O/W nanoemulsions encapsulated octacosanol: Preparation, characterization and anti-fatigue activity

Octacosanol has various biological effects such as antioxidant, hypolipidemic and anti-fatigue. However, poor solubility has limited the application of octacosanol in food. The aim of this study was to prepare octacosanol nanoemulsions with better solubility, stability and safety and to investigate in vivo anti-fatigue effect. The food-grade formulation of the octacosanol nanoemulsions consisted of octacosanol, olive oil, Tween 80, glycerol and water with 0.1 %, 1.67 %, 23.75 %, 7.92 % and 66.65 % (w/w), respectively. The nanoemulsions had an average particle size of 12.26 ± 0.76 nm and polydispersity index of 0.164 ± 0.12, and showed good stability under different pH, cold, heat, ionic stress and long-term storage conditions. The results of animal experiments showed that the octacosanol nanoemulsions significantly prolonged the fatigue tolerance time, alleviated the fatigue-related biochemical indicators, and weakened the oxidative stress. Meanwhile, octacosanol nanoemulsions upregulated hepatic glycogen levels. Taken together, these findings suggested that octacosanol nanoemulsions have promising applications as anti-fatigue functional foods.