Examination of dissolution ratio of β-carotene in water for practical application of β-carotene amorphous solid dispersion

[ADMET Analysis of Amorphous β-Carotene and Its Usefulness Evaluation]

In recent years, functional foods have attracted increasing attention due to growing health consciousness. When functional food ingredients are poorly water-soluble, they largely fail to be absorbed due to their low solubility in the digestive tract, limiting their ability to exert their functions. To develop poorly water-soluble compounds into viable functional food ingredients, it is important to increase their gastrointestinal absorption so that they can fully exert their functions, and to ensure their safety and efficacy through ADMET research. β-Carotene exerts physiological activities including antioxidant effects, and functions as a source of vitamin A, but it is completely insoluble in water, so it is poorly absorbed from the digestive tract, rendering it difficult to use efficiently as a functional food ingredient. To overcome this problem, we are conducting research on drug delivery system to improve β-carotene solubility and thereby improve its digestive absorption by applying our unique amorphous solid dispersion production technology. To date, we have produced amorphous solid dispersions with dramatically improved water solubility by adding polymers and emulsifiers to β-carotene and kneading these mixtures under heat. The resultant amorphous solid dispersion showed unprecedentedly high gastrointestinal absorption, enhanced inhibition of allergic dermatitis, and enhanced amelioration of cognitive impairment. No major safety issues associated with long-term continuous administration were observed. In this paper, we introduce our efforts to effectively deliver poorly water-soluble compounds such as β-carotene in functional foods.

Formulation Approaches to Crystalline Status Modification for Carotenoids: Impacts on Dissolution, Stability, Bioavailability, and Bioactivities

Carotenoids, including carotenes and xanthophylls, have been identified as bioactive ingredients in foods and are considered to possess health-promoting effects. From a biopharmaceutical perspective, several physicochemical characteristics, such as scanty water solubility, restricted dissolution, and susceptibility to oxidation may influence their oral bioavailability and eventually, their effectiveness. In this review, we have summarized various formulation approaches that deal with the modification of crystalline status for carotenoids, which may improve their physicochemical properties, oral absorption, and biological effects. The mechanisms involving crystalline alteration and the typical methods for examining crystalline states in the pharmaceutical field have been included, and representative formulation approaches are introduced to unriddle the mechanisms and effects more clearly.

Physicochemical and Biochemical Evaluation of Amorphous Solid Dispersion of Naringenin Prepared Using Hot-Melt Extrusion

Naringenin (NRG) is a plant-derived flavonoid. Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities it is beneficial to human health and is often used as a functional food ingredient; however, it has poor water solubility and low in vivo bioavailability. Therefore, the efficacy of NRG can be improved by enhancing its water solubility to increase gastrointestinal absorption. Conventional methods for the formulation of NRG are very complex and use toxic organic solvents, making them impractical for the production of functional foods. The objective of this study was to develop a safe and effective NRG-based functional food material. Previously, we established a technology to prepare amorphous solid dispersions (SDs) from functional food ingredients with poor water solubility and used hot-melt extrusion technology that is comparatively simple and does not involve the use of organic solvents. In this study, we prepared NRG SD and evaluated them both physicochemically and biochemically. NRG SD had superior water solubility and gastrointestinal absorption relative to native NRG and showed higher analgesic efficacy in rats than crystalline NRG. NRG SD was administered to mice in a mixed diet for 28 days, and organ weights and hematological/clinical biochemical parameters were assessed. NRG SD did not demonstrate severe adverse effects. The results suggest that NRG SD is a safe and highly efficacious formulation that can be used as a functional food material in the future.