Antioxidants (Sep 2023)

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

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12091757
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 9
p. 1757

Abstract

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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.

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