title: Hot-melt extrusion microencapsulation of quercetin for taste-masking.
abstract: Besides its poor dissolution rate, the bitterness of quercetin also poses a challenge for further development. Using carnauba wax, shellac or zein as the shell-forming excipient, this work aimed to microencapsulate quercetin by hot-melt extrusion for taste-masking. In comparison with non-encapsulated quercetin, the microencapsulated powders exhibited significantly reduced dissolution in the simulated salivary pH 6.8 medium indicative of their potentially good taste-masking efficiency in the order of zein > carnauba wax > shellac. In vitro bitterness analysis by electronic tongue confirmed the good taste-masking efficiency of the microencapsulated powders. In vitro digestion results showed that carnauba wax and shellac-microencapsulated powders presented comparable dissolution rate with the pure quercetin in pH 1.0 (gastric) and 6.8 (intestine) medium; while zein-microencapsulated powders exhibited a remarkably slower dissolution rate. Crystallinity of quercetin was slightly reduced after microencapsulation while its chemical structure remained unchanged. Hot-melt extrusion microencapsulation could thus be an attractive technique to produce taste-masked bioactive powders.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Crystallisation & Particle Science, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences , Jurong Island , Singapore.
authors.forename: Chia Miang
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Khor
authors.affiliation: a Division of Crystallisation & Particle Science, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences , Jurong Island , Singapore.
authors.forename: Wai Kiong
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: a Division of Crystallisation & Particle Science, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences , Jurong Island , Singapore.
authors.forename: Parijat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kanaujia
authors.affiliation: a Division of Crystallisation & Particle Science, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences , Jurong Island , Singapore.
authors.forename: Kok Ping
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: a Division of Crystallisation & Particle Science, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences , Jurong Island , Singapore.
authors.forename: Yuancai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002214:Capsules; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods*; D005079:Excipients / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012116:Resins, Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D013649:Taste; D014885:Waxes / Q000737:chemistry*; D015028:Zein / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002214:Capsules; D005079:Excipients; D012116:Resins, Plant; D014885:Waxes; C003934:shellac; D015028:Zein; D011794:Quercetin; C026344:carnauba wax
keywords: Quercetin; carnauba wax; hot-melt extrusion; shellac; taste-masking; zein