Encapsulation of ultrasound-assisted flaxseed meal protein hydrolysate in nanoliposomal systems by new formulation: Physicochemical properties, release behavior under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

Faezeh Farzanfar; Alireza Sadeghi Mahoonak; Mohammad Ghorbani; Seyed Hossein Hosseini Ghaboos; Shima Kaveh

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102389

Encapsulation of ultrasound-assisted flaxseed meal protein hydrolysate in nanoliposomal systems by new formulation: Physicochemical properties, release behavior under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

Food Chem X. 2025 Mar 25:27:102389. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102389. eCollection 2025 Apr.

Authors

Faezeh Farzanfar¹, Alireza Sadeghi Mahoonak¹, Mohammad Ghorbani¹, Seyed Hossein Hosseini Ghaboos², Shima Kaveh¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Food Science & Technology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan 4918943464, Iran.
² Food Science and Technology Research Center of East Golestan, Azadshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Azadshahr, Iran.

Abstract

Flaxseed meal is rich in protein with antioxidant properties. In this study, its protein was hydrolyzed using alcalase and pancreatin (1.2 %-3 %) after ultrasonic pretreatment. The pancreatin-treated hydrolysate showed the highest antioxidant activity, with 75.66 % DPPH inhibition, 70.39 % iron ion chelation, and a total antioxidant activity absorption value of 0.86 nm. To enhance antioxidant stability and control release, the hydrolyzed protein was encapsulated in liposomal nanovesicles with varying flaxseed oil (0.01, 0.02 and 0.03 g/10 ml chloroform) and cholesterol (0.02, 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 g) concentrations. Treatment L3 (0.02 g flaxseed oil) exhibited the best antioxidant and physicochemical properties, with 95.64 % encapsulation efficiency, 409 nm particle size, -15.9 mV zeta potential, 87.51 % DPPH inhibition, 56.60 % iron ion chelation, and 1.339 total antioxidant activity absorption at 695 nm. The results showed that the optimal treatment of this study (L3) can be a suitable alternative to synthetic antioxidants in food formulations.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Flaxseed; Hydrolyzed protein; Nanoliposome; Ultrasound.