Abstract
Abundant nanostructures have been constantly found in various foods, like vinegar, tea, coffee, and milk. However, these structures largely remain unexplored and even been eliminated for stability reasons in food industry. Here we report the isolation, characterization, and antioxidant activities of food nanoparticles (NPs) carrying polyphenols from Chinese rice vinegar. Using a gel-chromatography-based isolation protocol, the vinegar was separated into three major fractions. They were identified as spherical NPs (P1), lollipop-like NPs (P2) and spherical microparticles (P3) with average hydrodynamic diameter of 210, 245,1643 nm, separately. The former two fractions accounted for the major parts of dry matter in the vinegar. The P1-NPs fraction was composed of proteins, carbohydrates, and a high number of polyphenols (15 wt%), demonstrated potent antioxidant activity as determined by ABTS and ORAC assays. Moreover, they effectively quenched peroxyl free radicals in peritoneal macrophages and promoted cellular growth. The P2 fraction contained majority of organic acids, esters and mineral elements of the vinegar. It demonstrated the NPs are bioactive units of the rice vinegar, inspiring the development of novel functional nanomaterials with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
Highlights
The omnipresence of self-assembled micro/nano-particles (MNPs) within foods or traditional Chinese medicines has enjoyed a surge of attention lately[1–3], from chicken soup, coffee, tea, fruit to herbal decoction[4]
Many bioactive compounds have been fabricated into MNPs by various approaches, in the hope to facilitate the functions of controlled-release, targeted distribution and elevated bioavailability[7,8]
Such benefits are believed to be attributed to a great number of antioxidant components, including polyphenols, together with Maillard reaction products (MRPs)
Summary
The omnipresence of self-assembled micro/nano-particles (MNPs) within foods or traditional Chinese medicines has enjoyed a surge of attention lately[1–3], from chicken soup, coffee, tea, fruit to herbal decoction[4] These MNPs, composed of polar and nonpolar compositions are incidentally formed during food processing as the results of chemical reactions and physical interactions. Beyond a daily used condiment, the Chinese aged rice vinegar is embraced as a traditional functional food for its healthpromoting benefits, such as hypolipidemic, anti-obesity effects[11], and microbiome regulation[12,13] Such benefits are believed to be attributed to a great number of antioxidant components, including polyphenols, together with MRPs. The interaction of bioactive components and food or drug matrix could affect their bioactivities and functions. The NPs were subsequently determined for their morphological profiles, colloidal properties, compositions, antioxidant activities, and cytotoxicity
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