Nanoencapsulation of Anthocyanins from Red Cabbage (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> L. var. <i>Capitata f. rubra</i>) through Coacervation of Whey Protein Isolate and Apple High Methoxyl Pectin
Ilaria Fierri,
Laura De Marchi,
Roberto Chignola,
Giacomo Rossin,
Maria Bellumori,
Anna Perbellini,
Ines Mancini,
Alessandro Romeo,
Gloria Ischia,
Asia Saorin,
Federica Mainente,
Gianni Zoccatelli
Affiliations
Ilaria Fierri
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Laura De Marchi
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Roberto Chignola
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Giacomo Rossin
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Maria Bellumori
Department of NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Via Ugo Schiff 6, Sesto F.no, 50019 Florence, Italy
Anna Perbellini
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Ines Mancini
Department of Physics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, Povo, 38123 Trento, Italy
Alessandro Romeo
Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Gloria Ischia
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, 38123 Trento, Italy
Asia Saorin
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Federica Mainente
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Gianni Zoccatelli
Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy
Encapsulation is a valuable strategy to protect and deliver anthocyanins (ACNs), phenolic compounds with outstanding antioxidant capacity but limited stability. In this study, coacervation was used to encapsulate an ACN-rich red cabbage extract (RCE). Two agri-food by-product polymers, whey protein isolate (WPI) and apple high-methoxyl pectin (HMP), were blended at pH 4.0 in a specific ratio to induce the formation of nanoparticles (NPs). The process optimisation yielded a monodispersed population (PDI < 0.200) of negatively charged (−17 mV) NPs with an average diameter of 380 nm. RCE concentration influenced size, charge, and antioxidant capacity in a dose-dependent manner. NPs were also sensitive to pH increases from 4 to 7, showing a progressive breakdown. The encapsulation efficiency was 30%, with the retention of ACNs within the polymeric matrix being influenced by their chemical structure: diacylated and/or C3-triglucoside forms were more efficiently encapsulated than monoacylated C3-diglucosides. In conclusion, we report a promising, simple, and sustainable method to produce monodispersed NPs for ACN encapsulation and delivery. Evidence of differential binding of ACNs to NPs, dependent on specific acylation/glycosylation patterns, indicates that care must be taken in the choice of the appropriate NP formulation for the encapsulation of phenolic compounds.