β-Carotene nanodispersions synthesis by three-component stabilizer system using mixture design

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Carotenoids, like beta-carotene, are vital nutrients prone to degradation.
• Nanoparticle formulation offers enhanced bioavailability and stability for lipophilic compounds.
• Stabilizers are crucial for controlling nanoparticle size and preventing aggregation during formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interaction effects of Tween 80, gelatine, and pectin on carotenoid nanoparticle formation.
• To optimize the stabilizer system for producing carotenoid nanoparticles with desired characteristics.
• To determine the optimal concentrations of stabilizers for minimizing particle size and beta-carotene loss.

Main Methods:

• Application of simple centroid mixture design for experimental planning.
• Solvent displacement process for synthesizing carotenoid nanoparticles.
• Analysis of particle size and beta-carotene loss as response factors.
• Utilizing cubic regression models and multiple response optimization.

Main Results:

• Developed predictive cubic regression models with high determination coefficients (>90%).
• Identified optimal stabilizer concentrations: 35% Tween 80, 46% gelatine, and 19% pectin.
• Achieved spherical beta-carotene nanoparticles with a minimum particle size of 155.8 nm.
• Reported a beta-carotene loss of 25.3% w/w under optimized conditions.

Conclusions:

• The chosen stabilizers effectively control carotenoid nanoparticle formation.
• The optimized formulation provides a viable method for producing stable beta-carotene nanoparticles.
• This research contributes to improved delivery systems for carotenoids in food applications.