β-Cyclodextrin based Pickering emulsions for α-tocopherol delivery: Antioxidation stability and bioaccessibility

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Pickering emulsions stabilized by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) are susceptible to oxidative degradation.
• Cinnamaldehyde (CIN) can potentially enhance the stability and functionality of β-CD Pickering emulsions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and investigate the stability of cinnamaldehyde/β-cyclodextrin (CIN/β-CD) Pickering emulsions under oxidation and digestion conditions.
• To compare the performance of CIN/β-CD Pickering emulsions with β-CD Pickering emulsions.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of β-CD and CIN/β-CD Pickering emulsions.
• Assessment of oxidative stability using malondialdehyde (MDA) value.
• Investigation of in vitro digestion behavior, including free fatty acid (FFA) release.
• Pharmacokinetic analysis of α-tocopherol delivery.

Main Results:

• CIN/β-CD composite demonstrated superior dispersion at the oil-water interface, forming a more stable interfacial layer.
• CIN/β-CD Pickering emulsion exhibited significantly lower susceptibility to oxidation (lower MDA value) compared to β-CD Pickering emulsion.
• Digestion experiments showed release of the inner oil phase in the small intestine with an FFA release rate of 44.32 ± 1.08%.
• Pharmacokinetic studies indicated an α-tocopherol peak concentration (Cmax) of 64.32 ± 6.45 mg/L at 5 h (Tmax) after administration of CIN/β-CD Pickering emulsion.

Conclusions:

• The incorporation of cinnamaldehyde into β-cyclodextrin Pickering emulsions significantly enhances interfacial stability and oxidative resistance.
• CIN/β-CD Pickering emulsions facilitate controlled release of encapsulated oil phase components in the small intestine.
• The developed CIN/β-CD Pickering emulsion shows promise for improving the bioavailability of lipophilic compounds like α-tocopherol.