Effect of Membrane Surface Modification Using Chitosan Hydrochloride and Lactoferrin on the Properties of Astaxanthin-Loaded Liposomes

Abstract

Astaxanthin-loaded liposomes were prepared by a thin-film ultrasonic method, and the effects of the different membrane surface modifiers chitosan hydrochloride (CH) and lactoferrin (LF) on the physicochemical stability of the liposomes and bioaccessibility of astaxanthin were studied. Based on the negative charge characteristics of egg yolk lecithin, LF and CH with positive charge were assembled on the surface of liposomes by an electrostatic deposition method. The optimal concentrations of modifiers were determined by particle size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency. The interaction between the liposomes and the coatings was characterized by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. The stability of astaxanthin in different systems (suspension and liposomes) was investigated, and its antioxidant capacity and bioaccessibility were determined. The results showed that both membrane surface modifications could interact with liposomes and protect astaxanthin from oxidation or heat degradation and enhance the antioxidant activity of the liposome, therefore membrane surface modification played an important role in stabilizing the lipid bilayer. At the same time, the encapsulated astaxanthin exhibited higher in vitro bioaccessibility than the free astaxanthin. CH and LF modified liposomes can be developed as formulations for encapsulation and delivery of functional ingredients, providing a theoretical basis for the development of new astaxanthin series products.

Enhanced antitumor activity of bovine lactoferrin through immobilization onto functionalized nano graphene oxide: an in vitro / in vivo study

“…By conjugation to bLF, the positive charge of the GO was dramatically increased and reaches to about −9.2 ± 1.7 mV. This increase in zeta potential could be related to the positively-charged nature of the protein (Qiang et al., 2020 ).…”

Recent Advances in Astaxanthin Micro/Nanoencapsulation to Improve Its Stability and Functionality as a Food Ingredient

“…The large surface area per unit mass of nano-sized biomaterials may increase their functionality, biological activity, or allow the release of compounds at controlled rates [ 74 ]. The structure also has a relevant influence, as structures composed of various layers generally present higher stability and a more sustained release pattern [ 51 , 75 ].…”

“…Although high stability would be desirable in any case, it is especially relevant in the case of ingredients that need to be stored for long periods before use or if they are to be applied to foods in which degradation boosting (low pH, thermal treatments, presence of oxygen) or strong interactions with matrix components are expected. Multilayer structures—for example, those based on liposomes or oil-in-water emulsions—have shown greater physical stability and astaxanthin protection, as compared with uncoated or monolayer structures [ 51 , 81 , 82 ].…”

“…Improvements in astaxanthin stability against detrimental factors, such as light, oxygen, oxidants such as Fe 3+ , pH, or thermal treatments were also found by using other encapsulation methods during in vitro assays ( Table 1 ) [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 59 , 61 ]. Comparing works is quite difficult because of the variety of encapsulation methods, wall materials, astaxanthin extract origin, and assay conditions and methodologies; however, the amount of work published demonstrates the efficacy of encapsulation technologies to partially protect astaxanthin from external detrimental factors.…”

“…Considering the tendency towards the use of natural additives in detriment to synthetic ones and to the increasing consumer concern with the diet-health relationship, astaxanthin extracts present great potential as food ingredients. However, some intrinsic properties constrain the use of astaxanthin and astaxanthin-containing lipid extracts as food ingredients, such as instability, low solubility (limiting dispersion in food matrices, bioaccessibility and/or bioavailability), difficult dosage and manipulation, and, in the case of crustaceans or algae extracts, intense odor and flavor [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Encapsulation involves the coating or entrapment of a pure material or a mixture (known as a core material or active compound) into another material (called the capsule, wall, or shell).…”