ß-carotene and -tocopherol coencapsulated in nanostructured lipid carriers of murumuru (Astrocaryum murumuru) butter produced by phase inversion temperature method: characterization, dynamic in vitro digestion and cell viability study

• Published in: Journal of microencapsulation 2019-03, Vol.36 (1), p.43-52
• Main Authors: Gomes, G. V. L., Sola, M. R., Rochetti, A. L., Fukumasu, H., Vicente, A. A., Pinho, S. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astrocaryum murumuru; bioaccessibility; phase inversion temperature; Science & Technology; solid lipid nanoparticles
• ISSN: 1464-5246
• DOI: 10.1080/02652048.2019.1585982

Hydrophobic bioactives can be more easily incorporated into food and have their bioavailability enhanced if nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) are used as carriers. In the present study, beta-carotene-loaded NLC were produced by low emulsificationusing murumuru butter and a mixture of Span 80 and Cremophor RH40 as surfactants. Their average diameter was 35nm andalpha-tocopherol was required to protect the encapsulated -carotene. Besides the evaluation of their physicochemical stability, NLC were submitted to dynamic in vitrodigestion and cell viability assays with Caco-2 and HEPG cells. The bioaccessibility of beta-carotene in the dynamic system was about 42%.Regarding cell viability, results indicated NLC were toxic to the cell cultures tested. Such high toxicity is probably related to the type of surfactant used and tothe extremely reduced particle size, which may have led to an intense and fast permeation of the NLC through the cells. The authors thank FAPESP (São Paulo State Research Foundation, Brazil) for the fellowships [grants 2010/20523–0, 2011/01260–0 and 2012/18495–3, for Graziela V.L. Gomes and Mirella R. Sola]. The work was also been supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/ 04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 [POCI-01–0145-FEDER006684] and BioTecNorte operation [NORTE-01–0145-FEDER000004] funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 – Programa Operacional Regional do Norte.