6/29/2015 Nanotechnology boosts nutraceutical bioavailability: study

http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/271851 1/2

Breaking News on Supplements & Nutrition ­ Europe

Nanotechnology boosts nutraceutical bioavailability:studyBy Shane Starling, 22­Dec­2009

Related topics: Antioxidants/carotenoids, Omega­3s & Nutritional oils, Botanicals & Herbals, Cancer risk reduction,Suppliers, Research

Nanotechnology such as nanoemulsions and polymer micelles­based delivery systems can boost thebioavailability of nutrients such as phytochemcials, according to a review of the technology published in theJournal of Food Science.

The researchers found that dibenzoylmethane nanemulsions (derived from liquorice) in the range of 50nm to 200nmcould enhance oral availability threefold over conventional emulsions in the 1μm to 100μm range

Bipolymer micelles (derived from amphiphiles, which have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties) functionalgroups demonstrated improved water solubility/dispersibility and in vitro anti­cancer activity of phytochemicals.

But the researchers from the Food Science Department at Rutgers University in New Jersey said more investigation wasrequired into nano impacts, especially in in vivo, “to address public concerns”.

The scientific review, supported by US Department of Agriculture National Research Initiative Program, noted there wasincreased demand for, “functional food ingredients with improved water solubility, thermal stability, oral bioavailability,sensory attributes, and physiological performance.”

Phytochemicals are an example of a nutrient type that is poorly absorbed by the human body and which have been thesubject of encapsulation research to boost their performance, via methods such as introducing other nutrients includingpolysaccharides, proteins and emulsifiers.

These controlled­release approaches can be assisted with nanotechnology methods.

“Although many different delivery systems are now available to delivery bioactive components in nutraceuticals andfunctional foods, clear in vitro or in vivo evidences of their biological efficacies are still limited,” the researchers wrote.

Phytochemical lipophilia

They noted the problem with the majority of phytochemicals, such as polyphenols and carotenoids, is their poorsolubility, or the fact they were lipophilic compounds.

“To overcome instability, poor water solubility, and to enhance the bioavailability of nutraceuticals, one option to entrapthe compound of interest into a food matrix is to use nanoemulsion,” the wrote.

“Compared with conventional methods, such as co­solvent addition, micronizing/milling, spray drying, and saltformation, the use of lipid based delivery systems, such as micro/nanoemulsions and micelles, offers manyadvantages...”

These include high kinetic or thermodynamic stability; the ability to combine hydrophilic or lipophilic phytochemicals inthe same nanoemulsions; the ability to more easily transport droplets through cell membranes.

The researchers noted that while the use of polyphenols in capsules and tablets is common, “their biological effects arefrequently diminished or even lost due to incomplete absorption and first­pass metabolism.”

The researchers said that nanoencapsulation could benefit CoQ10, omega­3s and curcumin among others.

In conclusion they observed: “Nanoemulsions­based delivery systems have been proved to be one of the best platformsto enhance the oral bioavailability and biological efficacies (that is, antiinflammation, anti­cancer, and so on) of differentphytochemicals.”

“Similarly, polymer micelles also show promise to improve the water dispersibility of many crystalline phytochemicals,such as β­carotene and curcumin, and also show improved in vitro anti­cancer activity. A wide variety of delivery

6/29/2015 Nanotechnology boosts nutraceutical bioavailability: study

http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/271851 2/2

systems with different structures are now available, and their design principles are quite clear now.”

But questions remained: “For example, why nanoencapsulated phytochemicals have better oral bioavailability? How arethe cellular signal transduction pathways different for nanoencapsulated phytochemicals compared with thenonencapsulated forms? Are the nanoencapsulated phytochemicals toxic?

"Therefore, more efforts should be devoted to the development of novel value­added food­grade or GRAS (generallyrecognized as safe) materials from biomass, as well as the understanding of the potential impacts of thesenanoencapsulated nutraceuticals to human body and environment to address the public concerns.”

Source: Journal of Food Science

10.1111/j.1750­3841.2009.01457.x

‘Bioavailability and Delivery of Nutraceuticals Using Nanotechnology’

Authors: Qingrong Huang; Hailong Yu; Qiaomei Ru

Copyright ­ Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2015 ­ William Reed Business Media SAS ­ All Rights Reserved ­ For permission toreproduce any contents of this web site, please email our Syndication department copyright@wrbm.com ­ Full details for the use of materials on this site canbe found in the Terms & Conditions

© 2015 ­ William Reed Business Media SAS ­ All rights reserved.