An Innovative Bio-Vehicle for Resveratrol and Tocopherol Based on Quinoa 11S Globulin-Nanocomplex Design and...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Biochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nanocomplexes serve as effective nanovehicles for linking diverse ligand compounds.
• Quinoa seed protein (11S globulin) is a potential candidate for developing novel nanodelivery systems.
• Resveratrol (RSV) and tocopherol (TOC) are bioactive compounds with significant health benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and characterize resveratrol (RSV)- and tocopherol (TOC)-loaded 11S quinoa seed protein nanocomplexes.
• To investigate the molecular interactions and binding affinities between 11S globulin and RSV/TOC.
• To evaluate the impact of complexation on protein aggregation and antioxidant capacity.

Main Methods:

• Molecular docking simulations to predict binding sites and energies.
• Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to determine thermodynamic parameters of complexation.
• Intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy to study protein-bioactive compound interactions.
• Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to assess protein aggregation.
• Antioxidant capacity assays.

Main Results:

• Molecular docking revealed binding energies of -5.6 kcal/mol for RSV and -6.2 kcal/mol for TOC.
• ITC and fluorescence quenching confirmed spontaneous, exothermic complexation, with RSV showing higher binding affinity.
• Static quenching mechanisms were identified using Stern-Volmer, Scatchard, and FRET models.
• DLS and AFM confirmed the formation of nanocomplexes with diameters <150 nm, indicating controlled protein aggregation.
• Antioxidant capacity of 11S globulin remained unchanged but was additive for 11S-RSV nanocomplexes.

Conclusions:

• 11S quinoa seed protein nanocomplexes effectively encapsulate RSV and TOC.
• The developed nanocomplexes exhibit controlled aggregation and enhanced antioxidant properties.
• These findings support the potential of 11S-RSV and 11S-TOC nanocomplexes as a platform for nutraceutical product development.