Advancing coenzyme Q10 delivery with plant protein-based nanoparticle-mediated nanosuspensions

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Nutraceutical Delivery Systems

Background:

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has health benefits but poor oral delivery due to low solubility and stability.
• Existing delivery methods struggle to overcome CoQ10's physicochemical limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize high-payload CoQ10 nanosuspensions using plant protein nanoparticles (NPs).
• To evaluate the stability and bioaccessibility of CoQ10 encapsulated in soybean, rice, and walnut protein NPs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CoQ10-loaded nanosuspensions (CQ@SPNP, CQ@RPNP, CQ@WPNP) using plant protein NPs.
• Characterization of particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, loading capacity, and encapsulation efficiency.
• Assessment of CoQ10 stability against light, heat, storage, and in vitro digestion.

Main Results:

• Nanosuspensions exhibited small particle size (<230 nm), low PDI (<0.15), and high zeta potential (<-44 mV).
• CoQ10 loading capacity exceeded 70.3% with >77.4% encapsulation efficiency.
• Plant protein NPs significantly enhanced CoQ10 stability and in vitro bioaccessibility, with CQ@WPNP showing the highest efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Plant protein-based nanoparticles offer a viable strategy to overcome CoQ10 oral delivery challenges.
• The developed nanosuspensions demonstrate improved CoQ10 stability and bioavailability, paving the way for enhanced nutraceutical formulations.