Polysaccharide-potato protein coacervates for enhanced anthocyanin bioavailability and stability

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Nutraceutical Development

Background:

• Anthocyanins (ACNs) offer significant health benefits but are unstable due to environmental factors.
• Developing stable delivery systems is crucial for maximizing anthocyanin's therapeutic potential.
• Conventional systems face limitations in protecting these sensitive bioactive compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel coacervate system using potato protein isolate (PPI) and various polysaccharides to stabilize anthocyanins.
• To assess the stability and bioavailability of encapsulated anthocyanins compared to soybean protein-based systems.
• To investigate the influence of pH and polysaccharide type on coacervate properties and anthocyanin protection.

Main Methods:

• Formation of coacervates using PPI with inulin, gum Arabic, guar gum, pectin, and soluble fiber.
• Encapsulation of anthocyanins from black carrot concentrate within the coacervate system.
• Evaluation of coacervate stability, hygroscopicity, moisture content, and anthocyanin bioavailability.
• Characterization using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Maximum potato protein solubility was observed at pH 2.
• Potato protein-guar gum microcapsules exhibited the lowest moisture content, while potato protein-gum Arabic showed the highest.
• SEM and FT-IR confirmed successful microcapsule formation and protein-polysaccharide integration.
• PPI-based coacervates, especially with gum Arabic and pectin, significantly improved anthocyanin stability and bioavailability.

Conclusions:

• Potato protein isolate-based coacervate systems demonstrate significant potential for enhancing anthocyanin stability and bioavailability.
• The choice of polysaccharide (gum Arabic, pectin) plays a key role in the effectiveness of the coacervate system.
• This research provides a foundation for developing advanced encapsulation techniques for bioactive compounds in food and nutraceutical industries.