pectins and astaxanthine

Astaxanthin (AST) has been shown to have neuroprotective effects; however, its bioavailability in vivo is low due to its hydrophobic properties. In this study, lactoferrin (LF) was prepared by heat-treatment at different temperatures, and on this basis, a layer-by-layer self-assembly method was used to construct double-layer emulsions with LF as the inner layer and polysaccharide (beet pectin, BP or carboxymethyl chitosan, CMCS) as the outer layer. Then AST was encapsulated in the emulsions and their physiochemical properties and function were investigated. The results indicated that high temperature heated LF (95 °C) showed a more stable structure than the lower temperature one, and the exposed internal nonpolar groups of LF could give the emulsion an enhanced stability. The rheology results showed that compared with CMCS, the double-layer emulsion formed by BP had a higher viscosity. In addition, the 95 °C LF-AST-BP emulsion showed the best stability among all the bilayer emulsions. The best emulsion was then used as a model drug to investigate its effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation and learning-memory loss in C57BL/6J mice. Through animal behavioral experiments, it was found that dietary supplementation with the AST emulsion could effectively improve the brain cognitive and learning memory impairment caused by inflammation. Transmission electron microscopy, mRNA and western blotting results also illustrated that the AST emulsion could alleviate neuroinflammation caused by LPS. This study provides a feasible scheme for exploring an AST loaded system and may be suitable for food and drug applications.

Topics: Animals; Brain; Chemical Phenomena; Emulsions; Inflammation; Lipopolysaccharides; Locomotion; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Nerve Growth Factors; Particle Size; Pectins; Rheology; Viscosity; Xanthophylls

Multilayer emulsions were formed by sequential electrostatic deposition of anionic (pectin) and cationic (chitosan) biopolymers onto anionic saponin-coated lipid droplets. These emulsions were then tested for their ability to encapsulate and protect a hydrophobic nutraceutical (astaxanthin). The impact of chitosan and pectin concentration, pH, and ionic strength on the formation and stability of the multilayer emulsions was examined. Multilayer emulsions containing small uniform particles were produced using 2.5% lipid droplets, 0.05% chitosan, and 0.0125% pectin. The physical stability of the astaxanthin-loaded emulsions after exposure to heating, pH, and NaCl was determined. The multilayer-coatings improved the chemical stability of the encapsulated astaxanthin, as well as the aggregation stability of the lipid droplets at elevated ionic strengths and temperatures. Astaxanthin degradation during storage was 3- to 4-fold slower in multilayer emulsions than conventional ones. The multilayer emulsions developed in this study may be useful for encapsulating, protecting, and delivering hydrophobic carotenoids, which may aid in the development of more efficacious functional foods, supplements, and medical foods.

Topics: Biopolymers; Chitosan; Drug Delivery Systems; Emulsions; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Particle Size; Pectins; Sodium Chloride; Temperature; Xanthophylls

The emulsification and stabilization ability of four selected polysaccharides, namely, gum Arabic, xanthan gum, pectin and methyl cellulose, in the preparation of water-dispersible astaxanthin nanoparticles using the emulsification-evaporation technique was investigated in this study. The chemical and molecular structure of polysaccharides had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the physicochemical properties of the prepared astaxanthin nanodispersions. Among all prepared nanodispersions, sample produced and stabilized using gum Arabic showed the smallest average particle size (295 nm) and highest physical stability. The observed considerable degradation of astaxanthin in the resulting nanodispersions during processing (24-70% w/w) and storage at 10 °C for 30 d (86-96% w/w) illustrated the limited chemical stability of polysaccharide-stabilized nanodispersions.

Topics: Chemical Phenomena; Cold Temperature; Colloids; Coloring Agents; Dietary Supplements; Emulsifying Agents; Food Additives; Food Storage; Food, Fortified; Gum Arabic; Methylcellulose; Nanostructures; Particle Size; Pectins; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Surface Properties; Viscosity; Xanthophylls