This technology involves first encapsulating grapefruit extract containing naringenin and naringin within cyclodextrin, followed by secondary encapsulation through ionotropic gelation with cationic biopolymers and phosphate compounds to create nanoparticle complexes. This dual-encapsulation method improves the water solubility of grapefruit active ingredients and reduces the perception of bitterness in the mouth.
While naringenin in grapefruit offers antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering benefits, its poor water solubility limits intestinal absorption to approximately 15%. Additionally, naringin imparts a strong bitterness that reduces food palatability. Conventional methods like adding sugars or sweeteners fail to mask the bitterness, and liposomal encapsulation typically addresses either solubility or taste, but not both, which has limited the use of grapefruit extract primarily to pharmaceutical applications.
This technology involves a process where grapefruit extract (0.1–1 mg/mL) is added to an aqueous cyclodextrin solution for inclusion via hydrophobic host-guest binding. Subsequently, an amino-group-containing biopolymer (such as chitosan, gelatin, or polylysine) and tripolyphosphate are added at a weight ratio of 1:0.4–0.8 to induce gelation. Ultrasonic treatment is applied to control particle size between 150–800 nm. As a result, naringenin water solubility increases to over 200 µg/mL, and oral naringin release is suppressed to 25% or less. Applicable to functional diet beverages, antioxidant health supplements, and fruit-flavored food additives, this method enhances the bioavailability of grapefruit flavonoids and expands their utility as food ingredients by reducing bitterness without the need for sweeteners.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of various encapsulation application technologies to enhance the food utilization and bioavailability of functional substances, as well as the evaluation of their efficacy.
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