Abstract: Processing and use of whole fruits and vegetables or side-stream ingredients of juice extraction, paste, or ketchup process, or canning industry, in particular, the processing of the by-products, including pomace, and its use in beverage and food products.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preserving and enhancing the shelf-life of dried foods having relatively high levels of carotenoids. The method uses calcium ascorbate to prevent the oxidation of carotenoids and the polyunsaturated fatty acids. The process can be used to make treated dry food ingredients such as carrot pomace powder that can be later rehydrated and used to make carotenoid rich doughs, which can be further formed by extruding, sheeting or other forming means and cut into pre-forms and thermally processed into ready to eat shelf stable snack foods. The process can also be used to enhance the shelf-life of carotenoid-rich thermally processed snack foods made from raw food ingredients such as sliced carrots.

Abstract: Amphiphilic biocompatible cyclodextrin grafted polymers comprising a hydrophobically modified cyclodextrin moiety, a linear linker and a biocompatible hydrophilic polymer backbone, wherein said cyclodextrin moiety is grafted to said biocompatible hydrophilic polymer backbone by said linker are disclosed. The cyclodextrin-grafted biocompatible polymers of this invention may be used as bioactive agent carriers. Methods of making and using such cyclodextrin-grafted biocompatible polymers are disclosed.

Abstract: The present provides a carrier molecule for transporting a polyanioic macromolecule such as a nucleic acid across a biological barrier of a cell. The carrier has a biocompatible backbone polymer with two or more polycationic polymer fragments covalently linked. In one embodiment, the backbone polymer is polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the polycationic polymer is polyethylenimine (PEI). The copolymer carrier molecule can be complexed with a polyanionic macromolecule such as a nucleic acid (NA). The NA/copolymer complex is stable in biological conditions by forming a special coreshell-like micelle structure. The nucleic acid can be rapidly released from the complex when biodegradation linker are used to bind the polycationic polymer fragments to the polymer backbone. The carriers and complexes of the invention can be used tin methods of delivering the polycainonic macromolecules to cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract: Amphiphilic biocompatible cyclodextrin grafted polymers comprising a hydrophobically modified cyclodextrin moiety, a linear linker and a biocompatible hydrophilic polymer backbone, wherein said cyclodextrin moiety is grafted to said biocompatible hydrophilic polymer backbone by said linker are disclosed. The cyclodextrin-grafted biocompatible polymers of this invention may be used as bioactive agent carriers. Methods of making and using such cyclodextrin-grafted biocompatible polymers are disclosed.

Abstract: Hammerhead ribozyme derivatives termed circular, hairpin, circular/hairpin, lariat, and hairpin-lariat ribozymes are disclosed. These hammerhead ribozyme derivatives are catalytically active and have increased specific activity and reduced requirement for divalent metal ion co-factor as compared to wild type hammerhead ribozyme.