Preparation and characterization of lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles loaded with astaxanthin-rich oil from shrimp waste

AbstractThe present work examined the potential use of lyotropic liquid crystalline systems (hexosomes, HEXs) prepared from a binary lipid mixture of Dimodan U/citrem for delivering shrimp-extracted astaxanthin (ASX)-rich oil. The produced ASX-rich oil-loaded HEXs had highly negative ζ-potentials (in the range of -27.1–34.3 mV) with a size range from 154.4-321.3 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images revealed the coexistence of hexagonal and irregular polyangular structures. ASX-rich oil entrapment efficiency, depending on the oil concentration (0.25-1wt%), was in the range of 85.1–93.9%. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results revealed a less-ordered crystalline state resulting in a high loading capacity. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy revealed the hydrogen bond formation between ASX-rich oil molecules and the components of the binary lipids. DPPH radical scavenging assay also confirmed the potency of such nanoparticles in preserving the bioactivity of the loaded molecule. Taking into account the obtained results, the produced HEXs are attractive for the delivery of hydrophobic bioactives such as ASX for food and nutraceutical applications.