Nanoencapsulation of pomegranate peel extract using maltodextrin and whey protein isolate. Characterisation, release behaviour and antioxidant potential during simulated invitro digestion

Abstract

In the present experiment nanoencapsulation of pomegranate peel extract using maltodextrin (MD), whey protein isolate (WPI) and combination of maltodextrin and whey protein isolate (1:1) (MD/WPI) was carried out. Homogenisation followed by ultrasonication was performed to reduce the particle size to nanoscale range and improve functional properties of bioactive core. Lyophilisation was then done to obtain the final powder samples with encapsulation efficiency in the range of 85 to 96%. When comparing release behaviour of nanoencapsulated pomegranate peel extract with the free extract, it was revealed that encapsulated ones show controlled release of bioactive core while as in free extract, the bioactives were released more in the gastric phase than the targeted intestinal site. The antiproliferative activity was also performed using different cancer cell lines and it was found that nanoencapsulated samples decrease the % proliferation in better way than the free extract with higher efficiency in the samples encapsulated by MD/WPI.