Mixed Biopolymer Systems Based on Bovine and Caprine Caseins, Yeast β-Glucan, and Maltodextrin for Microencapsulating Lutein Dispersed in Emulsified Lipid Carriers

Microfluidic fabrication of core-shell fucoxanthin nanofibers with improved environmental stability for reducing lipid accumulation in vitro

Fucoxanthin is a xanthophyll carotenoid that possesses potent antioxidant, anti-obesity, and anti-tumor properties. However, its limited solubility in water and susceptibility to degradation create challenges for its application. In this study, a microfluidic coaxial electrospinning technique was used to produce core-shell zein-gelatin nanofibers for encapsulating fucoxanthin, enhancing its bioavailability, and improving its stability. In comparison to uniaxially-loaded fucoxanthin nanofibers, the encapsulation efficiency of fucoxanthin reached 98.58 % at a core-shell flow rate ratio of 0.26:1, representing a 14.29 % improvement. The photostability of the nanofibers increased by 74.59 % after three days, UV stability increased by 38.82 % after 2 h, and temperature stability also significantly improved, demonstrating a protective effect under harsh environmental conditions (P < 0.05). Additionally, nanofibers effectively alleviated oleic acid-induced reactive oxygen species production and reduced fluorescence intensity by 54.76 %. MTT experiments indicated great biocompatibility of the nanofibers, effectively mitigating mitochondrial membrane potential polarization and lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. Overall, the microfluidic coaxial electrospinning technique enables promising applications of fucoxanthin delivery in the food industry.

Revealing the mechanism of the lutein protective function of epicatechin-fructan glycosylated soybean protein isolate

Lutein possesses various physiological activities but is susceptible to light degradation, thermal degradation, and oxidative degradation. As such, protecting the activity of lutein-based products using natural extracts has become a current research. In this study, lutein was protected by complexing inulin-type fructan (ITF), soybean protein isolate (SPI), and epicatechin (EC), and the protection mechanism of epicatechin-fructan glycosylated soybean protein isolate (EC-GSPI) toward lutein was elucidated comprehensively. The results showed that the addition of EC delayed the degradation of lutein. The results of light stability experiments showed that increased EC significantly enhanced the storage time of the GSPI-Lutein system from 4 to 13 days. Additionally, the effect of EC on glycosylated soybean 7S globulin (G7S) and glycosylated soybean 11S globulin (G11S) was assessed. The light stability of G11S-Lutein and G7S-Lutein after the addition of EC was from G11S > G7S → G7S > G11S. Furthermore, the proteins purified from SPI interacted differently with EC and ITF, with soybean 7S globulin (7S) mainly interacting with EC and soybean 11S globulin (11S) mainly interacting with ITF. EC-GSPI-Lutein exhibited a good protective effect, probably due to the occurrence of hygrothermal Maillard between ITF and 11S, providing a porous structure for lutein storage. At the same time, the binding of EC to 7S significantly enhanced the antioxidant property of the solution and the stability of the protein secondary structure, thereby prolonging the storage time of lutein.

Lutein–stachyose (LS) amphiphilic oligosaccharide derivatives improve the oral bioavailability of lutein

A new amphiphilic oligosaccharide derivative, based on lutein modification onto the OH position of stachyose with facile and mild esterification, was prepared and used to improve the oral bioavailability of lutein. The structures of lutein-stachyose derivative (LS) were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance, indicating that one stachyose is connected to one lutein through succinic acid. The critical micelle concentration of LS was approximately 6.86 ± 0.24 mg/mL, corresponding to the free lutein concentration of approximately 2.96 mg/mL. LS has better digestive stability and free radical scavenging ability, and it could inhibit the degradation of lutein in the gastrointestinal tract. Importantly, LS is nontoxic to cells and zebrafish embryos. In terms of oral bioavailability in rats, the AUC_0-12h values of LS were 2.26 times higher than those of free lutein. Therefore, stachyose modification is a promising strategy for improving the oral bioavailability of fat-soluble lutein.

Enzymatic acylation improves the stability and bioactivity of lutein: Protective effects of acylated lutein derivatives on L-O2 cells upon H2O2-induced oxidative stress

The instability of lutein has limited its wide application especially in the food industry. In this study, enzymatic acylation of lutein with divinyl adipate was investigated. Three new acylated lutein derivatives, lutein-3-O-adipate (compound 1), lutein-3'-O-adipate (compound 2) and lutein-di-adipate (compound 3), were identified and their stabilities and bioactivates were evaluated. Notably, compounds 1-3 showed better thermal, light stability and stronger scavenging capacity to ABTS radical cation (ABTS⁺) and hydroxyl radical (OH). Most importantly, these acylated lutein derivatives exhibited excellent protective effects on L-O2 cells upon hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress. In particular, the acylated lutein derivative termed compound 3 prevented cellular oxidative stress via restraining the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby increasing related antioxidant enzymes activity and inhibiting apoptosis by mitochondria pathway. Our research provides important insights into the application of acylated lutein derivatives in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products.