Comparative Evaluation of Micellization and Cellular Uptake of -Carotene Affected by Flavonoids.

Based on digestion, micellar synthesis, and Caco-2 cell model, this study investigated the effects of typical flavonoids in citrus (naringenin, naringin, hesperetin, hesperidin, quercetin, and rutin) at different doses on the micellization and cellular uptake of -carotene. In digestion, low-dose flavonoids enhanced -carotene bioaccesssibility by regulating the stability and dispersibility of the intestinal medium, particularly quercetin, which significantly increased the bioaccessibility by 44.6% ( < 0.05). Furthermore, naringenin, hesperetin, hesperidin, and quercetin enhanced the micellar incorporation rate of -carotene; however, naringin and rutin exhibited an opposite effect, particularly naringin, which significantly reduced it by 71.3% ( < 0.05). This phenomenon could be attributed to the high solubility of naringin and rutin in micelles, resulting in a competitive inhibitory effect on -carotene. Besides, all treatments significantly enhanced -carotene cellular uptake ( < 0.05) by promoting the expression of scavenger receptor class B type I and Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1.