development of various delivery systems owing to its pH responsiveness, biocompatibility, and degradability. Notably, shellac performs better on encapsulating hydrophobic active substances than other natural polymers, such as polysaccharides and proteins. In addition, specially designed shellac-based delivery systems can also be used for the codelivery of hydrophilic and hydrophobic active substances. Shellac is most widely used for oral administration, as shellac-based delivery systems can form a compact structure through hydrophobic interaction, protecting transported active substances from the harsh environment of the stomach to achieve targeted delivery in the small intestine or colon. In this review, the advantages of shellac in delivery systems are discussed in detail. Multiscale shellac-based delivery systems from the macroscale to nanoscale are comprehensively introduced, including matrix tablets, films, enteric coatings, hydrogels, microcapsules, microparticles (beads/spheres), nanoparticles, and nanofibers. Furthermore, the hotspots, deficiencies, and future perspectives of shellac-based delivery system development are also analyzed. We hoped this review will increase the understanding of shellac-based delivery systems and inspire their further development.

Multiscale Shellac-Based Delivery Systems: From Macro- to Nanoscale.

Abstract The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn, as it was submitted in error. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author. 

/pdf/preparation-of-resveratrol-loaded-ethyl-cellulose-2ymwoozr.pdf

Preparation of resveratrol-loaded ethyl cellulose microspheres via foam- transfer and its application performances

Abstract Resveratrol (Res) has been widely used in personal-care and pharmaceutical products since it has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and anti-cancer properties. In this work, it was loaded by using biodegradable ethyl cellulose (EC) as the carrier to prepare EC/Res microspheresvia a foam-transfer method. The effects of experimental conditions on the properties of EC/Res microspheres were studied, and then their application performances including the sustained release and the degradation property were investigated. The results showed that resveratrol was loaded to EC microspheres successfully, in which EC/Res microspheres were in highly porous structures. Especially, when the PVA concentration = 2.5 wt%, the stirring rate = 600 rpm, the oil/water (O/W) ratio = 1:2, the polymer concentration = 1:25, the heating rate = 0.33 ℃/min, and the viscosity of ethyl cellulose = 90~110 mpa.s, the yield of EC/Res microspheres was up to 80.70 wt% with an encapsulation ratio of 73.89%; EC/Res microspheres were than produced continuously with an even higher encapsulation rate of resveratrol, which was 90.63% with a yield of 85.58 wt%. The cumulative release of EC/Res microsphere was up to 91.97 wt% in the phosphate buffer solution(PBS) at pH = 5.0 under 45 ℃ for 120 hours. After EC/Res microspheres degraded in PBS (pH = 7.4) for 45 days, their hardness decreased from 12.01 ± 0.56 MPa to 4.02 ± 0.45 MPa. This work provided a practical solution for resveratrol’s application as functional additives in a variety of areas. 

/pdf/preparation-of-resveratrol-loaded-ethyl-cellulose-17fplic5.pdf

Shellac resin ammonium salts (SRAS) were prepared from the natural product of shellac resin and ammonium hydroxide by amidation. Resveratrol (RES) was embedded with SRAS to improve its ther...

https://tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10942912.2019.1610432

Tiantian Liu

Papers

Preparation, characterization, and in vitro antioxidant activity of pH-sensitive resveratrol microcapsule in simulated intestinal fluids