Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in the pharmaceutical field to treat various human disorders. Among these, lipid-based NPs (LNPs), including solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), are favored for drug/bioactive delivery due to their high stability, biocompatibility, encapsulation efficiency, and sustained/controlled release. These properties make them particularly suitable as carriers of compounds derived from plant sources. This study comprehensively explores updated literature knowledge on SLN and NLC, focusing on their composition and production methods for the specific delivery of drug/bioactive compounds derived from plant sources of interest in pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. SLN and NLC facilitate the development of more effective natural product-based therapies, aiming to reduce dosage and minimize side effects. These delivery systems align with the consumer demands for safer and more sustainable products, as there are also based on biocompatible and biodegradable raw materials, thereby posing minimal toxicological risks while also meeting regulatory guidelines.

Numerous purified bioactive compounds, crude extracts, and essential oils have demonstrated potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, particularly in vitro or in silico; however, their in vivo applications are hindered by inadequate absorption and distribution in the organism. The incorporation of these phytochemicals into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) or nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) has demonstrated significant advancements and represents a viable approach to improve their bioavailability through different administration routes. This review discusses the potential applications of SLN and NLC, loading bioactive compounds sourced from plants for the treatment of several diseases. An overview of the preclinical developments on the use of these lipid nanoparticles is also provided, as well as the requisites to be launched on the market. Medicinal plants have gained even more value for the pharmaceutical industries and their customers, leading to many studies exploring their therapeutic potential. Several bioactives derived from plants with antiviral, anticancer, neuroprotective, antioxidant and antiaging properties have been proposed and loaded into lipid nanoparticles. In vitro and in vivo studies corroborate the added value of SLN/NLC to improve the bioavailability for several bioactives. Surface modification to increase their stability and target delivery should be considering.

Coalho cheese is a typical Northeastern Brazilian food whose production and consumption has expanded considerably to other regions of the country. Despite its cultural and socioeconomic relevance, coalho cheese still has a negative reputation due to problems in its physicochemical and microbiological quality standards, especially when it is produced artisanally. For this reason, many researchers have been looking for alternatives to improve the quality and the notoriety of this product, such as the application of probiotic strains to inhibit pathogens. However, in addition to the research related to the desired probiotic properties and the safety of strains for food application, it is important to know the possible changes in the food matrix caused by this intervention. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the incorporation of probiotic strains of Enterococcus faecium on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of coalho cheese. The cheeses were made with pasteurized cow milk and probiotic strains of E. faecium were added during production. Cheeses were also made without adding the strains, and considered as control cheeses. The final products were evaluated for moisture, pH, titratable acidity, total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, ash, color, organic acid profile, and sensory attributes. In addition, viable lactic acid bacteria were also assessed. Coalho cheeses containing E. faecium showed higher titratable acidity and lower pH. In addition, there was a reduction in the carbohydrate content, which was attributed to lactose degradation. The organic acid profile also varied, as highlighted by the increase in the concentration of lactic acid by a factor of 3.5, and by the absence of citric acid as a possible result of the metabolism of E. faecium in the production of aromatic compounds. There was no variation in the color or sensory acceptance of the cheeses. Therefore, the application of probiotic strains of E. faecium in coalho cheese production changes some physicochemical characteristics while maintaining essential properties, such as the color and sensory acceptability of the final product.

Caracterização de farinha de resíduo de uvas Isabel precoce e “BRS Violeta” oriundo da produção de suco / Characterization of Isabel precoce grape residue flour and “BRS Violet” from juice production

Multiresistant bacteria have been one of the main causes of infection and nosocomial permanence. This is attributed to its ability to acquire resistance to several antibiotics, both through the incorrect use of these drugs and the accommodation to the proposed treatment. Thus, for these bacteria, conventional treatment with antibiotics does not have the potential to eliminate them, so different strategies have been studied, such as the use of natural extracts of medicinal plants. Therefore, keywords such as: natural extracts, antibacterial, Myracrodruon, Myracrodruon urundeuva, Anacardiaceae were used for prospective analysis in the following databases Science direct, PubMed, SciELO, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). The results allowed to identify a significant number of scientific articles in relation to the keywords used, emphasizing that there was a difference in the quantity presented by each database due to their particularities regarding their areas of study. From this perspective, Science Direct presented a greater number of findings compared to other databases. Regarding the antibacterial activity of Myracrodruon urundeuva, PubMED demonstrated a better targeting, describing in its records the presence of pharmacological compounds found in plant extracts that configure its effects reported in the literature. With regard to filing patents, the INPI had much lower results in filings than the WIPO, in a global context, China is the country that has filed the most patents so far, followed by South Korea and the USA. The findings point to a lack of technological investments by the Brazilian industry. Even given the low therapeutic applicability of Myracrodruon urundeuva in Brazil, it is still superior to other countries, its main use refers to anti-inflammatory, healing, analgesic and bactericidal activities applied to dentistry. The realization of scientific and technological prospecting is an indispensable tool for the knowledge production chain, being necessary for a better direction of research.

Several studies have assessed the therapeutic potential of natural products against mastitis, but only a few have evaluated the impacts of this alternative therapy on the main properties of milk and dairy products. In this study, we observed how the treatment of mastitis with ethanolic extract of Jatobá (Hymenaea martiana Hayne) influenced the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of coalho cheese. An ointment containing the ethanolic extract was prepared for intramammary use in six dairy goats. The experiment was conducted in three experimental moments. Milking was performed, manually, and both milk and cheese were subjected to physicochemical and sensory tests. No difference was observed (p>0.05) in the physicochemical aspects of milk between the studied groups. The solids-non-fat showed a statistical difference between experimental moments M1 and M2. The protein means varied from 3.33 to 3.62, and there was a statistical difference between the two moments, while the lactose means varied from 4.79 to 5.38%. The physicochemical aspects of cheese remained similar with both treatments. Except for appearance, the sensory characteristics showed no statistical difference. In conclusion, the use of Jatobá extract ointment did not influence the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of goat milk or cheese.