Preparation of Crosslinked Gelatin Microparticles and Study on Their Loading Capacity for Folic Acid
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Gelatin microparticles (GMPs) can load functional active substances, but they tend to redissolve in high-temperature aqueous solutions during food processing. In this study, a new loading system adapted to food processing and digestive environments was constructed through the crosslinking of tea polyphenols (TP) on GMPs. The effects of pH, temperature, and crosslinking time on the methylene blue (MB) retention rate in crosslinked gelatin microparticles (cGMPs) were investigated, resulting in optimized crosslinking conditions. Compared with GMPs, the surface of cGMPs was denser and smoother. ATR-FTIR results showed that the N-H groups were involved in the formation of hydrogen bonds during the crosslinking process. The crosslinking effect of TP significantly disrupted the triple-helical structure of gelatin. The melting temperature (Tm) of cGMPs is 147.79 °C, which is significantly higher than that of GMPs (87.11 °C), indicating a marked improvement in thermal stability. In high-temperature aqueous solutions, Folic acid-loaded cGMPs (FA-cGMPs) maintained morphological integrity for 2 h (at 40 °C) and 0.5 h (at 60 °C). In vitro digestion simulations revealed excellent sustained-release characteristics of FA-cGMPs, with a release rate of only 4.91% in simulated gastric fluid and 88.13% in simulated intestinal fluid. This study provides an ideal carrier with food processing stability and intestinal-targeted release capabilities for functional active substances.
Source: Polymers
Authors: Jia-Yi Qi, Xiao-Feng Hu, Dan Qiu, Ya-Juan Wang, Zhang-Fa Tong
Language: English
Topic: Proteins in Food Systems
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,258
Award: 天然多糖负载纳米脂溶性营养素的调控及稳态化机制研究
OpenAlex ID: W4416257204