Abstract
The incorporation of lipophilic nutrients, such as astaxanthin (a fat soluble carotenoid) in nanodispersion systems can either increase the water solubility, stability and bioavailability or widen their applications in aqueous food and pharmaceutical formulations. In this research, gelatin and its combinations with sucrose oleate as a small molecular emulsifier, sodium caseinate (SC) as a protein and gum Arabic as a polysaccharide were used as stabilizer systems in the formation of astaxanthin nanodispersions via an emulsification-evaporation process. The results indicated that the addition of SC to gelatin in the stabilizer system could increase the chemical stability of astaxanthin nanodispersions significantly, while using a mixture of gelatin and sucrose oleate as a stabilizer led to production of nanodispersions with the smallest particle size (121.4 ± 8.6 nm). It was also shown that a combination of gelatin and gum Arabic could produce optimal astaxanthin nanodispersions in terms of physical stability (minimum polydispersity index (PDI) and maximum zeta-potential). This study demonstrated that the mixture of surface active compounds showed higher emulsifying and stabilizing functionality compared to using them individually in the preparation of astaxanthin nanodispersions.
Highlights
Astaxanthin is a fat-soluble pigment belonging to the xanthophyll family and is widely used in food and pharmaceutical applications due to its strong antioxidant activity
The use of gelatin alone as a one-component stabilizer led to the production of astaxanthin nanodispersions with a mean particle size of 148 nm
The astaxanthin nanodispersions prepared with a mixture of gelatin and sucrose oleate had the smallest particle size (122 ± 6.1 nm)
Summary
Astaxanthin is a fat-soluble pigment belonging to the xanthophyll family and is widely used in food and pharmaceutical applications due to its strong antioxidant activity. Enormous health benefits, such as cardiovascular disease prevention, immune system boosting, bioactivity against Helicobacter pylori, and cataract prevention have been associated with astaxanthin consumption [1,2,3]. Emulsification-evaporation is one of the most favored techniques for preparing carotenoid nanodispersions In this method, the organic phase, a lipophilic active compound dissolved in a water-immiscible solvent, is emulsified into an aqueous phase containing an emulsifier by appropriate high-pressure or high-shear emulsifying techniques, followed by converting the emulsion into nanodispersion by evaporating the solvent. The removal of the solvent from the emulsion droplets decreases the particle size to the nano-size range [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
