Pectin nanoparticles show encapsulation potential

Tag : Electrostatic Coating
The new study used an electrostatic deposition process, coatingproteins with sugar beet pectin, to form so-called core-shellbiopolymer particles.

Such particles could then be used to encapsulate, protect anddeliver ingredients such as lipids, peptides, enzymes and other lipophilic materials,according to research published in the Journal of Food Science .

Stable over pH range

The researchers, affiliated with the University of Massachusettsand Mahidol University in Bangkok, electrostatically depositedsugar beet pectin onto a heat-denatured beta-lactoglobulin protein.

Stable core-shell biopolymer particles were formed by mixing asuspension of protein aggregates (formed by heating thebeta-lactoglobulin at 80C at pH 5.8) with the sugar beet pectin atpH 7, and then adjusting the pH to below pH6 where the pectin isadsorbed.

The particles were found to be stable over the pH range of 4 to 7,but clumped together or aggregated under more acidic conditions.The particles did not clump together in salt concentrations lessthan 250 millimoles at pH4, "indicating that they had good salt stability," wrote the researchers.

Stability under differing pH levels and ionic strengths isimportant as these factors often vary in cosmetics , food and pharmaceutical products, they added.

Economical large scale production

Furthermore, the researchers noted that the biopolymer particlescould be produced economically and on a large scale as thematerials and methods are not expensive.
"The biopolymer particles produced using the above-mentionedapproach would be assembled entirely from food grade ingredients(proteins and dietary fibres) using simple processing operations(mixing and pH adjustment)," wrote the researchers.

Research needed into other pectins

However, the researchers said that further studies should focus onanalysing the fine structure of the nanoparticles.

"It should be noted that we used beet pectin in this study, whichhas different molecular characteristics than other types ofcommonly used pectins (such as apple or citrus pectin)," they added.

"Further research is therefore needed to understand how other typesof pectin and anionic polysaccharides impact the formation andstability of biopolymer core-shell particles. In particular, itwould be advantageous to carry out future research using anionicpolysaccharides with well-defined molecular characteristics."

Source: Journal of Food Science
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2008.00804.x
"Core-Shell Biopolymer Nanoparticles Produced by ElectrostaticDeposition of Beet Pectin onto Heat-Denatured -LactoglobulinAggregates"
Authors: R. Santipanichwong, M. Suphantharika, J. Weiss, D.J.McClements