Preparation of Crosslinked Gelatin Microparticles and Study on Their Loading Capacity for Folic Acid

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Gelatin microparticles (GMPs) are effective carriers for active substances but lack stability during high-temperature food processing.
• Redissolution of GMPs limits their application in functional food development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel crosslinking strategy using tea polyphenols (TP) to enhance the stability and functionality of GMPs.
• To create crosslinked gelatin microparticles (cGMPs) suitable for food processing and targeted delivery.

Main Methods:

• Crosslinking of GMPs with tea polyphenols (TP) under optimized pH, temperature, and time conditions.
• Characterization of cGMPs using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
• Assessment of thermal stability via melting temperature (Tm) and evaluation of folic acid (FA) release under simulated digestion conditions.

Main Results:

• Optimized cGMPs exhibited a denser, smoother surface and improved thermal stability (Tm = 147.79 °C) compared to native GMPs (Tm = 87.11 °C).
• Folic acid-loaded cGMPs (FA-cGMPs) maintained structural integrity at elevated temperatures (40-60 °C) for extended periods.
• FA-cGMPs demonstrated sustained release, with minimal release in simulated gastric fluid (4.91%) and significant release in simulated intestinal fluid (88.13%).

Conclusions:

• Tea polyphenol crosslinking significantly enhances the thermal stability and morphological integrity of gelatin microparticles.
• The developed cGMPs offer excellent potential as carriers for functional substances, ensuring stability during food processing and enabling targeted release in the intestine.