Author(s): Souza, Marthyna P. ; Vaz, Antônio Fernando ; Correia, M. T. S. ; Cerqueira, M. A. ; Vicente, A. A. ; Cunha, Maria G. Carneiro da
Date: 2014
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/31588
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Subject(s): Quercetin-loaded nanoparticles; Bioactive compounds encapsulation; Nanostructure self-assembly; Lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles; Antioxidant
This study aimed at the encapsulation of quercetin into lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles using the electrostatic self-assembly technique, followed by evaluation of their functionality (antioxidant activity) and stability at different environmental conditions. These nanoparticles were characterized in terms of: average size, morphology, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, loading, and spectroscopic characteristics. Quercetin has been successfully encapsulated in lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles with an efficiency of 96.13 ± 0.44 %. Nanoparticles presented a spherical morphology with an average size of 168.58 ± 20.94 nm and a zeta potential of 56.46 ± 1.94 mV. Stability studies showed that nanoparticles are stable to temperatures ranging between 5 and 70 °C and a pH variation from 3.3 to 5.0. Moreover, encapsulated quercetin showed improved antioxidant properties when compared to free-quercetin. Our results suggest that quercetin-loaded lecithin/chitosan nanoparticles can be used in the manufacture of functional foods.
