Physical stability of oil-in-water multi-layered coenzyme Q10 nano-emulsions

As a lipophilic antioxidant, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has limited application owing to its low water solubility and instability. In the present study, potato protein (PP) and soybean soluble polysaccharide (SSPS) were used as carriers to prepare a multilayer SSPS-PP-CoQ10 nano-emulsion using the reversed-phase emulsification method; further, the water solubility, stability, and formation mechanism of the nano-emulsion were analyzed. The results showed that the particle size of SSPS-PP-CoQ10 nano-emulsions was 253-422 nm with good polydispersity. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) could reach up to 88.87 %. When the concentration of SSPS was 0.1 wt%, the decrease in interfacial tension and increase in viscoelasticity indicated that nano-emulsion improved CoQ10 physical stability. SSPS incorporation altered the microscopic environment of the hydrophobic residues, rendering them more hydrophilic and enhancing their water solubility. According to molecular docking results, hydrogen bonds promote binding among SSPS, PP, and CoQ10, and increase emulsion stability.