Optimisation of food grade mixed surfactant-based l-ascorbic acid nanoemulsions using response surface methodology

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Nanoemulsions offer enhanced delivery of active compounds.
• L-ascorbic acid (LAA) is a vital nutrient and antioxidant with limited stability.
• Developing stable LAA nanoemulsions is crucial for its effective application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize co-surfactant free LAA nanoemulsion preparation using response surface methodology (RSM).
• To investigate the impact of key formulation parameters on droplet size and stability.
• To establish optimal conditions for producing stable LAA nanoemulsions.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of LAA nanoemulsions using soya lecithin and Tween 80 mixed surfactants.
• Application of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize water, pressure, surfactant, and LAA concentrations.
• Evaluation of droplet size and nanoemulsion stability as response variables.

Main Results:

• Second-order polynomial models accurately predicted nanoemulsion droplet size (R²=0.9375) and stability (R²=0.9027).
• Optimal conditions determined: 9.04% water, 114.48 MPa pressure, 7.36% surfactant, 1.09% LAA.
• Optimized nanoemulsions showed 74.4% LAA retention at 4°C and 66.7% at 25°C after one month.

Conclusions:

• RSM effectively optimized the formulation of co-surfactant free LAA nanoemulsions.
• The developed nanoemulsions demonstrate good stability and LAA retention.
• These findings support the development of advanced delivery systems for nutraceuticals and food additives.