Alginate based encapsulation of polyphenols of Piper betel leaves: Development, stability, bio-accessibility and biological activities

Plant polyphenols have recently gained attention in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries due to their various therapeutic potentials. However, the polyphenols are prone to oxidation, unstable towards heat, light, pH and their unpleasant taste also limits their application. The usage of encapsulated polyphenols can alleviate these drawbacks and hence, efficient encapsulation methods have been developed. The present study focused on the synthesis of microspheres of Piper betle polyphenols by extrusion method using alginate and assesses the impact of alginate encapsulation on stability, bioavailability and therapeutic properties. Microspheres of Piper betle were studied for their stability, yield, size, characterized by using SEM for surface morphology and FTIR and evaluated for their bioavailability using in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion and therapeutic properties for a period of 24 months. The results showed that encapsulation was successful using extrusion technique and the stability was improved as it protected the polyphenols and antioxidant from degradation for a period of 24 months. In addition, bioavailability was also increased in small intestine and the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties were better retained after encapsulation. Overall, this study showed that encapsulation of polyphenols of Piper betle leaves with alginate improved stability and can be a promising technique for food supplementation/nutraceutical with natural antioxidants.

Automated summary

This study focused on synthesizing microspheres of Piper betle polyphenols and evaluated the impact of alginate encapsulation on stability, bioavailability, and therapeutic properties. The results showed that encapsulation improved stability, increased bioavailability, and retained antioxidant and antidiabetic properties.