title: Emulsion design for the delivery of β-carotene in complex food systems.
abstract: β-Carotene has been widely investigated both in the industry and academia, due to its unique bioactive attributes as an antioxidant and pro-vitamin A. Many attempts were made to design delivery systems for β-carotene to improve its dispersant state and chemical stability, and finally to enhance the functionality. Different types of oil-in-water emulsions were proved to be effective delivery systems for lipophilic bioactive ingredients, and intensive studies were performed on β-carotene emulsions in the last decade. Emulsions are thermodynamically unstable, and emulsions with intact structures are preferable in delivering β-carotene during processing and storage. β-Carotene in emulsions with smaller particle size has poor stability, and protein-type emulsifiers and additional antioxidants are effective in protecting β-carotene from degradation. Recent development in the design of protein-polyphenol conjugates has provided a novel approach to improve the stability of β-carotene emulsions. When β-carotene is consumed, its bioaccessibility is highly influenced by the digestion of lipids, and β-carotene in smaller oil droplets containing long-chain fatty acids has a higher bioaccessibility. In order to better deliver β-carotene in complex food products, some novel emulsions with tailor-made structures have been developed, e.g., multilayer emulsions, solid lipid particles, Pickering emulsions. This review summarizes the updated understanding of emulsion-based delivery systems for β-carotene, and how emulsions can be better designed to fulfill the benefits of β-carotene in functional foods.
authors.affiliation: a Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health , Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University , Beijing , P.R. China.
authors.forename: Like
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: a Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health , Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University , Beijing , P.R. China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: a Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health , Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University , Beijing , P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fuguo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: a Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health , Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, Beijing Key Laboratory of Functional Food from Plant Resources, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University , Beijing , P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yanxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001682:Biological Availability; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004655:Emulsions; D019648:Foods, Specialized; D006801:Humans; D010316:Particle Size; D000072664:Provitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004655:Emulsions; D000072664:Provitamins; D019207:beta Carotene
keywords: bioaccessibility; delivery system; emulsion; stability; β-carotene