Evaluation of Cellular Absorption and Metabolism of β-Carotene Loaded in Nanocarriers after In Vitro Digestion

Hydrolyzed soy protein nanoparticles designed for VD3 delivery: VD3 incorporation and remodeling behavior during digestion matters

In this study, delivery efficiency of hydrolyzed soy protein nanoparticles (SNPs) with different loading patterns towards VD3 was investigated. Specifically, SNPs with hydrophobic regions feasible for VD3 loading (Pro1 and Pro2, Pattern1) showed better stabilization ability. While those co-assembled with VD3 (Pro3, Pattern2) showed weaker protection due to loosen structures. Remodeling behavior during digestion generally improved cellular uptake. Herein, Pro1 and Pro2 tended to form hydrophobic aggregates during gastric digestion and later their degradations facilitated sustained release of VD3 and formation of mixed micelles, enhancing absorption at smaller size. The co-assembled nanoparticles (Pro3) easily underwent electrostatic-induced aggregation at gastric phase and immediately disassociated upon bile salts, leading to rapid release of VD3, and typical peptides in digests that promote VD3 absorption require further study. These findings suggest that VD3 loading and digestion would alter carrier structures and affect cellular uptake. VD3 incorporation and remodeling behavior of the carrier warrants attention.

Preparation of soybean oil-based emulsions stabilized by shiitake mushroom chitosan modified in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems and their application in β-carotene delivery

This study investigates the laccase-catalyzed grafting of gallic acid (GA) onto shiitake mushroom chitosan to enhance its emulsifying properties and improve β-carotene delivery. Structural characterization using FTIR, XPS, and 1H NMR revealed that laccase catalysis promoted the formation of amide bonds, disrupted the crystalline structure of chitosan, and enhanced both its hydration and interfacial activity. The modified chitosan emulsions exhibited significantly improved emulsification capacity and stability, with GA-grafted chitosan achieving emulsification activity of 3.34 L/g·cm and stability of 97.6 %. The β-carotene encapsulation efficiency increased to 82.1 %, with enhanced resistance to UV light and H₂O₂-induced degradation. In vitro digestion experiments demonstrated that the modified chitosan emulsion improved β-carotene bioaccessibility (75.8 %) and cellular uptake (55.3 %), significantly improving delivery efficiency. This study provides a novel approach for the development of functional emulsion carriers and lays the foundation for their application in food and drug delivery systems.

Fabrication, characterization and gastrointestinal fate of curcumin-loaded emulsions stabilized by soy protein-based ternary composite nanoparticles

To design a novel emulsifier capable of enhancing the bioavailability of curcumin (Cur)-loaded emulsions in the gastrointestinal tract, soy protein-based ternary composite nanoparticles (SEPn) were fabricated by transacylation reaction. The results showed that SEPn was formed by the covalent binding of the carboxyl groups in PGA to the amino groups in SEC through multiple forces. SEPn-1:1 was determined to be the optimal condition for preparing Cur-loaded emulsions. Additionally, SEPn-1:1 had superior emulsifying capacity as formed plastic-state emulsion gel with φ as low as 0.5. Moreover, the rise in oil content promoted the development of gel, thus increasing the apparent viscosity, gel strength, and stability of Cur-loaded emulsions. Furthermore, SEPn-1:1 emulsion exhibited excellent gastric stability and higher free fatty acid (FAA) release rates in the small intestine phase compared with that of SECcon (SEC control sample) and Mixture emulsion, thus leading to the highest bioavailability of Cur (28.57 ± 1.91 %).

Delivery systems designed to enhance stability and suitability of lipophilic bioactive compounds in food processing: A review

Lipophilic compounds, such as flavors, fat-soluble vitamins, and hydrophobic nutrients possess vital properties including antioxidant effects, functional attributes, and nutritional value that can improve human health. However, their susceptibility to environmental factors including heat, pH changes, and ionic strength encountered during food processing poses significant challenges. To address these issues, diverse bioactive delivery systems have been developed. This review explores delivery systems designed to optimize the stability and suitability of lipophilic bioactive compounds in food processing. Extensive literature analysis reveals that tailoring delivery systems with various biopolymers can protect bioactives through steric hindrance and formation of thick interfacial layers on the emulsion surfaces. Thus, the access of oxygen, prooxidants, and free radicals at the emulsion interface could be inhibited, resulting in enhanced processing suitability of bioactives as well as chemical stability under diverse environmental conditions. The insights presented in this review hold immense value for the food and beverage industries.

