Encapsulation efficiency of vitamin D3 in α-lactalbumin during storage

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures in adults. It has been associated with increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases. A circulating level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of >75 nmol/L, or 30 ng/mL, is required. Fortification program of vitamin D in daily food products is one of an effective way to increase vitamin D in food. Since vitamin D is a sensitive vitamin, encapsulation of α-lactalbumin is needed to protect it from the environments, such as light, heat, and oxidation. In this study, vitamin D3 was encapsulated with α-lactalbumin. The objective was to obtain the stability and the structure of vitamin D3 encapsulated with α-lactalbumin. Encapsulation efficiency (EE) measured by UV-VIS spectrophotometer with wavelength of 264 nm. Structure of vitamin D3 encapsulated with alpha-lactalbumin obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM) with four different magnification. In this study, vitamin D3 attached inside α-lactalbumin as seen by SEM. The morphology showed the hydrophobic binds between vitamin D3 and α-lactalbumin. Vitamin D3 was successfully encapsulated with α-lactalbumin with an EE 94.89%. The highest EE was from the vitamin D3/α-lactalbumin ratio 5:1. The coating of α-lactalbumin increased the solubility of vitamin D3 in the system. System stored in a cool temperature (5oC). The encapsulation efficiency of the system is 16.44% on the seventh day. It means that it decreases a lot from 100% to 16.44% in seventh day and proof that attachment between the system is weak. Finally, it can conclude that the encapsulation efficiency of α-lactalbumin is high, but the shelf-life is short and attachment between the system is week.