Complex coacervation process using biopolymers as delivery system of tannic acid
Lactoferrin; phenolic compound; pectin; gastrointestinal simulation.
Tannic acid belongs to a group of hydrolyzable tannins and has important biological functionalities such as antioxidant capacity, radical scavenging and antimutagenic properties. Studies show that tannic acid can be used as a natural inhibitor of β-secretase and α-amylase enzymes, reducing the magnitude of postprandial glucose and insulin responses to dietary carbohydrates and decreasing the absorption of carbohydrate intake, helping to prevent or mitigate type 2 diabetes and obesity. In this sense, microencapsulation is an alternative for the controlled release of tannic acid. This work aimed to propose a viable and promising alternative to microencapsulate TA, protecting and controlling its release, through the formation of emulsions of the type water/oil/water containing Lactoferrin (Lf) and Pectin (Pec) complexed. For that, the microcapsules were physicochemically characterized and their stability was evaluated under high temperature (80ºC), different pH, as well as in the simulated digestive system. The results showed that the ideal conditions for the formation of complexes were found at pH 5.5 and 10:1 ratio. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) was determined as a function of the total biopolymer concentration and the core-wall ratio, and the highest EE (~ 91.71%) was achieved with 0.5% biopolymer concentration at a ratio of 1 :0.15. The microcapsules were stable to flocculation when heated at 80 °C for 2 h and the in vitro simulation showed that AT was protected in the gastric system and its bioaccessibility was controlled and more pronounced in the small intestine (38%). Therefore, the microparticles formed are an effective encapsulation and controlled delivery system of hydrophilic polyphenols in nutraceuticals, supplements or pharmaceutical formulations.