Encapsulation of β-carotene in chitosan nanoparticles by electrospraying

• Main Author: Ng, Lynn Xiu Ting
• Other Authors: Loo Say Chye Joachim
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2020
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials::Biomaterials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/138422
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

β-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A, is the most prevalent form of carotenoid found in our diet, boasting many health benefits such as protecting our eyes from age-related macular degeneration and lowering certain cancer risks. As β-carotene is known to be a labile compound that is sensitive to heat and pH changes, it is easily susceptible to degradation. Furthermore, the low bioavailability of β-carotene has garnered interest in encapsulating this nutraceutical in a protective carrier material to be delivered into the GI tract. This project aims to fabricate chitosan-based nanoparticles via the electrospraying technique, thereafter coating them with a protective starch layer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the encapsulation method in protecting β-carotene from being released prematurely in the stomach during oral delivery. This was done by performing release studies in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids to mimic the GI tract conditions. Characterization of the chitosan nanoparticles was done by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The negative zeta potential reflects the successful starch coating around the nanoparticle. The results from release studies conducted thereafter show that the release of β-carotene was significantly reduced in the simulated gastric fluid and that majority of the nutraceutical was released in the simulated intestinal fluid. In conclusion, this project has demonstrated the effectiveness of the encapsulation of β-carotene for oral delivery, which significantly slowed down the degradation of β-carotene in acidic environment of the stomach, thereby increasing the absorption of the nutraceutical in the small intestine. However, further studies are required to investigate how the bioactivity of β-carotene would be affected with such an oral delivery system. In addition, more research can be focused on studying the possible link between Vitamin A and the various types of cancer.