Ultrasound-based one-step fabrication of nobiletin particle: A facile stabilization strategy

As a typical representative of polymethoxylated flavones, nobiletin (NOB) is beneficial to health but hard to be processed, stored, and absorbed, due to its hydrophobicity and crystallinity. Herein, we developed a stabilization system based on an efficient manufacturing procedure of NOB nanocrystal by anti-solvent method combined with ultrasonic treatment. Metal-phenolic networks composed of tannic acid and metal ions were introduced to conformally coat on formed nanocrystal for further stabilization. From the results, the size and morphology of the prepared particles could be altered by the amount, ratio, and kind of the coating materials. The optimized samples could be redispersed after centrifugation, and keep stable at 4 ℃ for at least 120 days. Moreover, they possessed higher acid stability and more effective release than the control sample during the in vitro digestion experiment. Therefore, this work provided a promising idea for overcoming storage and delivery obstacle of hydrophobic crystalline bioactive components.