Encapsulation of ultrasound-assisted gluten hydrolysate in liposomal systems: physicochemical properties, release behavior and retention of antioxidant capacity
摘要
This study evaluated the effect of ultrasound pre-treatment on the antioxidant potential and degree of hydrolysis of gluten protein hydrolysate (GH) produced by different proteases (trypsin, pepsin, and pancreatin). Then, the treatment with the maximum antioxidant activity (pancreatin hydrolysate pretreated by ultrasound for 5 min) was encapsulated in liposomal systems containing different cholesterol content. The efficiency of encapsulation, polydispersity index (PDI), average size, zeta potential, release behavior, antioxidant stability, and morphology of liposome vesicles were determined. The results showed that ultrasound pre-treatment for 5 min effectively improved the antioxidant activity of GH produced by pancreatin. The increase of cholesterol content to 0.04% in the liposome structure significantly reduced PDI values, increased encapsulation efficiency, and induced more negative zeta potential (p < 0.05). The cholesterol-containing liposomes had a controlled release behavior during storage. The SEM images showed that the vesicles were spherical with smooth surfaces. The FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the loading of GH to the interior regions of liposomes. In conclusion, ultrasound as a green technology is an effective pretreatment in the production of protein hydrolysate to increase bioactive properties such as antioxidant potential. Liposomes containing 0.04% cholesterol can be applied in the food industry for the encapsulation of different bioactive compounds in order to produce functional foods with high nutrition values. Also, our liposome formulation can be used as a carrier for sensitive drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. It should be mentioned that more in-vitro and in-vivo experiments must be done to confirm the safety and efficiency of liposome systems.