Novel hesperetin loaded nanocarriers for food fortification: Production and characterization

The objective of this research was to encapsulate hesperetin as a natural antioxidant in order to enhance its functionality for food fortification. Hesperetin loaded nanostructure lipid carriers (NLC) were coated with different biopolymers (chitosan, alginate, and low methoxypectin) and some features of the developed nanocarriers, including size, zeta potential, morphology, release kinetics, stability, thermal behaviour, chemical structure, and sensory properties were studied. The developed nano size carries showed high zeta potential and excellent stability against aggregation. Thermal analysis indicated that hesperetin was well incorporated into nanoparticles. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed no chemical reaction between encapsulating materials and hesperetin. Sensory analysis also showed that developed nanoparticles could be applied for milk fortification to mask bitterness, inhibit colour change and enhance its solubility. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.