College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology (Huazhong Agricultural University), Ministry of Education, China.
Food Res Int. 2024 Dec;197(Pt 1):115165. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115165. Epub 2024 Sep 29.
Tributyrin (TB) can be hydrolyzed into short chain fatty acids (butyric acid) in the gastrointestinal tract, which are claimed to exhibit beneficial health effects in the colon. However, digestion of tributyrin in the stomach and small intestine may promote its absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract, thereby reducing its potential colonic health benefits. In this study, we therefore developed a novel method of encapsulating emulsified tributyrin within biopolymer-based hydrogel beads (≈ 800 μm) that were then encapsulated inside the boba beads (≈ 8-10 mm) found in bubble tea. The hydrogel beads were designed to retain and protect the tributyrin under upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) conditions, but then release it within the colon. The concentration of tributyrin within the boba beads was 33.3 mg/g, which is above the value reported to exhibit health benefits. The morphology, encapsulation properties, water holding capacity, stability, and swelling properties of the tributyrin-loaded boba beads were characterized. Tapioca-based beads exhibited a larger degree of swelling when incubated in water for 12h (>95 %), whereas agar-based beads did not (< 20 %). In addition, the potential gastrointestinal fate of both free and encapsulated tributyrin oil droplets was assessed using an in vitro digestion model. The free tributyrin oil droplets were almost completely hydrolyzed (103.2 %) by the end of the small intestine phase, whereas the tributyrin oil droplets encapsulated within the agar-based (29.4 %) or tapioca-based (40.3 %) boba beads were much more resistant to digestion. The tapioca-based beads were partially broken down as they passed through the simulated GIT, while the agar-based beads maintained their structural integrity. The tapioca-based beads were gradually broken down as they passed through the simulated GIT, while the agar-based ones maintained their structural integrity. Agar beads were also harder, more resilient, and chewier than the tapioca ones. Both types of boba beads tended to swell and disintegrate when heated to high temperatures (90 °C), with the effect being more pronounced for the agar beads. Overall, our results suggest that the agar-based boba beads had greater potential for the delivery of tributyrin to the colon than the tapioca-based ones. The recent popularity of bubble tea means that it may be a suitable vehicle for delivering bioactive food components, like functional lipids, vitamins, nutraceuticals, or probiotics.
丁三醇（TB）可在胃肠道中水解为短链脂肪酸（丁酸），据称这些酸在结肠中具有有益的健康作用。然而，丁三醇在胃和小肠中的消化可能会促进其在上消化道的吸收，从而降低其潜在的结肠健康益处。因此，在这项研究中，我们开发了一种将乳化丁三醇包封在基于生物聚合物的水凝胶珠（≈800μm）内的新方法，然后将其包封在珍珠奶茶中的波霸珠（≈8-10mm）内。水凝胶珠的设计目的是在胃上消化道（GIT）条件下保留和保护丁三醇，但随后在结肠内释放。波霸珠内丁三醇的浓度为 33.3mg/g，高于报道具有健康益处的值。对负载丁三醇的波霸珠的形态、包封特性、持水能力、稳定性和溶胀特性进行了表征。在水中孵育 12 小时后，木薯基珠表现出更大程度的溶胀（>95%），而琼脂基珠则没有（<20%）。此外，还使用体外消化模型评估了游离和包封的丁三醇油滴的潜在胃肠道命运。游离的丁三醇油滴在小肠阶段结束时几乎完全水解（103.2%），而包封在琼脂基（29.4%）或木薯基（40.3%）波霸珠内的丁三醇油滴则更能抵抗消化。随着它们通过模拟的 GIT，木薯基珠部分破裂，而琼脂基珠保持其结构完整性。随着它们通过模拟的 GIT，木薯基珠逐渐破裂，而琼脂基珠保持其结构完整性。琼脂珠也比木薯珠更硬、更有弹性和更耐嚼。当加热到高温（90°C）时，两种类型的波霸珠都倾向于膨胀和崩解，琼脂珠的效果更为明显。总的来说，我们的结果表明，与木薯基波霸珠相比，琼脂基波霸珠更有可能将丁三醇递送到结肠。珍珠奶茶的近期流行意味着它可能是输送生物活性食品成分（如功能性脂质、维生素、营养保健品或益生菌）的合适载体。
