Encapsulation of Bee Pollen Phenolics with β-Cyclodextrin: Effects on Antioxidant Activity, Antimicrobial Properties,...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Bee pollen is rich in bioactive compounds like phenolic acids and flavonoids, known for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
• Improving the stability and bioaccessibility of these compounds is crucial for their application in functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bioactive composition, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity of bee pollen extract (PE).
• To enhance the stability and bioaccessibility of PE's phenolic compounds through encapsulation with beta-cyclodextrin (BCD).
• To evaluate the gastrointestinal stability and bioaccessibility of encapsulated bee pollen.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of total phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity (DPPH, CUPRAC) of PE.
• Encapsulation of PE with BCD at various ratios, assessing encapsulation efficiency and physicochemical properties.
• Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of free PE and encapsulated PE against bacterial strains.
• In vitro gastrointestinal digestion model to assess bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity.

Main Results:

• PE exhibited high phenolic (2817 mg GAE/100 g) and flavonoid (5255 mg QE/100 g) content with strong antioxidant activity.
• The optimal PE:BCD ratio of 1:2 achieved 64% encapsulation efficiency with good colloidal stability.
• Encapsulated PE retained considerable antimicrobial activity and significantly enhanced the bioaccessibility of total phenolics (81%) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH: 48%; CUPRAC: 76%) after digestion.
• Chlorogenic acid and quercetin derivatives showed stability during gastrointestinal digestion.

Conclusions:

• BCD encapsulation effectively protects bee pollen phenolics, enhancing their gastrointestinal stability and bioaccessibility.
• Encapsulated bee pollen demonstrates significant potential as a functional food ingredient or nutraceutical due to improved stability and bioavailability.
• This approach offers a viable method for developing advanced bee pollen-based products with enhanced health benefits.