Formulation, Characterization, and Lipolysis Properties of Lycopene-Loaded Self-Emulsifying Delivery Systems Based on...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Drug Delivery
• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Biochemistry

Background:

• Lycopene, a lipophilic antioxidant, suffers from poor bioavailability due to limited absorption during digestion.
• Self-emulsifying delivery systems (SEDS) offer a promising approach to enhance the solubility and absorption of poorly soluble compounds like lycopene.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a self-emulsifying delivery system (SEDS) for enhanced lycopene bioavailability.
• To investigate the impact of varying hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values and surfactant-to-oil ratios (SORs) on SEDS characteristics and lycopene delivery.
• To evaluate the antioxidant activity and in vitro lipolysis kinetics of lycopene-loaded SEDS using different oil matrices.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of water-in-oil-in-water emulsions using oleic acid (OA), medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), and sunflower oil (SO) as oil matrices.
• Characterization of SEDS by measuring droplet size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ζ-potential).
• Assessment of antioxidant activity and in vitro simulated intestinal digestion to determine lipolysis kinetics and bioaccessibility.

Main Results:

• Sunflower oil (SO)-based SEDS showed higher antioxidant activity due to increased lycopene loading.
• Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)-based SEDS demonstrated enhanced cumulative release and bioaccessibility in simulated duodenal and jejunal digestion.
• Optimized MCT-based SEDS (HLB 10.72, SOR 1.00) significantly improved hydrophobic bioactive delivery efficiency.

Conclusions:

• SEDS formulation is a viable strategy to enhance lycopene solubility and bioavailability.
• MCT-based SEDS, particularly with optimized HLB and SOR, offer superior delivery of lycopene in the proximal intestine.
• This study presents a low-energy approach for developing functional supplements with improved lycopene delivery and efficacy.