Liposomes as delivery systems for carotenoids: comparative studies of loading ability, storage stability and in vitro release

Abstract

This study compared the loading ability of various carotenoids into liposomal membrane, lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity, storage stability and in vitro release behavior in simulated gastrointestinal (GI) media. It was found that carotenoids exhibited various incorporating abilities into liposomes ranging from the strongest to the weakest: lutein > β-carotene > lycopene > canthaxanthin. A similar trend was also observed in their antioxidant activities against lipid peroxidation during preparation. Storage measurements demonstrated that a liposomal membrane can strongly retain β-carotene and lutein, whereas this effect was not pronounced for lycopene and canthaxanthin. In vitro release experiments showed that lutein and β-carotene were hardly released in a simulated gastric fluid, while displaying a slow and sustained release in a simulated intestinal fluid. By contrast, lycopene and canthaxanthin underwent fast and considerable release in GI media. Dynamic light scattering indicated that carotenoid incorporation strongly affected the particle stability and dispersion during preparation and GI incubation. The differences in molecular release may be attributed to the different modulating effects of carotenoids. Our results may guide the potential application of liposomes as carriers for the controlled delivery of carotenoids in nutraceutical and functional foods.

Incorporation of liposomes containing squid tunic ACE‐inhibitory peptides into fish gelatin

“…Phospholipid‐based liposomes have the ability to act as carriers for both lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs and have been used as a potential drug delivery system in tumor targeting, gene and antisense therapy, genetic vaccination, immunomodulation and for topical products . In the food industry, liposomes may offer a potential solution to enhance the efficacy and stability of bioactive substances such as proteins, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, carotenoids, minerals and flavors which could be included in the formulation of functional foods …”

Konjac glucomannan octenyl succinate (KGOS) as an emulsifier for lipophilic bioactive nutrient encapsulation

“…Therefore, many researchers have tried to develop an effective β‐carotene delivery system, such as nanoemulsion‐based delivery systems, to improve its water dispersibility and chemical stability in foods . In this study, we used 0.4 mg mL −1 KGOS solution to disperse β‐carotene, and the loading capacity was 3.26%, which was higher than that of PEG‐based amphiphilic copolymers and liposomes . In addition to its amphiphilicity, the high apparent viscosity of KGOS might also improve the loading capacity.…”

“…17,27 In this study, we used 0.4 mg mL −1 KGOS solution to disperse -carotene, and the loading capacity was 3.26%, which was higher than that of PEG-based amphiphilic copolymers 21 and liposomes. 28 In addition to its amphiphilicity, the high apparent viscosity of KGOS might also improve the loading capacity. As shown in Fig.…”

Egg Yolk Extracts as Potential Liposomes Shell Material: Composition Compared with Vesicles Characteristics

“…Earlier carotenoids were proved to affect liposomes’ stability and dispersion (Tan et al., ). However, lutein and zeaxantin incorporate differently into lipid bilayer; they both were reported to enhance membranes’ hydrophobicity and lower water permeability (Socaciu, Bojarski, Aberle, & Diehl, ). The effect of these carotenoids on zeta potential could be caused by reorientation of PL molecules in bilayer structure and changed exposition of ionic groups (Heurtault et al., ).…”