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Whey Protein-Based Micro- and Nanocapsules Loaded with Quercetin: Design and Functional Properties
Adrian Haranguș1, Irina Camelia Chiș1, Simona Valeria Clichici1
1Division of Physiology, Department of Morpho-Functional Sciences, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 1-3 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Whey and quercetin were successfully encapsulated into microspheres and nanocapsules. Nanocapsules demonstrated superior quercetin loading and retained antioxidant activity, unlike microspheres.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Food Science
Background:
- Quercetin is a potent antioxidant with limited bioavailability.
- Developing effective delivery systems is crucial for enhancing quercetin's therapeutic potential.
- Whey proteins offer a biocompatible matrix for encapsulating bioactive compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize whey-quercetin loaded microspheres and nanocapsules.
- To evaluate the encapsulation efficiency and antioxidant activity of the developed systems.
- To assess the potential of these systems as quercetin delivery vehicles.
Main Methods:
- Microspheres synthesized via solid/organic/water phase (S/O/W) method.
- Nanocapsules prepared using interfacial polymerization.
- Characterization using microscopy (PLM, SEM, AFM), spectroscopy (FTIR), XRD, DSC, and HPLC.
- Antioxidant activity assays performed.
Main Results:
- Successful encapsulation of whey and quercetin confirmed by structural and spectroscopic analyses.
- Nanocapsule formulation (Q2) showed highest encapsulation efficiency (51.79%) and loading capacity (5.78%).
- Measurable antioxidant activity detected only in nanocapsules, not microspheres.
Conclusions:
- Whey-quercetin nanocapsules are effective delivery systems with superior quercetin loading.
- Nanocapsules retain radical-scavenging capacity, indicating potential for antioxidant delivery.
- Microsphere formulations lacked detectable antioxidant activity under experimental conditions.
