Study of Natural Dyes' Liposomal Encapsulation in Food Dispersion Model Systems via High-Pressure Homogenization.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Natural food dyes offer healthier alternatives to synthetic colorants.
• Liposomes are promising delivery systems for bioactive compounds, including food dyes.
• Encapsulation challenges include maintaining dye stability and achieving high encapsulation efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the encapsulation of anthocyanins, chlorophyllins, and beta-carotene within liposomes.
• To characterize liposomal systems based on particle size, rheology, color, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency.
• To determine optimal liposomal formulations for natural food dyes using Central Composite Design.

Main Methods:

• Liposome preparation using sunflower lecithin and carboxymethylcellulose via high-pressure homogenization.
• Characterization of particle size, zeta potential, and rheological properties.
• Colorimetric analysis and determination of encapsulation efficiency for different natural dyes.

Main Results:

• Liposomal systems exhibited particle sizes around 200 nm (R, C) and 165-405 nm (B).
• Rheological analysis indicated flow-induced structural changes in the dispersions.
• Anthocyanin encapsulation efficiency was high (36.17–84.61%), while chlorophyllins showed low efficiency (1.82–16.03%).

Conclusions:

• Liposomes effectively encapsulate natural food dyes, with efficiency varying by dye type.
• The developed liposomal formulations demonstrate good electrokinetic stability and characteristic color properties.
• Central Composite Design is a valuable tool for optimizing liposomal dye encapsulation for food applications.