β-carotene-loaded liposome dispersions stabilized with xanthan and guar gums: Physico-chemical stability and feasibility of application in yogurt

- β-carotene-loaded multilamellar liposomes were produced by proliposomes method.
- The liposomeswere stable and were able to protect the carotenoid for 90 days of storage.
- The phospholipid vesicle dispersions were stabilized by a mixture of xanthan and guar gums.
- It was possible to incorporate the liposomes in yogurts, with a good sensory acceptance.

The objective of this work was to produce β-carotene-loaded liposomes using proliposomes and to test their incorporation in yogurts. Multilamellar liposome dispersions were stabilized by the addition of a mixture of xanthan and guar gums as thickeners, and vesicles exhibited an average diameter of approximately 2000 nm. The liposomes were capable of protect the β-carotene from degradation for a period of 95 days; in fact, nearly 90% of the encapsulated carotenoids were preserved after this time. The dispersions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and rheology. The thermal analyses showed that neither the β-carotene nor the gums affected the liposome bilayer structure. Moreover, the mixture of gums was highly effective in avoiding β-carotene-loaded liposome aggregation over the storage time, and the data showed that a higher thickener concentration did not necessarily construct a more stable system. The physico-chemical characterization of the yogurts showed that their texture of both formulations A and B was not affected by the incorporation of the liposomes. The grades assigned were 7.40 ± 1.22 and 6.87 ± 1.43, respectively. This shows that they did not differ significantly, indicating the real possibility that at least part of the artificial colorants can be replaced by the encapsulated β-carotene-loaded liposomes.