Food
Among the multiple applications that this technology offers to the food industry, the following stand out:
- Adaptation of the active principles and ingredients for incorporation into food matrices to obtain enriched or functionalized foods with advanced properties (milks, bakery products, probiotics)
- New functional ingredients with higher absorption and bioavailability of nutrients and healthy supplements (bread with microencapsulated iron)
Pharmaceutical and cosmetic
At AINIA, we have the latest advances in microencapsulation solutions for cosmetic products such as the combination of different technologies (atomization, gelation, SCF, liposomal,…) as well as the possibilities of different coating materials, considering factors such as odour masking, efficiency and improvement of the shelf life of ingredients.
In addition, we are experts in conducting ad hoc efficacy studies in cellular models. That is, the use of cell culture and tissue engineering techniques to perform bioassays to study the efficacy of different bioactive ingredients (antioxidants, whiteners or anti-inflamatories).
Among our research lines, we work on ingredients for cosmetic formulas with a doble microencapsulation system in which we have combined our experience in biotechnology and in the development of microencapsulation processes, to develop, for example, a cosmetic ingredient based on a microorganism with probiotic capacity, Lactobacillus, which remains viable and stable.
The main applications of microencapsulation for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries are:
- Development of ingredients for more natural cosmetic and pharma products.
- Improvement of properties such as taste, colour, stability and/or consistency (masking of strong odours of some vitamins…)
- Compounds with higher absorption and bioavailability (bread with encapsulated iron)
In order to achieve more natural products with advanced functionalities, innovation is based not only on the microencapsulation technologies, but also on clean and selective extraction processes, such as supercritical extraction, or the development of fermentative processes for the production of targeted functional biomolecules.
Agriculture
The European Green Deal’s mean objective is to promote the efficient use of resources through a clean and circular economy. One of the work lines is the “farm to fork” strategy, which aims to “ensure safe and nutritious food and feed, a high level of health and wellbeing of animals and plants and a clear information about the origin, content, labelling and use of food”.
Among the steps to be taken to achieve the 50% reduction in the use of agricultural pesticides by 2030. Moreover, it also aims to reduce the use of fertilizers by 20% by the same year. Obtaining biofertilizers, natural pesticides, elicitors and agricultural biocontrol agents is the more interesting solution offered by microencapsulation to the agricultural sector.
Through microencapsulation, biofertilizers and control agents can be obtained with a controlled and extended release over time, taking into account the properties of the medium in which they are to be applied.
Packaging
In the packaging sector, microencapsulation technology is very useful in the development of active, intelligent and functional packaging with improved mechanical and antimicrobial properties.
We suggest you read the results of PHBOTTLE project with which we obtained the first prototype of an active bio-packaging, from the sugars presented in the wastewater of juice industries. Specifically, we developed microcapsules with antioxidants, that were incorporated to the plastic material (PHB) used to manufacture an active packaging, which slows the oxidation processes of the packaged juice.