Suitability of β-lactoglobulin micro- and nanostructures for quercetin-loading

Abstract

[Excerpt] β-Lactoglobulin (β-Lg) is the major protein fraction in bovine whey serum and when heated above a critical temperature (i.e. denaturation temperature: 76 ºC) it undergoes conformational changes followed by subsequent protein-protein interactions, which allows to form micro- and nanostructures. Due to β-Lg bio-based nature, high nutritionalvalue and gelation capacity, it is an excellent material to design delivery systems fortransport and controlled release of bioactive compounds. Recently, there has been a growing scientific interest in the use of quercetin due to its biological attributes, including anticancer, antioxidant and antiviral activities. Nonetheless, its use in food products is still limited due to its hydrophobic nature (i.e. poor aqueous solubility), low oral bioavailability (i.e. it is highly degraded under gastrointestinal tract), and stability. [...]