Bioavailability Of Fucoxanthin Research Articles

Incorporation of fucoxanthin into 3D printed Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by salmon by-product protein/pectin complexes.

The remarkable performance of fucoxanthin (FX) in antioxidant and weight loss applications has generated considerable interest. However, the application of fucoxanthin in the food and pharmaceutical industries is limited due to its highly unsaturated structure. This research aimed to investigate the synergistic mechanism of a unique Pickering emulsion gel stabilized by salmon byproduct protein (SP)-pectin (PE) aggregates and evaluate its ability to enhance the stability and bioavailability of FX. Various analytical techniques, including fluorescence spectroscopy, contact angle testing, turbidity analysis, and cryo-field scanning electron microscopy, were used to demonstrate that electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between SP and PE contribute to the exceptional stability and wettability of the Pickering emulsion gels. Rheological analysis revealed that increasing the concentration of SP-PEs resulted in shear-thinning behavior, excellent thixotropic recovery performance, higher viscoelasticity, and good thermal stability of the Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by SP-PEs(SEGs). Furthermore, encapsulation of FX in the gels showed protected release under simulated oral and gastric conditions, with the subsequent controlled release in the intestine. Compared to free FX and the control group without PE (SEG-0), SEG-4 exhibited a 1.92-fold and 1.37-fold increase in the total bioavailable fraction of FX, respectively. Notably, during the study, it was observed that SEGs have the potential to serve as cake decoration for 3D printing to replace traditional cream under lower oil phase conditions (50%). These findings suggest that SP-PEs-stabilized Pickering emulsion gels hold promise as carriers for delivering bioactive compounds, offering the potential for various innovative food applications.

Phycocyanin/lysozyme nanocomplexes to stabilize Pickering emulsions for fucoxanthin encapsulation

Food-grade Pickering emulsions with plant proteins have attracted increasing interest in recent years. In this work, we report a type of phycocyanin (PC) electrostatic nanocomplex fabricated following a complexation between PC and lysozyme (Lys). The aim was to investigate toward investigating the performance of phycocyanin-Lysozyme (PC-Lys) nanocomplexes in stabilizing Pickering emulsions and protecting fucoxanthin (FX) from degradation. The properties of the PC-Lys nanocomplexes were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and three-phase contact angle. Using PC-Lys nanocomplexes as emulsifiers, Pickering emulsions were successfully prepared. Pickering emulsions stabilized by PC-Lys nanocomplexes generated a tight three-dimensional network structure, which increased the memory modulus and viscoelasticity of the emulsion. Furthermore, the produced Pickering emulsions considerably increased the chemical stability and bioavailability of FX. Overall, our study showed that PC-Lys nanocomplexes have the potential for use in Pickering emulsion construction with enhanced protective effects on loaded lipophilic ingredients.

Efficient delivery of fucoxanthin using metal–polyphenol network-coated magnetic mesoporous silica

Fucoxanthin (FX) is a natural carotenoid pigment that exhibits antitumor activity and is found primarily in brown seaweed. However, its effectiveness as a therapeutic agent varies owing to low bioavailability, poor water solubility, and poor physicochemical stability. The acidic nature of the tumor microenvironment may be utilized to design and construct a targeted magnetic, acid-labile nano-carrier (FX@Fe3O4-mSiO2-TA) with improved FX bioactivity. A nano-drug delivery system composed of magnetic mesoporous silica coated with a tannic acid–iron network (TA/Fe3+) was designed and constructed to improve FX bioactivity based on pH and magnetic targeting in a tumor microenvironment. The external magnetic field guided the carrier to the tumor site.TA/Fe3+ in the outer coating of the carrier was decomposed, resulting in FX release, which was attributed to the low pH of the tumor microenvironment. Drug release was sustained and pH-dependent in vitro, which significantly improved the stability and bioavailability of FX. The simplicity of its preparation and efficacy of the targeted therapeutic suggest the potential of this nano-carrier for application in tumor therapy.

Fucoxanthin bioavailability from fucoxanthin-fortified milk: In vivo and in vitro study

Our previous study reported the improved stability of fucoxanthin (FX) fortified in whole milk (WM) and skimmed milk (SM). In this study, in vivo and in vitro FX bioavailability were investigated using FX-fortified milk (FX-SM and FX-WM) and microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum biomass (Pt-powder). Organ tissue accumulation of FX and its metabolites (FXOH: fucoxanthinol, AXA: amarouciaxanthin A) after repeated oral administration was in the following order: FX-SM > FX-WM > Pt-powder. In vivo pharmacokinetic study with a single oral administration also demonstrated that the absorption of FXOH and AXA was the highest for FX-SM. To reinforce the in vivo results, in vitro-simulated digestion and Caco-2 cell uptake assays were performed, which revealed that FX-SM showed the highest FX bioaccessibility (release from food matrices) and cellular uptake efficiency of FX and FXOH. In conclusion, skimmed milk was validated as an excellent food matrix for FX application in terms of stability and bioavailability.

Biodegradable chitosan-glycolipid hybrid nanogels: A novel approach to encapsulate fucoxanthin for improved stability and bioavailability

This study aimed to improve the stability and biological availability of carotenoid fucoxanthin (FUCO) encapsulated in chitosan (CS) – sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) – glycolipid (GL) nanogels, prepared by ionic gelation method. Scanning Electron Microscopic analysis and Dynamic Light Scattering examination revealed smooth and spherical nanogels with size range of 200–550 nm in weight ratios of CS: TPP (2.5:1), CS: GL (1:0.5). The zeta potential values (+30 to +50 mV) indicate that CS-NGs with FUCO + GL were more stable than that of CS-NGs + FUCO with no GL (+15 mV). The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) showed an extensive hydrogen bonding interaction between the FUCO and CS. X-ray Diffraction revealed FUCO is distributed in a disordered (amorphous) state in CS-NGs. Encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity and the yield of CS-NGs with FUCO + GL were 90%, 47% and 70%, respectively which is, significantly higher, than that of CS-NGs + FUCO without GL. Stability studies illustrated that glycolipid offers enhanced FUCO stability (t1/2, 45 h) with CS-NGs compared to that of with no GL (t1/2, 15 h) and standard FUCO (t1/2, <5 h). The bioavailability of FUCO in vitro from CS-NGs with GL was higher (68%) compared to that of CS-NGs + FUCO without GL (51%), FUCO with GL (35.5%) and control (21.5%). In conclusion, the stability and bioavailability of FUCO was improved by nanoencapsulation of FUCO with CS + GL.