Pea Protein Nanoemulsion Effectively Stabilizes Vitamin D in Food Products: A Potential Supplementation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency is a global issue which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns. Fortification of food staples with vitamin D provides a solution to alleviate this problem. This research explored the use of pea protein nanoemulsion (PPN) to improve the stability of vitamin D in various food products. PPN was created using a pH-shifting and ultrasonication combined method. The physicochemical properties were studied, including particle size, foaming ability, water holding capacity, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic contents. The fortification of several food formulations (non-fat cow milk, canned orange juice, orange juice powder, banana milk, and infant formula) with vitamin D–PPN was investigated and compared to raw untreated pea protein (UPP) regarding their color, viscosity, moisture content, chemical composition, vitamin D stability, antioxidant activity, and morphology. Finally, a sensory evaluation (quantitative descriptive analysis, and consumer testing) was conducted. The results show that PPN with a size of 21.8 nm protected the vitamin D in all tested products. PPN may serve as a potential carrier and stabilizer of vitamin D in food products with minimum effects on the taste and color. Hence, PPN may serve as a green and safe method for food fortification during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"An Overview of Recent Developments in Safron Nanoemulsion Encapsulation"

“…Using nanoemulsions to extract the bioactive components from saffron permits the separation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic chemicals into distinct fractions. Due to the size of nanoparticles, saffron nanoencapsulation is a feasible method for improving the bioactivity and bioavailability of its bioactive components and their storage stability [96][97][98][99][100][101][102]. The use of infeed model food systems substantially impacts the preservation of encapsulated saffron extract and is extremely promising.…”

Formulation Strategies for Improving the Stability and Bioavailability of Vitamin D-Fortified Beverages: A Review

“…Both fortified milks exhibited low bioaccessibility of VD3, which was around 20%. Also, a pea protein nanoemulsion was evaluated as a novel vehicle for the fortification of several beverages, namely lower-fat cow milk, canned orange juice, orange juice powder, banana milk, and infant formula [ 75 ]. Nanoemulsions were prepared by pH-shifting and ultrasonication combined techniques and formulations were tested by sensory evaluation regarding taste and palatability.…”

Nanoemulsions: Formulation, characterization, biological fate, and potential role against COVID-19 and other viral outbreaks

“…NE can also be utilized as a safe tool for food fortification to lower inflammation and support immunity. For example, Akkam et al have prepared pea protein-stabilized NE loaded with vitamin D, which can lower viral replication cycles and inflammatory responses, as a supportive therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 204 ]. The aerosolization capacity of NEs contributes to the potential of these emulsions as non-invasive drug delivery systems through the pulmonary route for treating respiratory diseases, such as ARDS, and facilitating drug delivery to lung tissues and other body tissues affected by COVID-19 [ [205] , [206] , [207] ].…”