Gum Arabic-Stabilized 8‑Prenylchrysin Nanoemulsion with Enhanced Bioaccessibility and Anti-Inflammatory Effect

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Drug Delivery
• Nanotechnology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• 8-prenylchrysin (PC) is a prenylated chrysin derivative with demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties.
• Enhancing the gastrointestinal bioaccessibility (BA) and delivery of PC is crucial for its therapeutic application.
• Nanoemulsion (NE) technology offers a potential strategy to improve the delivery of lipophilic compounds like PC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a gum arabic-stabilized nanoemulsion (NE) for improved gastrointestinal bioaccessibility and delivery of 8-prenylchrysin (PC).
• To evaluate the physicochemical properties, colloidal stability, and anti-inflammatory efficacy of the PC-encapsulated emulsion systems (PC-ES).

Main Methods:

• Formulation of PC-encapsulated emulsion systems (PC-ES) using gum arabic as a stabilizer.
• Characterization of droplet size, encapsulation efficiency, and colloidal stability of PC-ES.
• In vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion to assess PC bioaccessibility.
• Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine RAW264.7 macrophages.

Main Results:

• The developed PC-ES exhibited a homogeneous droplet size (38.5 ± 0.05 nm) and high encapsulation efficiency (99.4 ± 0.06%).
• PC-ES demonstrated favorable colloidal stability over 30 days.
• Simulated digestion showed significantly enhanced PC transfer into the micellar fraction, indicating improved gastrointestinal bioaccessibility compared to unformulated PC.
• PC-ES effectively attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages, retaining anti-inflammatory activity.

Conclusions:

• Gum arabic-based nanoemulsions provide an effective delivery system for 8-prenylchrysin.
• The NE formulation significantly enhances the gastrointestinal bioaccessibility and practical utilization of PC.
• This approach holds promise for leveraging the anti-inflammatory potential of PC in therapeutic applications.