Bixin stability enhancement through novel nanoemulsion system for advancing its applications

Bixin is a highly demanded apocarotenoid known for its impeccable coloring attributes in the food industry. Nonetheless, bixin is highly susceptible to oxidative degradation under high temperature, light, and pH, rendering its application obscure. Although there are stability concerns, limited investigations have been reported on the systematic approaches in augmenting the stability of bixin over the years. Hence, a novel water-in-oil emulsion system was formulated to encapsulate bixin, thereby conferring stability for its widespread food applications. The formulated emulsion was assessed for physicochemical properties and characterized using a range of analytical techniques. Remarkably, Bixin-loaded nanoemulsion (BNE) was observed to be more stable than the pure form of bixin at different temperatures and on prolonged UV exposure. Furthermore, the toxicity of nanoemulsion was evaluated in Caco-2 colon cell lines and animal models. Subsequently, soft candies were developed to investigate the efficacy of nanoemulsion in food coloring compared to the synthetic colorants. The bixin-loaded emulsion is 16.5 ± 0.01 nm, PDI 0.257 ± 0.01, zeta potential - 16.7 ± 0.7 mV, with excellent physicochemical properties. In addition to the stability provided by the emulsion system, no substantial toxicity was observed in in vitro and in vivo models. A controlled release profile was also observed, underlining the appropriateness of BNE as a delivery agent. Additionally, notable coloring properties were exhibited by BNE in soft candies, highlighting its potential to replace synthetic counterparts. Therefore, this study proposes a novel emulsion system for encapsulating bixin, which advances its application in food coloring and opens avenues for the efficient integration of more labile carotenoids in foods.