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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #384995
Research Project: Molecular Approaches to Control Intestinal Parasites that Affect the Microbiome in Swine and Small Ruminants

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory

Title: Yeast particle encapsulation of scaffolded terpene compounds for controlled terpene release

Author
item SOTO, E.R. - University Of Massachusetts
item RUS, F. - University Of Massachusetts
item LI, H. - University Of Massachusetts
item GARCEAU, C. - University Of Massachusetts
item CHICCA, J. - University Of Massachusetts
item ELFAWAL, M. - University Of Massachusetts
item GAZZOLA, D. - University Of Massachusetts
item NIELSEN, M. - University Of Massachusetts
item URBAN JR., JOSEPH - Retired ARS Employee
item AROIAN, R. - University Of Massachusetts
item OSTROFF, G. - University Of Massachusetts

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2021
Publication Date: 5/27/2021
Citation: Soto, E., Rus, F., Li, H., Garceau, C., Chicca, J., Elfawal, M., Gazzola, D., Nielsen, M., Urban Jr., J.F., Aroian, R., Ostroff, G. 2021. Yeast particle encapsulation of scaffolded terpene compounds for controlled terpene release. Foods. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061207.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061207

Interpretive Summary: Terpenes are a large class of naturally occurring organic compounds that constitute primary components of essential oils obtained from plants and have been recognized for a wide range of functional properties (e.g., nematicidal, antifungal, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties). Encapsulation of terpenes in nano- or micro-structured systems has been employed as common approach to develop terpene formulations with improved chemical stability, shelf-life, additionally opening up the possibility to control terpene release. We report in this study the development of yeast particles (YPs) to efficiently encapsulate high levels of terpenes. YPs are 3-5 µm hollow and porous microspheres, a byproduct of the food grade Baker's yeast extract manufacturing process. More recently, YP terpenes with broad-acting anthelmintic activity that could lead to the development of formulations for oral terpene delivery for the treatment of gastrointestinal worm parasites and other infectious agents. we report the use of YP pro-terpene encapsulation approach of four terpenes: carvacrol, eugenol, thymol, and geraniol and expanded testing against a wider range of applications. The YP terpene and YP pro-terpene compositions were characterized for controlled terpene release and screened in the laboratory for antibacterial, antifungal, and anthelmintic activity. This is an application useful for the stability of novel anti-parasitic compounds, such as the crystal proteins from soil bacteria, that have been demonstrated to be effective in the therapeutic control of parasitic nematodes in laboratory animals, horses, sheep and pigs. This information is helpful to research interests in the appropriate regulation of integrated strategies to control parasitic infection in livestock and humans but with the potential to expand usage to other delivery systems to the intestine and mucosal surfaes to include vaccines and anti-microbial.

Technical Abstract: Terpenes are naturally occurring compounds produced by plants that are of great commercial interest in the food, agricultural, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries due to their broad spectra of biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, membrane permeation enhancement, and antioxidant. Applications of terpenes are often limited by their volatility and the need for surfactants or alcohols to produce stable, soluble (non-precipitated) products. Yeast particles (YPs) are hollow, porous microspheres that have been used for the encapsulation of terpenes (YP terpenes) by passive diffusion of terpenes through the porous YP cell walls. Here we report the development of a second generation YP encapsulated terpene technology that incorporates stimuli-responsive control of terpene release using biodegradable pro-terpene compounds (YP pro-terpenes). YP terpenes and YP pro-terpenes were both produced in which high levels of carvacrol, eugenol, thymol and geraniol were encapsulated. The YP pro-terpenes show higher encapsulation stability than YP terpenes due to pro-terpenes being non-volatile solids at room temperature and stable in suspensions at neutral pH. YP pro-terpenes and YP terpenes were evaluated for biological activity in antibacterial, antifungal and anthelmintic assays. The YP pro-terpenes retained the full biological activity of the parent terpene compound.