Search

In this study, caseinate-pectin polyelectrolyte complexes and co-solutions were successfully fabricated at pH 3.0 and 7.0, respectively, to encapsulate bioactive molecules. During the fabrication process, the effect of the sequence in which each component was added on lutein/zeaxanthin (Lut/Zx) complexation with sodium caseinate (NaCas) was investigated. The protective effect of the polyelectrolyte complex and co-solution for Lut/Zx in liquid formulations was compared with that of a binary system containing only caseinate and Lut/Zx. Compared with the binary system, the polyelectrolyte complex at pH 3.0 further enhanced the chemical stability of Lut/Zx during storage, whereas the co-solution at pH 7.0 did not exhibit this ability. Unexpectedly, NaCas-Lut/Zx - pectin (NC-L/Z-P) with a theoretically sandwich structure did not exhibit better protection than NaCas-pectin-Lut/Zx (NC-P-L/Z). Fluorescence quenching spectra revealed that the addition of NaCas to Lut/Zx and ultimately to pectin resulted in the formation of a sandwich structure, which was soon followed by structural rebalancing. Finally, freshly prepared NC-L/Z-P complexes were lyophilized to stabilize their sandwich structure, resulting in improved encapsulation and sustained-release properties compared with those of the dried NC-P-L/Z. These results suggest that protein-polysaccharide complexes, combined with timely dehydration, enhance the combination of Lut/Zx with caseinate, leading to heightened protective effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have influenced the work reported in this study., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Heat treatment and pH are crucial factors in the formulation and processing of food and beverages; thus, a thorough understanding of the impact of these factors on the interactions between bioactive constituents and proteins is essential to developing effective protein-based delivery systems. This study explores the influences of pH (ranged from 1.5 to 7.5) and preheating treatment on the characteristics of caseinates-lutein (LU)/zeaxanthin (ZX) complexes and evaluates the potential application of caseinates as protective carriers in xanthophyll-fortified beverages. The properties and interactions of caseinates and two xanthophylls were systematically investigated utilizing a range of spectroscopic techniques, including ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), fluorescence spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Caseinates were bound to LU/ZX with a binding constant of the order 10 5 M -1 . Furthermore, ZX exhibited a higher affinity for caseinates than LU. In particular, the decreased pH level of complex formulation and the preheating of caseinates at 85 °C strengthened the binding affinity between LU/ZX and caseinates. The caseinate-LU/ZX complexes effectively improved the chemical stability of LU/ZX and achieved a bioaccessibility rate of over 70 %. This study provides a guide for developing commercially available xanthophyll-fortified beverages and further expanding the application of caseinates as encapsulation carriers for extremely hydrophobic nutrients in the food industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lutein has limited applicability in the food industry because of its poor water solubility and chemical instability. In this study, amorphous and crystalline lutein-loaded microencapsulated powders were prepared via wet media milling and spray drying techniques. The breakage kinetics, surface morphology, physicochemical characteristics, encapsulation efficiency, dissolution behaviour, and storage stability of the two types of microencapsules were determined. Compared with the crystalline formulation, amorphous lutein nanoparticles displayed better breakability (∼478.8 nm within 20 min) in the milling process and faster dissolution rates under both sink and supersaturation conditions (88.0 ± 1.7% and 47.0 ± 3.8%, respectively, within 2 min). Stability testing revealed that the amorphous formulation exhibited slower degradation rates, with decay constants k of 0.03 and 0.07 at 25 and 40 °C, respectively. Our study results suggest that microencapsules with amorphous lutein nanoparticles represent a commercially viable formulation for maintaining chemical stability and improving oral bioavailability., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Summary: This study developed nano‐sized lutein‐loaded solid microcapsules using antisolvent precipitation followed by spray/freeze‐drying methods to improve chemical stability and dissolution efficiency. In antisolvent precipitation, lutein nanosuspensions with a particle size of 201.1 ± 4.3 nm were obtained with maltodextrin–Tween 80 as combined stabilisers. The effects of two drying methods on the performance characteristics of the microencapsulated powders were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses revealed the amorphous state of lutein and potential hydrogen bond interactions in the solid microcapsules. Stability testing showed that microencapsulation greatly reduced lutein loss (>80% plateau retention value (RV)) and retained the product colour (<1.5 ΔC) during long‐term storage. The release behaviour of lutein in the microencapsulated powder was evaluated via dissolution studies, which indicated that the