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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Synthesis and Characterization of 1,2-Dithiolane Modified Self-Assembling Peptides
Published on: August 20, 2018
Self-assembled peptides derived from sesame meal as novel carriers for β-carotene with enhanced bioavailability: A
Yaqi Liu1, Zehui Zhu1, Xin Ai2
1Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China; Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China.
Abstract:
This study aimed to develop a self-assembled nanodelivery system derived from sesame protein hydrolysates (SPH) for the efficient encapsulation and delivery of β-carotene (BC). SPH with a 12 % degree of hydrolysis (SPHDH12), prepared via alkaline protease-mediated hydrolysis, exhibited optimal self-assembly properties. Optimized parameters yielded 50.30 ± 0.43 nm BC-SPHDH12 nanoparticles with 75.23 ± 0.92 % encapsulation efficiency and 11.14 ± 0.14 % drug loading capacity. BC encapsulation triggered secondary structural shifts (33.8 % α-helix decrease, 41.9 % β-sheet increase) and masked characteristic FTIR peaks. Peptidomics integrated with coarse-grained molecular dynamics identified five core peptides for BC encapsulation via hydrophobic interaction-driven self-assembly. In vitro digestion showed BC-SPHDH12 effectively prolonged BC release (26.76 % cumulative release). Rat pharmacokinetic studies further confirmed superior absorption, with a peak plasma concentration of 64.98 ng/mL and 2.73-fold higher bioavailability versus free BC. This work confirms that SPH self-assembly represents an effective strategy for hydrophobic nutraceutical delivery.
