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. 2022 Nov 22;11(23):3749.
doi: 10.3390/foods11233749.

Development of Lipid Nanoparticles Containing Omega-3-Rich Extract of Microalga Nannochlorpsis gaditana

Cristina Blanco-Llamero  1   2 , Ruth M Galindo-Camacho  1   3   4   5 , Joel Fonseca  1 , Antonello Santini  6 , Francisco J Señoráns  2 , Eliana B Souto  1   7
Affiliations

Development of Lipid Nanoparticles Containing Omega-3-Rich Extract of Microalga Nannochlorpsis gaditana

Cristina Blanco-Llamero et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Microalgae are described as a new source of a wide range of bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties, such as omega-3 lipids. This biomass product is gaining attention mainly due to its potential to accumulate different compounds depending on the species and environment, and it has been commonly recognized as a valuable nutraceutical alternative to fish and krill oils. In this work, we obtained the extract of the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana, selected on the basis of its content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and glycolipids, which were determined using GC-MS and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. To develop an oral formulation for the delivery of the extract, we used a 23 factorial design approach to obtain an optimal lipid nanoparticle formulation. The surfactant and solid lipid content were set as the independent variables, while the particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential were taken as the dependent variables of the design. To ensure the potential use of the optimum LN formulation to protect and modify the release of the loaded microalga extract, rheological and differential scanning calorimetry analyses were carried out. The developed formulations were found to be stable over 30 days, with an encapsulation efficiency over 60%.

Keywords: Nannochloropsis gaditana; factorial design; lipid nanoparticles; microalgae; nutraceuticals; omega-3 lipids.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Surface response chart of (A) the effect of the % of Tween® 80 and SOFTISAN® 649 on ZP.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Surface response chart of the effect of the % of Tween® 80 and SOFTISAN® 649 on PI.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Surface response chart of the effect of the % of Tween® 80 and SOFTISAN® 649 on z-Ave.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pareto chart of the analyzed effects for z-Ave.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Pareto chart of the analyzed effects for PI.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Pareto chart of the analyzed effects for ZP.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Rheological behavior of the LN6 dispersion (containing 0.6% of SL and 1% of Tween® 80). Captions: Captions: storage modulus G′ (◼, viscous component), the loss modulus G″ (∆, elastic component), and η (●, complex viscosity).
Figure 8
Figure 8
DSC analysis of the optimal LN (blue), N. gaditana extract (gray), raw SOFTISAN® 649 (green), and crystallized SOFTISAN® 649 (red).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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