spray‐dried microcapsules displayed faster and more complete dissolution behaviour (>90% within 10 min). In conclusion, an amorphous nanoparticle strategy based on antisolvent precipitation and spray‐drying can be utilised to obtain commercially available lutein formulations with high stability and fast release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In the present study, seven carbohydrates were selected as encapsulant for preparing lutein microencapsulated powders (LMPs). The surface morphology, physical properties, encapsulation efficiency, and thermo‐ and storage stability of LMPs were studied to determine the protective effects of different carbohydrates on microencapsulated lutein during spray drying and storage. Results on powder characteristics indicated that the crystal inhibition of wall material in spray drying was necessary for decent encapsulation efficiency, and higher glass transition temperature of wall material could cause high product yield. In stability assessment, degradation kinetics of different LMPs at two different temperature conditions were analysed, revealing that inulin could provide more effective protection compared with the other carbohydrate. Our results suggested that the different carbohydrates had great influence on the quality of LMPs, and inulin could be considered as an alternative for the generation of LMPs to enhance storage stability and extend shelf life of this bioactive product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microencapsulation is an effective technique for maintaining stability of labile bioactive components. However, as an indispensable process prior to microencapsulation, the effects of emulsion preparation on microencapsulated products are often overlooked. In this study, three industrialized comminution techniques (wet media milling, high pressure homogenization, and colloid milling method) were used to manufacture four lutein-loaded primary emulsions with different lutein particle size (from 238.2 nm to 2.2 μm). Subsequently, lutein-loaded emulsions were microencapsulated through spray drying. The physicochemical properties, encapsulation efficiency, storage stability, and dissolution rate of lutein microencapsulated powder (LMPs) were examined to evaluate the effects of different emulsions on the quality of LMPs. Results indicated that the encapsulation efficiency and storage stability of LMPs decreased as the lutein particle size in emulsions increased. The LMP with smallest lutein particles possessed highest encapsulation efficiency (97.9%) and storage stability (plateau value of 89.44 and 78.85% at 25 °C and 40 °C). In vitro release study showed that apparent solubility and dissolution rate of LMPs containing nano-sized particle were significantly increased, compared with micron-sized LMPs and physical mixture. Our study suggested that preparing the emulsion containing nano-size lutein particles is critical for improving shelf life and oral bioavailability of this bioactive product. • Three industrialized techniques were used to prepare lutein-loaded emulsions. • Wet media milling technique showed more effective to achieve nanoemulsion. • Four lutein-loaded emulsions were microencapsulated through spray drying. • Protective effect of drying powder increased as lutein particle size decreased. • Only nano-sized particles lead to a significant increase in dissolution rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lutein is utilized in food industry as a natural colorant or functional ingredient. Nevertheless, its application is limited by its chemical instability. The aim of this research was to develop and optimize lutein microencapsulated powders (LMPs) by spray drying to enhance storage stability of lutein. In formulation screening, LMPs, with inulin and modified starch as combined encapsulating materials (EMs), exhibited maximum encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 80.0 ± 0.6% and retention value (RV) of 87.9 ± 0.4%. The preparation process was further optimized by Box-Behnken design with EMs concentration, proportion of inulin and modified starch as EMs and inlet-drying temperature as crucial factors. EE, RV and product yield (PY) as critical quality attributes were considered. The micro-structural characterizations of six experimental LMPs were observed by scanning electron microscopy and used to describe the effects of the three crucial factors on morphological characterization of LMPs. Subsequently, the optimal condition for preparing LMPs was identified by response surface analysis. The actual EE, RV and PY values of the optimal LMPs were measured to be 85.0 ± 0.5, 90.1 ± 0.4 and 91.2 ± 0.7%, respectively. In the stability assessment, temperature degradation kinetics of microencapsulated lutein was analyzed. The chemical stability of the optimal LMPs significantly increased after exposure to four different temperatures. • Preparation of LMPs was rationally optimized to enhance lutein stability in storage. • Combined carbohydrates EMs provided more EE compared with simple material. • The composition of EMs significantly impacted the surface morphology of LMPs. • Excessive drying temperature damaged the microparticle surface. • The lutein loss of LMPs followed exponential one phase decay kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]