Effect of protein oxidation on the emulsion carrier prepared by rice bran protein for improving stability and bioavailability of β-carotene

The emulsion carriers which prepared by rice bran protein (RBP) with different oxidation extents were utilized to deliver β-carotene (BC). The effects of RBP oxidation extent on stability and bioaccessibility of BC in rice bran protein emulsion (RBPE) were investigated by measuring the droplet size, microstructure, digestive stability, cellular antioxidant, and delivery property of BC-RBPE. The results showed that BC-RBPE prepared by moderately oxidized RBP (extracted from rice bran with a storage time of 5 d) presented excellent digestive stability and delivery property during gastrointestinal digestion. The particle size of initial BC-RBPE, BC-RBPE after gastric digestion, and BC-RBPE after intestinal digestion were 509.73, 2149.33, and 997.82 nm, respectively. Compared with free BC suspension, the BC retention after gastric digestion and the BC bioavailability of BC-RBPE prepared by moderately oxidized RBP increased by 23.50% and 27.54%, respectively. In addition, the BC cellular antioxidant activity and BC cellular uptake of BC-RBPE prepared by moderately oxidized RBP were significantly higher than that of free BC-suspension, which increased by 29.63% and 13.84%, respectively. In summary, the study showed that oil-in-water emulsion prepared by moderately oxidized protein is a potential delivery system of BC, which can provide a theoretical basis for improving the utilization of protein by adjusting the extent of protein oxidation.

Dry Nutrition Delivery System Based on Defatted Soybean Particles and Its Application with β-Carotene

Many nutrition delivery systems (NDSs) have been developed for the encapsulation, protection, and delivery of bioactive compounds, such as β-carotene. Most of those systems were prepared in solution, which is inconvenient for transportation and storage in the food industry. In the present work, we constructed an environmentally friendly dry NDS based on defatted soybean particles (DSPs) by milling a β-carotene-DSP mixture. The loading efficiency of the NDS reached 89.0%, and the cumulative release rate decreased from 15.1% (free β-carotene) to 6.0% within 8 h. The stability of β-carotene in the dry NDS was found to have increased in a thermogravimetric analysis. Stored for 14 days at 55 °C or under UV irradiation, the retaining rates of β-carotene in the NDS increased to 50.7% and 63.6%, respectively, while they were 24.2% and 54.6% for the free samples. The bioavailability of β-carotene was improved by the NDS too. The apparent permeability coefficient of the NDS reached 1.37 × 10^-6 cm/s, which is 12 times that of free β-carotene (0.11 × 10^-6 cm/s). Besides being environmentally friendly, the dry NDS can facilitate carriage, transportation, or storage in the food industry, and similar to other NDSs, it improves the stability and bioavailability of nutrients.

Analyzing network pharmacology and molecular docking to clarify Duhuo Jisheng decoction potential mechanism of osteoarthritis mitigation

As a classic remedy for treating Osteoarthritis (OA), Duhuo Jisheng decoction has successfully treated countless patients. Nevertheless, its specific mechanism is unknown. This study explored the active constituents of Duhuo Jisheng decoction and the potential molecular mechanisms for treating OA using a Network Pharmacology approaches. Screening active components and corresponding targets of Duhuo parasite decoction by traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform database. Combining the following databases yielded OA disease targets: GeneCards, DrugBank, PharmGkb, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, and therapeutic target database. The interaction analysis of the herb-active ingredient-core target network and protein-protein interaction protein network was constructed by STRING platform and Cytoscape software. Gene ontology functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were carried out. PyMOL and other software were used to verify the molecular docking between the essential active components and the core target. 262 active ingredients were screened, and their main components were quercetin, kaempferol, wogonin, baicalein, and beta-carotene. 108 intersection targets of disease and drug were identified, and their main components were RELA, FOS, STAT3, MAPK14, MAPK1, JUN, and ESR1. Gene ontology analysis showed that the key targets were mainly involved in biological processes such as response to lipopolysaccharide, response to xenobiotic stimulus, and response to nutrient levels. The results of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis show that the signal pathways include the AGE - RAGE signaling pathway, IL - 17 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and Toll - like receptor signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that the main active components of Duhuo parasitic decoction had a good bonding activity with the key targets in treating OA. Duhuo Jisheng decoction can reduce the immune-inflammatory reaction, inhibit apoptosis of chondrocytes, strengthen proliferation and repair of chondrocytes and reduce the inflammatory response in a multi-component-multi-target-multi-pathway way to play a role in the treatment of OA.