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Liquid-Core Beads and Their Applications in Food, Biotechnology, and Other Fields

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Polymer Macro- and Micro-Gel Beads: Fundamentals and Applications

Abstract

In 1971, Maddox’s patent on soft gelatin capsules was approved. In 1980, Lim and Sun published their hallmark study in which microencapsulated islets were used as a bioartificial pancreas. In that manuscript, alginate-polylysine liquid-core capsules were produced and described. In the food area, Sneath’s patent (1975) and later, our group, contributed to the manufacture and study of liquid-core hydrocolloid capsules. This chapter describes these liquid-core capsules, both natural and synthetic, and the procedures used to produce them. Methods for including oil within these capsules are also provided, along with an overview of their biotechnological and special food applications. Additional biotechnological applications of liquid-core capsules include growth of microorganisms and activity of enzymes within them, and food applications include the manufacture of unique specialty foods and fruit products, and the encapsulation of aroma and health compounds, among others. The chapter also describes agricultural and environmental uses of liquid-core capsules, and illustrates some special applications: aids to quitting smoking, in the beauty industry for removal of body hair, and in the paper industry.

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  1. Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Human Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

    Amos Nussinovitch

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Nussinovitch, A. (2010). Liquid-Core Beads and Their Applications in Food, Biotechnology, and Other Fields. In: Polymer Macro- and Micro-Gel Beads: Fundamentals and Applications. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6618-6_7

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