College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, PR China; Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, PR China.
College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
Biomaterials. 2022 Jan;280:121265. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121265. Epub 2021 Nov 18.
Lycopene is claimed to have numerous physiological benefits, but its poor water solubility, chemical instability, and low bioavailability limit its application in functional foods and health care products. In this study, lycopene-loaded emulsions containing oil droplets with different interfacial structures were prepared and then cross-linked using transglutaminase (TG) and/or calcium ions (Ca) to form emulsion gels. The oil droplets were first coated by interfacial layers comprised of whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium alginate (SA). During emulsion preparation, the SA was added either before or after homogenization to create complex or layer-by-layer coatings, respectively. Subsequently, TG and Ca were used to cross-link WPI and SA to form emulsion gels. The results show that double-crosslinking increased the gel strength and viscosity of the emulsion gels. The layer-by-layer emulsion gels were stronger and more viscous than the complex ones. The photochemical and gastrointestinal stability of lycopene encapsulated within the emulsion gels was higher than that of free lycopene. An MTT toxicity test showed that the emulsion gels exhibited no cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells. The lycopene-loaded emulsion gels exhibited stronger anti-inflammatory activity on the Caco-2 cells than the control. In addition, the absorption of lycopene by the Caco-2 cells increased after encapsulation. This study provides a new approach of preparing edible soft materials to enhance the application of hydrophobic bioactives (like lycopene) in functional foods.
番茄红素据称具有许多生理益处，但由于其水溶性差、化学稳定性低和生物利用度低，限制了其在功能性食品和保健品中的应用。在这项研究中，制备了含有具有不同界面结构的油滴的负载有番茄红素的乳液，然后使用转谷氨酰胺酶（TG）和/或钙离子（Ca）交联以形成乳液凝胶。首先通过乳清蛋白分离物（WPI）和海藻酸钠（SA）组成的界面层来涂覆油滴。在乳液制备过程中，SA 可以在均质化之前或之后添加，分别形成复杂或层层涂覆。随后，使用 TG 和 Ca 交联 WPI 和 SA 以形成乳液凝胶。结果表明，双重交联增加了乳液凝胶的凝胶强度和粘度。层状乳液凝胶比复杂乳液凝胶更强且更粘稠。包封在乳液凝胶中的番茄红素的光化学和胃肠道稳定性高于游离番茄红素。MTT 毒性试验表明，乳液凝胶对 Caco-2 细胞没有细胞毒性。负载有番茄红素的乳液凝胶对 Caco-2 细胞的抗炎活性强于对照。此外，Caco-2 细胞对番茄红素的吸收在包封后增加。本研究提供了一种制备可食用软质材料的新方法，以增强疏水性生物活性物质（如番茄红素）在功能性食品中的应用。
