Ingredient news
Sunflower Lecithin-Protein HIPEs Lift Beta-Carotene Retention
By Nutranexa News |
Researchers built high-internal-phase emulsions with sunflower lecithin, whey protein isolate, and sodium caseinate that stayed stable under heat, salt, and pH stress while improving beta-carotene bioaccessibility.
Emulsion Design
The study combined two sunflower lecithins with different phosphatidylcholine contents with whey protein isolate and sodium caseinate to create composite particles for oil-in-water high internal phase emulsions.
The resulting systems held stable oil phase contents of up to 85% and 83%, depending on the lecithin grade used.
Delivery Results
According to the abstract, the HIPEs remained stable under thermal, storage, ionic, and pH 6 to 11 conditions.
When loaded with beta-carotene, they improved retention across different environments and increased in vitro bioaccessibility and free fatty acid release during digestion.
Buyer Takeaway
For functional ingredient buyers, the work shows how sunflower lecithin grade selection can influence not just basic emulsification but also delivery-system performance for lipophilic actives.
That is commercially relevant for brands building fortified foods, powders, and ready-to-drink concepts where stability and bioaccessibility both matter.