Microemulsions Based on a Sunflower Lecithin–Tween 20 Blend Have High Capacity for Dissolving Peppermint Oil and Stabilizing Coenzyme Q₁₀

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to improve the capability of microemulsions to dissolve peppermint oil by blending sunflower lecithin with Tween 20 and to study the possibility of codelivering lipophilic bioactive compounds. The oil loading in microemulsions with 20% (w/w) Tween 20 increased from 3% (w/w) to 20% (w/w) upon gradual supplementation of 6% (w/w) lecithin. All microemulsions had particles of <12 nm that did not change over 70 d of storage at 21 °C. They had relatively low Newtonian viscosities and were physically and chemically stable after 50-200-fold dilution in water, resulting from similar hydrophile-lipophile-balance values of the surfactant mixture and peppermint oil. Furthermore, the microemulsions were capable of dissolving coenzyme Q10 and preventing its degradation at UV 302 nm, more significant for the microemulsion with lecithin. Therefore, natural surfactant lecithin can reduce the use of synthetic Tween 20 to dissolve peppermint oil and protect the degradation of dissolved lipophilic bioactive components in transparent products.

Miscibility of Quillaja Saponins with other Co‐surfactants under Different pH Values

“…In comparison, rapeseed lecithin mixed with Quillaja saponins was able to stabilize the lipids at pH 3 (Figure D), showing that the mixed system increased the solubility of the lecithin product in aqueous medium. This is an agreement with a recent study showing that sunflower lecithin in a mixture with Tween 20 dramatically increased the dissolution of peppermint oil compared to just Tween 20 alone (Chen and others ). Mixing lecithin with other surfactants can also provide synergistic action: Das and Mitra () blended lecithin with a nonionic surfactant Triton X‐100, thus increasing the solubilization capacity of the formed microemulsions.…”

“…Mixing lecithin with other surfactants can also provide synergistic action: Das and Mitra () blended lecithin with a nonionic surfactant Triton X‐100, thus increasing the solubilization capacity of the formed microemulsions. These studies show that by mixing different surfactants, the hydrophilic–lipophilic balance and the solubility of the mixed surfactant system in aqueous and emulsion based systems can be tuned (Das and Mitra ; Chen and others ).…”

Nanoemulsions as delivery systems for lipophilic nutraceuticals: strategies for improving their formulation, stability, functionality and bioavailability

“…Similar T max values (time to maximum plasma CoQ 10 concentration) was around 1.5 and 1.7 h for CoQ 10 -enriched nanoemulsions and CoQ 10 crystal suspensions, but the nanoemulsion had about 1.7-fold higher AUC (area under the curve of plasma CoQ 10 concentration versus time) and C max (maximum plasma CoQ 10 concentration) than the crystal suspension. CoQ 10 -enriched nanoemulsions have also been prepared from a blend of sunflower oil and Tween 20 using spontaneous emulsification (Chen et al, 2015 ). This study suggested that the use of synthetic emulsifiers could be reduced for CoQ 10 -enriched nanoemulsion formation through a careful blending of natural and synthetic emulsifiers.…”

Analytical Strategies to Analyze the Oxidation Products of Phytosterols, and Formulation-Based Approaches to Reduce Their Generation

“…Thus, phytosterol oxidation will most likely be prevented by liposomal entrapment. Microemulsions are another delivery system that is gaining popularity in formulating or encapsulating bioactive components [92,93]. Similar to liposomes, microemulsions composed of oil, water, and surfactants (i.e., a colloidal dispersion) [83] can prevent oxidation of bioactive components [92,93].…”