Lactoferrin was purported in consumer literature to enhance and support the immune system response through their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticarcinogenic properties. To improve the effectiveness of lactoferrin, liposomes were used as a carrier in this study. The main purpose of this study was to compare three different methods to prepare the lactoferrin nanoliposomes based on the encapsulation efficiency and size distribution and evaluate the stability and cellular uptake of lactoferrin nanoliposomes. Encapsulation efficiency and size distribution indicated the reverse-phase evaporation method was fit for preparing the lactoferrin nanoliposomes. The stabilities of lactoferrin nanoliposomes in simulated gastrointestinal juice, sonication treatment time and lipoperoxidation extent of storage time were evaluated. The lactoferrin nanoliposomes showed an acceptable stability in simulated gastrointestinal juice at 37°C for 4 h and short treatment times were required to achieve nano-scaled liposomes. Furthermore, the viability of cells was decreased by increasing the concentration of the various lactoferrin nanoliposomes. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium results demonstrated that Lf nanoliposomes and Lf activated in the cells in a manner of dose-effect relation and Lf nanoliposomes had a statistically significantly different (p<0.01) between the concentration 5 and 10 mg/mL. According to the results, nanoliposomes may be fit for the oral administration of lactoferrin and could be useful approach for lactoferrin availability in tumor cells.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid with various physiological functions. Levilactobacillus brevis NPS-QW 145 strains active in GABA catabolism and anabolism can be used as a microbial platform for GABA production. Soybean sprouts can be treated as a fermentation substrate for making functional products. This study demonstrated the benefits of using soybean sprouts as a medium to produce GABA by Levilactobacillus brevis NPS-QW 145 when monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the substrate. Based on this method, a GABA yield of up to 2.302 g L⁻¹ was obtained with a soybean germination time of one day and fermentation of 48 h with bacteria using 10 g L⁻¹ glucose according to the response surface methodology. Research revealed a powerful technique for producing GABA by fermentation with Levilactobacillus brevis NPS-QW 145 in foods and is expected to be widely used as a nutritional supplement for consumers.

Slow digestion starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) are usually used as additives or raw materials in food processing due to their low glycemic index (GI) and low digestibility, imbuing products with physiological function, such as hypoglycemic activity and anti-obesity. But due to the lack of standardization of experimental methods, great differences have been reported in the results of various studies, which mean that the reference of experimental consequences is decreased, and the development of starch processing technology is then hindered. Moreover, the detailed structural changes in starch during different types of modifications are of necessity to be explored. In this paper, the structural characteristics and physiological functions of functional starch (SDS and RS) were reviewed, the physical, enzymatic, chemical and physicochemical preparation methods of functional starch from different plant sources were compared as well. In addition, the applications of functional starch in food industry were summarized, which were expected to provide the references for optimizing starch modification efficiency and functional food development.